Wednesday, April 1  Joshua 5-8; Psalm 14; Luke 14

Joshua 5:  What happened at Gibbeah Haaraloth?  What provision of the Lord ceased?

Joshua 6: How did the Israelites manage to take the city of Jericho?  What were they commanded to do regarding the sacking of the city?

Joshua 7: What was Achan’s sin? What was the consequence?

Joshua 8: What was different about God’s instructions to the Israelites after their victory at Ai?

Luke 15:  Jesus tells three parables about things that are lost?  What are those things?

Journal Prompt: In the midst of this coronavirus crisis, why not take some time to write a parable about things that are lost?

Joshua 5:  Joshua had all the men circumcised while they were camped at Gilgal, because while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, no one was circumcised.

The manna stopped the day after they ate the produce of the land.

Joshua 6: God told Joshua to have seven priests with trumpets lead a procession including the ark of the covenant and the Israelite army. They were to march around the walls of Jericho each day. On the seventh day, they were to blow the trumpets and then shout.  Then the walls of the city fell.  They were to take the gold and silver in the city for the treasury of the Lord, but they were to destroy absolutely everything else.

Joshua 7: Achan took for himself a beautiful robe and gold and silver.  The consequence was that they were unable to defeat the enemy at Ai, because God had removed His hand from the Israelites.

Joshua 8: After their victory at Ai, they were able to take plunder: its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves.  It’s interesting to read the military strategies used – in this case, as in the case of the campaign against Jericho, God provided Joshua with very specific instructions.  

Luke 15:  The three parables in this chapter are about the loss of a sheep, the loss of a coin and the ‘loss’ of a son.  In all three parables, the ‘owner’ of that which was lost rejoices.