Scripture Focus: Joshua 11.23
So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Student Writers Month:
This month, The Park Forum welcomes college and seminary student writers pursuing ministry careers. For more info about our yearly Student Writer program, see our website.

Reflection: Anticipating Everlasting Rest
By Dennis Nicholson

Joshua’s conquests in the Promised Land have reached their end. After more than four hundred years of slavery and forty years of exodus, the weary Israelites finally receive relief from conflict. They finally enter into the rest which God promised to give them (Deuteronomy 12:9; Joshua 1:13).

This rest doesn’t last very long, though. Indeed, Joshua’s campaigns secured only the largest cities in the Promised Land (Joshua 11.12). And even when the Israelite tribes do secure full control over the land, they fail to drive out its pagan inhabitants. Enticed by pagan religion, they begin to serve other gods and their disobedience drives them into the hands of their enemies time and time again (Judges 2.14).

God knew this rest wouldn’t last. He knew the Israelites would disobey His covenant. He knew they would fall into sin and ultimately into exile. Why, then, did He promise the Israelites rest? What’s the point of a rest that doesn’t last?

For one, the Israelites’ fleeting rest points to their insufficiency. As we read in Hebrews, “If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day” (Hebrews 4.8). Even Joshua, who acted in full obedience to God in his conquest of the land, could not secure lasting rest for the Israelites. On their own, they could never enter into God’s rest.

And, if we’re being honest, we find in ourselves a similar insufficiency. Enticed by our own idols, we fall captive to sin, alienated from God’s presence by our disobedience. On our own, we can never enter into God’s rest. 

Only Christ, who acted in full obedience to His Father’s will in His death on the cross (Matthew 11.28; Ephesians 2.14), can secure everlasting rest for us.

We all experience seasons of rest in our lives that don’t last. We might not be fighting for the Promised Land, but we fight daily against sin and temptation. As we long for rest amidst these battles may we remember that, despite our disobedience, Christ has won the victory. May we lay down our weapons and pick up his cross. May we come to him, as weary wanderers in the desert, and receive His eternal rest.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Help me, O Lord my God; save me for your mercy’s sake. — Psalm 109.25

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Joshua 11 (Listen – 3:52)
Psalm 144 (Listen – 1:56)

This Weekend’s Readings
Joshua 12-13 (Listen – 8:18), Psalm 145 (Listen – 2:19)
Joshua 14-15 (Listen – 9:20), Psalm 146-147 (Listen – 3:09)

Read More about Readers’ Choice 2021
It is time to hear from you about the posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 – July 2021) that have challenged, comforted, and helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

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Read more about Transcendent Peace and Rest
Trust and enter his rest. Carry his peace with you always.

Scripture Focus: Joshua 10.6-10
6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah.

Student Writers Month:
This month, The Park Forum welcomes college and seminary student writers pursuing ministry careers. For more info about our yearly Student Writer program, see our website.

Reflection: Chasing God’s Promises
By Joshua Fikkert

The book of Joshua is challenging to contemporary readers, but not always for the reasons we might expect. The deepest challenge of the book of Joshua lies not in its violence but in the question it poses for its readers: Where do you stand with God? Are you for him or against him? (Joshua 5:13-15; 24:24-15). There is no fence-sitting when it comes to the Lord (Matthew 12:30). In Joshua 10, a coalition of Canaanite kings makes it clear where they stand. They attack the neighboring Gibeonites for siding with Israel and their God (Joshua 10:1-5). Despite knowing the stories of Israel’s victories, these Canaanite kings foolishly set out against Gibeon in full-fledged defiance of God. 

Such brazen opposition to God’s reign is unthinkable for many of us. Yet far subtler forms of disobedience still tempt us to reject his rule. While we often avoid blatant sins that will broadcast the darkness of our hearts, we easily fall prey to off-camera sins like lust, greed, jealousy, bitterness, anger, envy, and the like. These secret sins readily invade our thoughts and wage silent rebellion against the Lord.

In response to the Canaanite kings’ assault on Gibeon, Israel could have allowed  Gibeon to fall and gotten even with Gibeon for tricking them into a peace treaty (Joshua 9:14-16). This certainly would have been a popular option in the Israelite camp (Joshua 9:18-26). Passively allowing Gibeon to be destroyed would have been easy to justify since Israel’s agreement didn’t say anything about protecting Gibeon from other Canaanites (Joshua 9:15). 

However, hair splitting and self-justification are not the trademarks of obedient faith. Rather, obedient faith hears the word of the Lord and acts on it (James 1:22-25). This is what Joshua does. Upon hearing the Lord’s gracious promise of victory despite Israel’s earlier failure, Joshua embarks on an uphill, all-night march, obediently chasing after the promises of God (Joshua 10:8-9). 

Yet the glory of the gospel is that, even when we do not chase after God’s promises, the promises of God chase us.  The same Lord who made the sun to stand still for Joshua (Joshua 10:13), allowed the sun to darken on Jesus (Matthew 27:45) so that we might experience the victory and the fulfillment of all God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). The God of Israel has already won victory for us in the true and better Joshua, but we must put our weapons down and surrender all to him. 

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous stumble. — Psalm 55.24

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Joshua 10 (Listen – 7:23)
Psalm 142-143 (Listen – 2:44)

Read More about Readers’ Choice 2021
It is time to hear from you about the posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 – July 2021) that have challenged, comforted, and helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

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Read more about This Present Age—Readers’ Choice
May we be sound in our faith and in our love for others, and carry out the work of the gospel.

Scripture Focus: Joshua 8.1, 33-34
1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land.

33 All the Israelites, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord, facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Both the foreigners living among them and the native-born were there. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

34 Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—just as it is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read to the whole assembly of Israel, including the women and children, and the foreigners who lived among them.

Student Writers Month:
This month, The Park Forum welcomes college and seminary student writers pursuing ministry careers. For more info about our yearly Student Writer program, see our website.

Reflection: God’s Presence After Failure
By Jolene Davidson Crouch

“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” initially seems an odd way for God to start instruction but, after Joshua 7, this statement is assurance that His presence is still with Israel. In Joshua 7 we read of Achan’s sin and the consequence the Israelites faced because of it. They fail in battle and God tells Joshua He will not be with them anymore until the people consecrate themselves. Atonement was made, God “turned from his fierce anger” (v. 8) and this is where chapter 8 begins. How often have I messed up, repented, and needed to know God’s presence was still with me?  

It’s difficult for me to do something after I’ve failed. Anxiety creeps in with “What if I fail again?” “What if I didn’t hear God correctly?” Reading Joshua 8 I am jealous God gave the Israelites detailed instructions and let them know they would succeed! Yet he provides me with instructions in his word. I am instructed to act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). I am instructed “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 6:18). I am instructed “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you” (Matthew 6:33). I find myself jealous when God lays out an obvious path for others, but I don’t always follow the path God put in front of me.

The beauty of Joshua 8 is found in God’s provision for his people. The final verse of Chapter 8 shows Joshua reading the law, the blessings and the curses to the entire assembly of Israel.  Men, women, children, native born Israelites, and the foreigners living with them were all invited to share in God’s Covenant. When we think of the Nation of Israel, we tend to forget those who were grafted in as they came through Canaan. Israel’s faith was opened to converts, such as Rahab, and outsiders who desired to know God. God’s love is not for one group. God’s love has always included any individual who wants to enter a relationship with Him.

We can trust that God forgives those who repent. His presence never leaves us. Second, we can continue inviting others to be a part of our community, encouraging them to graft into the True Vine by experiencing salvation in Jesus Christ.  

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
I put my trust in your mercy; my heart is joyful because of your saving help. — Psalm 13.5

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Joshua 8 (Listen – 5:55)
Psalm 139 (Listen – 2:26)

Read More about Readers’ Choice 2021
It is time to hear from you about the posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 – July 2021) that have challenged, comforted, and helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

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Read more about Between Gerizim and Ebal
God does not abandon us to the curses we choose. Jesus took the curses of Ebal and he brings to us the blessings of Gerizim.

Student Writers Month: Joshua 7:1
1 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

Student Writers Month:
This month, The Park Forum welcomes college and seminary student writers pursuing ministry careers. For more info about our yearly Student Writer program, see our website.

Reflection: Abundance from Obedience
By Jilian Brown

Collective consequences for the action of one individual is not a popular idea in a time heavily focused on individual rights and justice. Though we may dislike this notion, the reality of it is evidenced all around us. When an athlete incurs a penalty, the team suffers. When a leader acts unethically, the organization suffers. When a spouse strays, the family suffers. In the case of the Israelites and Achan, the disobedience of one man cost the nation a battle and thirty-six lives in the process. 

Because collective consequences are a reality, our focus should be on collective obedience. Following God is a group effort. We are in a covenant with God as a people, not just individuals. It is the responsibility of the body of Christ to look out for one another. Even when the ways of the Lord seem clear to us, we must continue to speak them to those around us. Anyone can quickly slip from the truth of God’s ways without a regular reminder of them.

Obedience is also not a popular topic in our age of individualism. The root of disobedience is a scarcity mentality about God. Achan did not trust God for provision, but rather chose the immediate security in front of his eyes. In doing so, he and his family became like the people of the land. Rahab, by contrast, trusted God as a foreigner and her entire family became part of the Israelite community by way of her faith (Joshua 6.25). The important concept to reiterate to ourselves and others is that obedience brings about an abundant life, not a mediocre one. Obedience may feel restrictive in the moment, but ultimately brings about freedom and joy.How do we consistently trust and obey? David asked God to regularly scan his thoughts to keep him holy (Psalm 139.23-24). Like a daily CT scan of our souls, we must allow the Spirit’s search to take place and encourage others to do the same. When misplaced trust is revealed, immediate confession and repentance roots out the possibility of further sin and consequences for us and others. Achan’s individual lack of trust in God led to actions which held consequences for the whole community. In a glorious inverse, Jesus the individual took the consequences for all of our sin on the cross and that is worthy of our collective daily trust and obedience (Romans 5.12-17). 

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
“Because the needy are oppressed, and the poor cry out in misery, I will rise up,” says the Lord, “And give them the help they long for.” — Psalm 12.5

– Divine Hours prayers from The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle

Today’s Readings
Joshua 7 (Listen – 4:58)
Psalm 137-138 (Listen – 2:13)

Read More about Readers’ Choice 2021
It is time to hear from you about the posts from the past eleven months (September 2020 – July 2021) that have challenged, comforted, and helped you find new meaning in the scriptures.

https://forms.gle/ozM13qvW9ouSWhJS7

Read more about Separateness Not Superiority
Obeying the command to “be holy” is what makes us able to be a light to the world. No holiness, no light.