Day 85: Fighting for Each Other

 Today's readings: Joshua 12-14 and Psalm 129.

I. Joshua 12 gives a record of the victories of the Israelites and lists the kings they defeated while taking possession of the Promised Land.

In the next chapter, the conquered areas of the Promised Land were divided among the tribes of Israel. It begins with an acknowledgement that some areas remain to be conquered, like the area controlled by the Philistines, but God promises that He will "drive them out from before the people of Israel."

Finally, in Joshua 14, the formal distribution of the Promised Land west of the Jordan begins. To Caleb, an old man at 85 but still vigorous, Hebron was given for his faithfulness to God.

The chapter ends with the line, "And the land had rest from war."

The BIY Companion, Vol I, has some commentary on this:

God actually commands war, which can be difficult to understand. Why is this warfare so violent and brutal? As we read in Numbers, it is because God knows that his holy people are going to be tempted to live as the people around them. God has a plan for the Chosen People, and he knows that if they simply try to coexist with the pagan nations around them, they will not fulfill it... God has revealed that this is a limited engagement with just the people of Canaan. Ultimately, God seeks the reconciliation - not the destruction - of all people. (p. 182)

II. Psalm 129 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

A thanksgiving psalm. It bemoans Israel's history of suffering and prays for the humiliation of its oppressors. The covenant people have long borne the hostility of the world, and yet the Lord has proven himself "righteous" by preserving them from annihilation. After acknowledging this divine protection, the speaker prays for God's justice against those who "hate Zion". (p. 943)

That's it for today!

Day 84: The Sun Stands Still

 Today's readings: Joshua 10-11 and Psalm 128.

I. Joshua 10 recounts several major events during Israel's conquest of Canaan. First, the king of Jerusalem forms an alliance with other local kings, all of whom fear Israel after their victories at Jericho and Ai, as well as the pacification of Gibeon. Because of this, they decide to attack Gibeon to remove them as Israel's ally, who appeal for help to Joshua. He and Israelite forces come and, through God's intervention, especially the stunning miracle when the "sun stood still," crush the coalition of Canaanite kings. Their armies are routed, and the kings themselves are all captured and hanged. Then, Joshua leads a series of victories against several southern Canaanite cities. The chapter ends with much of southern Canaan conquered, "because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel."

In the next chapter, Israel defeats a large northern coalition of Canaanite kings, concluding the major military phase of the conquest under Joshua, though there would be more fighting later.

The BIY Companion, Vol I, comments on the great miracle of the sun:

Good science and good faith can never contradict one another because both are in pursuit of truth. Truth can never contradict truth. Some hold that the description in Joshua is a description of a day when the sun actually stands still... This is absolutely possible. It would be a supernatural miracle. God can do miracles. We also recognize that the Bible sometimes uses figures of speech or poetic language. The symbolic meaning here could be that the victory of the Israelites is like a battle that has gone on for two days... The last line of Joshua 11 says, "And the land had rest from war." That is what God wants for all of us. (p. 180)

Personally, I view this event as a literal miracle. It's not important to me, though, if someone views it more poetically. We shall find out for sure one day...

II. Psalm 128 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A wisdom psalm. It declares that the "fear of the Lord" brings divine blessings upon one's farm and family. These are manifest in fields that produce a rich harvest and in a fruitful wife who bears many children. Beyond families that flourish, the Psalmist prays that Jerusalem and Israel will thrive in God's peace for generations to come. (p. 943)

That's it for today!

Day 83: The Gibeonite Trickery

Today's readings: Joshua 8-9 and Psalm 126.

I. Joshua 8 recounts Israel's victory over the city of Ai after their earlier defeat, now that the sin of Achan had been dealt with. The king of Ai is captured and executed, and unlike at Jericho, Israel is permitted to take the plunder from the city that was utterly destroyed. After the victory, Joshua then constructed an altar on Mount Ebal and made sacrifices to God. All of the Law of Moses was then read to Israel.

In the next chapter, the surrounding kings hear of Israel's victories at Jericho and Ai and unite in fear to fight against Israel. That is, except for the inhabitants of Gibeon. They cleverly tricked Joshua and were spared, but only by agreeing to become their servants (slaves?).

Through trickery, the Gibeonites became joined with the Israelites. As the BIY Companion, Vol I, notes:

The Gibeonites, then, are brought into the story of salvation "sideways" - in an imperfect way. Later, Gibeon becomes the place where the Ark of the Covenant stays for a time in the days of David. God does great things with the people of Gibeon as they enter more deeply into a relationship with him through Israel. (p. 178)

II. Psalm 126 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A prayer for the full restoration of Israel. The Jews who returned from the Babylonian Exile celebrate that God has graciously reestablished them in the land of Israel; at the same time, the returnees pray that God will complete the work of gathering all the exiles of Israel back to their homeland, since a majority of the twelve tribes were still living in dispersion among the nations. The exiles who returned from Babylon were among those taken captive from Judah in 605, 597, and 586 B.C. (p. 942)

That's all for today!

Day 82: The Valley of Achor

Today's reading: Joshua 5-7 and Psalm 125.

I. Joshua 5 begins with the local pagan kings expressing fear that the Jordan River was made passable for the Israelites. God then tells Joshua to circumcise all the male Israelites, as this generation hadn't been during the desert wanderings. With this, Israel renewed its covenant with God before the coming battles. 

Ugh. I can't imagine what this was like for them. Usually, such is done to infant males, not boys or men of much older ages! 

Israel next celebrated Passover in the Promised Land. After they ate "produce from the land," the manna from God that had sustained them in the wilderness stopped. This would be the official end of the desert wanderings, one might say. The chapter ends with Joshua meeting an angelic figure (St. Michael the Archangel?), the "commander of the army of the Lord."

In the next chapter, we have the first big battle in the Promised Land: Jericho is taken by a miracle, with all the people being slaughtered and the city utterly destroyed. Once again, a disturbing episode for modern sensibilities, but something in which we are forced to trust in the Lord.

Joshua 7 tells of what happened after the incredible victory at Jericho. No surprise, greed took hold of some of them who attempted to keep the "devoted things" contrary to God's command. This resulted in Israel being defeated for this sin at Ai. Joshua cries out in lament, to which God responds that the stolen booty must be recovered and the guilty killed. This was done, and the chapter ends.

The BIY Companion, Vol 1, has some good commentary on this:

The culture of the Canaanites is built upon wickedness, upon the denigration of the human person. They sacrifice their children to the god Molech (or, Moloch). So this battle is truly a "cosmic" battle - a moral battle - not simply a battle for territory... Achan takes plunder from the ruins of Jericho, so he, his family, and everything he owns are destroyed. While this judgment might sound brutal, it is just. Achan's sin comes at the price of thirty-six lives at the battle of Ai. The place where he dies is named the Valley of Achor, which means "trouble." (p. 176).

II. Psalm 125 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

A psalm of trust. Just as Mt. Zion is immovable and secure, because God chose to dwell there, so those who stay faithful to the Lord enjoy a similar blessing. The Psalmist sees this in spiritual terms: God defends his people from conquest, lest wickedness overtake the land and even the devout can be corrupted. The unfaithful, however, will face the judgment that awaits the godless. (p. 941)

That's it for today!

Day 81: Israel Crosses the Jordan

Today's readings: Joshua 1-4 and Psalm 123.

I. Joshua 1 records God's commissioning of Joshua after the death of Moses and prepares Israel to enter the Promised Land. In the next chapter, we are told the story of Rahab and the Israelite spies in Jericho. Interestingly, Rahab is described as being a prostitute, using lies to protect the Israelite spies (contrary to CCC 1789), and became an ancestor of Jesus (Mt 1:5). Despite her questionable morals, her faith in God is strong (2:8-14), for which she was praised later on (Heb 11:31; Jas 2:25).

Joshua 3 recounts Israel's miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, marking the beginning of their entrance into the Promised Land. I almost feel like giving a big sigh of relief that they finally made it! The next chapter describes how Israel memorialized this event at Gilgal with twelve stones so future generations would remember God's mighty works.

The BIY Companion, Vol 1, has some good commentary on this opening:

The first words of the Lord to Joshua are meant not just for him but for the entire people of Israel: "Be strong and of good courage" (Joshua 1:9). That is, they should be neither frightened nor dismayed, for the Lord will be with them wherever they go. Even in the midst of struggles, trials, and failures, we can still be strong and of good courage because the Lord is with us in our hearts. (p. 174)

So we've entered the Promised Land at last. Rather shocking for Jesus to have an ancestor like Rahab, but not really if one remembers why He said that He came (Mt 9:13). God always seeks to bring even the most miserable sinners back to Him.

II. Psalm 123 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes:

A lament psalm. The Psalmist (the "I" in 123:1) offers a prayer of petition and trustful reliance upon God in the name of his community (the "us" of 123:2-4), which is being ridiculed by arrogant foes (123:4). The unnamed culprits may be wicked Israelites persecuting their kin or hostile neighbors opposing the efforts of the Judean community to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile (as in Neh 2:19; 4:1, 4). (p. 941)

Seems rather appropriate for this psalm to be paired with the story of Rahab, as the "I" in the psalm could be her in Jericho in supplication for mercy from God.

That's all for today!

Introduction to Conquest and Judges

There are no readings today, but only an introductory video to the next section. Fr. Mike Schmitz is joined by Jeff Cavins again for this.

The desert wanderings have come to an end, Moses and Aaron are gone, while the Israelites adjust to Joshua as the new leader in conquering the Promised Land. Yet, as the BIY Companion, Vol 1, notes:

The land of Canaan is the "highway" from Mesopotamia in the north to Egypt in the south. Every nation wants this land, and Israel needs to rely entirely on God to keep it. (p. 173)

Day 80: Cities of Refuge

 Today's readings: Numbers 35-36, Deuteronomy 34, and Psalm 121.

I. In Numbers 35, God first commands the Israelites to give towns and pasturelands to the Levites from among the tribes’ inheritances. Next, He instructed them to establish cities of refuge for those who accidentally killed another person so they could remain there until receiving a fair trial. Finally, a distinction is made between unintentional killing and murder. The former is protected as long as they remain in one of the cities of refuge, while the penalty for the latter is death.

The final chapter addresses a concern about inheritance and tribal land ownership in Israel that arose in chapter 27.

II. Deuteronomy 34 tells of the death of Moses, burial in Moab, and the taking over of leadership for the Israelites by Joshua. A sad time for the Israelites to lose such a champion as Moses, but an exciting one too, as Joshua begins his own leadership.

With this, both the Book of Numbers and Deuteronomy come to an end. To be honest, while it is all necessary to get a full picture of Israel before the Conquest, I am glad that these books are finished. Neither had the best of narratives for storytelling as we are used to today.

III. Psalm 121 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A psalm of trust. The speaker is a pilgrim of Israel setting out on a journey to Jerusalem. Because travel in the ancient world was full of dangers, he seeks assurance that the Lord, the guardian of Israel, can be trusted to bring him safely to his destination. The psalm opens with a question that is answered by the verses that follow. A polemic against idolatry may be implicit. (p. 940)

That's it for today!