OT Session #3 Pre-Monarchy

Session #3: Encountering the
Historical Books

“Living out the covenant”

Joshua, Judges & Ruth

Hoshea = he saves Joshua = Yahweh saves (Num. 13:16)

 Joshua the brave warrior (Ex. 17:9-14)
 Joshua the devoted companion (disciple) of Moses

(Ex. 24:13; 32:17; 33:11)
 Joshua the faithful servant (Num. 14:6,30; Deut. 1:38; 3:28)
 Joshua the strong & courageous leader (Deut. 31:7,23)

1. Selected by God
2. Trusting in the promise of God
3. Strength & courage from God
4. Knowledge of the word (Torah) of God
5. Filled with the Spirit of God

So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a
man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on
him.” (Num. 27:18)
Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the Spirit of
wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So
the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD
had commanded Moses. (Deut. 34:9)

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these
people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to
give them.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all
the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it
to the right or to the left, that you may be successful
wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law
depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do everything written in
it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I
not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not
be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with
you wherever you go.” (Josh. 1:6-9)

JOSHUA JUDGES

 Covers c. 20 years  Covers c. 200 years
 Strong, focused leadership  Weak, divided leadership
 Divide & conquer  Divided & conquered
 Faith & courage  Fear & unbelief
 Morally grounded  Morally floundered
 Obedience  Disobedience
 Line of victory  Cycles of defeat

Blessings vs. curses of the covenant. (cf. Deut. 27-30)

Salvation of God’s people Judgment of the peoples

“The Lord will put his name “The Lord will drive out these
there for his dwelling” nations before you”

Conquest of the land (1-12) Settlement of the land (13-24)

On that day the LORD made a covenant
with Abram and said, “To your
descendants I give this land, from the
River of Egypt to the great river, the
Euphrates— the land of the Kenites,
Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites,
Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites,
Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”
(Gen. 15:18-21)
When the LORD your God brings you
into the land you are entering to possess
and drives out before you many nations
the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites,
Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and
Jebusites, seven nations larger and
stronger than you... (Deut. 7:1)

Part One:
(Salvation of God’s
people)
Conquest

 Remember the Amalekites (Ex. 17) and Sihon & Og (Num. 21)!

For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for
you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deut. 20:4

1. Commissioning & instruction from the Lord – Ex. 3-4
2. Understanding what lies ahead (spy out the land) – Num. 13
3. Saving those who are seeking God (Rahab) – Ex. 11-12; Is. 30:7
4. “Crossing the Jordan” (Enter, and don’t forget it!) – Ex. 14-15
5. Consecrating themselves (as God’s people) – Gen. 17; Ex. 13
6. Recognizing their true leader – Ex. 3:2; 14:19 (cf. Gen. 18)

The central campaign (6-8)

 Retaliation #1: the southern campaign (9-10)
 Retaliation #2: the northern campaign (11:1-15)
(See maps, pp.171-174)
Summary (11:16-23)

List of 33 defeated kings (12)

Key = divide & conquer (cf. Lk. 11:17-23; Mk. 3:23-27; Matt.12:25-30)

Jericho victory (though obedience)
…save only Rahab
Ai defeat (through disobedience)
…get rid of the idols
Ai & Bethel ambush (through learning to listen)
…keep the plunder

“Curses & blessings” (Josh. 8:30-35; cf. Deut. 27-29)

Gibeon “make a peace treaty”
…spare them as your servants
Amorite alliance “take them by surprise”
…Joshua’s long day! (ch. 10)
Makkedah “pursue your enemies”
…put your feet on their necks
Southern region “no surrender/ no survivors”
…kingdom forcefully advancing

The great coalition – “attack them” (despite the odds)

…destroy their weapons
…single out the leader
…totally destroy the rest
…don’t forget the Anakites (giants)

“Then the land had rest from war!” 11:23
(all this required 6-7 years, cf. p. 176)

Part Two
(Judgment of the idolatrous
peoples)

Settlement

 “Though they are strong you can drive them out” (17:18)
 “How long will you wait before you take possession of the
land that the Lord…has given you?” (18:3)
 “They had difficulty taking possession…” (19:47)
 “They could not drive them out”(13:13; 15:63; 16:10; 17:12)

 “Now give me this hill country!” (Caleb 14:6ff.; 15:13ff.–
cf. Numb. 13-14)

 6 Cities of refuge (ch. 20)
 48 owns reserved for the Levites (ch. 21)
 Eastern tribes: “Thanks for your help” (ch. 22)

Joshua’s farewell speech:

 Always remember who did it!
 His promises can always be trusted!
 Stay focused, don’t give up & always finish the job!

(“I have fought, I have finished, I have been faithful”)
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Back to Shechem (Gen. 12:6; 33:18; 37:12)

 Remembering what God has done (vv.1-13)
 Responding to what God has done (vv.14-24)
 Recording what God has done (vv.25-27)

“The uncrowned
queen of Palestine”
(Albrecht Alt)

4 views:

 Radical discontinuity (no more/ no war is holy)
 Temporal discontinuity (not now, but then)
 Moderate continuity (sometimes necessary)
 Spiritual continuity (real battle is invisible)

Spiritual warfare: Eph. 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 6:7; 10:3-5; 1 Cor.
9:26; 15:32; 1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7; Rev. 12:7; 19:11ff.

“The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”
(Gen. 15:16)
“The land will vomit you out…”(Lev. 18:24-28; 20:22-24)

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he
saw fit (what was right in his own eyes)”
Judges 17:6; 21:25 (18:1; 19:1); Deut. 12:8

CYCLES of oppression: Sin (Idolatry)

Judgement
Deliverance
(oppression)
(rest)

Repentance

1. First cycle (Othniel 3:7-11)
2. Second cycle (Ehud & Shamgar 3:12-30)
3. Third cycle (Deborah & Barak 4-5)
4. Fourth cycle (Gideon 6-8)
5. Fifth cycle (Abimelech 9)
6. Sixth cycle (Tola 10:1-2)
7. Seventh cycle (Jair 10:3-5)
8. Eighth cycle (Jephthah 10:6-12:7)
9. Ninth cycle (Ibzan 12:8-10)
10. Tenth cycle (Elon 12:11)
11. Eleventh cycle (Abdon 12:13-15)
12. Twelfth cycle (Samson 13-16)

Lack of leadership (death of Joshua 2:8-9)
Incomplete obedience = disobedience & defeat
Summary of the problem (read 2:10-3:6)

The key to success & failure (“the hornet”)

I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites,
Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. Exodus 23:28
Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet among
them until even the survivors who hide from you have
perished. Deuteronomy 7:20
I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out
before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it
with your own sword and bow. Joshua 24:12

1. Idolatry (spiritual… 17-18)
2. Immorality (moral… 19)
3. Civil war (social… 20-21)

 Key = no anointed leadership (21:25)

“A rose between two thorns” (epilogue to the Judges)
…though based on her genealogy, the story likely occurred
during the times of Ehud or Gideon.

Ruth deciding (...for the glory of God) Ch.1
Ruth serving (..with the people of God) Ch.2

Ruth resting (…in the will of God) Ch.3
Ruth rewarded (…by the grace of God) Ch.4

“Where you go …I will go”

“Where you stay …I will stay”

“Your people …Will be my people”

“Your God …Will be my God”

“Where you die …I will die”

1. He had to be free (Heb. 4:15)

2. He had to be able to pay the right price (Heb. 9:22)

3. He had to be personally related (Heb. 2:14-18)

4. He had to be absolutely willing (Heb. 10:7)

When things are going bad all around us,
don’t take the easy way out!

Lasting love is found in a relationship with God
and he is still the best matchmaker!

Courageous commitment to God can lead to amazing
consequences!

This, then, is the family line of Perez: (desc. of Judah…
Jacob, Isaac & Abraham)
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon (= Rahab - Heb. 11:31),
Salmon the father of Boaz (= Ruth - 4:13),
Boaz the father of Obed,
Obed the father of Jesse,
and Jesse the father of David…(4:18-22; cf. Matt. 1:3-6)
…of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

OT Session #3 Pre-Monarchy

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OT Session #3 Pre-Monarchy