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!