I finished Joshua, and I have started Judges. Well, in Joshua, there was this beautiful passage that has sort of summed up some themes that I have been seeing in Scripture since the beginning- how we balance fearing the LORD and loving him.
Josh. 21: 5, "But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: To love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." That is the LOVE part.
Then there was the FEAR part. Josh.23:14-16, "...You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God have you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will brin on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the LORD you God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD's anger will burn against you, and you will quickly persh from the good land he has given you. Josh. 24:14, "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness."
Then the LOVE part. Josh. 24:15, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua ends with the Israelites settling in their Promised Land. Awesome!
Judges has so far involved a little more conquest and cutting off of the conquered kings' toes and thumbs. A little barbaric, but it seems to be a symbolic act as well. By doing so, they render the kings useless. They can no longer run swiftly or wield arms against them. God's power to protect His children brings kings to their knees.
Cool stuff.
1619 pages to go!
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