PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN of First Presbyterian Church Birmingham Michigan

JOSHUA: A JOURNEY OF FAITH

by Mary Mikhael

Many of us struggle to understand what is happening in the Middle East today. God promised the land now occupied by the state of Israel to the Hebrews in the Bible ... didn't He? But ... what about the people who were (and are) living in the land? Does God take land from one people and give it to another? What does the Bible say?

In this study we will hear the voices of women of the Middle East, as well as voices of theological and historical understanding. We will struggle with the words of Joshua. When was the text written? Does he text speak for God or people? Does God condone the awful violence described in scripture? Somehow it does not seem right that God should decree that a people be uprooted from their homes, denied civil rights, even killed because the land “belongs” to another people. What is God saying to us through this book?

Copies of the Study Guide will be available to PW members through their Circle Leaders - the $6 cost is paid through our PW pledges. The church library will have a copy, and there will be a sample copy in the main office.

All are welcome at the Third Wednesday Bible Study, led by Pastor John Judson. The study begins Wednesday September 16, at 9:30 in Calvin Hall. Study Guides will be available there.

Here is the lesson schedule for this year's study:

• Historical and Literary Context: The Deuteronomistic History and the Historians

• The Importance of the Literary Context

• Jumping into Scripture

  Key People and Places: Canaanites, Hittites, Israelites, Philistines, the tribes of Israel, Babylonia, Canaan, Egypt, Judah, Phoenicia ...
  

Lesson One: Who Is the God of Joshua?

• Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9;23

• Key Idea: The God of Joshua is just, holy, and faithful, showing great concern for those who are oppressed.

• In Context: A brief History of Israel/Palestine and the Israelis and Palestinians

Lesson Two: A Leader is Called

• Scripture: Joshua 1:2-18;24:1-15

• Key Idea: When God calls us to a position of leadership, God also gives us the strength and courage to follow God's call.

• In Context: The Importance of Community

Lesson Three: Entry into the Land

• Scripture: Joshua 3-5

• Key Idea: The Israelites' entry into the land of Canaan reveals that through worship and liturgical acts, we may remember and celebrate the deliverance of God.

• In Context: Characteristics of Semitic Languages

Lesson Four: The Land of Promise, or the Promised Land?

• Scripture: Joshua 1:2-3,10-15, 5:10-12

• Key Idea: The land into which Joshua led the Israelites was a gift from God – a land of promise.

• In Context: The Land of Promise

Lesson Five: Can War Be Holy?

• Scripture: Joshua 6:1-8:28;10:16-11:23

• Key Idea: War, even when it is necessary to defend ourselves or the weak or the oppressed, is never the will of God.

• In Context: The Social and Cultural Context of Life in the Thirteenth Century BCE

Lesson Six: Outsiders Become Insiders - Rahab and the Gibeonites

• Scripture: Joshua 2:1-24;6:25;9:3-27

• Key Idea: The call to acceptance is revealed even in the book of Joshua – Rahab and the Gibeonites are signs of hope for all who are lost and outcast.

Lesson Seven: God's Concern for Justice – Cities of Refuge

• Scripture: Joshua 20:1-9;21:13-41

• Key Idea: Scripture shows us that justice is a mandate from God for all who wish to live faithful lives.

Lesson Eight: The Place of Rest

• Scripture: Joshua 21:43-22:9; Hebrews 3:1-4:11

• Key Idea: Joshua and the Israelites found rest not in the absence of war or in a new land, but in God. This is where we find our rest, as well.

Lesson Nine: The Challenge of God's Covenant

• Scripture: Joshua 23:14-24:28

• Key Idea: Just ad God called Joshua and the Israelites to covenant relationships, we, to, are responsible for cultivating faithful relationships with God and all creation.