This Sunday we continued our series in Joshua and Judges - 'Promises Kept & Promises Broken'. If you've had a chance to look at The Bible Project video mentioned in my last post you will already have a good overview of the book of Joshua. You will know that one of the issues the book throws up is about tackling the question of all that killing. This is a subject that we touched on briefly on Sunday so here are a few pointers - but essentially we have to conclude that there are not going to be any easy answers that will make us feel totally comfortable with what we're reading.
The primary reason that we feel uncomfortable with what we're reading - that Israel is commanded to conquer the land and totally destroy its inhabitants - is that it is totally at odds with the New Testament. In the New Testament we have the instruction to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us - Jesus forgives those involved in his execution. So how do we match the New Testament God of love, with the God of Joshua who commands that men, women and children be wiped out because of their ethnicity? It's interesting to think that Jesus' original audience would not have had this internal struggle. They would have thought that Joshua had totally the right idea, and in fact they were waiting for the Messiah who would come and do just this sort of thing again - only this time it would be the Romans getting it in the neck. The sort of mental shift needed for us to accept the killing in Joshua is exactly the sort of mental shift needed by Jesus' hearers to start accepting that they were to love their enemies. No wonder so many people failed to get it. So, even though we're never going to find a totally satisfactory answer, how can we better understand all this violence and death. Part of the answer is to remember that God is a God who will bring judgement - which in itself is an uncomfortable truth that we often downplay in favour of God's love and forgiveness. Certainly the conquest of Canaan is portrayed as God's judgement on a morally corrupt society - e.g. Leviticus 18:24-28. We should also note from this passage the warning that Israel will not escape a similar fate if she adopts the practises of those who currently live in the land. This is not a judgement on ethnicity but on a way of life that is lived in rebellion to God. But surely not everyone was guilty and why was there no opportunity to repent? Rahab and the Gibeonites are two examples (chapter 2 and 9) of those who escaped death because of their response to God's people. These appear to be the exception. In Joshua 9:1-2 we read of those who had heard what God had done and their response was to make war not peace. We must remember that there is a huge cultural gap between when these accounts were written and us - and therefore we need to allow for the possibility of hyperbole and exaggeration - as a perfectly legitimate literary technique of the time in historical writing. And so when it talks about a whole city being totally destroyed we need to allow for the possibility that many had already fled ahead of Israel's arrival. This still leaves us with questions about displaced people and refugees - which in today's climate is only slightly more acceptable than accusations of genocide! It is also interesting to note that the Old Testament does not glory in this violence but often refers to driving the people out rather than wiping them out. These events are presented as a one off, as unique - not as something that is going to repeated again and again throughout Israel's history. Although they still make uncomfortable reading some of these points will help us to start making some sense of all this violence. If you want to follow this up more then you might find this article a good place to start - Old Testament Mass Killings by Paul Coulter on UCCF's bethinking website.
Last Sunday we started a new teaching series at CBC - 'Promises Kept & Promises Broken' - studies in Joshua & Judges. We're only going to be in Joshua for six weeks, so now, after chapter one, would be a great time to get an overview of the whole book. If you were following this blog before the prolonged recent break you will already be familiar with the guys over at www.jointhebibleproject.com and their short videos that provide an overview and helpful tips on tackling each book of the Bible. So why not have a look at their Joshua video below. This Sunday we're going to be looking at the next three chapters as well as thinking about how we are supposed to make sense of all the killing and violence that we find in this book.
What are you afraid of? We'll all have different answers to that question. Some will be afraid of spiders, others will be afraid of the dark. And the 'level' of those fears will also vary from person to person. One person's fear of spiders means they run from the room screaming, another person's fear allows them to place a plastic cup over the eight legged culprit - as long as they can do it from arm's length. During the last week of the summer holidays I remembered that I'm not overly keen on heights. I probably should have remembered this before agreeing to go to 'Clip and Climb'.
Even when you're securely clipped on and in a safe environment and have just seen children half your size conquer the 'stairway to heaven' - none of that stops your body and mind doing some strange things as you get further and further away from the floor! This Sunday at CBC we began a new teaching series - Promises Kept & Promises Broken: Studies in Joshua & Judges. As Joshua succeeds Moses and looks to lead the people into the Promised Land God commands him to be strong and courageous, not to be afraid or discouraged - because God promises to be with him wherever he goes (Joshua 1:9). September for many is a time of new beginnings - whether that's starting school, secondary school or going off to university, or starting a new job. And at such times verses like Joshua 1:9 or Philippians 4:6-7 give encouragement. But they can also be a cause for concern - we face a new situation and we are anxious - what does that say about our faith? I think that the reality is that most of us experience some level of anxiety when facing a new situation even if we also experience God's peace. But we're not alone. Nehemiah, the guy who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem after the return from the exile was 'very much afraid' in the presence of the king (Nehemiah 2:1-3). But the important thing was that Nehemiah's actions were not governed by his fear but by his knowledge of what was right in spite of his fear. The last time the people of Israel were in this position (Numbers 13-14) their response was governed by their fear rather than what they knew God could do and had promised to do. This time round, whilst there may have been an element of fear in the people as they approached their first battle, they did not allow their fear to stop them doing what was right. Whatever it is that we're anxious or fearful of at the moment - let's make sure that our actions aren't dictated by that fear but by our knowledge of who God is, what God has done and what God has promised.
Last night, here at CBC, we looked at some of the issues around the EU Referendum. We tried to cut through some of the fear and the spin, and we also tried to think about how we come at this issue from a biblical perspective. Thank you to Amanda who did a great job of presenting both sides of the debate. Obviously there was a lot of information to take on board - most of which came from the BBC Reality Check. This is well worth a visit and you'll find lots of information about the many many issues involved. Whilst the Bible says very little on whether or not the UK should leave the EU, it does say a lot about God and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Often the questions being asked in this debate are the wrong questions. So part of addressing this issue from a biblical perspective requires us to ask the right questions, rather than to try and mine the Bible for answers to the wrong questions. Is, for example, "How will I be better off?" ever the right question for a Christian to ask when making any decision? Another helpful resource which takes a look at the main issues in the Referendum debate is "Think, Pray, Vote: EU referendum resources for churches". This 27 page resource outlines the main issues and then asks a series of questions for us to reflect on and consider. These are often not the questions the national media is asking. A couple of weeks ago I went to a very interesting lunchtime meeting organised by the Jubilee Centre in Cambridge. Again the approach was not to try and persuade Christians which way to vote but to offer comment and reflection on how to evaluate the issues and policy options from a biblical perspective. You will find more resources on their website by clicking here. If you would like another look at yesterday's presentation you will find it here - the BBC Reality Check is the source for all of the data given.
