Sunday, July 3rd, 2016
The book of Joshua records the culmination of Israel’s journey to the Promised Land. Here we see God fulfill His promise to give the land of Canaan to Jacob’s descendants. Joshua portrays the Lord as their general, the One who would lead His people in victorious battle if they would trust and obey.
God is the ultimate promise-keeper. As faithful and present as He was with Israel, so He is with us. “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
As you read and study together, make sure to work hard at hearing from everyone that has gathered together. Pray for one another and be accountable to applying the word of God to your lives.
Questions for this week:
- The story of the Gospel is God’s constant efforts to reach out to people and reveal Himself as their salvation. How do you see this in the story of Jericho? Why do you think God commanded them to walk around the city each day for 7 days?
- What are things you have placed walls around in your life that you are currently not letting God enter in? Why do you think we do that? What are the benefits/detriments to this kind of internal behavior?
- Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-4. How did Christ’s redemptive work on the cross shift how we view our enemies? What are some examples from your life where you have allowed yourself to make the battle be against flesh and blood and have forgotten that our battle is spiritual?
- Numbers are present throughout the bible, and God is often very specific with the instructions he gives in regards to numbers. What do you think the significance is of the number 7 in this passage (7 priests, 7 trumpets, 7 days, 7 laps around the city)?
- As was promised, Rahab was spared from the fate came upon the rest of the city because of her faithful response to the spies that Joshua had sent into the city. What does Joshua’s faithfulness to spare Rahab and her family’s lives show us about the faithfulness of God?
- The chapter ends by saying that the Lord was with Joshua and that his fame spread throughout the land; what do you think were people saying about who Joshua was and who the Lord was?