Joshua 6-7 & Romans 11

The first battle for the Promised Land is fought at Jericho in Joshua 6. We have the famous telling of the circling of the walls of Jericho for six days and then on the seventh day, the people shouted and the walls came down. The Israelites flooded into the city, and put all living things to the sword, for the holy ban had been established. Only the gold and silver of the city were to be taken as spoils and they were to go to the treasury of the Lord.

The agreement with Rahab stands, as men are send to Rahab and her family and they were brought to the Israelite camp, the outside of camp of course.

As a final insult to Jericho, Joshua curses the city and the land upon which Jericho was built. If any attempt to rebuild, it will cost them their firstborn.

It has been proven previously that Israel has a hard time following the rules that God has laid out and once again in Joshua 7 we are shown another example. The people were not to take any possessions for themselves when they destroyed Jericho, all precious metals where to be given to God. Evidently Achan did not get that memo. He decided he would take a silver platter for himself, beleiving that he could hide this from God.

When Joshua turns his attention to Ai, the next major city, the Israelites are defeating in a rather embarrassing rout. Joshua is beside himself wondering how this could happen and he lays blame at God's feet. God, however, informs Joshua that someone has not listened. Through a process of elimination they found Achan has taken devoted items for himself. Achan is stoned to death as his punishment, the sin has been removed from Israel.

Romans 11

I imagine Paul, at some time, realized that he was leading some down a path of anti-Israelite sentiment, and the church is guilty of this, as he speaks of the Law and of Jesus. But Paul is very clear in his belief that Israel, the Jews, are still the Chosen people and God has not rejected them. In fact he uses himself as an example, if God had rejected Israel, then Paul would not have been called to preach the Good News.

While God works as God will, and as this mystifies and annoys us, all of God's work leads to good. In Chapter 11, Paul points out that by hardening Israel's resolve to reject the gospel, this opens the door to the Gentiles to be saved. The Gentiles, however, must not think they have "achieved" a status that they have earned for their salvation is nothing but a gift from God.

It is this same grace that stands open to Israel as well. God cannot offer grace to the Gentiles, without also offering it to Israel, what kind of God would God be if that was the case? God has not rejected Israel. God's grace witnessed to Christ can now call Israel back to what they were called to be originally, God's Children. The covenant remains, as always.