Welcome to the One Great Story!. George B. Thompson
finish this sentence: “At this point in my life, I have given my heart to ___________.” Why this?
This recital is tightly delivered, beginning with a mention of Abraham’s father, Terah, and moves quickly to Abraham’s own journey. Abraham’s “legitimate” son Isaac is mentioned, along with Isaac’s twins, Jacob and Esau. Jacob’s eventual settling in Egypt is mentioned, as are Moses and Aaron. The escape from Egypt, the Red Sea rescue, the years of wilderness wanderings, successful battles—including Jericho—also are included. In this condensed version of The Story, in the English translation, the LORD speaks in first person about eighteen times in twelve verses (Josh 24:2–13). God’s part of Joshua’s speech ends with a reminder that the Israelites did not achieve victory or gain their land by their own power. They now had the land, its towns, and its bounteous harvests, simply and only because God had provided them (Josh 24:13).
Yet the speech did not end there: it immediately shifted, to a “therefore” clause in the line of thought. Joshua threw down a gauntlet before The People: follow the LORD only. Get rid of those other gods—whether the ones that came from Terah’s homeland, or the ones that they found in Egypt, or the ones that already were in the Land before the people took it over (Josh 24:14–15). The point is clear: for Joshua, there was only one god whose actions on The People’s behalf warranted their loyalty and complete commitment. He and his clan would throw in their lot with the LORD.
In response to Joshua’s call for a decision, the people also said “yes” to the LORD. They acknowledged what this God had done for them, and they declared their loyalty as well (Josh 24:16–18). Two more times, Joshua pressed the people about this decision, and twice more they pledge their allegiance: “The LORD our God we will serve, and [this god] we will obey” (Josh 24:24). At that point, Joshua wrote it all down and moved a big stone to mark the location of their affirmation. The renewal ceremony was concluded, and all the people returned to their allotted lands (Josh 24:25–28). Then Joshua died and was buried; from there, the storyteller noted that the people remained loyal to the LORD throughout the lifetimes of those elders who had served with Joshua (Josh 24:31). Once more, a major chapter comes to a close.
Two more times, Joshua pressed the people, and both times they pledged to serve the LORD.
When “Over” is Not Over
Yet The Story does not end here, and it certainly does not contain the words “and they lived happily ever after.” The Israelites were faced with developing many aspects of their community, as they began to live into their calling; numerous passages in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy signify the ways in which social, economic, judicial, and international dimensions were infused with the religious foundation of their existence. This people belonged to the LORD God—no other—and was expected to live that way. As with previous periods of their existence, the Israelites quickly discovered that life in the Promised Land also was a time of transition itself, another shift in their life and charge. One key element of that shift was the absence, shall we say, of a single human position of authority that was recognized by all the tribes. Once they all had settled in, there was no Jacob, or Joseph, or Moses, or Joshua to speak for God or lead the people through crisis.
What could provide the people of Promise with the confidence and security that they needed? How well would they remember The Story of how they became who they were, and of their purpose? What would happen to this People? Answers to these questions are not simple, and they lead us into the next part of the journey that comprises The Story.
For the Reader
1.Moses became a leader in great crisis for the Israelites. Why, then, might the early storytellers have included episodes that reveal a reluctant, and sometimes angry, Moses?
2.Read Exod 21:1–17, the “ten words” that God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Which one is the easiest for you to understand? The most difficult? How do you think those earliest Israelites thought about these “words” as a way of life?
3.Whom do you find it easiest to trust? Hardest? Why? Why do you suppose the Israelites during exodus, wilderness, and entrance into the land found it so hard to trust in the LORD?
4.Do you think that the presence of military activity in the Bible constitutes a blanket justification of war? How would you explain your answer?
Suggested Activities
•Jot down a list of groups of people you can name, from history or today’s headlines, who were or are being used by others for their benefit. How might such peoples interpret Pharaoh’s enslavement of the Hebrews?
•Find an edition of the Bible that includes a map showing the possible route of the Israelites through the desert and eventually into the land. There was a much shorter way to get there! What is there about this part of The Story that might explain why their route became so circuitous?
•Ask a friend what she or he knows about these stories with Moses, Pharaoh, the Exodus, wilderness, and entering the Promised Land. What impressions do they have about the value of these stories?
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