Why is it we make children's stories from Joshua and Judges? The battle of Jericho and worse Samson. So much war, murder, lawlessness, and immorality. 

Taken as entire texts these two books are challenging to me in our modern era, and knowing the teachings of Jesus make it even more confusing how God was involved here.

We see that the people that fear God and the tribes of Israel are actually saved with stories about Rahab a pagan prostitute and the Gibeonites.

There was not a city that made peace with the people of Israel except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.

Joshua 11:19

cha.ram, often translated into destruction, or devote to destruction or simply devoted. This phrase bothers me as it is used in Joshua. Did God want everything burned or everything separated and given to God? 

It is clear that not all people were killed or removed from the land so perhaps the writings are a bit hyperbole to teach a lesson.

And then Judges come along to rule after Joshua. And importantly we see that God has immeasurably patience and faithfulness to his convenant and continues to hear the cry of the afflicted. But we also see how quickly the stories become worse and worse as we read. God redeems them but the people will ultimately fail to walk in the ways and commandments as the tribes were directed by Moses.

I am thankful the text acknowledges the chaos to end Judges. We finish with the reminder there is no king, similar to the the end of Deuteronomy that we haven't had a prophet like Moses, and worse the people are walking in iniquity like that of the Amorites (Gen 15:16) which the land needed rest from. And unfortunately the land was unable to fully find shalom.

In those days their was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25

In the many English Bibles the next book is Ruth, which does show some redeeming good was happening in the time of Judges by a few. For my reading this season I am jumping to Samuel next to keep following the thread on this idea of a prophet or king that the people are waiting on.

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