Lesson Guide:

Of the Israelites: “Their most dangerous enemy was not outside their camp but within their own rank and file.”

[But we do not live in a camp, and we are not organized by rank and file.]

Questions:

What are our greatest dangers “within?”

Those who interpret the Bible differently than we do?

Those who demand perfect performance?

Those who tolerate less-than-perfect performance?

Those who would enlarge our tents, and open our gates to whomsoever will?

Those who would guard our gates, and admit only those judged worthy?

Those who believe that any messenger “inspired of God” must have no flaws?

Those who delight in pointing out that God’s messengers indeed do have flaws?

Those who welcome all who long to follow Jesus?

Those who welcome only those who will think and behave like us?

Text:

“A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things.”

Questions:

What’s the point of a detective story, if it reveals and names the criminal in the very first paragraph?

Could we possibly imagine ourselves not as the detective, but as the offender?

Achan betrayed the confidence of his associates, and Achan robbed God.

When we do our financial accounting, and when we plan our offerings, have we ever been tempted to rob God?

Why did God choose such a long and laborious process to identify the offender?

Questions:

Should we follow more closely the examples of “holy men of old?”

In the Bible, so many things were decided, or learned, by “casting lots.”

So, casting lots is a thoroughly “biblical” method of making up our minds, or of seeking the will of God.

If anyone asks why we do something strange, is it enough to respond, “I am acting in a biblical manner.”

Is anything that’s recorded in the Bible therefore “holy, just and good?”

Of course we seek our Lord’s guidance. Should we begin by throwing dice?

Can you remember the hours that you have spent in nominating committees?

Did you long to know God’s will for your selections?

Did you pray for God to guide your deliberations?

Would the committee’s work have been more efficient and reliable, if a blindfolded member had simply drawn pottery fragments out of a jar, or pulled folded papers out of a hat?

Lesson Guide:

We are informed in our lesson guide that Israel is…. “the chosen nation of God.” We are also told that “the sin of one, or even some, of its members incurs guilt upon the whole covenantal community.”

Questions:

Suppose that a pastor were to seduce, or to rape, one of his members— Would the pastor’s guilt belong to our whole faith community?

And if the offending pastor were simply moved to a new location, where he would be tempted to repeat his offense against a new victim, would we all share his blame?

Or, if we see our own religious community as “chosen of God,” would we wish to behave more like ancient Israel, God’s “chosen people?”

In the sixth of the ten commandments, God had specifically forbidden what irresponsible and destructive act?

Text:

“You must not steal.” —Exodus 20:15.

Remember the promise offered to Joshua by the two and one-half tribes who settled east of the Jordan:

Text:

Joshua 1:

16 They answered Joshua, “We will do whatever you command us, and we will go wherever you send us.

17 We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses.

Question:

[Could Joshua remember the uncertain reliability of the Israelites in their obedience to Moses?]

Text:

“And may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.”

Question:

And for any disobedience to their promise what did these Israelites suggest as the minimum penalty?

Text:

18 “Anyone who rebels against your orders and does not obey your words and everything you command will be put to death. So be strong and courageous!”

Comment:

The sixth commandment was not a blanket condemnation of killing, as in KJV: “Thou shalt not kill.” The Israelites were given many reasons to kill. But this commandment was specifically against murder. The penalty for murder was death, to be carried out by the victim’s “avenger.” Thus, God provided the cities of refuge, any cases of murder vs. manslaughter would be determined.

Comment:

It seems that the ancient Israelites were not shocked or horrified by the death penalty. Perhaps their situation was somewhat analogous to America’s legendary “wild west” of 175 years ago. Jails were few and not intended for long-term confinement. A horse was a man’s largest investment and his means of livelihood. So, if a man stole another man’s horse, he invited the death penalty— which would be promptly performed, by hanging.

Questions:

Can we imagine how the suspense built up (and corresponding relief was enjoyed) as more and more clans were declared innocent, while the lots came closer and closer to Achan?

Was Achan ever inclined to confess his guilt? Apparently not. He said nothing that might incriminate himself, and he made no confession—until he had no other option.

What about the destruction of Achan’s family along with him? We tend to think as individuals, think about individuals, and blame individuals. But ancient Israel apparently thought and acted more as families or other groups, not as individuals.

Text: Joshua chapter 7:

24 Then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan, the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, tent, and everything he had, and they brought them to the valley of Achor.

25 Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.

26 They piled a great heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day. That is why the place has been called the Valley of Trouble ever since. So, the Lord was no longer angry.

Text: Joshua chapter 8:

1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.

2 You will destroy them as you destroyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town.”

Comment:

Joshua’s first attack on Ai had been poorly planned, without adequate supervision, and without having consulted the Lord. Too many losses had been sustained, but this error need not happen again.

Now God is very much involved, gives counsel for every step, and announces a brilliant strategy.

This time Joshua followed God’s directions. And working together, they won an overwhelming victory.

Text:

24 When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside.

25 So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day—12,000 in all.

26 For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed.

27 Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the Lord had commanded Joshua.

28 So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day.

Questions:

Why, not only after its destruction, but before and during this story, was the town called “Ai,” (meaning “heap of ruins”)?

Answer: We don’t know. We can only leave this to the theologians and the archaeologists to work out.

But here’s a hint: They don’t know the answer either.

Text:

30 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.

31 He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction: “Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.” Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord.

32 And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them.

Questions:

If I understand correctly, the “the instructions Moses had given them” likely occupied most of our book of Deuteronomy.

How many of those instructions would Joshua have been able to copy onto how many uncut stones composing how large an altar?

During their 40 years of wandering, how many primary schools had the Israelites organized, so that how many of their children could read? We don’t know.

How long would it take you to read aloud the book of Deuteronomy, to a huge crowd including children of all ages, responsive to various degrees of discipline?

And if the kids proved to be a distraction, how many people could hear what Joshua was reading?

Text:

33 Then all the Israelites—foreigners and native-born alike—along with the elders, officers, and judges, were divided into two groups. One group stood in front of Mount Gerizim, the other in front of Mount Ebal. Each group faced the other, and between them stood the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant. This was all done according to the commands that Moses, the servant of the Lord, had previously given for blessing the people of Israel.

34 Joshua then read to them all the blessings and curses Moses had written in the Book of Instruction.

Questions:

What and how large was this “Book of Instruction?” Was it a condensed book, or a word-by-word transcription, of what?

Might it have been what we call Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy? How long would it take to read all that?

Text:

35 Every word of every command that Moses had ever given was read to the entire assembly of Israel, including the women and children and the foreigners who lived among them.

Questions:

What about these “foreigners” who lived among them? Joshua, do you mean that you welcomed “foreigners” into the holy nation of Israel?

Who were these? Were they the “mixed multitude” who chose to follow Israel out of Egypt? Were they merely Rahab’s family and the Gibeonites?

Could it be that there are unrecorded stories of other foreigners who were not exterminated by Israel, but even welcomed into Israel? If so, did these foreigners seduce Israel into sin? Or were the Israelites perfectly capable of seducing themselves into heathen worship, without outside assistance?

I wish we knew. But here’s a question for the future:

What does it mean at the end of the book of Joshua, when the land is at rest; every tribe has its land; there is peace at last?

And what does it mean when we turn one page into the book of Judges, where we find total chaos?

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.