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Tuesday, 22 October 2019

Was Joshua paying attention to God?


Joshua. I haven't got my peace about all that killing. One commentator suggests that the towns may have been infested with a terrible, incurable disease. And of course there were other gods to be gotten rid of. Though it is said there were still some left - somehow.

Well I have just come to the sentence, “And the land rested from war” (Josh. 11:23 And the...). 
The towns of Canaan have been burned down after the inhabitants were killed. “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions” (Josh. 11:23 to first .).

How puzzling. It made me think that Joshua took up the idea of taking over Canaan for a homeland for the Israelites, but didn't listen quietly as to how to do it. I have found that when I get an idea  from Mind for some action, there is a second part to the demonstration. I have to ask and listen for the modus operandi of how to do it, not go off “half-cocked,” so to speak.

This morning (Sunday 20th October), I was reading the article Lessons in True Compassion in the October 2019 Christian Science Journal. Speaking of the Children of Israel and their Exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land, the writer (Gabriela Mejia) says she found it surprising and comforting that God never left their side. She says, “Time after time, despite all the doubts and complaints from the Israelites, God demonstrated His great patience and love by providing for them and protecting them from harm.”

Hey! Where is the Golden Rule here. The Israelites had been freed from slavery in Egypt where they really had a pretty good life, and they go and savagely kill and burn whole towns and villages.

No compassion there.

Joyce Voysey

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