Fr. Kevin – Page 3 – Saint Anne Catholic Church

Bits n’ Pieces

Walk Through the Bible, Part XVI

“And when Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess” (Deut. 32:45-47).

This is a continuing series of articles that will take us through the Bible looking at the key people and stories. Perhaps this overview will aid your Bible reading and in hearing the scriptures each Sunday.

The Battle of Jericho and Conquering the Land

God’s plan for the defeat of Jericho is odd, but effective. We read in Joshua chapter 6 that first, the men of war walk around the city one time each for 6 days. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times and then shouted and blew trumpets causing the walls of Jericho to fal

Without those walls, the city fell to the Israelites, and the next several chapters detail the defeat of other inhabitants of the promised land. Our modern sensibilities will find these stories harsh and even barbaric. We may also question why God would command such action by His people. Biblical scholars debate if these stories are historically accurate and it is possible that the writer simply wanted to convey that God fulfilled his promise to give the land to Abraham’s descendants. We know that other nations remained in the land.

A recurring theme, however, is worth our attention. Things go well when the Israelites follow God’s commands. Trouble comes when they do not. Is that not still true today?

Bits n’ Pieces

Walk Through the Bible, Part XV

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

After reading the second chapter of Joshua, you may recall the story of the twelve spies sent by Moses to scout out the Promised Land. Here, Joshua, the new leader of Israel sends out two men who end up hiding in the home of Rahab, a prostitute who lives in Jericho. In exchange for the help she gives the men, Rahab and her family are spared when the city falls to the Israelites. Later, Rahab gives birth to Boaz who becomes David’s grandfather. (A harlot in the lineage of David? How interesting!)

A second déjà vu moment occurs in Joshua chapter 3. When the Ark of the Covenant, carried by twelve priests comes to the Jordan river, the waters part, allowing the Israelites to cross into their new land without the trouble of navigating the river.

One of the joys of being familiar with the Bible is the ability to see stories like this repeated in different forms at different times. It can remind us that things we read in the Bible can happen in our lives!