• Sun      Jun 7   Rom. 7–8        Ps. 84
• Mon     Jun 8   Rom. 9–11      Ps. 85
• Tue      Jun 9   Rom. 12–14    Ps. 86
• Wed     Jun 10 Rom. 15–16    Ps. 87
• Thu      Jun 11 1 Cor. 1–2       Ps. 88
• Fri        Jun 12 1 Cor. 3–4       Ps. 89
• Sat       Jun 13 1 Cor. 5–7      

First Corinthians is the first of two canonical epistles we have from Paul to the church in Corinth. This letter is different than Romans in several ways, but probably the most notable difference is that 1 Corinthians addresses more concrete and specific issues in the life of the Christians and the church in Corinth, whereas Romans had a more broad, theological scope. This is not to say 1 Corinthians is not theological (or that Romans is not practical). It is highly theological, it just emphasizes certain implications of the theological truth of the gospel, particularly regarding the way Christians relate to each other in the church and outside the church.

Paul addresses specific issues and particular questions in 1 Corinthians. Verse one of chapter 7 opens with, “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote.” This suggests he was responding to questions they had posed to him in an earlier correspondence. 2 Corinthians will continue this sequence of letters between Paul and the Corinthian church, and this correspondence had apparently already been going on prior to what we have in the two letters in the NT. Paul referred to another letter he had written, apparently before 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:9), and another letter most agree came between 1 and 2 Corinthians (2 Cor. 2:9).

The phrase, “Now concerning” continues through 1 Corinthians, apparently as a shorthand way of referring to those earlier questions. We do not have access to any earlier letter, or the other non-canonical letter written later, but we can read 1–2 Corinthians with confidence that whatever those other letters said, knowing their contents is not necessary to understand what we are reading here in the letters we do have.

As we continue reading through the epistles of the NT, it will be helpful to keep in mind a couple principles about these letters between the Apostles and the churches and individuals to whom they wrote. The NT epistles were all written either to individual churches or groups of churches or to individuals. Because of this, we should keep in mind their audiences and remember they were written to address particular situations the recipients were experiencing. On the other hand however, they were written for us too.

First Corinthians begins with a greeting that is fairly typical of the epistles in the NT. This was his typical pattern and the standard practice of letter writing in the first century. Paul identifies himself (similar to how we do at the end of our letters), and mentions Sosthenses, who was probably with Paul when he wrote. He then identifies his readers, the recipients of this letter. “To the church of God that is at Corinth.” Then he broadens the audience beyond just the one church, also including “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2). He then gives this greeting to the Corinthian Christians and to us: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:3; see 2 Cor. 1:2)

While we read through the rest of the NT, we will do well to keep in mind that the NT epistles were written to certain Christians and churches; those first readers were the direct audiences in mind. And perhaps equally important, we should read them as if they were meant for us. For, as believers today, we too are certainly included in “all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” These are not just historical documents written to ancient people to address their issues. They are God’s word to us today too.

Early on in the year I suggested starting your time each day with God in his word with a brief prayer, asking him to open your eyes to see what he has said in the words you are about to read. This week we read David’s wonderful prayer in Psalm 86, where he praises God for who he is and asks the Lord to instruct him in his ways. May this be our prayer too.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,

       nor are there any works like yours.

All the nations you have made shall come

       and worship before you, O Lord,

       and shall glorify your name.

For you are great and do wondrous things;

       you alone are God.

Teach me your way, O LORD,

       that I may walk in your truth;

       unite my heart to fear your name.

I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,

       and I will glorify your name forever.

For great is your steadfast love toward me;

       you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. (Ps. 86:8–13)

• Sun      May 31            2 Kings 13–15 Ps. 77
• Mon     Jun 1   2 Kings 16–18 Ps. 78
• Tue      Jun 2   2 Kings 19–21 Ps. 79
• Wed     Jun 3   2 Kings 22–25 Ps. 80
• Thu      Jun 4   Rom. 1–2        Ps. 81
• Fri        Jun 5   Rom. 3–4        Ps. 82
• Sat       Jun 6   Rom. 5–6        Ps. 83

As 2 Kings ends, so does the story of Israel and Judah’s history in the Promised Land, at least for a time. We have seen battles and changing dynasties, and kings have come and gone. Elijah, Elisha and the other prophets of the Lord have confronted them in their sin and called them back to covenant faithfulness to the Lord. Last week we mentioned that most of Judah’s kings were sinful and all the kings of Israel were wicked. Their sin and the sin of the people has led to the tragic consequences we come to in this week’s reading at the end of 2 Kings. Chapter 17 recounts the final defeat and fall of the northern kingdom, Israel, at the hands of the Assyrians, and then we read of Judah’s exile into Babylon.

The account of Israel’s exile itself is quite brief (2 Kgs. 17:6), but the author offers an explanation of the reasons for the exile that is lengthy by comparison (vv. 7–23). He says these tragic events all happened “because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God” (v. 7). Ever since they first entered the land, from the time of Joshua all the way until the last king, Hoshea, is captured and carried away into Assyria, the Israelites have gone after other gods and acted like the wicked nations God had promised to drive out of the Land before them. God sent prophets to call his people back to himself and his ways, and there were short times of repentance. Nevertheless, as a whole the kings and the people rejected the prophets and continued stubbornly in their ways. They did not trust in the Lord and they despised his good laws and the covenant he made with their fathers.

Not long after Israel’s exile into Assyria, a similar thing happens in Judah. Before recounting the events of Judah’s exile in more detail, the author gives a summary statement near the end of chapter 24: “For because of the anger of the Lord it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence” (2 Kgs. 24:20). The Babylonian army besieges Jerusalem then breaks in and destroys the city David established. Most tragically, the temple is burned to the ground. This is the place God chose as his dwelling place. Judah’s king at the time, Zedekiah, is blinded and taken captive to Babylon, along with everyone else except for a few who would stay and tend the land.

With the Pentateuch in mind, we probably saw this coming as we worked our way through these books of Israel and Judah’s history. Even still it is sad to read. It seems so obvious that they should have just walked in the ways of the Lord and followed after the God who delivered them from Egypt, blessed them and made them a nation, gave them the Land he had promised to Abraham, and always remained faithful. But they just kept sinning and rebelling against the Lord. They broke their end of the covenant with him. This highlights the need for a new covenant. God’s people need a covenant that includes a new heart. They also need a new king.

At the very end of 2 Kings we do see a glimmer of hope. The book ends with a somewhat mysterious little paragraph about Jehoiachin, one of Judah’s last kings, who was taken into exile in Babylon. Sometime after the exile, when a new Babylonian king arises, Jehoiachin is treated graciously. He is freed from prison and given a seat of honor and a place at the king’s table (2 Kgs 25:27–30). This is the descendant of David, the heir of his royal line. God has preserved David’s seed, his offspring, and the author wants to leave the readers with the reminder that God has not forgotten his promises to David about a son who will come and reign on an eternal throne.

After finishing 1–2 Kings, we move back into the NT and pick up where we left off there, with the book of Romans. Romans begins the section of the NT that is made up of epistles, or letters, from the Apostles to the churches and groups of churches in the first century world. These were the local gatherings that began the earliest stage of the Church era after Jesus’s resurrection and ascension. Many of the epistles to these churches were written by the Apostle Paul.

Romans rightly occupies a prominent place at the beginning of this collection. It is the most comprehensive explanation and explication of the gospel of Christ in all of Scripture. Paul wrote this letter to the Christians in Rome sometime towards the end of his life and ministry, after he had been evangelizing and preaching and planting and ministering to churches for around 25 years. He hoped to go to Rome on his way to Spain, where he hoped to begin a new missionary endeavor (15:24, 28). Part of his reason for writing Romans was to garner support from the Roman church for his missionary effort to Spain. He wanted their financial support, but more importantly, he wanted them to understand and support the gospel message he was preaching.

The letter is addressed to Christians in Rome, “all those who are loved by God and called to be saints.” (Rom. 1:6) This includes both Jewish and Gentile believers, and this point is important to understand the letter’s message and the gospel itself. We do not know a lot about the church in Rome, but one thing we do know is that Paul did not plant it. While we do not have a lot of information as to when Christianity first came to Rome, in Acts 2 it does tell us there were Jewish people from Italy present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Some of these Italian Jews likely responded to the coming of the Holy Spirit and Peter’s gospel message. These new Christians were probably the ones who brought the message of Jesus the Messiah back to Italy, and thus the Christian church in Rome began.

Those from Rome who had come first to saving faith in Christ were Jewish Christians. If the spread of the gospel in Rome was similar to what we see throughout Acts, Gentiles would have been added to their community too. Then in AD 49 there was a significant event that changed the situation. The Roman Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome. We read of this in Acts 18:1–2, where it mentions that Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, Jews who had recently come to Corinth from Italy, because “Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome.”

This left the Gentile Christians alone in Rome to continue the church there. Later, when Nero was emperor, the edict of Claudius expired, and the Jews were allowed to return to Rome. In Romans 16 Paul sends his greeting to Priscilla and Aquila, who have moved back to Rome by this time. What this means then is that, for some time the church in Rome would have consisted of Gentiles only. When the Jewish Christians came back to Rome, there may have been tension between the two groups related to their understanding and practice of the Mosaic law. This would explain why Jew-Gentile issues are prominent in Romans, particularly in chapters 9–11.

The book’s opening greeting from Paul functions as an introduction to the whole book. We can see this by comparing it with the end of Romans, the doxology that concludes the letter.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom. 1:1–7)

 

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Rom. 16:25–27)

Notice the repeated words and ideas in these opening and closing sections: gospel, Jesus Christ, Scriptures/prophetic writings, obedience of faith, nations, for his name/glory.

As you read through Romans this week and next, be looking for those themes and how they contribute to the gospel message Paul is unpacking. Also keep in mind that Romans was written to Christians, to those in Rome who have put their faith in Christ and for us today too. This is a book of rich theology as well as immensely practical encouragement for us to live in light of the grace we have received through Jesus.

• Sun      May 24            Acts 19–21     
• Mon     May 25            Acts 22–24     
• Tue      May 26            Acts 25–28     
• Wed     May 27            2 Kings 1–3     Ps. 73
• Thu      May 28            2 Kings 4–6     Ps. 74
• Fri        May 29            2 Kings 7–9     Ps. 75
• Sat       May 30            2 Kings 10–12 Ps. 76

Acts closes with a remark that ties back to the book’s opening paragraph. Jesus had instructed his disciples (and us) to bear witness to Jesus “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The second half of the book has been all about Paul and his travels, not literally to the ends of the earth, but moving in that direction. He eventually makes his way to Rome, and Acts concludes with him in prison there. He is obeying Jesus’s instructions and “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (28:31).

The book of Acts ends there without telling us any more about the rest of Paul’s life and ministry. However, we do have the rest of the NT. In the epistles that come after Acts, we will see how the Lord used Paul and the other apostles to continue building the church, advancing his kingdom, and ensuring that the good news of Jesus is proclaimed throughout the world and through the centuries. Acts was written to tell the story of the apostles, and really it is a story of the work of God by the Spirit in the name of the risen Christ. God used Peter, Paul, and the other apostles to begin the mission Jesus gave them, and now we have the great privilege to continue the same work God has been doing since the church began. I pray reading Acts has been encouraging and motivating, and that we as a church will continue to grow in our heart for God to be known and worshipped to the ends of the earth.

We also continue our OT reading into 2 Kings. As with 1–2 Samuel, the narrative moves along without a major disruption as we turn the page from 1 to 2 Kings. Together, these books tell the stories of the successions of kings in what has become a divided kingdom; Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The books of 1–2 Chronicles will retell the same basic history, but it will do so with more of a focus on the kings of Judah, the line of David. Here in 1–2 Kings, we read of the southern kingdom, Judah, and its kings, but there is also quite a bit of attention given to the northern kingdom, Israel, and its kings.

As we read through these accounts it may be helpful to keep in mind points of similarity and difference between Israel and its kings and Judah and its kings. In Judah, the kings all descend from David’s line and continue the dynasty established back in 2 Samuel 7. While there is one dynasty through all of Judah’s history, all the way up to the exile of Judah into Babylon, there are 10 different dynasties in Israel. The throne is not always passed down to a successor from the same family line, like in Judah. In fact, kings in Israel are often displaced through violent takeover, with the new king killing the previous king and all potential heirs to the throne. Both Israel and Judah see the reign of 20 kings over the course of their existence as a divided kingdom, but in Judah, they all descend from David’s line.

Of the 20 kings in Judah, eight of them are said to be somewhat faithful, more or less following the Lord and walking in the ways of David, with varying degrees of faithfulness. Only two of the kings of Judah, Hezekiah and Josiah, are fully faithful. This contrasts with the kings of Israel, all of whom are unfaithful and seem to grow progressively more idolatrous and sinful from one to the next. Judah’s kings also rebel against God and lead wicked lives, and we know even David’s time as king was marked by horrible sin. Generally speaking, however, Judah’s kings are more obedient to the Lord than were the kings of Israel.

While we do not necessarily want to get ahead of ourselves, we do know from Deuteronomy where the sequence of events in Israel and Judah’s history is all heading. Both Israel and Judah will eventually end up in exile out of the land because of their sin (Deut. 4:27; 31:29). We will read about this prophetic prediction from the Pentateuch coming true in next week’s reading. Israel will be defeated by Assyria and brought into exile there (2 Kings 17). Then at the end of 2 Kings, Judah will be defeated and brought into exile in Babylon (2 Kings 25). This perspective helps inform our reading of each successive king, both in Israel and in Judah. Their sin and the sin of the people under these kings’ leadership will lead to tragic consequences eventually.

In the books of Samuel and Kings, the kings obviously play a prominent role. Prophets are also important figures in these narratives. They sometimes serve as contrasting characters to the kings. In fact, the prophets are often directly at odds with the kings. Whether its Samuel to Saul, Nathan to David, or Elijah to Ahab, the prophets are the ones tasked with the difficult job of rebuking the wayward kings with words from God. They are responsible for calling Israel and Judah and their kings to repent and turn back to covenant faithfulness and to walk in the ways of the Lord. Sadly, there efforts often do not produce the desired effect, at least not in their time.

As spokesmen for the Lord, they highlight the fact that God is unchanging and faithful to his word and his promises. When things are going badly for Israel and Judah, it might look like God’s promises are failing. But really things are playing out exactly as he said they would. The trouble they are facing is because of their sin and it lines up exactly with what God had said would happen to them, back in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Later in our reading, when we get to the books of the so-called writing prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.), we will see how they repeat and develop many of these themes that arise in these narrative accounts of Israel and Judah’s history. The messages of those later prophetic books will reflect back on what we have read in these historical books and give additional prophetic perspective on the decline and eventual exile of Israel and Judah.

All of this demonstrates the need for something different—a new reality. For God’s people to experience the blessings of relationship with him, and for them to be redeemed to him as his people after generations of rebellion and sin, there must be a new covenant and a new king to rule over God’s people. The authors of these books of Israel’s and Judah’s history wrote in such a way, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that communicates a gradually building anticipation for a coming Davidic king who will reign forever on the throne of God’s kingdom. In this way, reading 1–2 Kings as Christian Scripture helps us see more clearly the good news of the gospel of Christ.

• Sun      May 17            1 Kings 20–22
• Mon     May 18            Acts 1–3         
• Tue      May 19            Acts 4–6         
• Wed     May 20            Acts 7–9         
• Thu      May 21            Acts 10–12     
• Fri        May 22            Acts 13–15     
• Sat       May 23            Acts 16–18

We finish up 1 Kings this week and move to the NT to read the book of Acts before continuing into 2 Kings. Remember, the division between 1 Kings and 2 Kings is somewhat artificial, since they were originally combined as one book and meant to be read that way. So if it seems things are somewhat unresolved at the end of 1 Kings, that is right. We will come back and pick up the story where it leaves off in 1 Kings 22, with the good king Jehoshaphat reigning over Judah in Jerusalem and the wicked king Ahaziah reigning over Israel in Samaria.

Turning to the NT, we have read through the four Gospels and the book of Acts is next. As you read the first part of this wonderful book, especially the first two chapters, pay close attention to the details there. Some important introductory comments help guide the reading for the rest of the book, and Acts 1–2 recounts the key moments and foundational theological principles that help us understand the church and our place in God’s kingdom plans.

Acts covers a unique and important time in history. It tells the story of the beginning of the church and the earliest phase of the church’s mission. It is a story of the Apostles and first Christians obeying Jesus’s instructions and advancing the work he commissioned God’s people to begin after his resurrection and ascension to heaven.

When we are reading Acts it is important to remember that the book is describing a particular time in history. It recounts the events when the Holy Spirit first came down at Pentecost and the church was launched. It is instructive for us today, and there are many lessons to learn about things like evangelism, ecclesiology, spiritual gifts, and roles in the church. Nevertheless, the primary purpose of Acts is to recount to us what happened in that pivotal stage in God’s work in the world. Its message is based on the inspired account of what God was doing in and through his people by the power of his Spirit. More than prescribing what we are to do, Acts is describing the astounding events of the early church. It is the narrative of God’s mighty acts to advance his kingdom after Jesus ascended and sent his Spirit to indwell and empower the church.

The book opened by telling us that Acts is part two of a two-volume work. The first part, the Gospel of Luke, was an orderly narrative of Jesus’s life, what he accomplished and what he taught (Acts 1:1, cf. Luke 1:1–4). Acts picks up where Luke’s Gospel left off. Both books were written to someone named Theophilus, and they were both probably written by Luke, one of Paul’s travel companions who was with him on the missionary journeys we read of in Acts. (Notice the first time there is a switch from third-person “they” pronouns to first-person “we” pronouns in Acts 16:10.)

The first chapter of Acts includes some important introductory details that frame the rest of the book. Luke recounts the last instructions from Jesus to his apostles during the forty days he was with them after his resurrection. Jesus speaks to the disciples about the kingdom of God and he tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them there (1:3–5). Then, when his disciples ask about the timing of the kingdom, Jesus says it is not for them to know the time. While he does not answer their question in the way they want, he does give them some significant information. He says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (1:8).

This is Jesus’s commission to the disciples, similar to the Great Commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (Matt. 28:19–20). This commission in Acts provides a narrative outline of sorts for the rest of the book. As the early church goes out after Pentecost, their mission spreads according to the geographical stages set forth by Jesus in 1:8, starting with Jerusalem then going out to Judea, Samaria, and beyond. As we read of the mission advancing, notice that it is always doing so by the power of the Spirit and through the proclamation of the gospel of Christ; and this proclamation is always rooted in the story of the OT.

Paul joins these efforts to preach the gospel and expand the kingdom after his own miraculous conversion. In fact, he becomes the focal agent of the early church’s mission in the latter half of Acts. He is the one primarily responsible for leading the efforts to take the gospel out from Jerusalem and Judea to the “ends of the earth.”

This is what we are called to do as well. Acts narrates the launch of the church era, which is the era of history we are still living in. We are still awaiting Jesus’s second coming as we look back on his first coming. As we wait, like the Apostles and the early church, we are called to proclaim the good news of the kingdom and tell people boldly about Jesus the Messiah. And as we know from Acts, from the experience of those early Christians, this will not always be easy. One of the marks of the early church was persecution, but that persecution is what brought about the growth of the gospel (See 8:1–4; 11:19–21).

• Sun      May 10            1 Kings 1–3     Ps. 69
• Mon     May 11            1 Kings 4–6     Ps. 70
• Tue      May 12            1 Kings 7–8     Ps. 71
• Wed     May 13            1 Kings 9–11   Ps. 72
• Thu      May 14            1 Kings 12–14
• Fri        May 15            1 Kings 15–16
• Sat       May 16            1 Kings 17–19

Our reading through the story of the OT continues from 1–2 Samuel into 1–2 Kings. We will be preaching through 1 Kings on Sundays after finishing our series in Mark’s Gospel, so this section of the read thru will help prepare us as a church for the 1 Kings sermon series.

Like 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings is probably best read together as one continuous narrative that picks up right where 2 Samuel left off. David was near the end of his life at the end of 2 Samuel, and his life and reign have been fraught with much turmoil. Though God did give David victory over Israel’s enemies, and there were times of peace in the land, it would be difficult to say David’s reign was generally characterized by peace and rest. The promise of 2 Sam. 7:11 is yet to be fulfilled at the end of David’s life.

David dies early in 1 Kings, and through a series of violent acts, Solomon is eventually anointed king. Solomon’s name is derived from the same root as the Hebrew word shalom, which often carries a meaning of peace or wholeness. Israel does experience a time of peace and great prosperity once Solomon is established on the throne (1 Kgs. 4:24; 5:4), but there is also a notable sense of irony in these early chapters of 1 Kings. The multiple killings that attend Solomon’s rise to the throne are set in contrast with the peace his name connotes.

In chapter 11, Solomon’s sad fall from the Lord is obvious and tragic. In the chapters before that, however, we can see signs of the direction things are headed, even before we are told explicitly that his many wives and concubines turned his heart away from the Lord (1 Kgs. 11:1–8). The narrator portrays Solomon both positively and negatively throughout these early chapters of 1 Kings.

We are told that the beginning of his reign was marked by loving the Lord and walking in the statutes of David his father (1 Kgs. 3:3). Solomon was to be commended for requesting understanding and wisdom when the Lord said he would grant him whatever he asked (3:5–9). God was pleased with this and promised not only to give him the wisdom he asked for but also to add riches and honor, and, if he would walk in the Lord’s ways and keep his commandments, he would give him long life as well (3:10–14).

Nevertheless, several negative details begin to emerge mixed in with the positive portrayal. In addition to the violence surrounding his rise to the throne we already mentioned (2:1–9, 22–25, 33–34, 44–46), chapters 4–5 tell of the forced labor, or work crews, Solomon drafted to help build his palace and the temple for God (4:6–7; 5:13–18). While this may not be an obviously negative development, it does remind us of the warnings Samuel gave to the Israelites when they first wanted a king so they could be like the nations around them (1 Sam. 8:11–18).

Solomon builds two houses: A temple for the Lord and a palace for himself. His own house took almost twice as long to build (6:38; 7:1) and was over four times the size of the temple (6:2; 7:2). These details may seem insignificant, but the author included them for a reason. It appears we are meant to see hints of Solomon’s turn from the Lord before it becomes more obvious.

Solomon also selectively interprets the Lord’s promise to his father David. In 1 Kings 8, when Solomon recounts the covenant promise of 2 Samuel 7, he focuses on the physical temple he has just finished building, whereas the Lord’s words to David had emphasized the eternal “house,” or royal dynasty God would establish for a future descendant of David (2 Sam. 7:4–17). These subtle details highlight something we know clearly from our vantage point: This moment in Solomon’s time was not the true fulfilment of God’s covenant promises to David.

Then as we continue through the story, we begin to see more clearly the mixed portrayal of Solomon. We were already told he had many horses and chariots (4:26), and in chapter 10 we find out they were imported from Egypt (10:26, 28). We also read of the opulence of Solomon’s kingdom and the masses of gold he accumulated (10:14–22). These comments could be seen as a favorable account of the success of his kingship, but when we consider the instructions and warnings of the Pentateuch, the message is much less positive.

In Deuteronomy 17 the Lord, through Moses, gave instructions for the king he would give them in the Land. The king was to be chosen by God from among the Israelites, and was not to acquire great numbers of horses or get horses from Egypt, and he was not to accumulate large amounts of silver and gold, nor was he to acquire many wives. He was to keep the Lord’s Torah close to him and follow carefully all the words of the Torah, not turning from it to the right or to the left. (Deut. 17:14–20)

When we are told about Solomon’s wealth—the massive quantities of gold, horses, and chariots—it is as if the narrator is making a deliberate effort to show how egregiously Solomon is breaking the law from Deuteronomy 17. Then when we read of the 1000 wives and concubines he acquires (11:1–3), again in abundant violation of the Torah, we should not be surprised to read that his heart was turned away from the Lord (11:4).

These chapters paint Solomon in an increasingly negative light, and this can be disheartening for us as readers. Indeed, the picture will only get bleaker after Solomon and as we keep reading in 1–2 Kings. What this does for us as readers, though, is to stir up a sense of anticipation. God will most certainly make good on the promises that have been echoing through the OT from the earliest chapters of Genesis. There will still be a seed descended from Eve who will crush the head of the serpent and restore God’s creation and his people to a state even better than before sin’s curse made a ruin of the world and human relationships. A king from David’s line would one day come and establish the throne of God’s eternal kingdom. We can read of Solomon’s fall, and the failures of all the kings in Israel and Judah, and rejoice that Jesus has come and his kingdom is coming.

• Sun      May 3  2 Sam. 4–6      Ps. 62
• Mon     May 4  2 Sam. 7–9      Ps. 63
• Tue      May 5  2 Sam. 10–12  Ps. 64
• Wed     May 6  2 Sam. 13–15  Ps. 65
• Thu      May 7  2 Sam. 16–18  Ps. 66
• Fri        May 8  2 Sam. 19–21  Ps. 67
• Sat       May 9  2 Sam. 22–24  Ps. 68

The time of David’s kingship is a high point in all the history of Israel. Their territory expands and the nation experiences rest from the enemy nations all around (7:1). During this time of peace, David has the notion to build a more permanent house for the Lord. The tabernacle has been God’s dwelling place since the Israelites were at Mt. Sinai, but David feels a tent is not adequate to house the God of all creation. (And, in a way, he is totally right! See 1 Kgs. 8:27; Isa. 66:1; Acts 7:49; 17:24)

Chapter 7 of 2 Samuel recounts David’s interaction with the Lord, through the prophet Nathan, about the idea of building a temple. This is one of the most important chapters in all the OT. It is here where we read of the Lord making a covenant promise with David and with the descendants who will come after him, and this covenant will have implications of eternal significance.

David is unsettled by the fact that he lives in a cedar house but the ark of the Lord still resides in a tent. At first, Nathan affirms David’s plan to build a temple for God, but the Lord has bigger plans in mind. Nathan hears from the Lord in the night and returns to David with a word from the Lord that will reverberate through the rest of Scripture and through all of history.

Instead of David building a house, a physical dwelling place for the omnipresent God of the cosmos, the Lord will establish a different kind of house, a dynasty of kings in David’s line. This royal lineage will culminate in one King who will reign forever.

Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:11b–13).

This promise to David echoes the earlier promises to Abraham. God had told Abraham that his seed, or offspring, one from his own body, would be the heir of the promise (Gen. 15:4). The similarity in the language of these passages is unmistakable, and it appears we are meant to see that this promise to David is a continuation of those earlier promises to Abraham. In fact, not only does it carry forward the promise to Abraham, it also makes it more specific. All nations of the earth will be blessed through Abraham’s offspring (Gen. 12:1–3), and now we know this promise will be fulfilled through David’s descendent. Really, this thread of promise goes back even earlier than Abraham. David’s son will be the promised seed who will crush the serpent’s head and ultimately and finally reverse the curse of sin (Gen. 3:15).

As we keep reading in the story of David, we are quickly faced again with the problem of sin. David himself sins egregiously just a few short chapters after receiving this promise from the Lord. He takes another man’s wife for his own and murders the man in an effort to cover up his adultery (2 Samuel 11). There is no way to sanitize this story, and we should not try. David exemplifies the kind of wicked behavior that deserves God’s just punishment.

As we continue reading in 2 Samuel, then into 1–2 Kings, we will see the consequences of David’s sin and the hereditary nature of sin that infects the whole line of kings following after David, starting with Solomon. All of this points ahead to a descendant of David to come who, instead of continuing the pattern of sin, would live a life without sin, would die in the place of sinners as the perfect sacrifice, and would rise again in victorious glory, conquering sin once and for all and defeating the serpent Satan who introduced sin and death into the story of humanity.

• Sun      Apr 26 1 Sam. 15–17  Ps. 55
• Mon     Apr 27 1 Sam. 18–20  Ps. 56
• Tue      Apr 28 1 Sam. 21–23  Ps. 57
• Wed     Apr 29 1 Sam. 24–26  Ps. 58
• Thu      Apr 30 1 Sam. 27–28  Ps. 59
• Fri        May 1  1 Sam. 29–31  Ps. 60
• Sat       May 2  2 Sam. 1–3      Ps. 61

Our reading this week takes us to the end of 1 Samuel and into the first few chapters of 2 Samuel. Keeping in mind that 1–2 Samuel is probably best read as one continuous narrative, the story does shift from Saul’s kingship to David’s. David has already entered the picture, but a new era arises with Saul’s death in chapter 31 of 1 Samuel. Saul’s reign as king in Israel comes to an end, and the stage is set for David’s time as king.

God has chosen David to be Israel’s next king. Samuel carried out the Lord’s instructions to anoint the son of Jesse, even while Saul was still king (1 Samuel 16). However, it is not until the first part of 2 Samuel, after Saul and his sons die in battle, that David accedes to the throne. At first he reigns in Hebron over Judah (2 Sam 2:1–4). We will see him then unify all the tribes of Israel and reign over the unified nation in Jerusalem (5:1–10). From that point forward, Jerusalem would become the center of Israelite identity, the place where the king resides, where the ark of the Lord dwells, and where the temple will be built.

The books of 1–2 Samuel and 1–2 Kings tell the story of Israel’s history from the time of the judges through the long period of Israel and Judah’s life in the land under the rulership of various kings and dynasties. Samuel and Kings takes us all the way to the time when Israel and Judah are exiled from the Promised Land as punishment for their sin against the Lord. As we read through these, notice the prophets. The kings often get the attention, but prophets like Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Elisha also play key roles in the story. In many cases, they offer a contrasting perspective and a theological critique of the kings and the Israelite people. These prophets are sometimes called the speaking prophets, while the prophets who have biblical books named after them—like, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea—are referred to as the writing prophets. Later in the read thru, when we get to the books of the writing prophets, we will spend a bit more time considering the role of the prophets in OT Scriptures.

We have been reading a lot of narrative literature. In fact, narrative is the dominant type of writing in the Bible. As we are spending a few weeks in these historical narrative books of Samuel and Kings, this is a good time to think about the different types or genres of literature in the Bible. We read different kinds of literature differently.

We get this concept generally. A novel is not the same as a science book, and we need to read them with different lenses. We would be confused if we tried to read an instruction manual for a power tool as if it were a letter from a loved one. Different interpretive methods apply to different types of literature.

The same principle applies to biblical literature too. Scripture is made up of all kinds of writing. There is narrative, poetry, prophetic writing, law, discourse, letters, and more. Each of these different literary genres has different features and should be read with those features in mind. Later we will cover some basic principles for reading biblical poetry, but for now we will cover some of the key elements of the narratives of the Bible.

There are four basic things to look for when reading the stories of the Bible, whether in the OT or the NT: Setting, Characters, Plot, and Patterns. The goal here as we work through the read thru is not to get too bogged down studying these things, but it is helpful to be aware of these features and practice noticing them as we read.

Setting – This has to do with the place and time in which the events of the story take place. Ask the questions When did this happen? and Where did it happen? These details often seem insignificant, but if they are included in the story, the matter. You do not need to look up information on every city or town mentioned in the narrative, but do notice the place names or the types of places the author includes. Also notice the comments about time in the text. When the author says something about when the events happened or how much time passes, that means it is important and worth noticing.

Characters – There are many characters mentioned in 1–2 Samuel and throughout the Bible. Some are more significant than others, and they all play different roles. Pay attention to how each is portrayed. Do they change or develop? Are we supposed to think of their actions and words as good or bad? Do they occupy key roles or offices, and if so, are they functioning in those roles as they should be? One thing unique about the Bible is that, in one sense, God is always the main character in the story. Sometimes he is working in obvious ways and sometimes his activity is more subtle, behind the scenes. But he is always involved and working providentially to accomplish his purposes. Understanding the other characters and how they relate to God helps us know him and see what he wants us to see in Scripture.

Plot – Like all stories, the stories of the Bible typically have a discernable plotline. As events progress, some kind of conflict arises, a situation that presents a problem for the main character or characters. Tension builds until it reaches a climax, then the tension finds a resolution of some kind, at least temporarily. Often the resolution comes about by a work of God. This typical plot sequence is not always followed exactly, but it is helpful to keep the general idea of plot in mind as we read.

Patterns – Often the stories in Scripture are shaped in such a way that recalls other biblical stories. When you are reading and you notice something that sounds familiar or seems similar to something you have read before, pay attention to that. The biblical authors love these kinds of patterns, or echoes, and they are important to the message of the Bible. One of the benefits of cultivating the lifelong habit of regularly reading through the whole Bible is that the more we read it, the more we will notice these kinds of echoes naturally.

Keeping these principles in mind will make reading more enjoyable as we see the beautiful literary design of the Bible. It will also help us see more clearly the message the Lord has for us in his word. Again, the goal is not for everyone to become expert Bible scholars. Rather, we are simply taking seriously the notion that God has inspired the text of Scripture, and every detail that is in there is in there for a reason. When we practice noticing these details, we are better able to understand what God, through the human authors, is trying to communicate. Then we can apply it faithfully to our lives, for his glory and for our good.

• Sun      Apr 19 Judg. 16–18    Ps. 48
• Mon     Apr 20 Judg. 19–21    Ps. 49
• Tue      Apr 21 1 Sam. 1–2      Ps. 50
• Wed     Apr 22 1 Sam. 3–5      Ps. 51
• Thu      Apr 23 1 Sam. 6–8      Ps. 52
• Fri        Apr 24 1 Sam. 9–11    Ps. 53
• Sat       Apr 25 1 Sam. 12–14  Ps. 54

Things have gone from bad to worse to horrific in the book of Judges. It has been a difficult book to read; and yet, it is an important part of the canon of Scripture and God’s word to us. Its most important contribution to the message of the Bible may be in the negative image it portrays, which illuminates a positive, hopeful longing in contrast. What is missing in these dark stories is what we are left anticipating as the book comes to an end. With each cycle of Israel’s idolatry, oppression from their enemies, then God’s deliverance by the hand of a judge, it becomes clearer and clearer that something is wrong. When chapter 21 concludes and we are ready to turn the page, we are left with a strong perception that something, or someone, is missing. The last verse summarizes the problem, and hope, succinctly and poignantly:

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Jdg. 21:25; cf. 17:6; 18:1; 19:1)

Ultimately, the Lord God is king of all, and he is the one Israel is to worship and obey. Since Genesis, we have also seen a thread of expectation for a king God himself will establish, one who will reign in righteousness over God’s kingdom among his people and all the nations for his glory. This faithful king would carry out the Lord’s sovereign rule with the Torah as his guide (Gen 49:10–12; Num 24:7–9, 15–19; Deut. 17:14–20). The hope of a coming king parallels the hope for an offspring, or seed, from Eve’s lineage (Gen. 3:15), one who will come and crush the head of the serpent and reverse the curse of sin.

When we get to the books of Samuel, right after Judges, we will see these two strands of hope come together in God’s promise to David. A king would come from David’s family line, from the tribe of Judah. David’s seed will be the one to reign on God’s throne forever. From our vantage point, and with the NT as our guide, we know this messianic promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Here in Judges, however, that king has not yet come. The sin and chaos of Judges increases the sense of anticipation for God’s promises to be fulfilled and for his king to reign. The need for God’s messianic king will become increasingly clear as we continue reading through the OT.

1 Samuel comes next in the reading plan. You might notice that we skipped Ruth, which is right after Judges in our English Bibles. This is the first time in this year’s reading where we see a variation between the English Bible order and the Hebrew Bible order, which is what we are following in the read thru, more or less. Ruth comes much later in the Hebrew canon (the Tanak), following after Proverbs in the third section, the Writings. (The Torah and the Prophets are the first two sections of the three-part Canon of the Hebrew Bible.) We will say more about the different canonical orders later, but for now just notice how the story moves quite seamlessly from the end of Judges to the beginning of 1 Samuel.

The situation in Israel is basically the same at the beginning of 1 Samuel as it was at the end of Judges. There is still no king in Israel and it appears everyone is still doing what is right in their own eyes. Things are not going well. There are priests at Shiloh, but they are corrupt and they dishonor God and violate his instructions in their role as priests. The first part of the book focuses on the young boy Samuel after whom the book is named. He will become a prophet and leader among God’s people, one the Lord raises up to fill the void of faithful leadership left by Eli and his sons. Samuel will also be the one responsible for anointing God’s chosen king.

The two books of 1 and 2 Samuel in our Bibles are probably best read as one. They tell one continuous narrative and they were likely separated at some point in history simply because they would have been too long to fit together on one scroll. With this in mind, the poems in 1 Samuel 2 and 2 Samuel 22–23 function as a sort of frame around the whole book of 1-2 Samuel. After you read through Hannah’s song in 1 Sam 2:1–10, take a few minutes to flip ahead and read David’s songs in 2 Sam 22:1–23:7. As is often the case with poems in the Bible, these poetic chapters at the beginning and end of 1-2 Samuel frame the book with a theological perspective. In this way, they help us understand what is truly going on in the stories about David and the period of monarchy in Israel’s early history as a nation.

• Sun      Apr 12 2 Pet. 1–3       
• Mon     Apr 13 Judg. 1–2        Ps. 42
• Tue      Apr 14 Judg. 3–5        Ps. 43
• Wed     Apr 15 Judg. 6–7        Ps. 44
• Thu      Apr 16 Judg. 8–9        Ps. 45
• Fri        Apr 17 Judg. 10–12    Ps. 46
• Sat       Apr 18 Judg. 13–15    Ps. 47

In the midst of our reading in the OT, we take one day to read a short NT epistle, 2 Peter. We preached through 1 Peter at church last year, and this second of Peter’s letters builds on some of the themes from his first letter.

Peter identifies himself a little differently in 2 Peter, in this case spelling his name in a way matches its Hebrew pronunciation. Maybe this was to identify his Jewish identity more clearly, along with his identity as “a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. 1:1) The audience he is addressing has a faith and standing that is equal to Peter’s, for it is “by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (1:2) Peter is addressing all Christians, including us today, who are saved by God’s grace through faith in the justifying work of Christ.

It appears Peter’s purpose for writing this second letter was to remind them of their identity in Christ in order to protect them against false teachers and to bolster their faith in anticipation of Christ’s return. He was anticipating his own death (1:14), and he wants to do whatever he can to leave them with these important reminders for when he is gone.

Notice the different references to false teaching, and take to heart these warnings and the encouragement to remember what God has graciously given us:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Pet. 1:3–4)

And in light of this glorious truth, Peter also urges his readers, including us today, to make every effort to keep growing.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love (2 Pet. 1:5–7).

By doing this we will confirm our calling and election, and we will be sure of our place in the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 1:10–11).

After reading 2 Peter, we resume our time working through the books of the OT. Judges is next. It does not take long for things to change dramatically after the book of Joshua ends and we turn the page to Judges. Following Joshua’s death, the pockets of Canaanites that remained in the Land become a major problem, and soon the people fall into idolatry and start to experience defeat and oppression as a result. Judges is a book of sin and chaos. The situation deteriorates rapidly as the narrative unfolds. If Joshua was a story of victory, Judges is a story of great downfall.

As is the case in many of the books of the Bible, the early parts of Judges include summary comments that serve as helpful interpretive guides for the rest of the book. One such section is found in Judges 2:11–23. This summarizes the situation after Joshua’s death and sets the stage for what will follow.

Another passage that previews the rest of the book can be found in chapter 3. Throughout Judges, a similar sequence of events repeats several times. This narrative pattern of sin, defeat, and deliverance continues through the book as the situation in Israel declines in a downward spiral. This cyclical pattern occurs for the first time in Judges 3:7–11, and the elements of the pattern can be summarized as follows:

1. Israel does evil in the eyes of Yahweh. (2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1)
2. Sin results in God’s anger and oppression by a foreign nation. (2:14; 3:8; 4:2; 10:9)
3. During oppression, Israel cries out to Yahweh. (3:9, 15; 6:6-7; 10:10)
4. Yahweh hears their cry and raises up a judge to deliver them. (2:16; 3:9, 15; 10:1, 12)
5. Deliverance is often followed by peace, then death of the judge (3:10-11; 8:28-32; 10:2-5; 12:9-15)

There are variations to the pattern each time it occurs, but the repetition is evident and it meaningfully informs the book’s overall message. Notice this as you read and observe how the situation in Israel goes from bad to worse to horrific by the end of the book. And all of this serves a purpose. As we read, it makes us long for God’s justice and righteousness, and it leaves us looking for a king to bring this about.

Judges stirs up a longing for a good king and for the Lord’s kingdom to come, and this anticipatory theme of kingship will become more prominent as we continue through the OT. We see these themes of a king and kingship as we resume our reading in the Psalms as well. Some psalms, like Psalm 2, highlight the anointed, messianic king the Lord will establish. Other psalms highlight the reign of the Lord, Yahweh, as king. In our reading this week, Psalm 47 extolls the Lord Most High as the great king over all the earth (Ps. 47:2).

God has gone up with a shout,

          the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises!

          Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

For God is the King of all the earth;

          sing praises with a psalm!

God reigns over the nations;

          God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather

          as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

          he is highly exalted! (Ps. 47:5–9)

• Sun      Apr 5   Josh. 1–4
• Mon     Apr 6   Josh. 5–7
• Tue      Apr 7   Josh. 8–10
• Wed     Apr 8   Josh. 11–14
• Thu      Apr 9   Josh. 15–18
• Fri        Apr 10 Josh. 19–21
• Sat       Apr 11 Josh. 22–24

The book of Joshua begins with the Israelites preparing to enter the promised land. The last book of the Pentateuch, Deuteronomy, ended with Moses dying and the Israelites poised to cross into the land God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants. Joshua is Moses’s successor, and he is now tasked with leading the people. God instructs Joshua to pay attention to the law (Josh. 1:8). The word translated “law” here is Torah, and it has a broader meaning than what we think of as law—more like teaching or instruction. This is important because what God is telling Joshua to meditate on is not just the commandments given to Israel at Mt. Sinai, but the whole of the Pentateuch, the whole Torah; and the Torah is mostly narrative—the story of God, the world he created, and the people he loved and redeemed from slavery.

The exhortation to read and meditate on the Torah links the beginning of Joshua back to the end of Deuteronomy (Deut. 32:44–47). This connection forms a sort of literary seam that ties the end of the Pentateuch together with the narrative of Israel’s subsequent history, and this history goes from Joshua through 1–2 Kings. The same emphasis on Torah meditation occurs at the beginning of Psalms as well (Ps. 1:1–1). God’s people were to love him and walk with him throughout their time in the promised land, and the way they were to do that was to read his Torah and meditate on it day and night, and then to live in light of the Torah in order to enjoy a fruitful life with God in the land.

The same applies to us too. This is why we are doing this read thru. We too have been given God’s word, and we too have the great privilege and responsibility to seek the Lord through Scripture. The difference for us is that we are reading the Bible as new covenant Christians. We have the full canon of Scripture. We have the rest of the story, which shows how Christ fulfills all that the Old Testament anticipated. He achieved the righteousness of God that we could never reach by keeping the laws of the Old Covenant.

As we read both the Old and New Testaments we come to understand and appreciate more fully what Christ accomplished. As Christians we read Scripture from the vantage point of the New Covenant, with new, circumcised hearts and with the Holy Spirit to guide us. And we read it with a joyful gratitude for what has been fulfilled completely and perfectly in Christ.

With a few exceptions, the book of Joshua reads like a story of massive success. God’s promises are coming to fruition as the people of Israel move through the promised pand with rapid pace, winning battle after battle and wiping out city after city and king after king. As we read of the land’s allotment to the tribes of Israel, we are meant to see this as a prosperous time in the history of God’s people. Indeed, it is probably the most positive book in the whole OT, from the perspective of Israel and their political and military success in the Land. Overall, the book presents an overwhelmingly victorious picture.

There are, however, a few things that mitigate this positive perspective. The first of these is Achan’s sin and the resulting consequences in chapter 7. Achan takes some of the forbidden spoils of Jericho for himself, and Israel suffers a surprising defeat in their first attack of Ai. Then, in chapter 9, Joshua and the Israelite leaders fail to seek the Lord’s guidance and are duped by the guile of the Gibeonites. In the second half of the book, the narrator mentions a few times that Canaanites remain in the land (Josh. 13:13; 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-13). The Israelites had not removed them entirely, and this hints at what will come next in the book of Judges.

In addition to these details, what can be most troubling about the book of Joshua, at least for us as readers today, is the conquest itself. How do we make sense of the violence? What are we to think of the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, killing all the Canaanites in their path? Perhaps most difficult of all is the idea that this is what God commanded. This can be one of the most challenging parts of the Bible to read, and the most difficult to make sense of in light of what we know about God’s loving character. As disorienting as this can be to our thinking, we can trust that the Lord is good and that somehow the narrative of the conquest in Joshua reveals something true and right about God and his ways in the world.

Here are a few principles to keep in mind as we read Joshua (and other similar parts of the OT):

• The instructions God gives to annihilate other nations and people are limited and apply only to the promised land (Deut 7:1; 20:10–18).
• These commands and this kind of conquest are unique in world history. As Bonhoeffer said, “Israel’s wars were the only ‘holy’ wars the world has ever known.” (Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship, p 138)
• The inhabitants of the land were wicked, violent people (Lev. 18:25–28; Deut. 9:5; 12:31; cf Gen. 15:16). One commentator (on Gen 15:16) sees the conquest under Joshua “as an act of justice rather than aggression.” (Hamilton, The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1–17, p 428) Another commentator says that, like the flood, the conquest can be considered “a form of counterviolence” on God’s part. (McConville and Williams, Joshua, p 112)
• The purpose of destruction was to punish sin and prevent idolatry from infiltrating God’s people (Exod. 20:3–4; 23:24; Lev. 18:1–5, 24–30; Deut. 7:1–5, 16; Josh. 24:14–23).
• Violence is a result of the fall. This includes the violence of the conquest and the violence of the final judgement. Violence has always been a part of humanity since sin entered the picture (Genesis 4, 6). God’s command to commit violence could be seen as a concession that is only necessary because of the violence of the world with sin in it. But it is a necessary means to eradicate sin.
• God’s plan involves future judgement that will take the form of (extreme) violence (e.g. Rev 19:11–14, 20–21).
• God is ultimately the one conquering the land, using Joshua and Israel as his instruments (Deut. 7:17–24; 20:1–5; Josh. 1:6, 9; 6:2; 8:1; 10:8; 11:6). God is the one giving them victory. This is a picture of his final justice (see Revelation).
• There are (dramatic) exceptions to the conquest of Canaan—evidence of God’s grace that play a major role in the story. (e.g. Rahab)
• We should not pit the peaceful, crucified Lamb against the mighty Warrior on the White horse (Rev. 19:11–16).
• God’s ultimate plan is a plan of peace. God’s eternal kingdom will be a kingdom of peace, where swords are beaten into plowshares (Isa. 2:4).

The book of Joshua ends with Joshua giving a charge to the people that is reminiscent of Moses’s words to Israel before he died. Joshua reminds them that God has been completely faithful to his promises, and he will continue to prove himself faithful. If the Israelites are faithful to the Lord, he will give them success and prosperity in the land; but if they disobey his commands, transgress his covenant, and go after other gods, they will suffer the consequences and eventually be removed from the land of God’s promises (Josh. 23:14-16).

Joshua urges the Israelites to choose who they will serve, the Lord or the false gods of Canaan (24:14–15). The people assure him they will serve the Lord (24:16–18). However, Joshua says, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” (24:19–20)

The book ends with a covenant renewal ceremony then the death of Joshua, and the stage is set for the book of Judges and for the rest of the story of Israel in the promised land. Next week we will continue into Judges and quickly see how things take a turn for the worse.