The Small Branch

  Read Joshua 24 Who? Joshua and the people of Israel What? Joshua’s final address to the people Where? Shechem - where they later buried Joseph’s bones and where Jacob had originally purchased land, building an altar, El-Elohe-Israel (God, the God of Israel); Note that this is in the hill country of Ephraim who was Joseph’s son.  Joseph was the oldest son of Jacob’s favorite wife and he received the birthright of the oldest, the double portion. When? At the end of Joshua’s life, after they have been in the land for a while Why? Joshua is already seeing disturbing trends among the people, including much idolatry (see 24:23) and needs to remind them and encourage them concerning the covenant God made with them once again. How? Joshua gathered the people, especially the leaders, and addressed them all The final chapter of Joshua gives us the last words of Joshua, himself.  He reminds the people of all the things that God has done for them, starting in Ur of the Chaldeans with T

  Read Joshua 23 Who? Joshua and the people of Israel What? Joshua’s farewell address Where? Most likely at Shiloh, where the tabernacle is set up When? Some scholars say 10-20 years after the apportionment of the land Why? Joshua is advanced in years (110 years old - see 24:29) and needs to address the people one last time, just as Moses did, to remind them of the covenant and their responsibility and God’s faithfulness in keeping His Word How? “Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, their heads, their judges, and their officers,” (23:2a) so that he could address the leaders in particular and all Israel in general. The Promised Land has not been totally conquered, but the people of Israel are settling into their allotted portions of the land and finishing the total occupation of it.  God’s promise is fulfilled.  Joshua calls the people together one final time to encourage, challenge, and remind them.  He is a leader who is always pointing the people to his leader,

  We are back to Joshua for the next three weeks, and then we will move into the book of Judges, beginning with the January 24th meetings.   If you know of any women who are looking for a good time to join us, that would be a good week to tell them about.   Read Joshua 22 Who? Joshua, Phinehas, the elders of Israel, and the people of Israel, especially the eastern tribes (Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh - Josephus says there are about 50,000 warriors from these tribes here) What? The eastern tribes are released to go home and build and altar on their way Where? Shiloh and as they cross the Jordan from the land of Canaan to the land of Gilead When? After the land has been allotted and mostly conquered Why? The eastern tribes have fulfilled their obligation to their brothers and can now return home to their own portion of the land.  The eastern tribes build a monument to remind them all that they are unified under God.  The monument is misunderstood at first by the western tri