Read or hear the story from Joshua 13:1-7

Joshua's lifework was to take the Promised Land and settle the people of Israel there. The Bible records three key moments in Joshua's vocational call:

In his youth...
The first sign of Joshua's call comes in the book of Numbers (13:1-16) where we first meet him. On orders from the Lord, Moses sent a young man named Hoshea son of Nun from the Israelite's desert camp into Canaan "to spy out the land." Moses changed his name to Joshua, which alerts us to the special character of this young man.

In his prime...
The Lord's direct call to Joshua opens the book of Joshua. The Lord says, Arise! Cross! "You shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them."

In his old age...
Now, many years later when Joshua is very old, Israel's Divine Project Manager:
evaluates Joshua's performance --
        Much of the land still remains to be possessed...
identifies unfinished business --
        This is the land that still remains...
explains how it will be accomplished --
        I myself will drive them out...
assigns Joshua a task --
        Allot the land...divide this land...

This sets the agenda for the second half of the book of Joshua.

Imagine you are at the end of your life...
        standing with God...
                looking together back at your life...

What would you like to be able to say to God about your life?
How might you change your life now in light of this imagined conversation?

For a biblical example of how such a conversation might go, read the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21.

Take one:
	It looks like Israel just creamed everybody and took it, lickety-split, no problemo. This is called the "conquest" model (read Joshua and the Promised Land, pg. 22-23) From the perspective of a people seeking religious reform or living in Exile -- early audiences of the book of Joshua -- this take on how Israel got the land brought conviction, determination, courage and hope. Remember Jericho!
Take two:
	But Take One doesn't tell the whole story. The Divine Project Manager's (Lord's) assessment that "very much of the land still remains to be possessed" raises a question about the conquest model. If you look at the evidence, it seems more historically probable that Israel got the land through a slow and incomplete, but very significant, overthrow of oppressive kings by an alliance of:         1. indigenous people seeking justice                 (poor people already living in the land)         2. refugees seeking a homeland                 (children of those enslaved by Egypt) This is called the "peasant rebellion" model (read Joshua and the Promised Land, pg. 27-30). In American folk culture, "This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land" expresses a similar sentiment. Remember Rahab!

For notes on the discussion of how Israel took the land, visit this discussion outline from Brandeis University (note*).

Verse 2: All the regions of the Philistines...

Philistines refers to the non-indigenous population: "sea people" who entered Canaan from the Great Sea, built cities and established armies, used resources to benefit the rich, not caring for the poor and vulnerable.

Visit websites about the Philistines:

• Philistine and Biblical History (note*)
• Outline for Discussion of the Origin of the Sea People from Brandeis University (note*)

Verse 3: There are five rulers of the Philistines...

Rulers means "tyrants." Kings of ancient city-states usually exerted leadership that was opressive, cruel, and self-serving.

Jesus also talked about enemy rulers as tyrants, in contrast to the kind of servant leadership he expected from his followers:

You know that among the Gentiles [Greeks and Romans], those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you... (Mark 10:42-43).

Have you ever felt oppressed, subjected to tyranny? When? Who or what "lorded it over" you?
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Verse 4: All the land of the Canaanites...
        Who were these people living in the Promised Land???

Canaanites refers to the dominant population of the geographical area in which the Israelites settled. Their culture was competitive with that of Israel. They worshipped many gods, but their chief god was Baal.

The Canaanites and their Contributions is a website that tells more about the Canaanites. (When you get to this webpage, scroll down past the Historical Overview of the Late Bronze Age section to reach the Canaanite section.) (note*)

Have you ever experienced yourself as being an enemy to someone? Why? How does that feel?
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