Judges

The cyclical nature of sin in Judges reminds me of the overarching theme in The Good Earth.

Chapters 1-3
As soon as Joshua and the elders pass away, the people forget again.  Isn't this just true?  We make promises. We refocus. We reform our ways with good intentions and a beginning strength that is encouraging.  And, like the people, sometimes we become that leader--either in ourselves or in the larger community that does the right thing.  Ehud with his double-edged sword.  Shamgar with his oxgoad.  But, in time, things get messed up again, don't they.

Caleb

Pushing and pulling my way through Joshua (the Old Testament always feels like the biggest "chunk" of scripture to cover in most plans, behold Caleb.

Caleb was a Kenizzite, a group outside of the Jews.  How did I miss this?

As with many figures in the Bible, the text is sparse.  Caleb speaks up at this point in his life---after many years of believing, fighting, and following.  He reminds Joshua of the promise God made to him years ago.  He speaks up at the right time, for the right reason twice in the scriptures---

Once, when the spies were afraid.

Once, when inheritances are given out.

Both were the exact right times for the exact right reasons. The rest of the time, he holds his peace as far as we are told.

I love this commentary from the BKC:

"Caleb is introduced in this passage as the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. According to Gen_15:19 the Kenizzites were a tribe of Canaan in Abraham’s day. Caleb’s family then was originally outside the covenant and commonwealth of Israel as were Heber the Kenite (Jdg_4:17), Ruth the Moabitess (Rth_1:1-5), Uriah the Hittite (2Sa_11:3, 2Sa_11:6, 2Sa_11:24), and others. It is apparent that the Kenizzites in part at least joined the tribe of Judah before the Exodus. So their faith was not hereditary but was the fruit of conviction. And Caleb displayed that faith throughout his long lifetime.

Standing before General Joshua, his old friend and fellow spy (Num_14:6), 85-year-old Caleb (Jos_14:10) told the story of that never-to-be forgotten day, 45 years before (Jos_14:10), when the 2 of them stood alone against the other 10 spies and the cowardly mob. For Moses had sent 12 spies into Canaan (Num_13:2); 2 of them were Caleb and Joshua (Num_13:6, Num_13:8). When the spies returned 10 of them praised the land itself but fearfully concluded Israel could not conquer it (Num_13:27-29, Num_13:31-33). Caleb, however, dared to disagree (Num_13:30), and when the fears of the people threatened to bring national rebellion Joshua joined his colleague in urging the people to trust God for victory (Num_14:6-9). For Caleb’s leadership against the unbelieving spies and people, God singled him out for blessing and promised him a special reward (Num_14:24; Deu_1:36).

Caleb’s testimony (Jos_14:6-12) was simple. He had spoken on that memorable day according to his convictions. He did not minimize the problems - the giants and the fortified cities - but he magnified God. To him, God was greater than the biggest problem. Caleb had faith in the power of God. Not so the other spies. They magnified the problems and thereby minimized God. But Caleb would not follow the crowd. He did not once consider sacrificing his own convictions in order to make the majority report unanimous. Instead he followed the Lord his God wholeheartedly (cf. Jos_14:14)."

"You are bigger than I thought You were."

Just Joshua

I'm reading the book of Joshua right now and thought to post my own thoughts only, as a measure of accountability and pushing myself. 

I love commentary--it opens my mind and heart to new ideas and angles of understanding.  But sometimes, the voices from my past--overly chirpy and loud southern radio preachers, often well-meaning--obstruct instead of help. I can also get lost in hazy lazy thinking, letting commentators do the medium lifting instead of reading closely.

Reading closely, as I encourage my students, has irreplaceable benefits.

So, what did I notice today?

The first chapters of Joshua read like an epic or a fairy tale, which is not to suggest they are not true--but that they are a certain style.  The true part is separate from the style. God does what He wants, how He wants.  We either believe Him in that and allow Him latitude and greatness, or we can pursue the nitty gritty of a naturalistic perspective, holding Him to the laws of nature He created.  It's not that simple.  It's also not that complicated.  But, a person can spend a lot of spiritual energy spinning their wheels over this kind of thing--I know this.

Things I noticed...

Joshua 6----they burned the city with fire--wow.  Rahab and her family were saved, but otherwise, complete destruction besides the ironware.  It seems drastic, draconian--especially to a person who has to steel herself to thin her turnip patch soon.  I know the rational, the reasons--I just wince at the reality and prefer mercy mercy mercy.

This destruction---annihilation--ethnic cleansing--genocide--is the heart of what non Christians object to.

What do I know from my garden?  That the weeds will take over when you turn your back.  That if I don't thin the turnips, all of them will not yield any worthwhile turnips.  I remember the crabgrass in my yard--it's relentless march across my lawn, the way it seeped under the fencing and into my garden, leaping from bed to bed to bed.  Now, I have so very much work to do which could have been prevented. "Nipped in the bud" is a real thing.

What else do I know?  The Canaanites were evil, barbaric, more immoral  than the Israelites.  They sacrificed their children to false gods, practiced religion and life in ways that were abhorrent. They were not God's plan but were allowed to go on to this point. 

Does this "knot" of difficulty melt away the broader issue of inhumanity---of the timeless "chosen" and "not chosen" nature of Jacob and Esau, Cain and Abel, Saul and David--no.  And we can split hairs over all of those passages. 

Or, I can accept the perspective of Job---at the end of Job, not the beginning.  God is God and I am not.