45...WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO PEOPLE
Based on the book of Job (Jb)...Read more there

Job may be the 'jewel in the crown' of the Hebrew Bible. Certainly one of the greatest pieces of literature ever produced. Yet we don't know who told it into being; or when, though it's post-exilic; or where. Differing from most of the books we've looked at so far, in Jb the emphasis moves on from national affairs to personal ones. The book is part of what we know as 'wisdom literature'. It is a complex exploration of the whole business of human suffering, divine justice, & why bad things happen to anyone, let alone good people. It is also a tentative exploration of  'Is there life after death'? Jb is impossible to introduce in a brief overview like this, & there's simply no substitute for reading the whole work. Read the poetry out loud, preferably. Do our best to appreciate what's going on. Hopefully discover ourselves & our questionings somewhere in the issues raised. Apart from two introductory chapters that set the scene, the introduction to Ch.32 & a handful of final verses, Jb is totally poetry. An imaginative dramatic dialogue between Job, three of his friends, later, an unknown new-comer, then last but not least, YHWH God. For some it may bring to mind other visionary imaginings like those of English mystic & poet William Blake (d.1827) or others.
                       Let's approach Jb as a theatre-goer, watching, hearing, & participating as a great drama unfolds. The first scenes are set in heaven, followed by several on earth. YHWH's intervention (Chs. 38-41) bridges heaven & earth, before the book ends back on terra-firma. Job is introduced to us as a good & prosperous chap blessed with a large family. Until one day Satan (N1) comes to God & more or less tells Him Job's got things too easy & needs to be tested to see how deep his loyalty & faithfulness to God really lie (N2). YHWH is so confident of Job He agrees to Satan putting Job to the test. Of course this makes YHWH complicit in what happens to Job! It also raises, or should, all sorts of theological questions in keeping with the purpose of the author, a deeply spiritual thinker. As a result of Satan's meddling, disaster after disaster strike Job's flocks (i.e. his wealth) & then his family. While he laments this, in 1:21 Job responds with what becomes pretty standard church doctrine: 'God has given, God has taken away....!' (N3). Satan's frustrated by this, & now persuades God to let him afflict Job's person with dreadful sores all over his body (Ch.2). Despite being reproached by his wife for his continuing steadfastness in the face of all this, Job replies with " If we receive good things from God, shouldn't we expect bad too!" In Ch.3 Job lets off steam, cursing 'the day he was born'.
                     At this point (Ch.4) three of his 'friends', Eliphaz, Bildad, & Zophar arrive & take turns 'debating' Job. Are they really 'preaching' to him - in the bad sense? None of them seems much help. If they come to console us in trouble we may well seek compassion elsewhere! On & on they go, with Job making his own contributions too. A great confession of faith by him (19:25-6) is specially noteworthy. In Chs. 29-31 Job sums up his case in the language of a court-room. Will God find him innocent or guilty? We have to wait to find the answer to that. What about our verdict? As a jury have we reached one yet? Next, Elihu, an unknown to us (N4) enters stage right unannounced in Ch.32, & holds the floor till Ch. 38. He is no more help to Job than those before him. By now though, YHWH God has had enough & can remain in the wings no longer! He comes on stage forcefully in a passage of sheer brilliance, worthy of the Divine! If we can't bring ourselves to 'hear, read, mark, & inwardly digest' the whole of Job, then YHWH's starring role (Chs 38-41) in which He puts them all, including Job, to rights is a must! Try reading it aloud. Hear it! Hear God!
                     Job then makes a final statement marking a movement from theorising about God to personal belief & trust in Him. The book ends on a happier note with Job being vindicated by God, his fortunes restored, & with a new family on the scene, rather like a fairy tale. But Jb is no fairy tale! Somewhere in there we need to find ourselves & our questionings & move on from debating God to believing & trusting Him, come what may. Jb is serious God- &-us stuff. Whoever tells it into being, it certainly isn't Hans Christian Andersen! Allowing that today Christians would not / should not understand God as causing evil for any purpose, might an tatempt to sum up Jb today go something like: God is not in what happens to us but in our response to what happens? Or perhaps: Stick with God as God, by grace, sticks with us'? Or: ..........? Then, as always there's another story...46: Singers & their Songs.

(N1) There is an excellent footnote on 'Satan' in the NJB at Job:1(f). Here Satan is on God's side! (N2) In Jesus' testings in the Gospels Satan is portrayed playing the same role. (N3) Reflected in older funeral services. (N4) The Elihu passages seem 'different' & may stem from another writer.  Q. Can we find ourselves on stage anywhere in Jb?

44...QUEEN WHO NEVER WAS?

                                              Based on the Book of Esther (Est)...Read more there (N1)

The book Esther is named for a young Jewish woman who rises to become queen of Persia & saves the Hebrews from a holocaust. Strangely YHWH God doesn't get a mention! The context is entirely power-plays in & around the Persian court of the time, supposedly in or about the 300's B.C. Cultural & racial tensions between Jews & others feed the story. There are enough things about Est that don't seem to fit to make many think the book was told into being as a Good Jewish Woman defeats Bad Foreign Guy story to provide a basis for celebrating Jewish identity & separateness in the festival Jews came to know as Purim. Like some other Hebrew Bible books we'll come across, Est's real value, for Jewish people at least, may be as a kind of parable of the importance of  keeping Jewish identity & separateness at the heart of their culture & religion &, despite overwhelming odds, winning out in the end! We might note, too, that Esther connects with Joseph, whom we've met back in the days of the Patriarchs & Matriarchs in Palestine & then in Egypt (N2) & Daniel, whom we'll meet later in Babylon. Together they form a trio of exemplary & influential Jewish heroes in the midst of powerful foreign empires.

In a nutshell the story goes like this: The Persian King, Ahasuerus (N3) rids himself of his queen for disobeying him & this in itself leads to a proclamation that 'wives must obey their husbands in all respects'. (An order conservative male Jews would say, 'Amen' to!) In the former queen's place (Ch.2) the king marries Esther, a young Jewish woman introduced into the court by her adoptive father, Mordecai, a distant relative of King Saul. Apparently neither Mordecai nor Esther disclose her racial background. One day Mordecai overhears a plot to assassinate the king, passes the information to Esther who informs the king, & the plotters are hanged. (Hanging features prominently in this book!) In Ch.3 we meet Haman whom Ahasuerus has promoted to be his C.E.O. Haman is a proto-type for future anti-Semites & actually pays the king a bribe to gain a royal order to wipe out these different & threatening people. A date is fixed for this outrage to take place. Ch.4 sees Mordecai get wind of all this & warn Esther that being queen will not save her from the fate her fellow Hebrews are facing. In response, in Ch.5 Esther prepares to throw a banquet for the king & Haman, while Haman prepares a gallows to hang Mordecai! Meanwhile, Ch.6 has the king going over records in the archive & discovers the service Mordecai has rendered in saving his life. The plot thickens! Haman is chuffed at being invited to dinner with the royals! When Ahasuerus aks him for advice on how to reward someone who has served him well, Haman mistakenly believes the king is speaking of him, & suggests great honours be conferred on him. However, the king reveals it's Mordecai who's to be honoured with high office & orders Haman to see to it! Haman's nose is very much out of joint! Worse is to come! Esther tells the king of the tragedy she's discovered is about to befall her people (Ch.7) & that Haman is behind this. Pleading with Esther for mercy, Haman is caught in what appears to be a compromising position, & in no time at all the king has him publicly hanged on the gallows he's had built to hang Mordecai! But there remains a big problem! The famous 'law of the Medes & Persians' means that once promulgated a law cannot be repealed, therefore the decree for the killing of the Hebrews on the date set still stands. In Ch.8 the king - & the story- get round this by a new decree. By that, Jews may defend themselves forcibly against anyone attacking them. On the basis of this, in Ch.9 the Jewish population rises up & makes a pre-emptive strike against their known enemies, killing many in the process. They then celebrate the festival of triumph & survival known as Purim - kept to this day by Jewish families. Ch.10, a short post-script, winds up the story with praise for Ahasuerus & Mordecai for their part in all this. Then comes another story... 45...When Bad Things Happen To People.

(N1) There are additions to Esther in the Apocrypha. NJB prints them as part of the text of Est, though NRSV prints them separately. (N2) See episodes 19-21. (N3) Xerxes in Greek 

 

Q: Where does God come into all this - if at all?

43...HOME AGAIN. AGAIN!

   Based on the Books of Ezra (Ezr) & Nehemiah (Ne)...Read more there

EZRA

Ezra & Nehemiah are memoirs of these two respective Hebrews from Babylon & their return to Jerusalem dovetailed (not always seamlessly) by the later Chronicler into his own longer work (N1). In 538 BC the Persian king, Cyrus, who has by now defeated the Babylonians allows the captive Hebrews to return to Judah after 50 or 70 years (N2). The Hebrews are led back to Jerusalem by Sheshbazzar (N3) a descendant of King David, & heads of other families, including Jeshua, a priest. Ezra himself, a scribe or scholar of the Law returns in a second wave of returnees some years later. In Ch.1 Cyrus decrees the Hebrews may return home. Sympathetic to YHWH, to him a foreign god, Cyrus sets an example of religious inclusiveness & tolerance not often seen in history! In style typical of the Chronicler Ch.2 is a list of returnees. Ch.3 records the resumption of worship in Jerusalem & the laying of the foundations of a new Temple. There is a deeply felt poignancy in vv.12-13. Ch.4 tells of the breach between the returning Hebrews & the adjacent Samaritans, remnants of the former Israel inter-married with others settled in Samaria by the Assyrians a century or so before. That continuing breach will feature in the Gospels. Ch.5 & 6 record this dispute leading to the Samaritans telling tales about the loyalty of the Hebrews at the court of the next two Persian rulers, persuading them the Hebrews are in the process of rebelling. As a result of their lobbying King Artaxerxes orders the re-building stopped, the Samaritans forcibly do the stopping, & the re-building of the Temple remains on hold for some years (N4). When Darius becomes king & rebuilding starts again the Samaritans do their best to subvert the project once more. But after having the state archives searched Darius rules that what the Hebrews are doing is absolutely legitimate on the orders originally issued by Cyrus & orders the Samaritans to desist in their obstruction! The Temple is then eventually completed & dedicated. Ch.7-10 go on to tell of the arrival on the scene of Ezra, a scribe or legal scholar given sweeping powers by the Persian king & the consequences of the strict regime Ezra, a real hard-liner is authorised to institute. A major one is the dissolving of all marriages to non-Jewish partners, including those of many leading citizens. Their names are recorded in the Chronicler's lists! (N5)

NEHEMIAH

In Ch.1 Nehemiah is being called by YHWH to sort things out back in Jerusalem. Ch.2 tells us he is butler to Artaxerxes, a well trusted position with access to the king. Seeing how downcast he is at goings on (or not goings-on!) he's heard of from travellers returning from Jerusalem, the king sends Nehemiah back there as a 'Mr. Fixit' with authority to put things to rights. Under him (Ch.3-4) the walls of the city are rebuilt methodically & the Samaritans kept at bay!  In Ch.5 Nehemiah has to deal with challenging social issues before the walls are finished in Ch.6. Ch.7 deals with more administrative matters followed by more family records. Ch.8 brings us the significant & far reaching public reading of the Law of Moses by Ezra followed by great celebrations, not just of what's been achieved but also because a new direction is now set in motion for the future of Judaism. Ch.9, largely in poetry, we might call a long public confession of failing to keep the Law in so many ways, then in Ch.10 come more records & more spelling out of rules, while Ch.11 is about the re-populating of Jerusalem itself & listing those involved, & CH.12 continues the record keeping followed by the ceremonial & liturgical dedication of the newly completed walls. The book ends with Ch.13 beginning with a slab of Nehemiah's own memoirs detailing the widening gulf between Israel & not-Israel, setting the scene for religious, racial, & cultural exclusivism to come. But that's another story...44: Queen Who Never Was?              

(N1) Ezra & Nehemiah were once a continuation of the books of Chronicles. The time-line & text are very complicated & not always clear. Esdras, an Apocryphal book also exists & some scholars believe it more reliable than Ezra. Ezra himself seems to have returned in the second group of returnees years later. (N2) Some count the exile from the first invasion by Babylon in 606 BC [JR: 25:11]). (N3) seemingly also known as Zerrubbabel. (N4) We'll later see another biblical writer, Haggai. blaming this also on the indifference of returnees! (N5) The NJB states: 'Ezra is the real father of Judaism with his three dominant conceptions: the chosen race, the Temple, & the Law'. [NJB p. 510]    
Q: Have we / do we set down memoirs of our own? Could they be made public? 

42...RELIGIOUS ANCESTRY.SOMETHING OR OTHER
Based on the Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles (1 & 2CH) (N1)...Read more there
After the Judeans have been exiled for 50 or so years in Babylon, the world scene changes again as the Persians under Cyrus conquer the Babylonians & allow the Hebrews to return 'home'. There they are given a measure of independence under a Persian-appointed governor, Sheshbazzar, also known as Zerubbabel, a descendant of the House of David. They are even allowed to begin re-building the Temple (N2). A scribe known as the 'Chronicler' (N3) in Jerusalem towards 300BC, provides us with the books that bear that name. Using other sources as well as some we've met before, e.g. GN, NB, 1 & 2 S, & 1 & 2 K, our Chronicler gives us his religious 'take' on things & who was responsible for doing them.  While his seemingly endless lists will be of unique help to scholars interested in Hebrew history, those of us not so wedded to such minutiae may find little to interest us in Chronicles (N4). 1CH 1- 8 consists of lists of people & their tribes & their responsibilities, then Ch. 9 begins with is a roll-call of families who returned from exile together with their assigned duties. This is followed by a 're-look' at King Saul. Chs.11-22 then re-visit King David. Not all the details tally with accounts we've heard earlier. Chs. 23 to the end of the book interweave David's life with more rules & duties applying to the Levites, Priests, Cantors, & Gatekeepers relating to the Ark, the forerunner of the yet-to-be-built Temple. Those involved today in liturgical functions in congregations can see we follow in a long tradition of doing the things of God properly, decently, & in good order. In all this let's not overlook how important it's been for historians, Jewish & others, to have access to those lists the Chronicler invests such effort in making (N 5). Ch. 29 & the book end with the transition from David & his reign to Solomon & the beginning of his. 

The early chapters of 2CH centre round giving Solomon & the building & equipping of the Temple a good press. Then in Chs 10 onward the Chronicler focuses on the Judean Monarchy, reviewing the kings who succeed Solomon. He praises or damns them for doing either good or evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as has been done in 2K with regard to kings of both Israel & Judah. These various kings, their reigns, & the verdicts on them might be best left for those with either a historical or theological bent. Intermingled with all the other details in 2CH we find references to incursions into or invasions of Judah by the Egyptians (Ch.12) the Assyrians (Chs. 28 & 32) & the Babylonians (Ch.36). Politics in that part of the world then sound very much like those of today! Towards the end of 2CH two reforming kings Hezekiah (Chs. 29-32) & Josiah (Chs. 34-35) stand out by standing up for YHWH, but with the long reign of a really bad king, Manasseh, in between them. Perhaps the most significant story of all is the rediscovery in Ch.34 of the 'Book of the Law' & the effect this has on policy & people during Josiah's reforms. Scholars are pretty unanimous  this was what we know as Deuteronomy (see Ep. 32). The teachings of YHWH God have survived long years of apostasy & now are dusted off & re-activated under the influence of Josiah the king, Hilkiah the priest, & Huldah ( a woman, & a Prophet!) Notable for their absence in all these scenarios, except for one brief mention of Elijah, are the two towering Prophets Elijah & his successor Elisha, so important in 1 & 2K. But they were Northerners, after all! 2CH ends with a quick overview of Judea collapsing before the Babylonians, & why; & a nod in the direction of Persia which will eventually conquer Babylon & allow the Judeans to return home. But that's another story...43...Home Again. Again!
(N1) Like 1 & 2 SAM & Kings, Chronicles was originally one book. (N2) 538BC. More of this when we reach the books of Ezra & Nehemiah. (N3) He is probably a southerner & a Levite from the tribe with liturgical responsibilities. EX 32:25-29 & 1CH 16 give us some background to Levites. (N4) The Chronicler draws on as well as other sources for his lists, but edits them to suit his purposes! The NJB in its introduction to CHs calls him a 'theologian not a historian' (p. 508). (N5) MT (Ch. 1) & LK (Ch. 3) for instance clearly draw on genealogical records they have access to in establishing Jesus' human lineage.

Q: What would happen if we were to vote for politicians according to how the Chronicler sums up kings?

41...PROPHETS & LOSSES ACCOUNTS
Based on 2 Kings (2K) Chs. 2-25 Read more there...

Elijah has just been taken up into heaven. That he will one day return becomes part of Jewish expectations. He is succeeded now by Elisha [2K 2] who shedding his own clothes, takes up Elijah's cloak, & immediately performs a 'miracle' at the Jordan by using Elijah's cloak to roll the waters back! He is then credited with bringing about the deaths of some cheeky boys at the paws of a pair of bears! Apparently you're either on Elisha's, that is to say, God's side, or look out! Ch.3 reports yet another war, then Chs.4-8 tell a string of 'miracles' Elisha 'works', some of them a bit odd! Of note are a miraculous feeding of a widow & the birth of a son to another woman from Shunem, & the restoration to life of that child after his death, reminiscent of Elijah. Then comes an incident with soup, & a multiplication of food more a-la-Jesus this time as is the healing from skin disease of Naaman, an enemy Aramaean general [Ch. 5]. Crossing such boundaries of race & religion later becomes a mark of Jesus' ministry among people of His day. Naaman's healing is soured when Elisha's servant, Gehazi, tries to make capital for himself by accepting a reward from Naaman that Elisha himself has just refused! Gehazi's punishment is to become inflicted with the skin disease from which Naaman has been cured. Chs. 9-13 then meander through the politics of Judea & Israel until in Ch.13:14+ Elisha dies. Chs.14-17 meander again through the politics of Judea & Israel but then the story changes dramatically - forever - when in 721 BC., partly as a result of Israel double-dealing with Egypt, the Assyrians lay siege to & capture Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom. This is stated very matter-of-factly in 17:5-6 & this is then amplified by a commentary. Of particular interest as background to the NT. are vv. 24-41 which tell how the Samaritans come into being through the Assyrian policy of re-settling other peoples among the remaining Israelites who then intermarry with them.

In Ch.18 the focus switches to the southern kingdom of Judea. Hezekiah (716-687 BC.) a young king faithful to YHWH, & a reformer comes to the throne & is introduced in vv.1-8. Among other acts of spiritual spring-cleaning he destroys the bronze snake known as Nehushtan the Hebrews have apparently carried with them from their travelling in the wilderness days & turned into a god (N1).  Hezekiah will have none of this kind of nonsense! We then go on to hear about incursions by the Assyrians that threaten the continuing existence of Judea too. At this point, in Ch.19 the next great Prophet, Isaiah, emerges to give counsel to Hezekiah & spiritual leadership to the people (N2). After  Hezekiah's progressive reforms, he is succeeded by two bad kings (Ch.21). They in turn are followed by another reformer faithful to YHWH, Josiah, who comes to the throne as a child. Some significant events during his reign include: 1) the discovery of the 'Book of the Law', almost certainly the book we know as Deuteronomy, in the Temple [Chs.22:3 - 23:30]. Josiah causes it to be read in public & its laws promulgated. This includes the keeping of Passover once again, a practice that had lapsed; 2) a woman Prophet, Hulda, emerges (22:14+); & 3) due to Assyria becoming weakened, Josiah extends his influence into the former northern country of Israel now known as Samaria (23:16+). After a fine wrap-up [23: 24-25] Josiah, one of the best of their kings is killed in battle against the Egyptians. In Ch.24 the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar & who by now have defeated the Assyrians & taken over the ascendancy in that part of the world make incursions into Judea. They plunder Jerusalem & deport the then king & his family & officials together with thousands of the leading artisans to Babylon. There is worse to come. The Babylonians soon return to complete the job [Ch. 25]. This time they destroy Jerusalem including the Temple, & deport many of the remaining residents to Babylon (N3). 2K25 brings Judaism as it has been to an ignominious end. As the NJV puts it succinctly, 'Thus Judah was deported from its country' [v.21]. Nothing will ever be the same again for Jewish people - anywhere & everywhere! But that's another story...42: Religiously Re-editing

(N1) See Ep.31 on Numbers for the incident of the snakes. (N2) Like Elijah & Elisha, Isaiah is later a great influence on Jesus. We'll learn more of him when we reach the book that bears his name. (N3) 587BC. This begins the period of the Babylonian captivity, a period of about 50 yrs.  Question: How open ended do we / does God see our personal ups & downs as being?

40...SOUNDS OF SILENCE
Based on 1Kings Chs. 19-22 to 2Kings Chs. 1 & 2...Read more there.

Elijah, the most important Prophet since Moses, introduced to us in Ep.39 now takes centre-stage. Ahab, king in Israel is one of the worst rulers any country has ever had (N1). He's bad enough in himself, but is aided & abetted by his queen, the notorious Jezebel who often 'makes the bullets'! We've already been told [1K 18:13] that Jezebel has 'slaughtered the prophets of YHWH', so to stand up to Ahab & Jezebel who 'wants his guts for garters', as well as their priests of Baal as Elijah does is to court danger! Elijah has to flee for his life [19:3] & wants to die! But eventually he ends up on Mt.Horeb (Sinai). He's suffering from 'spiritual burn-out' by now & looks for renewal on Moses' old stamping ground. He takes shelter in a cave or crevice, possibly the very one that Moses took cover in so he could not 'see God's face', God's glory [EX 33:18+]. YHWH calls to the fugitive, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" The Prophet then undergoes a remarkable spiritual experience as Moses has done before him, & eventually Jesus will undergo long after. On Mt. Sinai (Horeb) there comes a mighty storm, but God is not in the storm; after the storm an earthquake, but God is not in the earthquake; after the earthquake fire (lightning?) but God is not in the fire. After the fire comes what is translated variously as 'stillness', 'silence', 'the sound of gentle stillness' etc. YHWH appears in this total silence. Though God is often believed to be revealed in the extremities of nature, is this total silence perhaps to reveal the peaceful nature of God in contrast to the violence raging all around at this time (with Elijah part of it)? Elijah emerges from his cave, but is careful to cover his face with his cloak so that, like Moses of old, he cannot see God's glory for to see that would be to die! Again God asks him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" and then instructs him to interfere on His behalf in the political scenarios of the nearby Arameans, & also in Israel. More, Elijah is to anoint Elisha to be his successor as Prophet [19:19+]. Elijah comes out of hiding, returns to Israel, & finds Elisha ploughing with a large team of oxen. Elijah dramatically throws his cloak over Elisha, symbolically 'capturing' him for the new role he is to play for God in Hebrew events. In response Elisha kills a yoke of oxen, uses their yokes to make a fire, & cooking them provides a feast to mark & celebrate his leaving his old life behind & obeying his new calling. (N2)

After this we have reports of more wars, intriguing & confusing tales of 'false prophets', before the book moves on to report an event that shows how bad Ahab & Jezebel really are! Ahab badly wants a vineyard belonging to a citizen named Naboth [Ch. 21] but Naboth won't exchange or sell as Ahab wants, so Jezebel arranges his murder so Ahab can take possession of the coveted piece of land! For YHWH & Elijah this is the last straw! [21:17+] & soon after Ahab meets a nasty end in yet another battle [22: 29+]. Mind you, he's succeeded by his son, Ahaziah, a chip-off-the-old-block who will die after just a year in office as 2 Kings begins. Ch.1 tells of an attempt by Ahaziah & his soldiers to arrest Elijah, but this is thwarted by two troops of soldiers being killed by fire called down by Elijah (more lightning?). A third troop is wise enough to know where to draw the line, & safely escorts Elijah to the king where he promptly tells him he's going to die. Soon! And he does! In Ch. 2 Elijah is taken up to heaven by a chariot & horses of fire. Elisha, who is privileged to watch this happen, inherits Elijah's mantle (cloak) as the new great Prophet in the land & will later join Elijah as a huge influence on Jesus' thinking...But that's another story...41...Prophet & Loss Accounts                   

(N1)  Ahab ruled Israel from 874 to 853 BC., long enough to do a lot of damage. (N2) I K Chs. 17+ are referred to as the 'Elijah Cycle'; 2K Ch. 2 then begins the 'Elisha Cycle'.

Question:  Are we more comfortable with storm, earthquake, fire, etc. than we are with silence?

39...ENTER ELIJAH
Based on 1Kings Chs. 12-18...Read more there

At this point, the kingdom united under David unravels quickly. Solomon's son & successor Rehoboam (N1) has none of the wisdom his father was noted for early in his reign. He foolishly takes the advice of equally foolish young friends to treat his people harshly, with the result that the Northern tribes walk out on him leaving him only the Southern tribe of Judah. Jeroboam (N1) who had earlier unsuccessfully rebelled against Solomon now returns & is proclaimed king of Israel by the breakaways. Not only is there now political schism, but Jeroboam causes religious schism too by having two golden calves (N2) cast & set up one in Bethel & one in Dan, diverting attention from the Temple in Jerusalem. There is an odd story in Ch.13. Make of it what you will - but the way it's told, few of us would want much to do with the sneaky God portrayed in it! Like many accounts of the way things happen, it is an interpretation & we may well reject it in the light of the God Jesus later reveals! There follow accounts of the reigns of kings in both Judah & Israel. One of many low points in Jeroboam's reign in Judah is a raid on Jerusalem by an Egyptian Pharaoh who loots the Temple. Jeroboam's reign in Israel is summarised too, Then their successors on both sides of the newly created borders are reviewed. Only one of those listed gets the tick of approval from God & their subjects! Most of it isn't edifying, least of all the reign of Ahab in Israel (N4). Ahab, married to the legendary Jezebel, goes further than anyone else when he supplants the worship of YHWH with worship of the pagan god Baal. But Ahab will meet his match & get his comeuppance when the great Prophet Elijah (N3) comes on the scene in Ch.17.

Enter Elijah, who appears on the scene [Ch.17:1] confronting Ahab, & warning him of a severe drought. The implication is clearly that this is a punishment from YHWH for Ahab's apostasy & his people's. YHWH instructs Elijah to hide east of the Jordan & arranges for ravens to feed him out in this wilderness (N5). As the drought intensifies, Elijah is sent to a foreign widow & her son in Zarephath in today's Lebanon. Let's call them Zara & Zaron. Everyone deserves a name! There a miraculous stretching of their meagre resources of a little flour & a little oil takes place (N6) so the three of them have enough to live on till the drought breaks. While Elijah is there Zaron dies, but in another foreshadowingof a Jesus event, Elijah restores him to life. Any lingering doubt Zara has that Elijah is genuinely a man of God is dispelled. In Ch.18 with the drought still biting the scene shifts to Ahab's palace where we find his steward, still faithful to YHWH, has sheltered & saved many 'small p' prophets from Jezebel's vendetta against anything smacking of YHWH! Ch.18:13 tells us Jezebel has already 'slaughtered the prophets of YHWH' (NJB). However, Elijah confronts Ahab  again & sets up a contest between himself & the hundreds of 'prophets' of Baal on top of Mt. Carmel. Each side is given a bullock & the object of the competition is to call down fire from your god or God to burn the animal as a sacrifice. The prophets of Baal call on 'him' for hours & hours with Elijah mocking them a treat. When they end in total failure, Elijah rebuilds an old destroyed altar to YHWH & proceeds to douse it & its surrounds & of course his bull liberally with water. Fire from heaven - no doubt a well-timed lightning strike - burns the sacrificial bull & YHWH wins! Then in a gesture we must be glad Jesus doesn't repeat, Elijah has all the 'prophets' of Baal put to death. He then taunts Ahab into driving his chariot back to the city before the enveloping storm clogs his wheels leaving him stuck in the mud! To add insult to injury, Elijah runs ahead of Ahab all the way back to his palace! Here endeth the drought! But not Jezebel's burning hatred of both Elijah & YHWH!... But that's another story...40 Sounds of Silence

(N1) For some unknown reason both Rehoboam (4.5.lit.) & Jeroboam (3 lit.) had large bottles of bubbly named after them. Maybe it's a joke - neither of them being 'full bottle'! (N2) See EX 32.(N3) Jesus will be hugely influenced by Elijah & his successor as Prophet, Elisha. (Don't get those two mixed up!) (N4) Ahab reigns in Israel 874-853 B.C. (N5) Some suggest 'ravens' is a translating mistake for 'arabs', but opinion is in favour of 'ravens' - whatever we make of that. (N6) A kind of fore-shadowing of Jesus' later feeding a great crowd with minute resources (MT 14: 15-21 et al.) (N7) By the time of the last of the Prophet Malachi, early in the 400s BC, Hebrews came to believe Elijah would re-appear before the Messiah came [MAL 3:23]. Jesus later makes it clear [MT17:10-13] John the Baptiser was that expected 'Elijah'.  Question: Whose responsibility is it to challenge today's rulers?

38...THE GETTING & UN-GETTING OF WISDOM
 Based on 1 Kings (1K) (N1) Chs. 1-11...Read more there

As the aged & frail David is dying one of his sons, Adonijah, tries to usurp the throne. However the Prophet Nathan allies himself with Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, to thwart this. They plead with David to name Solomon as his successor. When David does this, Solomon is promptly taken into Jerusalem on David's mule & anointed king by Zadok the Priest (of later coronation music fame!) (N2). Adonijah's support immediately collapses. Solomon waits till David dies [Ch. 2:10] then has Adonijah executed to ensure his kingship is secure. That it is now secure we're told twice, (vv.12 & 46). Ch. 3 begins with the odd & unpromising news that Solomon marries a daughter of Egypt's Pharaoh - the Egyptians being former enslavers of the Hebrews. Is this a cynical political manoeuvre, a wise strategy, or a love-match? Who knows! We also learn that though Solomon loves YHWH, like many of his people he offers incense at altars set up on significant hill tops, 'high places', as there is no Temple yet & therefore no really centralised religion either. Then come two key events that set a pattern for the earlier part Solomon's reign. In the first he has a dream in which YHWH asks him what gifts he would like. Rather than power, wealth, etc. Solomon asks for an understanding mind & a discerning heart, & YHWH God grants these. Even though this is a dream, the reality is put to the test soon after in a famous story that in itself ensures we remember Solomon for his wisdom. Two women appear before him each claiming a male baby as their own. Solomon calls for a sword & orders the child to be cut in two & a half given to each of the women. He then wisely awards the child to the woman who begs him to give the child to the other woman rather than have her son killed! When word of this spreads, Solomon's stocks rise very high indeed!

Administrative matters take up Chs. 4 & 5 till Solomon prepares for the building of the Temple for God & a palace for himself. In Chs. 6--9 the Temple is built by conscripted labour. Then, with its furnishings, including the Ark of the Covenant, now, it is completed & dedicated. In Ch. 9 YHWH appears again to Solomon (cf. Ch. 3) & dedicates the Temple Himself but with a clear in-built threat! The famed Queen of Sheba - probably either in Arabia or North East Africa - visits Solomon to 'suss out' her new & powerful neighbour. She is very likely to have trade & treaties on her mind as well as anything else. She is impressed!

But by Ch. 11 Solomon falls from grace. With a vengeance! He becomes a womaniser on an unprecedented scale & allows pagan wives to sway him into following foreign pagan deities they bring with them as religious baggage. He seems to be placing an 'each-way' bet! YHWH God is not amused, & triggers the threat of Ch. 9 above. Solomon unbelievably rapidly fades from view, & dies seemingly without fanfare. One of Solomon's sons, Rehoboam succeeds to the throne. The royal family, though, has become dysfunctional & so has the country (N3).  But that's another story...39...Enter Elijah   

(N1) 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book.  (N2)  About 970 B.C.  (N3) Ch.11:41 refers to a 'Book of the Acts of Solomon'. Though long lost this is no doubt reflected in these early chapters of 1 K. 

Question: Does turning away from YHWH God personally & nationally still cause us to become dysfunctional?  

37: DAVID: KING - WARTS & ALL
Based on the 2nd Book of Samuel (2SAM, 2S)... Read more there...

2 SAM begins with a different version of Saul's death (N1) then focuses on David, who in keeping with the musical skills mentioned in Ep.36 sings a moving lament for Saul despite the history between them! Later, David will become known as a leader among those who compose the Psalms, but for now we're in a time of rival politics & civil war. A pro-house-of-Saul 'party' led by Abner, an ambitious general instals one of Saul's sons, Ishbaal, as puppet king reflecting Abner's own ambitions & Israelite (Northern) interests. For now the men (!) of Judah anoint David as their king either to confirm, or in ignorance of Samuel's earlier secret anointing of David [1SAM Ch.16]. After some nasty goings-on Abner & Ishbaal are both murdered (not by David) & not long after [Ch. 5: 1-5] we hear David being acknowledged & anointed king of Israel as well. Soon after David makes Jerusalem his capital, & in Ch.6, in a calculated move to consolidate his position David has the Ark of the Covenant (N2) moved from Shiloh to Jerusalem, recently captured from the Jebusites. Jerusalem now becomes both the religious & political capital of the emerging nation. In Ch. 7 David tells the Prophet Nathan that he wants to build a Temple for YHWH. However God makes it clear through Nathan that it is He, YHWH who will build David a 'house', i.e. a dynasty, & not vice-versa! Chs. 8-10 are about more warfaring except that in Ch. 9 David makes compassionate provision for Jonathan's disabled son Meribbaal.

Ch. 11 marks a turning point - for the bad - for David. Maybe seduced by Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, one of his best & loyalest troops, David commits adultery with her. But worse is to come! When Bathsheba becomes pregnant David compounds their evil by deviously trying to arrange 'home-leave' for Uriah to make it look as though the child to be born is his, Uriah's. But Uriah's loyalty thwarts him. In desperation David then treacherously arranges for Uriah to be killed in battle so he can marry Bathsheba. Not only is this a treacherous & murderous act on David's part, it is a total failure on his part to live up to his responsibilities as king to govern justly in God's name! Ch. 12 brings an example of the role of a true Prophet having little to do with fore-telling the future & everything to do with tackling the present! Nathan fronts David who repents & is forgiven, however the child born to Bathsheba & David dies. But then another child, Solomon, is born who will be the next king & renowned for his wisdom. But all that's a long way off yet.

Chs. 13-19: 9 are a litany of family & internal strife centring on one of David's sons, Absalom, who leads a revolt against his father. In the end, Absalom is killed, but David has to snap out of mourning him or risk losing the support of those who've remained loyal to him. There come more strife & revolts. For one revered as a great king, David is certainly a shaky one! After the strife has died down, in Ch. 22 David celebrates his deliverance from the clutches of all his enemies with a great Psalm (N3). In CH. 23 we read what are said to be David's 'last words', but a less pleasant alternative version of his 'last words' appears at [1K2:5-9] (N4). These 'last words' are followed by a kind of 'Honour Roll' of 'heroes' (N5). The book ends with a strange story of a census in which God seemingly sets both David & the people up (!) & David buying a threshing floor adjacent to Jerusalem. He has an altar built there, & this will later become the site for Solomon's Temple. But that's another story...38...The Wisdom of Solomon
 
(N1) An illustration of how conflicting texts of some books can be. (N2) Recovered from the Philistines years before [1SAM 7:1]. (N3) Almost identical with PS 118 q.v. (N4) Perhaps this first represents the better side of David & the second the other side of him, though some scholars think the first is not genuinely Davidic. (N5) This roll, like Ch.24 that follows it, probably originally came after Ch.21.    

Question: What do we make of God 'using' bad things people do to bring good out of it / them? 

36: SAMUEL: PROPHET, JUDGE, KING-MAKER
Based on The 1st Book of Samuel (1SAM or 1S)...Read more there...(N1)

The books bearing Samuel's name cover the story of the Hebrews as they develop as a people through the last of the Judges to the establishment of the monarchy. But remember that history is usually told through the eyes of the victors in any conflict. Even then it can be one faction's point of view. Samuel is born in unusual circumstances, like many others who feature in the Scriptures. He is born to a devout couple named Elkanah & Hannah. Ch. 1 tells us another of Elkanah's wives has children by him, but Hannah has none. So she goes to pray for a child at the sanctuary of Shiloh, site of the Ark of the Covenant (N2) at this time, & fore-runner to the eventual Jerusalem Temple. Hannah prays to YHWH Sabaoth, 'God of Hosts' (N3). This might mean God of the hosts of angels, of the stars of the heavens, of earthly armies, all three, or a whole lot more than any or all of these. Hannah's praying pretty powerful stuff to a pretty powerful God! At Shiloh she has a confrontation with Eli, the resident priest. At first Eli takes her fervent praying as the outpourings of a drunkard (it is festival time, after all!) but eventually asks God to grant Hannah's prayer. Hannah goes back home & conceives Samuel! Once he's weaned though, with Elkanah's blessing she takes Samuel back to Shiloh to the sanctuary & offers Samuel back to God to reside there with Eli. He is to be brought up to serve at the shrine as a kind of apprentice to Eli as a thanksgiving to God for his birth. Ch. 2 begins with Hannah singing a heartfelt hymn of praise to YHWH. Blessed Mary is later much influenced by Hannah's song when she herself sings what we know as the Magnificat [LK 1:46+] in praise of God when she is pregnant with Jesus. But back to Samuel! One night YHWH calls to Samuel as he lies sleeping near the Ark [Ch. 3] but Samuel thinks it is Eli calling, & goes to him to see what he wants. When this happens three times, Eli realizes that it is God who is calling Samuel & tells him to answer YHWH next time this happens. Samuel does, & God reveals to him that Eli's bad-egg sons are to die. When he reluctantly tells Eli this, Eli realises that in Samuel we have the makings of a prophet! Chs. 4-7 centre on the Ark, its capture by the Philistines & its return to the Hebrews after the Philistines associate it with an outbreak of plague in their midst.
Ch. 8 marks a turning point in Israelite history. After Eli's death, the by now adult Samuel becomes the influential figure in Israel. The people petition him in his role as prophet & judge to appoint them a king. Neither YHWH nor Samuel want this [Ch.8:10-18] but the people insist. YHWH agrees now, seemingly to let the people discover the hard way that He is their only true king. In Chs. 9-10 we find that after being anointed by Samuel & chosen by the casting of the lot (N4) from among the people, Saul is appointed king. Chs. 11-15 are pretty much about war-mongering, & the many flaws in Saul's character appearing. Ch. 16 is about Samuel secretly anointing David, a young shepherd, to replace Saul eventually. David joins Saul's court, in this version as a harpist to soothe Saul's troubled mind. However the following tale [Ch. 17] in which David kills the Philistine champion Goliath with a well placed sling- shot & saves the honour of Saul's army & the Israelites clearly comes from a different source. It isn't long before Saul becomes increasingly jealous of David & his achievements [Chs. 18+]; a jealousy that comes in fits & starts for the rest of Saul's life & raising questions about the state of his physical & mental well-being. Saul is a very flawed character & this will be his undoing, but soon we'll be seeing David warts & all too! Chs. 19-20 tell of the growing friendship between David & one of Saul's sons, Jonathan, including Jonathan helping David escape his father's clutches. In Chs. 21-27 David, a hunted outlaw now, is mostly on the run from Saul. On one occasion David spares Saul's life when he could easily have killed him. Samuel dies & is mourned [Ch. 25], & again David spares Saul's life [Ch. 26]. The book draws to an end [Ch.31] with the Philistines inflicting an ignominious defeat on the Israelites, with both Saul & Jonathan dying in battle together with most of Saul's other sons. So the story continues...37...David: King - Warts & All.
(N1) The two books bearing Samuel's name were originally one book. (N2) See Ep. 29, All Heaven Breaks Loose. (N3) This seems to be the first use of this title for God in the Hebrew Bible. (N4) Making decisions by casting a lot (a marked stone or similar) was common practice in ancient times. Acts 1:15-26 is an example from early Christianity (later replaced by asking guidance of Holy Spirit). Question: Is God obvious in the way we're governed today?

35: GREAT GRANDMOTHER TO THE GREATS
Based on RUTH (Rt)...Read more there.

Ruth is a very short book; barely 4 1/2 pages. But Ruth, who comes across as one of the nicest & best people in the Hebrew Scriptures, is a far more important person than that brevity might suggest. Even that she's not a Hebrew, but a Moabite (a descendant of a tribe springing from Abraham's nephew Lot) does not affect the place of honour she holds in both Hebrew & Christian traditions. Ruth marries a Hebrew man, Mahlon, a son of Elimelech & Naomi, Hebrews who had migrated from Bethlehem to Moab during a famine. Elimelech & Mahlon both die, leaving Naomi & Ruth widowed. Naomi elects to return to live among her own people, the Hebrews, & Ruth chooses to accompany her rather than remain among her Moabite tribes-people. Naomi's other daughter-in-law, also a widow now, chooses to stay. When Naomi tries to persuade Ruth to remain in Moab too, Ruth's response is: "Where you go I will go; wherever you choose to stay, I will stay; your people will be my people; your God will be my God......" [Ch.1:16-17)].

Naomi & Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem at the time of the barley harvest. Ruth, needing to provide food for them both, goes gleaning, as the poor are allowed to do by law [DT 24:19] but not always by property-owners! Ruth goes to glean in the fields of a well-to-do man named Boaz, who orders she be given preferential treatment so she can glean more abundantly. More, he generously provides her with food & drink. Something other than food & drink is clearly brewing here! Boaz tells Ruth to remain gleaning in his fields. When she takes home to Naomi what she's gleaned, & tells her the name of the man who has taken her under his wing, Naomi says, "Oh, he's a close relative of our late husbands. Blessed be God!" So Ruth gleans on into the wheat harvest. Naomi appears to put Ruth up to acting seductively [Ch.3] - & very effectively! - all in a good cause as things transpire! However, under Hebrew law another closer male relative has first right of refusal of buying Naomi's property & the widowed Ruth who is part of it! In a complicated process of tradition, law, & manoeuvring, Boaz persuades the other man to surrender his rights to him [Ch.4] & promptly marries Ruth [4:13]. And they all live happily ever after...

The book of Ruth is not simply a nice story of love & faithfulness at a human level. As often in the case in Scripture it is also a demonstration of God's love & faithfulness to Israel & its outworking down through the generations.The author wants to show God's will unfolding, working itself out through making connection after connection down the years. We can trace that through a land promised to Abraham (who pre-dates both Judaism & mono-theism), Captivity in Egypt, Exodus, Journeying in the wilderness, Taking possession of the long-Promised Land & all the other stages that unfold as the story is told on further & further. There's a lot still to come! We are left to ponder that there are no such things as co-incidences in this process; only God-incidents, encompassing those who remain faithful as God is faithful. Ruth's story is an important link in this out-working of the overall biblical picture. For instance, Boaz turns out to be the son of Rahab, the Canaanite woman who, discerning the way the Wind of God is blowing, betrays the town of Jericho into the hands of the invading Hebrews [JSH Chs.2 & 6]. With her family, Rahab is spared, & they are allowed as a reward to live among Hebrew society as 'honorary members'.
Ruth & Boaz produce a son they name Obed; Obed & his wife, a son called Jesse; & Jesse & his wife, a son named David! Great king of the Hebrew people! Even more importantly, David becomes great, great, umpteen greats grand-father of Jesus the Christ! All of which of course makes Ruth not only David's great grand-mother, but Jesus' great, great, umpteen greats... grand-mother too! [MT 1:5]  Before leaving Ruth, & looking further ahead, we might consider whether despite the importance of racial purity to the Jewish people from whom He springs, Jesus has Rahab, a Canaanite (& a prostitute & traitor to boot!) as an ancestor, & Ruth, a Moabite, too, among other 'iffy' people. Maybe YHWH's horizons are wider & broader than people who see religion through strait-jacketed hearts?! The story continues...36: Samuel... Prophet, Judge, & King-Maker...

Question: Have we been blessed as a result of God's will taking its course through choices people have made down the years?

                                                 34...MAKING GOD JUDGMENTS
                          Based on the book of Judges (Judg, Jd, or Jg)....Read more there.
Judges is a series of accounts of people who play a lead role when the Hebrews are settling or settled in Canaan, the 'Promised Land' (N1). After Joshua & his generation die, despite the Covenant made at Shechem tribal & religious observance deteriorate to the point of chaos & the people have to be rescued by YHWH (N2). The Judges, who feature over a long period rule on civil matters & often lead the people into battle. They operate in the void that exists between tribal & more centralised government. The latter doesn't emerge for some time yet. Moreover YHWH is often portrayed putting the Hebrews up to acts of violence we would not want to attribute to God today! In some judges we also have a glimpse of a prophet thrown in for good measure. More, the judges' influence is almost wholly limited to local, tribal affairs. Two of the earlier ones who rise to the occasion - or are raised by YHWH God - are Barak & Deborah (Chs. 4, 5). Yes, a woman! Deborah is actually referred to as a prophet! Barak seems unsure of himself in his role, & leans on Deborah as go-between between God & himself. Deborah blurs the lines between judging & prophesying when she becomes Barak's inspiration as he leads the Hebrews to defeat the local Canaanites in battle. Afterwards, the pair sing a long & bloodthirsty victory song (N3) as Moses & Miriam had done after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds [EX Ch. 15].

The next Judge to warrant attention is Gideon who wages war on the neighbouring Midianites, followers of the pagan god Baal (Chs.6-8). 'Highlights' might be Gideon's call by God (6:11+); his destruction of a pagan altar (6:25+); & the way in which YHWH orders him to reduce the size of the war party he is to lead against Midian (7:1+). The religious message conveyed by this reduction & its outcome is to make sure YHWH gets the glory for victory, not the Hebrew troops,  but see (N4).  After some 'lesser lights', Jephthah, though a 'lesser light' himself (Chs. 10-12) leads the Hebrews to victory over the Ammonites. It's one skirmish after another as local tribes continue to resist the migrating (invading) Hebrews. Reminiscent of today's Middle East still? The Hebrews' failure to remain faithful to YHWH for any length of time is usually cited as the reason this warfare is so ongoing, but in the end they see YHWH as sticking with them & in most cases giving them victory despite their failure to keep the covenant they have made with Him.

In Ch.13, we  are introduced to Samson who has been dedicated to God from birth as a Nazirite (Ch.13:1+). This involved among other things abstaining from wine & leaving your hair uncut. Honestly, Samson comes over more as a womanising, folk-hero kind of lout than a Judge. He's probably remembered as one of the latter only for his fighting prowess against Philistines! Best known to us as part of the Samson & Delilah drama maybe still showing in some format in a theatre near us, Samson is mostly all brawn & no brain. However, his encounter with a lion (Ch.14) & the riddle he poses as a result of that shows another side to him. He can also be a smart operator! Maybe he's another example of God being able to use anyone to do His will. Samson harries the Philistines at every opportunity (Ch.15), but his downfall comes (Ch.16) when they enlist his latest paramour, Delilah, herself a Philistine, & pay her to betray him. After some failed attempts, Delilah eventually brings Samson undone by lulling him to sleep so the Philistines can cut off his long Nazirite hair, supposedly the secret to his strength. Lo & behold, Samson's strength disappears with his hair! He is then captured, blinded & chained as a slave. His mostly unedifying time as Judge ends when his captors trot him out to amuse them with his feats of strength. He brings the house down! Literally. He has recovered enough strength to bring the building down killing them & himself in the process! The rest of the book appears to be a collection of add-ons from later times, probably not really relevant to most of us today. But that's another story...Great Grandmother to the Greatest.
(N1) Like most of the stories we've already heard, Judges in the form we know it has been edited much later. (N2) As in the case of 'major' & 'minor' Prophets, some Judges come to be known as more important than others. (N3) This song is regarded as being one of the oldest works of poetry in the Hebrew Bible (JB notes.). (N4) A little teaser: Can we see a possible pragmatic & military explanation for the choice Gideon is told to make here?
Question:  Are the 'good' judgments we think of ourselves making necessarily 'God' judgments? 

33: JOSHUA NOT ONLY FIT THE BATTLE OF JERICHO
Based on the Book of Joshua (JOSH) ...Read more there.

We've already seen in Ep. 31 that Joshua, son of Nun, has been appointed to succeed Moses before the latter's death. The Hebrews are still on the wrong side of the Jordan River. Still on the way to Canaan, the land promised to Abraham centuries earlier. The book named after Joshua is history told from a religious perspective. It's about the relationship between YHWH God & the Hebrew people as they move on (N1). The story of the conquest of the Promised Land as it's told here makes it clear that it wasn't completed in one fell swoop. Nor is it a completely joint effort. Individual tribes sometimes make their own thrusts according to their own agendas (N2).  Chs. 1-12 are taken up with the conquest of Canaan, with special reference to the famous siege, walls 'falling down' (as the result of a timely earthquake?), & taking of Jericho (Chs.2-6) in which Hebrew spies are aided & abetted by an insider, a woman named Rahab who discerns which way the wind of God's Spirit is blowing! Her reward? She & her family are spared the inevitable slaughter when the Hebrews take the town, & are allowed to assimilate to a degree within the Hebrew community. There is also an impressive & 'miraculous' crossing of the Jordan with echoes of the Sea of Reeds (Chs.3 & 4). The story then moves to the division of the land between the tribes, & issues relating to that dividing up (Chs.13-21). 

Before Joshua eventually dies, a highly significant religious assembly takes place at Shechem (Ch. 24). Not all the tribes have been fully 'on board' before this. Some had not even migrated to Egypt in the first place, so they have not experienced being enslaved there, & have no knowledge of Passover, nor the Exodus, all events that shaped the Hebrew national, cultural & religious mind-set from that time on. The other serious consequence for  those tribes left out of that big 'loop' is that they have neither been introduced to YHWH as their God, nor have they received the Commandments given to Moses, the basis of all Hebrew Law. So these tribes now find themselves out on a limb, a world apart from those who have experienced, or descended from those who have experienced, these momentous happenings. In a master stroke, under the wise guidance of Joshua at a human level holding the great assembly at Shechem welds all the tribes together in a new way with YHWH God at their centre. This will be nation-building. Christians might describe this as an out-pouring of Holy Spirit. Shechem is ancient family & tribal territory from the time of Abraham & Sarah, a bridge between pre- & post- Egypt experiences. Also, several of the most important & revered figures in Hebrew history have been buried at or in the vicinity of Shechem, & Joseph's bones, brought back from Egypt with the emigrants, now join his forbears' here too. So all the Israelites, whether they 'left home' or not, have common roots there. The great assembly agrees on & makes a new covenant that unites all the people in serving YHWH God.  And so the story continues... 34: Making God Judgments 

(N1) Some scholars think the preceding book, Deuteronomy (Ep. 32), is actually the first in a series, with Josh as second, & continuing on through the books of KINGS. JB has useful notes here. (N2) Not all the tribes of Israel had migrated to Egypt in the first place, or at least not in their entirety. Moreover, Moses had already pre-allocated lands to some [NUM 32].

Question: Is God at the centre of both our personal & 'tribal' life?