If you knew nothing about the story of God and you read the Bible cover to cover for the first time, you would expect Israel’s entry into the Promised Land to be a time of victory and celebration. Instead, in many ways, when Israel enters the Promised Land, God’s people enter the Biblical dark ages. The sinful nature of humankind still ripples out from the Bible’s first pages, tainting this moment that we’ve waited to witness for generations.
Not even Moses, Israel’s great leader, is able to overcome the effects of sin. In his last act, he ascends Mount Nebo to catch a glimpse of the land that Israel wandered toward for forty years in the wilderness. Joshua takes the mantle and leads the people across the Jordan with another miraculous water crossing. The fight for the Promised Land begins.
The book of Joshua takes us through the defeat of 31 city states but much is still unsettled for the brand new nation of Israel. After Joshua, the leadership of God’s people is tribal. Large threats require a leader (or Judge) to rise up and rally the people. Judges tells us the intriguing tales of these leaders who saved Israel even as the nation spiraled toward moral failure. We see what happens when everyone does what is right in their own eyes and it is not encouraging. Yet, we also see that God can work salvation in even the darkest moments.
The Book of Ruth, a Judges story, ends this section of Israel’s history on a high note. Her faithfulness to Naomi leads her to become engrafted into Israel. And not just Israel, but the very line that will lead to King David and King Jesus.
Follow us in this series:
Week 1: Promised Land (September 15, 2024)
Week 2: Joshua (September 22, 2024)
Week 3: Judges
Week 4: Ruth