The book of Joshua tells the story of the Israelites as they complete the Exodus and enter into the Promised Land. After Moses’s death, Joshua, son of Nun, succeeds him. Joshua begins the work of not only entering the land but of conquering it. As the Israelites prepare to cross the Jordan River, God reminds His people, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua sent two spies to scout out the land prior to the Israelites entering the land. As the king of Jericho searched for these spies within his city, Rahab the prostitute protected and hid them from capture. The spies then promised to protect Rahab and her family when the time would come that the Israelites would conquer her city. Upon the spies return, they reported that the land was ripe for conquest as God “has surely given the whole land into our hands.”
In a moment reminiscent of the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites crossed the Jordan with the waters of the river stopped so that they might cross on dry land. As the people made their crossing, the Ark of the Covenant was carried upon the shoulders of priests standing in the middle of the river’s course. Israel erected a monument to this event using the stones upon which the priests had stood.
The Israelites conquered Jericho, which was a heavily fortified city, by following God’s instructions rather than simply trusting in their military might. After Jericho’s walls fell to God’s might, the city was completely sacked with the exception of Rahab and her household.
With the conquest of Canaan well under way, Joshua built an altar to God on Mount Ebal, where the Israelite people renewed their covenant with the Lord by reading all of the words of the law to them. The Israelites then began a series of battles that led to the conquest of the land. During one of these battles, against the five kings of the Amorites, God fought beside His people by sending hailstones upon their enemies and making the sun to stand still for a full day so that Israel could overcome their enemies. Over the course of seven years, Joshua led the Israelites until they had taken the land from the other nations.
When Joshua was an old man, he summoned all of the Israelites to remind them of all that God had done up to that point. After recounting God’s work, the people renewed their covenant with the Lord before Joshua died.
Psalm 22 is probably the best known of the Psalms of Lament. We believe this Psalm was written during a time when David was being pursued by King Saul. It is helpful for us to remember that this psalm begins by asking the question, “Why have you forsaken me?” It then ends with the reminder that “future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!”