Bible Basic Joshua Joshua was Moses’ aide and successor. He was one of the twelve spies sent to scout the Land of Israel and one of only two who returned with a positive and empowering report, thus revealing his complete faith in God (Numbers 13-14). Joshua led the nation of Israel from the wilderness into Israel, conquering the land and settling the nation. He is not only remembered for his role in war, but for his spiritual leadership as well. Joshua was Moses’ loyal assistant. He was entrusted to lead the Children of Israel in a successful war against the tribe of Amalek. Moses changed his name from Hosea to Joshua before he set out on the mission of the spies in order to infuse him with extra spiritual power. Joshua ultimately led the Children of Israel in the conquering of the Land of Israel from the Canaanite tribes. He also supervised the apportioning of the Land of Israel to the 12 Tribes. He married Rahab after she converted. Read More
Post Joshua: The Man who Followed Moses Joshua is known for leading the Israelites into the Promised Land after Moses died. Let’s explore why he is important in the Bible…. Read More
Post Joshua or Caleb: What Makes an Exceptional Leader? Eeny, meeny, miny, mo… How do YOU choose when you have a decision to make? Do you flip a coin? Sometimes it is hard to make trivial decisions. What about… Read More
Post Why we Need the Book of Joshua The Book of Joshua is the first of the eight books of the Prophets. Joshua took over as the leader of the Children of Israel after his faithful teacher and… Read More
Post Why Jerusalem’s Purim Celebration Has Its Own Calendar Day The Purim story reminds us that overcoming our enemies is not just a cause for celebration but a call to action…. Read More
Bible Basic The Fall of Jericho The Fall of Jericho happened when God commanded Joshua and the Israelites to march around the city walls of Jericho for seven days. They marched around once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they marched around seven times, then blew shofarot (ram’s horns) and shouted, causing the walls to collapse. The Israelites then entered the city, killing all people and animals except for Rahab, the prostitute, and her family. Afterwards, Joshua cursed anyone who would rebuild the city of Jericho. Read More
Bible Basic Ashdod Ashdod was originally allotted to the Tribe of Judah when the Land of Israel was divided. The Philistines conquered Ashdod, and during the reign of King Saul they took the captured Ark of the Covenant to Ashdod. Generations later, King Uzziah’s of Judea recaptured Ashdod. Generations later, during the 70-year Babylonian exile, Jewish residents of Jerusalem intermarried with non-Jewish women from Ashdod. They divorced these women as part of a mass repentance process during the days of Nehemiah. Read More
Bible Basic Beersheba Beersheba is often mentioned in the Bible as the southern boundary of Jewish settlement in ancient Israel. It was a vital city in biblical times, and all three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, spent time there (Genesis 21:33-34, 22:19, 26:23-33, 28:10). In contemporary Israel, Beersheba is known as “the capital of the Negev Desert.” Read More
Bible Basic The Land of Canaan The Land of Canaan was settled by Canaan, his sons, and their tribes. God promised the Land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants, to be conquered and settled after leaving Egypt. The Israelites eventually conquered the land and renamed it Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel) after the patriarch Jacob, whose name was also Israel. Read More