Thursday, November 9, 2023

Reading for November 17th

 Read Joshua 23.1-//16. In 23.1-16: Joshua's farewell. Joshua's great age (13.1) motivates an exhortation to faithfulness and a warning about the future. Rest signals the end of the conquest (21.44; 22.4). In verse 1: In spite of many victories, some enemy nations still remain. They represent both opportunities to further success (v. 5) and dangerous enticements to infidelity (vv. 7, 12-13). In verse 6: Future success requires that the whole nation show the same undeviating obedience to the book of the law (Deuteronomy) that was enjoined on Joshua in 1.7-8. In verse 12: Intermarriage would establish complex relationships between families resulting in religious disloyalty (Deut 7.3-4). In verse 13: The metaphors of a snare and a trap signify loss of freedom, and scourge communicates political oppression (1 Kings 12.11). Exile from this good land is threatened three times (vv. 13, 15, 16). In verses 14-15: The Lord has been trustworthy in keeping past promises (see 21.45), but this means that the Lord's threatened punishment's are equally certain to take place. Comments or Questions..

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