Joshua 2
Joshua, like Moses before him sends people to scout out the land and see what the state of the land is and how the people are preparing for the expected invasion of the Israelites. In particular the city of Jericho is the first major city that Israel will encounter.
The 2 spies hang out in the house of Rahab who is a prostitute. It is far too cheap to make a comment like "typical James Bond types hiding in a brothel." So I won't.
Rahab hides the spies on the roof under some flax that is drying so that they (and she) do not get discovered by the city watch.
The people have been living in fear for 40 years, ever since the tale of the crossing of the red sea reached them, and more recently how the kings opposing Israel were defeated, and in exchange for helping the spies her life, and that of her family will be spared when Israel conquer the city.
The spies agree, but only if they are actually inside the house.
Joshua 3
Just as in the time of Moses, the Israelites have to cross a body of water, in this case it is the river Jordan, which is in full flood when they decide to cross. I live in Wharedale in Yorkshire in the UK and the river Wharfe is supposed to be the fastest rising and falling river in the country. I don't know about that, but I do know that there are a few sets of stepping stones across the river and even when the river is not too high they are a little bit worrying, when the river is in full flood it is best to find a safe bridge!
The priests will carry the Ark of the covenant to the banks of the river and then start to move across. The whole nation will follow them.
As the priests enter the river the flow suddenly stops and the river dries up. Upstream at a place called Adam the water just piled up.
I'm told that at Adam the river runs through a gulley and the banks are quite unstable, and every so often the banks collapse and form a natural dam across the river, so it is just a natural event, no divine intervention required thank you very much. Science 1 - religion 0.
I would point out that the sceptics may well have a point and the river drying up could be a natural event, but there is the issue of timing and the effect this would have had on the local, already scared cities in the region. You can explain scientifically, but don't rule out that God, who wrote the laws of nature, cannot take advantage of them.
Joshua 4
Once the entire Israelite nation has crossed the Jordan (probably over 600,000 people based on the census data in Numbers) Joshua arranges for 1 person from each tribe to pick up a large stone from the bed of the river to form a memorial cairn.
The priest are then invited to come up out of the river and as they do so the flow of the river resumes.
Joshua, like Moses before him sends people to scout out the land and see what the state of the land is and how the people are preparing for the expected invasion of the Israelites. In particular the city of Jericho is the first major city that Israel will encounter.
The 2 spies hang out in the house of Rahab who is a prostitute. It is far too cheap to make a comment like "typical James Bond types hiding in a brothel." So I won't.
Rahab hides the spies on the roof under some flax that is drying so that they (and she) do not get discovered by the city watch.
The people have been living in fear for 40 years, ever since the tale of the crossing of the red sea reached them, and more recently how the kings opposing Israel were defeated, and in exchange for helping the spies her life, and that of her family will be spared when Israel conquer the city.
The spies agree, but only if they are actually inside the house.
Joshua 3
Just as in the time of Moses, the Israelites have to cross a body of water, in this case it is the river Jordan, which is in full flood when they decide to cross. I live in Wharedale in Yorkshire in the UK and the river Wharfe is supposed to be the fastest rising and falling river in the country. I don't know about that, but I do know that there are a few sets of stepping stones across the river and even when the river is not too high they are a little bit worrying, when the river is in full flood it is best to find a safe bridge!
The priests will carry the Ark of the covenant to the banks of the river and then start to move across. The whole nation will follow them.
As the priests enter the river the flow suddenly stops and the river dries up. Upstream at a place called Adam the water just piled up.
I'm told that at Adam the river runs through a gulley and the banks are quite unstable, and every so often the banks collapse and form a natural dam across the river, so it is just a natural event, no divine intervention required thank you very much. Science 1 - religion 0.
I would point out that the sceptics may well have a point and the river drying up could be a natural event, but there is the issue of timing and the effect this would have had on the local, already scared cities in the region. You can explain scientifically, but don't rule out that God, who wrote the laws of nature, cannot take advantage of them.
Joshua 4
Once the entire Israelite nation has crossed the Jordan (probably over 600,000 people based on the census data in Numbers) Joshua arranges for 1 person from each tribe to pick up a large stone from the bed of the river to form a memorial cairn.
The priest are then invited to come up out of the river and as they do so the flow of the river resumes.
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