Author: Norm

SCRIPTURE: Colossians 1:1-14 OBSERVATION: Paul is a missionary (the literal meaning of ‘apostle’, a sent one), and though he did not work among the Colossians, he is so inspired by what he hears happening among them that he writes this letter of encouragement. This section relays Paul’s joy and gratitude for their faith and love and…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 13:15-33 OBSERVATION: The passage continues to describe who inherited what. And again we are reminded that the Levites did not inherit any land (Numbers 18:23-24). They were a set part people among the set apart nation, to remind them that they all belonged to God because He rescued them from judgment (see Numbers 3:11-13). Their special…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 13:1-14 OBSERVATION: Much has been accomplished, but the work remains incomplete. We see in v.13 that by the time this was written, there was still work to be done. And because we have the Book of Judges, we know that ultimately they will not finish what they started, and they will suffer for it…

OBSERVATION: This is not very interesting reading, but it does have a purpose. It is a checklist for answered prayer (God help us), as well as for fulfilled promises (see Joshua 1:3-5). We also recall that for most of their journey into the land, it was hard, dangerous work (it was not just Canaanites who died…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 11:16-23 OBSERVATION: I was totally taken aback by the words “not one city made a treaty of peace”. Was this an option for them? “The Lord Himself hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel”. OK, this takes some prayer. I don’t think this implies that their hearts were soft before He hardened them,…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 11:1-15 OBSERVATION: Why hamstring the horses and burn the chariots? It would be the equivalent of destroying the guns and the ammunition of the enemy. This was God’s ways of saying, don’t trust in their weapons, trust in Me! Not sure if hamstringing the horses made them suffer, or just useless for battle (if…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 10:29-43 OBSERVATION: What a lot of killing and death. It is important to remember that God did not design death as a part of His perfect world, it is the result of our sin and rebellion. Death is inevitable. God did not intend death for this world, but He does control it for His…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 10:16-28 OBSERVATION: The Bible often stresses the role of leadership in the rise and/or fall of the people or nation. God has ordained leadership to manage this twisted, sinful world, but unfortunately the leaders themselves are often twisted and sinful (Romans 13:1-7). What happened to these kings was not a unique or new thing, they…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 10:1-15 OBSERVATION: Two major issues arise from this reading: the killing of Canaan’s people in the Name of the Lord, and the sun standing still in the sky. I will deal with the killing in Joshua 10:29-43 (Feb 13). So did the sun stand still in the sky? Technically it would be the earth that…

SCRIPTURE: Joshua 9:16-27 OBSERVATION: This passage reveals how seriously they took their word. They made this peace treaty with a binding oath (v.15), which likely included a curse from God if broken (“May our God break His vow to us, if we break our vow to you”, or something like that). There are consequences for the…