A Time of Warfare

It is amazing to me the changes the Israelites went through in a short period of time.  It is estimated that they began their exodus from Egypt in 1446 B.C. headed toward Mount Sinai.  We don't know exactly how long it took them to get to Kadesh Barnea, where the first spies were sent out to survey the land and its inhabitants.  We know that only Caleb and Joshua brought back God's report while the others gave reports that caused the people's hearts to "melt with fear."  Caleb says in Joshua 14, beginning at verse 6, that he went as a spy when he was 40 years old, returned with his report to Moses when he was 45 years old and that at the time he was to inhabit "his promised land" he was 85 years old. So doing the math shows that the 40 years only covers the space of time that they wandered in the wildnerness and not the length of their jouney prior to reaching Kadesh Barnes when the first survey was done.

We also read in Joshua about the circumcision of the males eight days old and older (which had not been a top priority while being nomadic), Rahab and the fall of Jericho, Israel's learning a lesson again through the mistakes of Achan, the deception of the Gibeonites, battle after battle, the sun standing still, and the doling out of the land.  There's just too much to write about in these chapters.

Joshua 10:6-11 relates that God didn't rain down large hailstones...He HURLED down large hailstones.  How would you like being stoned to death with one of these.  The item on the left is a huge hailstone and the object on the right is an egg.


We also read Joshua's prayer of "O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon, and the ensuing miracle of the day time stood still.  Also mentioned in the following verse is the reference to, “the book of Jashar”.  In my search to read or find a copy of The book of Jashar, I found that there is a copy that has been circulated but that it was found to be a counterfeit.   Most Bible scholars believe the book of Jashar no longer exists. The "book of Jashar," translates two Hebrew words that signify “book of the upright” or “book of the righteous one." The Syriac translation of the text in Joshua calls it the “book of praises,” or “book of hymns."  Apparently it was an ancient Hebrew hymnbook containing nationalistic songs.  The references in the books of Joshua and 2 Samuel would suggest that this collection of songs were compositions designed to celebrate great battles and notable characters in Israel’s illustrative history, as the nation prepared for the coming of the Messiah. 

One more thing I'd like to point out is the Bible's repeated reference to Balaam, son of Beor.  We read a lot about him in Numbers chapters 21 through 25,  and being killed in Numbers 31.  Did you notice that he was mentioned again in Joshua 13:22 and Joshua 24:10?   I decided to see if there were any other references to his name and found some in Jude 1:11 and Revelation 2:14, 17. In Job 3:8 and other verses, there is an indirect reference to him pertaining to persons who practice divinations and issuing curses.  Remember, he was the one who in Numbers 22:17 said, "I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God".   Hmmmm, sounds like Balaam was  very confused.

Well thanks for reading (if anyone is lol)

Bon Apetit