The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Joshua 23-24, Judges 1
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 4: The Land: God’s place for his people
Background Information: Joshua 23-24, Judges 1
Joshua ends with the great leader calling for Israel to be faithful to God. He calls them to decide and then to live decided, not deciding. They declare their intention to remain faithful but Joshua, who knows them well, says essentially, “I doubt it.” After Joshua dies Israel was led by regional tribal leaders called judges. The book of Judges is the tragic and bloody story of Israel becoming just like the people of Canaan. The first chapter sets up the story by describing Israel’s failure to drive out the Canaanites as they had been told to do. God had called Israel to be his holy people who would make his name known to all nations of the earth. They were not to become like the nations of Canaan who were morally bankrupt and so spiritually destitute that they even offered children as sacrifices to their gods. At this point in our reading, nothing can surprise us about Israel. They seem to have unlimited capacity to forget all that God has done for them. However, we must retain our ability to be saddened by the story, and it is a sad one. What mediates our sadness is that we know how the larger story ends. We know that gospel hope is the final answer to all their failure. In our own lives we have to balance that tension. We must not lose the capacity for sadness when we fail to follow God with faith and courage. At the same time, even in our failure, we must retain our joy in the hope of the gospel. Our failure is not final, for the gospel is God’s final answer to our sin.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Orchard Community Church and other Bible believing churches in our area to grow and prosper. Ask God to strengthen their Christian community and grow their faith in Christ.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call some now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.
Review the Storyline Map: Where we are in the Bible
Act 1 God’s Plan for All People
Scene 1: The Creation: The God of all of life.
Scene 2: The Fall: Rejecting God’s vision for life
Scene 3: The Flood: God judges and makes a covenant to preserve life
Act 2 God’s Covenant People
Scene 1: The People: God calls a Covenant People
Scene 2: Deliverance: God rescues his people.
Scene 3: The Sinai Covenant and law: God embraces and instructs his people
Week 12:
Scene 4: The Land: God’s place for his people
Day 1: Joshua 3-6
Day 2: Joshua 7-10
Day 3: Joshua 11-14
Day 4: Joshua 15-18
Day 5: Joshua 19-22
Day 6: Joshua 23-24, Judges 1
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Scene 6: Kings and Prophets: God divides the kingdom people.
Scene 7: Kings and Prophets: The southern kingdom as God’s people
Scene 8: Exile: God disciplines his people
Scene 9: Return: God delivers his people again
Act 3 God’s New Covenant People
Scene 1: Christ’s coming: God’s true king arrives
Scene 2: Christ’s ministry: God’s true king manifest his kingdom
Scene 3: Christ’s deliverance of his people: God’s work through the death, resurrection, and enthronement of his king
Scene 4: Christ’s church: God’s people advance the kingdom
Scene 5: Christ second coming: God future for the kingdom