After Moses' death, Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land. But does this event fulfill the hopes and expectations of the Israelites? The journey seems to continue for the Israelites who encounter new struggles and ambitions. Though in many ways their expectations were realized, perhaps they were not quite what they envisioned.
Their story is our story in a different context. God is faithful to the covenant, but the people have difficulty grasping what God is doing in them, and how large God's vision is. How might we understand the battles that God fought in Jericho and beyond on behalf of the Israelite people? Why does the story of a Moabite woman get recorded in these texts, and furthermore in the genealogy of Jesus? How do the kingships of David and Saul differ? As you journey with the Israelites through these narratives of glory and woe, look carefully-- for you might even catch a glimpse of your own story as God continues to make you anew.
