#047 My annual Bible reading begins with Genesis and ends in Revelation every year. Every year I’d get to the end of Esther and ponder how to reconcile what I’d read in the Pentateuch versus what I’d read from Joshua to Esther. These two groupings didn’t seem to go together. Not until just this year, doing this podcast, did I realize the disconnect I’d been seeing.
To understand the conquest of the promised land and Israel's great failures it is important to see their purpose in the world as established by God from the beginning. On this episode, DrZ starts at the beginning of Genesis and points out major storyline elements that continue to the end of the Bible. These story elements run straight through the conquest of Israel and highlight their downfall.
In a nutshell, the reason you don’t see much of what’s commanded in the Pentateuch being followed from Joshua to Esther is because the commands weren’t being followed. That’s the reason God disbursed the northern kingdom throughout the Assyrian empire and took a remnant of the people of Judah into Babylonian captivity. Now I can more fully appreciate the long suffering, grace, and mercy of God.
If you can remember anything, let it be God's words to Cain before he kills his brother Abel, and God's words to King Saul after God acknowledged his regret that he had ever made Saul king. The passage for Cain is Genesis 4:6-7 - The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” The passage for Saul is 1 Samuel 15:22-23 - Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king.” [TakeAway – Do What is Right by Listening and Obey.]
Soon after entering the promised land on conquest Israel began to experience mission failure. By the time you get to Judges (just the second book in), the people had cast God and his covenant to the wind as there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. If you want to know what was up with Israel after entering the promised land and why God finally had enough, this is a must listen episode.
Thank you to all the loyal listeners who encourage me in my faith each and every podcast as I prepare, record, edit, and release the episodes. Next stop after A Walk on the Beach with DrZ (Episode #048) we’ll be doing a mini-series on the Wisdom Literature (Job to Song of Songs).
Grace and Peace to you... DrZ
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