Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

BOB – Ruth

by Stephen Rodgers

RUTH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Loyal daughter-in-law pictures God’s faithfulness, love, and care.”

TITLE

The title of this book takes its name from Ruth the Moabitess heroine who is mentioned by name 12 times in the book itself. The name “Ruth” most likely comes from a Moabite and/or Hebrew word meaning “friendship.”

The 13th (and only other) time that Ruth is mentioned in the Bible is in Matthew 1:5…as an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

The author of Ruth is unknown, although Jewish tradition ascribes it to Samuel (Baba Bathra 14b-15a). While that is certainly possible (after all, Samuel did not die until after he had anointed David as God’s chosen king) (1 Sam 16:6-13; 1 Sam 25:1), some scholars disagree since Samuel died before David actually became king, and Ruth 4:17-22 can be interpreted as implying that David’s kingship was already an established fact at the time of writing.

Generations of Israelites would have read Ruth to get a glimpse of what true faith looked like during a time of religious impiety and moral degeneracy.

DATE

Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1), specifically sometimes around the judgeship of Jair (Judges 10:3-5) from circa 1126 BC to 1105 BC. However it was most likely written sometime after that.

For reasons mentioned above, the story most likely was written during the reign of David. Given the fact that Solomon isn’t mentioned, it most likely was written prior to his ascension to the throne, putting it somewhere between 1011 BC and 971 BC.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Ruth begins in the town of Bethlehem (for those of you unfamiliar with the Bible, it will be significant later), transitions to Moab (located East across the Dead Sea), and then transitions back to the town of Bethlehem for the remainder of the story. The story from beginning to end unveils in four main scenes, over a total of 11-12 years:

  1. Ruth 1:1-17 – Ten years in Moab
  2. Ruth 1:19-2:23 – Several months in Boaz’s field
  3. Ruth 3:1-18 – One day in Bethlehem and one night at the threshing floor
  4. Ruth 4:1-22 – About one year in Bethlehem

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Three themes consistently surface throughout Ruth:

  1. Acceptance – Ruth shows that participation in the family of God is not based on nationality or ethnicity, but on faith and obedience.
  2. Kindness and Faithfulness – The transformation of Naomi from an embittered woman (Ruth 1:20) to a joyful grandmother (Ruth 4:14-16) as a result of the loyalty and kindness of Ruth reflects the character and provision of God.
  3. Redemption – Boaz’s redemption of the land, Ruth, and the family are all symbolic of Christ’s redemption of the church and his people.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are a number of issues that have been raised in regards to the propriety of events in the book of Ruth. Generally, these objections can be grouped into a racial category and a moral category.

In terms of her racial status as a Moabitess, much has been made of the fact that she would have been forbidden from entering the assembly of the LORD (Deut 23:3) or from even marrying an Israelite in the first place (Ex 34:16; Deut 7:1-3; Jos 23:12).  The former is partially true; the later is completely false.

  • The command God gave forbade Moabites from entering the assembly of the LORD for “ten generations” can be understood literally or figuratively.  If taken literally, then it is likely that at least that many generations had passed in that time.  If taken figuratively (as Neh 13:1 implies) as a metaphor for “forever,” the problem can seem much more difficult.  In actuality however, either case would be undone by the fact that Ruth was a devout proselyte of Jehovah (Ruth 1:16-17) and therefore would be like the foreigner of Isaiah 56:1-8 who joined himself to the LORD.
  • It is true that the Israelites were commanded not marry any of the people who possessed the Promised Land. However, the Moabites were not in the Promised Land (Deut 7:1). They were outside it.

In terms of moral objections, some fuss has been made over the fact that Boaz and Ruth spent the night together prior to their marriage (Ruth 3:3-18). What these objections fail to deal with is the fact that the uncovering of a man’s feet and laying down is a known ANE custom of requesting a marriage request (Ruth 3:1-4). The subsequent spreading of a cloak (Ruth 3:9) is symbolic of God’s covering Israel (Eze 16:8). The Bible doesn’t record even a hint of impropriety.

LITERARY FEATURES

There is a reason that Goethe reputedly commented on Ruth as “the loveliest, complete work on a small scale.” Simply put, Ruth is a masterpiece of literature.

The ESV Study Bible puts it this way:

In terms of compact storytelling, Ruth is a masterpiece of narrative art. It is densely packed, yet the charm of the book is evident even to the most unsophisticated reader. The book of Ruth is the classic love story of the Bible. Few stories in the Bible are told from a woman’s viewpoint, but in the story of Ruth, not only is a woman the protagonist but the world of the story is a woman’s world, and the writer gives attention to feminine values and feelings. Of course Boaz in his role as kinsman-redeemer cuts a striking figure as a man who embodies the Lord’s own kindness. The story exalts virtuous womanhood and strong manhood.

The overall genre is story or narrative, but several further subtypes converge as well. Ruth is a love story. It is also an idyll, i.e., a brief story describing a simple, pleasant aspect of rural and domestic life. As that definition suggests, Ruth has affinities with pastoral (rural) literature, and in this case the idealized rural world provides a setting for the idealized romance of the book: even though readers know from the first verse that the story is set in tumultuous times, these do not come into view. The story is also a hero story built around the life of an exemplary heroine as well as featuring an idealized male hero. Boaz is a rarity in the Bible, a character who gets a uniformly positive portrayal; most other characters reveal their flaws. But this reflects the literary function of Boaz as the embodiment of the Lord’s kindness.

The plot of the story of Ruth is a quest story in which the stated goal is to find Ruth a home (Ruth 1:9 and 3:1). The plot follows the conventional U-shape of literary “comedy,” with events first descending into potential tragedy and then rising to a happy ending as obstacles to fulfillment are gradually overcome.

OBJECTIONS

In a rather remarkable departure from the usual pattern of these articles, there are no significant objections to the reliability or validity of Ruth (at least, that I am aware of). It has occasionally been challenged as a legitimate historical account (primarily due to the fact that the author is unknown), but it’s complete compatibility with both Judges, 1 Samuel, and 2 Samuel, argue heavily for its authenticity.

Ruth is far more often challenged on the basis of internal issues, which are outlined above in the INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES segment.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Ruth 1:16

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The land of a family or clan could not be sold permanently, only temporarily. (Ruth 4:1-3)
  • While giving someone your sandal seems a strange way to conduct a legal arrangement (Ruth 4:7), there is historical evidence that other ANE societies had the same practice (see the Akkadian Nuzi documents).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Ruth Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Ruth”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Ruth”
  • NET Bible, Ruth
  • NIV Study Bible, “Ruth”
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Ruth”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Lessons from a Child’s Heart: Sin of Complaining

by Elder Mike Chon

I have been blessed to have three children that are full of energy and who love to be with each other. There is no shortage of laughing at our house but at times, believe it or not, our children complain. I’m sure this is something that all parents have experienced more than they would like. Whether it’s a toy they want, having to brush their teeth, or a response to the type of food that is given to them…there is no shortage of complaining. As parents we continue to remind them that they have no reason to complain if they learn to be content (Phil. 4:11). We continually teach and remind them that we have been created by God and that everything we have is truly a gift from the Lord. Therefore we have no reason to complain but instead we should be thankful for all things.

Even though we can observe children and how silly their complaints can be (for instance, when they complain that they can’t get a certain toy when they have almost the exact same one already at home), we need to look at ourselves and see how easily it is for us to complain. How many times have we complained about how long the line is, or how slow the service is, or how our kids are always complaining? The discontent in our heart is the same discontent in our children’s hearts. That is definitely a great lesson that we have been learning through our children. No matter how silly their complaints are we realize that our hearts are also complaining. God calls us to be thankful in all things (Colossians 3:15) and to stop complaining (Phil. 2:14). What message are we sending to our children when we quote verses and teach them that they should be content when in our own lives and hearts we complain?

Most of us have complained about something but we may not even give a second thought to the seriousness of that type of attitude. It reveals that we are not content first and foremost in our relationship with Jesus Christ. We complain because life does not go the way that we would like it to go. We are almost shocked when someone gets in the way of our plans, our desires, and our comforts. Complaining only shows our lack of trust in God and our lack of a thankful heart to God. As believers we are challenged to be a light in this world (Phil. 2:14-15) and most of the time that comes in the context of the little choices and attitudes that we display every single day. Our complaints are different than those of children, but they all stem from the same heart issues. May we find our contentment in Christ alone and follow the example of our Lord as He faced injustice, affliction, ridicule, punishment, and was rejected but never complained (Isaiah 53:7).

He Shall Save His People from Their Sins

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 1:21

Many persons, if they are asked what they understand by salvation, will reply, ‘Being saved from hell and taken to heaven.’ This is one result of salvation, but it is not one tithe of what is contained in that boon. It is true our Lord Jesus Christ does redeem all His people from the wrath to come; He saves them from the fearful condemnation which their sins had brought upon them; but His triumph is far more complete than this. He saves His people ‘from their sins.’

Oh! sweet deliverance from our worst foes. Where Christ works a saving work, He casts Satan from his throne, and will not let him be master any longer. No man is a true Christian if sin reigns in his mortal body. Sin will be in us-it will never be utterly expelled till the spirit enters glory; but it will never have dominion. There will be a striving for dominion-a lusting against the new law and the new spirit which God has implanted-but sin will never get the upper hand so as to be absolute monarch of our nature. Christ will be Master of the heart, and sin must be mortified. The Lion of the tribe of Judah shall prevail, and the dragon shall be cast out.

Professor! is sin subdued in you? If your life is unholy your heart is unchanged, and if your heart is unchanged you are an unsaved person. If the Saviour has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, He has done nothing in you of a saving character. The grace which does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves His people, not in their sins, but from them. ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’ ‘Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ If not saved from sin, how shall we hope to be counted among His people. Lord, save me now from all evil, and enable me to honour my Saviour.

2.8p

BOB – Judges

by Stephen Rodgers

JUDGES IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Israel goes through cycles of sin, suffering, and salvation.”

TITLE

The title of the book takes it’s name from the unique leaders that God provided for His people (Judges 2:16-19). The Hebrew word means “deliverers” or “saviors” (Deut 16:18; 17:9; 19:17).

The book of Judges recounts the stories of the first 12 of these judges. There are three more: Eli and Samuel (who came later), and God Himself (Judges 11:27).

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

The author of Judges is unknown, although late Jewish tradition ascribes it to Samuel (Baba Bathra 14b-15a).

The audience would have been the generations of Israelites after the time of the Judges who needed to be reminded of their ancestor’s rebellion against God and their need for a divine leader and deliverer.

DATE

Pinning down the exact date that Judges was written can be a bit difficult, but best estimates would be that the majority of the text was written after 1043 BC (since the author refers to a time before a king, implying experience with a king in Judges 17:6, 18:1, and 21:25) but before 1004 BC when David captured Jerusalem (Judges 1:21).

Just to further muddy the waters, the conditions described in Judges 17-21 suggest a time after the Davidic dynasty had been established, leading some scholars to believe this is a later addition to the book as a whole. However, these allusions can be harmonized with a traditional time and date of authorship.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

John MacArthur aptly describes Judges as “the tragic sequel to Joshua.” Following the events in Joshua wherein the people of Israel obeyed God and were blessed, the events in Judges describe cyclical periods of time wherein they disobey God and are punished.  Eventually the people repent and cry out to the LORD, who sends them a Judge to deliver them from whatever enemy He has been using to punish them for their disobedience. Typically this involves civil or military deliverance, although in a few cases it involves spiritual deliverance as well.

This cycle repeats throughout the entire book with minor variations.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Three themes consistently surface throughout Judges:

  1. God’s Faithfulness – Throughout the repeated cycles of disobedience/punishment/repentance/deliverance God is seen to consistently judge and forgive sin.
  2. Compromise Brings Destruction – The disobedience of Israel is often predicated on compromising God’s commands and standards
  3. The Need for Godly Leadership – The fragmenting of the Israelite authority structure and the failure of accepted leaders – parents (Judges 2:6-10), priests (Judges 17:1-13), and judges (Judges 8:27) – underscores the need for Godly leadership, which was fulfilled later in the form of Davidic kingship and ultimately in the kingship of Christ.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

Generally speaking, the challenges involved in reading the book of Judges have to do with the content of the book itself, most notably issues of violence, role models with questionable morals, illicit sexual activity, a degrading depiction of women, and a writing style that occasionally seems to include exaggeration or fabrication.

Somewhat ironically it is precisely because the book contains all of these elements that it is generally accepted to be a straightforward account of events rather than an embellished one.  Where the book an attempt to present a more “sanitized” version of history and events, then the author would not have included the embarrassing and shameful incidents that surprise and alarm even modern readers.

It should also be noted that while the author of Judges honestly records the sins, crimes, and foibles of its characters, the blame for that sin is never placed on God. Rather it is entirely clear that God is the innocent one, while the so-called “innocents” are truly guilty and deserving of judgment.

LITERARY FEATURES

The ESV Study Bible again offers an excellent analysis, so I will simply quote it at length:

The format of Judges is a collection of individual “hero stories;” together, they tell the history of Israel during a specific era. Like Genesis, Judges pictures a mixture of good and bad behavior: the judges are not idealized, nor is their portrait uniformly negative. Mingled with the hero stories are brief units of historical facts about judges whose stories are not told in detail. The famous Song of Deborah (Judges 5) is poetry, while the story of Samson (Judges 13–16) meets the usual criteria of literary tragedy.

The pattern introduced in Judges 2:11–23 shapes the plot: (1) the Israelites do what is evil in the sight of God; (2) God allows the nation to be conquered and oppressed by a neighboring nation; (3) the people cry to God; and (4) God sends a judge to deliver them (see chart). Then the cycle repeats itself. In addition to this cycle, the book is structured on the premise of a double plot. The overall story is one of national descent into lawlessness and apostasy; but within this national narrative lies a collection of stories that celebrate the heroic exploits of judges. Even though they had severe flaws, four of these judges are mentioned among the heroes of the faith (Hebrews 11).

OBJECTIONS

Objections to Judges were dealt with largely in the INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES section above.

However, it should be noted that one point of discussion is reconciling the chronology of the time between the Exodus and Solomon’s fourth year, which the Bible records as 480 years (1 Kings 6:1). If one reads Judges as a purely sequential chain of events, then arriving at this number is difficult. The probable solution is that Judges does not portray a strict chronology, but rather that some periods recorded in the book were actually concurrent with other periods in the book. This would mean that Paul’s estimate of “about 450 years” in Acts 13:19 was just an approximation, as the language would seem to imply.

Some object that this solution relies on a forced reading of the text, but quite frankly Judges appears to be thematically organized rather than chronologically organized anyways. The sequence of events in the book focuses on geographical regions that are tied to tribal inheritances: southern (Judges 3:7-31), northern (Judges 4:1-5:31), central (Judges 6:1-10:5), eastern (Judges 10:6-12:15), and western (Judges 13:1-16:31), which simply isn’t consistent with a strict chronology.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Judges 2:16
  • Judges 7:2
  • Judges 21:25

DID YOU KNOW?

  • A number of references to family size in Judges would seem to indicate the practice of polygamy (Judges 10:4; 12:14; 12:9). However, polygamy as a practice has never met with God’s approval (see articles here and here).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Judges Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Judges”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Judges”
  • NET Bible, Judges
  • NIV Study Bible, “Judges”
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Judges”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

The Joy of Parenting

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As far as I can recall, this is the way I found out. Please keep in mind that it was early, I was tired, and so my recollection of events might be a little foggy. If you want the precise account, you may need to ask Christine!

On Sunday morning, I was awakened to a sudden tap on my forehead. It was still about ten minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off, so I was a little bothered at first over the interruption to my sleep. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see Christine standing next to me holding something in her hand. As my eyes focused, it looked like a pregnancy test. Before I could say anything, she asked, “I think that’s two lines, right?” I focused my eyes further (I was certainly awake now) and looked at the white stick in her hand. “Yeah, that looks like two lines.” We smiled at each other and hugged.

This is how I found out this past weekend that by God’s grace we were going to have a second child. At this point, it is still very early in the pregnancy, but we are overjoyed. I don’t think I’ve stopped smiling since Sunday morning! It has been a lot of fun finding creative ways to break the news to parents, family, and friends. Now that the pregnancy is on Facebook, I suppose it is officially official.

Since Sunday morning, anticipating this significant change in life has gotten me to reflect on what the Scriptures say about having kids. Psalm 127 was one passage that immediately came to mind. King Solomon undoubtedly understood the blessing that God intends by providing children. He only wrote two of the Psalms, but dedicated one of them to this theme. Psalm 127 states:

1 Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Solomon really communicates two major ideas in this Psalm. First, the Lord is the one who builds a house. His sovereignty rules over all and He accomplishes all His purposes, and it would be foolish to attempt any endeavor without the full realization that it will only succeed if God intends it. Because God is sovereign, those who know Him can rest in His sovereignty. Second, children are an incredible gift from the Lord. If the Lord in His sovereignty should allow a couple to have children, it should be received as a wonderful blessing.

Children are a blessing! One clear way we can apply this truth is by having a positive attitude about kids. Sadly, even in the church, too often I hear people tell me they don’t like kids. Sometimes couples will say that they want to put off having kids as long as they can. These kinds of responses manifest a heart that does not trust God’s Word.

Several years ago, I received a gift from a friend but it was something that I really didn’t want. They watched with a smile as I opened the gift, but that smile quickly faded when they realized that I wasn’t entirely happy with it. Unfortunately, I think they could see it in my face. I was acting foolishly. There was nothing wrong with the gift. It wasn’t even a bad gift. If I’m honest, I think most of the disappointment came from my desire for something greater.

As Christians, we need to be careful about the way we treat God in response to His Word. You should feel no disappointment over gifts that come from God, because His will for your life is the best (cf. Rom. 12:2). If children are a gift from the Lord, let us take care not to spurn the gift. Your attitude can and should be adjusted if your view towards children has not been good. We ought to celebrate the gift of life with our families and praise God for His kindness in providing such a wonderful gift.

Thou Shalt Call His Name Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 1:21

When a person is dear, everything connected with him becomes dear for his sake. Thus, so precious is the person of the Lord Jesus in the estimation of all true believers, that everything about Him they consider to be inestimable beyond all price. ‘All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,’ said David, as if the very vestments of the Saviour were so sweetened by His person that he could not but love them. Certain it is, that there is not a spot where that hallowed foot hath trodden-there is not a word which those blessed lips have uttered-nor a thought which His loving Word has revealed-which is not to us precious beyond all price.

And this is true of the names of Christ-they are all sweet in the believer’s ear. Whether He be called the Husband of the Church, her Bridegroom, her Friend; whether He be styled the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world-the King, the Prophet, or the Priest-every title of our Master-Shiloh, Emmanuel, Wonderful, the Mighty Counsellor-every name is like the honeycomb dropping with honey, and luscious are the drops that distil from it.

But if there be one name sweeter than another in the believer’s ear, it is the name of Jesus. Jesus! it is the name which moves the harps of heaven to melody. Jesus! the life of all our joys. If there be one name more charming, more precious than another, it is this name. It is woven into the very warp and woof of our psalmody. Many of our hymns begin with it, and scarcely any, that are good for anything, end without it. It is the sum total of all delights. It is the music with which the bells of heaven ring; a song in a word; an ocean for comprehension, although a drop for brevity; a matchless oratorio in two syllables; a gathering up of the hallelujahs of eternity in five letters.

‘Jesus, I love Thy charming name,
‘Tis music to mine ear.’

2.8a

Weekly Links (11/25/2011)

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? (GK Chesterton)

by Stephen Rodgers

Since people are doubtless still recovering from yesterday, we’ll keep things…light…today.

  • As usual, Kevin DeYoung nails it.
  • And for something a little more literary, Jesse Johnson has an article on 4 Reasons to Give Thanks When Hurt by Sin. (And on a side note, at Thanksgiving dinner this year I found out that my cousin-in-law occasionally helps keep that blog running…I did not know that).
  • For something a lot more literary, issue 36.3 of Themelios is available. While each issue of that journal is worth your time, this one is noteworthy in that it marks the end of Carl Trueman’s long association with the journal, initially as an editor, and then as a longtime contributor.
  • Looking to buy something this Black Friday? Tim Challies has a post detailing where a lot of deals on Christian merchandise can be found.

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was an opportunity for you to reflect on what you’re thankful for.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

 

Ministry Update (Grace Life)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Grace Life Family Ministry has been continuing to meet on Saturday mornings during the Sunday School hour. It has been really encouraging to see the participation of so many of our married couples and parents. Especially because of the difficulties involved with working around children’s meal times and nap times, the consistently good attendance shows the commitment of our families to stay Christ-centered.

We have been continuing through our series in the John Barnett book, Word Filled Families: Walk in Truth. Each week we look at a new chapter of the book and are particularly concerned with exploring the biblical principles behind the lessons taught. So far, the book has been greatly helpful and encouraging. Some of the topics covered include the importance of staying Word-filled, marks of a strong godly husband, and God’s estimation of a beautiful woman. A memory verse accompanies each lesson and periodically we have quizzes for accountability (which everyone looks forward to with great anticipation!).

For the month of November, Grace Life also enjoyed an informal “Night on the Town” event. After taking signups, we grouped up our members to enjoy a fun date night over dinner or dessert. In order to facilitate participation, we also helped coordinate childcare (thanks to the Care Ministry!). Our group decided to have dessert together at Leucadia Pizzeria. We ordered four desserts! While we love our children immensely, it was nice to have an evening to spend together with adults!

Grace Life is looking forward to a great rest of the year. We’re off to a great start and are hoping that it will continue to the end. One of our goals this year is to have our first Grace Life retreat. We know that will take a lot of planning and won’t be easy to put together, but hopefully with prayer God will allow us to do that this year. Another upcoming Grace Life event is the annual Christmas party in December. That should be fun time for all the families, including the kids! In the meantime, we will keep doing much of what we have been – providing opportunities for the families of Grace Life to spend time together while also studying and seeking to apply God’s Word.

BOB – Joshua

by Stephen Rodgers

JOSHUA IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“The Israelites capture and settle the promised land of Canaan.”

TITLE

The title of the book takes it’s name from the central character and successor of Moses, who was commissioned as a leader in Israel (Num 27:12-23). The name “Joshua” means “Jehovah saves” or “the LORD is salvation” and corresponds to the NT name “Jesus.”

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

The author of Joshua is not named, although the likely primary author is Joshua himself (Jos 18:9; 24:26). The Talmud ascribe authorship to Joshua as well (Baba Bathra 15a), with the exception of the account of Joshua’s death (Jos 24:29-33). As mentioned in the introduction to the Historical Books, it is considered likely that the final form of the historical books (including Joshua) were edited/compiled from earlier primary documents.

Regardless, the original audience would primarily have been Israelites born after the conquest of Canaan.  This book would have served as a record for how they came to be in the land.

DATE

For reasons described above, dating the book can be somewhat problematic, although based on the life of Joshua it is probable that much of it was written between 1405 BC and 1385 BC. Other clues include the fact that Rahab was alive at the time that Joshua 6:25 was written, the fact that Sidon (not Tyre) was Phoenicia’s leading city (Jos 11:8; 19:28), the repeated refrain “to this day” indicates the passage of time between the events described and the book’s final form (Jos 4:9; 5:9; 6:25), a reference to what may be an alternate or earlier record of Joshua’s accomplishments (Jos 10:13), and the fact that Jerusalem had not yet been conquered (Jos 15:63).

BACKGROUND & SETTING

The book of Joshua begins with Israel poised to invade Canaan when Joshua himself is 90 years old.  This displacement served two purposes: the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12:7; 15:18-21) and judgment on the inhabitants of Canaan.

The book traces the next 20 years, detailing the various battles and incidents involved, until his death at the age of 110 after his successful military campaign.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

Two themes are prevalent in the book of Joshua: 1) God the great warrior, and 2) God’s faithfulness.

  • Throughout the first half of the book of Joshua, it is clearly God who determines the outcome of battles, defeats the Canaanites, and rescues His people from their enemies. Continuing the theme of Deuteronomy, when Israel is obedient, they fare well on the battlefield; when they are disobedient, they are punished until they repent.
  • Throughout the second half of the book of Joshua, God is repeatedly shown to be faithful in keeping His promises (Jos 21:45; 23:14). As previously mentioned, these promises were made centuries earlier to Abraham, illustrating God’s role as promise-keeper, and pointing the modern reader to the promises we have in Christ (2 Cor 1:20; 2 Pet 1:4).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

As a historical book, most historical challenges are more properly categorized as OBJECTIONS (see below) rather than hermeneutical issues.

However, a small number of questions have repeatedly been asked, the most famous of them centering around the issue of how God’s blessing on Rahab relates to her telling a lie (Jos 2). The issue stems from the fact that the 9th Commandment (Ex 20:16), God’s character (Tit 1:2; Heb 6:17-18; Num 23:19; etc.), and Scripture (Ps 31:18; Prov 6:17; Eph 4:25; etc.) all clearly repudiate the act of lying.  However, in this particular context, Rahab’s lie is not addressed, and in fact, God seems to actually commend her for it. This same issue is illustrated elsewhere in Scripture (see Frame’s article, below), as well as throughout history (Athanasius’ encounter with the soldiers of Julian the Apostate, those who concealed Jews from the Nazis, etc.).

Even among theologians, opinions as to how to reconcile this vary (actually, even within a given theological tradition, opinions vary; consider Calvin’s commentary on Joshua versus Hodge’s treatment of the 9th Commandment in Volume III of his Systematic Theology). Suffice to say that a thorough treatment of the subject goes well beyond the scope of this article, but for a very brief introduction to the topic, I would refer the reader to the ESV Study Bible’s Biblical Ethics: An Overview (beginning in the section entitled “Lying and Telling the Truth”) and John Frame’s brief treatment of the subject in “Must We Always Tell the Truth?” for a different view.

A second question that has achieved significant popularity in recent years pertains to the conquest of Canaan, whether or not it could be properly understood as genocide, and whether it can be justified. Suffice to say that this also is an issue that causes considerable debate among theologians. While nearly all theologians agree that inflammatory terms like “genocide” or “ethnic cleansing” are not only unwarranted but false by definition in this case (for example, one cannot condemn the Israelites for “utterly wiping out” the Canaanites based on the account in Joshua while simultaneously ignoring the fact that the same account notes they failed to do so), they make their case in different ways. Some argue primarily from God’s sovereign rights (see the ESVSB’s Introduction to Joshua, “The Destruction of the Canaanites”), others argue primarily for understanding the text within the specific ANE context (see Matt Flannagan’s “God and the Genocide of the Canaanites, Part I, Part II, Part III“), and some argue for both (see Paul Copan’s “How Could God Command Killing the Canaanites?” and “Yahweh Wars and the Canaanites”).

Once again, the reader is advised to pursue further readings on their own if the subject interests them.

LITERARY FEATURES

The ESV Study Bible has a succinct description of Joshua as literature:

In the Hebrew canon, the book of Joshua is included (along with Judges, 1–2 Samuel, and 1–2 Kings) in the “Former Prophets.” In English Bibles, these same books are often called the “Historical Books.” Both designations are apt. The book of Joshua qualifies as historiography (history writing), but it is not like the ostensibly disinterested, largely political histories that modern secular historians write. It is, rather, a didactic history written from a prophetic (that is, theological) point of view.

OBJECTIONS

Generally speaking, the only notable objections to the book of Joshua center around the possibility of the three recorded miracles: 1) the stopping of the Jordan River (Jos 3:15-17), 2) the collapse of Jericho’s walls (Jos 6:20), and 3) the sun standing still (Jos 10:12-14). However, it should be noted that anti-supernaturalism is a philosophical assumption, and while it may render miracles untenable to the reader, it is not a demonstrably scientific or historical fact. As a result of these presuppositions, some historians have posited four alternate view on the conquest of Canaan: 1) a conquest model, 2) a peaceful infiltration model, 3) a peasant revolt model, and 4) an endogenous model.  While the first model comes closest to the Biblical account, all three models contradict what Scripture says, and can account for the Biblical data.  They simply reflect an anti-supernatural bias.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Joshua 1:9
  • Joshua 24:15

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Joshua wasn’t always named “Joshua.”  His original name was Hoshea (Num 13:8), but Moses renamed him (Num 13:16).
  • While Einstein famously commented that “God does not play dice with the universe,” the book of Joshua teaches us that “God does not play dice with dice.” (Jos 14:1-5)
  • While there is some dispute over the exact meaning of the text, in all liklihood, Caleb wasn’t ethnically an Israelite (Jos 14:6).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Joshua Introduction”
  • Archaeological Study Bible
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Joshua”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Joshua”
  • NET Bible, Joshua
  • NIV Study Bible, “Joshua”
  • Reformation Study Bible, “The Book of Joshua”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Apologize Excessively

by Elder Peter Lim

Conflicts between people are inevitable. Because this has the potential to alienate one another and cause the church to lose its effective witness to the world, we take it very seriously at LBC. I hope no one is getting tired of learning more on this subject as we’ve been covering the topic at retreats, sermons, Bible studies, etc. It takes time and effort to teach this subject in a way that isn’t simply a “how-to” manual of the required steps involved in conflict resolution. This is because conflict is one of the best indicators of the heart’s condition and shouldn’t be treated as if following a few simple steps is going to solve the problem. The heart is revealed when the facts of the conflict are known. This revelation should cause the offender to be pierced to the heart for his own depravity. It should also cause the offended to realize that although he has been wronged, he himself has offended God many times and has experienced the grace of God so that he couldn’t possibly withhold forgiveness to a fellow sinner. So both parties should end up being more reminded of the gospel. This is a good result of a bad situation.

Unfortunately, many real-world scenarios are not so ideal. Oftentimes, people lack the courage and the wisdom to make true peace with one another. I wanted to write about one of these scenarios today. Specifically, people in general have a hard time apologizing correctly. Some reasons for this difficulty include:

  • A desire to “move forward” as soon as possible
  • A desire to minimize the culpability of one’s own action
  • A desire to leave options open in case it is later revealed that there is another plausible explanation so that one can escape blame
  • Not wanting the other party to think that they have no culpability
  • It’s not pleasant to admit wrongdoing

Sometimes people are too quick to “apologize.” They don’t take any time to really consider how they might’ve offended someone. They don’t make the effort to put themselves in the other person’s shoes to truly grasp the severity of the pain that they have caused. An excessively quick response of “I’m sorry” can have the opposite effect. Instead of moving forward to true peace, it causes the offended to feel victimized again because of an inadequate expression of sorrow. This can get even worse if the offender tries to reprimand the offended for not granting a quick and full forgiveness. Whether an apology is made too quickly or more appropriately, it should be accompanied by supporting actions and attitudes. In fact, apologies should be made excessively to the extent that the offended is abundantly clear that one is truly sorry. Yes, it’s humbling to repeatedly apologize but it’s worth it because of what is at stake here. Every offender needs to be alert for signs of an inadequate apology received by the offended, and make every effort to apologize better. If the offended doesn’t want to forgive, it’s one of those situations where the offender should rather be wronged and continue to humble himself and apologize again. What an opportunity to be like Jesus and be wronged… for the sake of those who don’t deserve it. It’s a wonderful opportunity to exhibit grace. Therefore, let us endeavor to glorify God in our apologies by doing it excessively and not giving the devil an opportunity to drive a wedge of division between people.