Posts by Josh Moody
Joshua 18-19: Inheritance!
Joshua 18-19, Psalm 78:40-72, Mark 3:1-19, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Joshua 18-19: The land was subdued before the Israelites—in the sense of them being the dominant military presence, but not in the sense of entire and total conquest. For there are still some whose lands have not even been apportioned (18:2), and they are encouraged to…
Read MoreJoshua 15-17: Courage!
Joshua 15-17, Psalm 78:1-39, Mark 2:18-28, 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Joshua 15-17: The “allotments” continue—boundary lines specified with great detail indicating which parcels of land have been allotted to whom so that the record is kept for future generations, and so the tribes are motivated to “subdue” the land (18:1) and make it theirs. In the…
Read MoreJoshua 13-14: Octogenarian Warrior
Joshua 13-14, Psalm 77, Mark 2:13-17, 1 Corinthians 5 Joshua 13-14: Joshua himself is getting old (13:1), so God gives him instructions fitting the need to pass on a legacy. “There remains very much land to possess” (13:1). This reality is reiterated later again in verse 13, and refutes an academic critical position that the…
Read MoreJoshua 10-12: If God Is for Us, Who Can Be Against Us?
Joshua 10-12, Psalm 76, Mark 2:1-12, 1 Corinthians 4 Joshua 10-12: Now the conquest begins to speed up, lessons having been learned and positions taken. Adoni-Zedek, king of Jerusalem, sees which way the wind is blowing and decides to fight against it—he gathers an army to attack Gibeon, recent allies with Israel (10:1-5). The Gibeonites…
Read MoreJoshua 8-9: God’s Word
Joshua 8-9, Psalm 75, Mark 1:35-45, 1 Corinthians 3 Joshua 8-9: Having then dealt with the “sin in the camp” that chapter 7 described, Joshua is once more commanded to attack Ai, this time given leave to keep some of the plunder, and assured that God would give the city into his hands (8:1-2). Again,…
Read MoreJoshua 6-7: Secrets of Victory (and Defeat)
Joshua 6-7, Psalm 74, Mark 1:21-34, 1 Corinthians 2 Joshua 6-7: First victory, then defeat. Joshua is commanded by the LORD (presumably the commander of the army of the Lord who appeared to him at the end of chapter 5) how to defeat Jericho. The inhabitants are shut up within the fortifications of Jericho (6:1),…
Read MoreJoshua 1-2: Promise
Joshua 1-2, Psalm 72, Mark 1:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 Joshua 1-2: With Moses now dead and Joshua the new leader (Deut. 34; Joshua 1:1), the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 1). The great beginning to this magisterial and mighty Book of Joshua begins with instructions, full of promise, from the LORD to…
Read MoreDeuteronomy 33-34: Blessing!
Deuteronomy 33-34, Psalm 71, Matthew 28:11-20, Romans 16 Deuteronomy 33-34: This great book, the sermons of Deuteronomy, ends with blessing. Chapter 33 is a series of blessings designated specifically to the tribes of Israel, by the word of Moses, as he blesses them before he leaves them. There are some justly famous words with which it concludes. There…
Read MoreDeuteronomy 32: Singing of Life
Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 70, Matthew 28:1-10, Romans 15:14-33 Deuteronomy 32: How shall we interpret this most remarkable “song”? First, it is important to notice that it is God himself who has commissioned it (Deut. 31:19), and that for a purpose: to “be a witness for [God] against the people of Israel.” In other words, it is a “warning,”…
Read MoreDeuteronomy 29-31: Covenant Renewed
Deuteronomy 29-31, Psalm 69:19-36, Matthew 27:57-66, Romans 15:1-13 Deuteronomy 29-31: And so with the drama from chapter 28 of the “curses and blessings” before them, and with the choice that it represents to God’s people to choose life, not death, Moses now renews the covenant, this time at Moab (Deut. 29). In the same way that congregations of…
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