Under YHWH’s cloud by day and fire by night, the Prophet Moses led JACOB’S descendants, the Israelites, out of Egyptian bondage, by way of the Red Sea. He tarried with them for 40 years in the wilderness, right up to the edge of the land YHWH promised to share with JACOB’S descendants. During that time, Moses was also the SCRIBE who penned the laws that YHWH dictated, as part of His covenant with JACOB. Moses’ final reminder and instructions to all of JACOB’S descendants, aka the Israelites can be found in Deuteronomy 31-34. In those chapters Moses confess what he and Aaron had both done in the wilderness and how their actions had angered YHWH. He told them that they named the place MASSAH, because their actions had tested YHWH, and their punishment was that neither of them would set foot on the land. He further stated that was the reason Aaron died on Mount Hor, and was replaced by his son, Eleazar. Then he informed them that his own life was also coming to an end. However, before he died, he blessed, warned, and instructed the ancient Israelites how to carry themselves. Then he passed the mantle to the military leader, Joshua. Finally, he traversed up Mount Nebo where, according to scripture, YHWH allowed him to see the land with his eyes, just before he died.
Before I start this post, it must be noted that although Aaron was the High Priest, YHWH did not speak with him, or any subsequent priests. YHWH only spoke with His Prophets and Prophetesses, who passed His instructions on. So, let’s go…
Now at this point, in addition to Joshua being the military leader, he also became YHWH’s prophet. Again, YHWH did not give any instructions to Eleazar, the new High Priest, but to Joshua, His new prophet. At which time, YHWH encouraged him to be strong, but also to meditate on HIS laws that Moses had scribed for JACOB’S descendants, the Israelites. Joshua’s main responsibilities was to lead JACOB’S descendants into the land, by way of crossing through the Jordan River, and to assign each tribe their swath of it. The first conflict was the Battle at JERICHO, which was a Canaanite stronghold, or blockade to the land. Joshua was successful, because he trusted and obeyed YHWH’s instructions to the letter. Nevertheless, they lost the next battle, at Ai (that’s right…AI)!!
When Joshua inquired of YHWH, YHWH informed him that one of his men had disobeyed His orders, and the ENTIRE NATION was being punished for THAT ONE MAN’S SIN. Then He told Joshua how to weed out the one who disobeyed and how to remove the blight off the nation. The curse was immediately removed after Joshua handled his business. Joshua then goes on to successfully overtake all of the land that was to be allotted to each tribe. Unfortunately, neither he nor the princes of the tribes removed ALL of the other nations, as they were instructed to do.
Just prior to Joshua’s demise, he also gathered all of the tribes of JACOB, aka the Israelites together in Shechem, and orated the history of YHWH’s faithfulness to them from Egypt to that date. During his speech, he gave them a CHOICE, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve YHWH, CHOOSE you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve YHWH.” (~Joshua 24:15) They promised that they would only serve YHWH. Joshua told them that they were a witness against themselves, and warned them to get rid of their secret wood and stone idols that they thought YHWH didn’t know that they had. Then he set up a stone memorial and re-established the covenant, so that JACOB’S descendants would not forget that it was YHWH who had safely brought them to the land. And finally, like Moses, he too died (Joshua 24:27).
Judges starts with the Israelite’s fight to get the remaining Canaanites off the land. Knowing that they were without a prophet or military leader, they asked YHWH who should go first. He responds, “Judah.” Now many, including me, say that they misunderstood YHWH, and that since Judah means praise, He meant ‘PRAISE’ should go first! However, I also believe that YHWH meant exactly what He said, “JUDAH, the tribe, should go first.” We know this because in Judges 1:4 says, “When Judah attacked, YHWH gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.”
Anyway, as we get further into the book of Judges, we find that JACOB’S descendants have reneged on their covenant again. Throughout Judges we find them committing a total of 12 apostasies (faithlessness to YHWH). Each time YHWH withdrew His hand, and they were forced into servitude to other nations whose idols they chose to worship. Then when their oppression and burden got too heavy, they ran back to YHWH for help. Each time YHWH took them back, and sent a judge to fight for them. That is until YHWH finally had His fill with what He called AN ADULTEROUS NATION treating Him as merely a rescue God. Look at what his response was to their cries, in Judges 10:13-14 – “Yet ye have forsaken Me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.” ~YHWH (Oooo! Weeee!)
I’ve often wondered what those idol images promised JACOB’S descendants that made them stray. As well as what caused them to realize that they were in trouble and run back to YHWH. In my mind the running back may have been something like the attached…
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