Recap
7 coverings chapters 19 to 21
This
is a synopsis of the third three chapter group that form Part 3. (If
you click on any of he chapter headings they will take you to that
chapter)
A.
Overview
Chapter
19 - Canaan (1): A Contradictory God of Justice?
19.1
Setting the Scene: the chapter's strategy
19.2
Approaching the Old Testament: An Overview
19.3
Justice & the Law of Moses
19.4
Justice in the subsequent life of Israel
19.5
Justice in the Songs of Israel
19.6
Justice and the Prophets
19.7
And So?
Chapter
20 - Canaan (2): Thinking about Justice and God
20.1
The Concept of Justice in Old Testament Usage
20.2
Justice in common usage today
20.3
Recap: The God of Justice
20.4
God as Lawmaker: His initial role
20.5
God as Law Upholder: His subsequent role
20.6
God as Bringer of Justice?
20.7
Review of the Chapter
Chapter
21 - Canaan (3): God, Israel and the Canaanites
21.1
Recap: God as a Bringer of Justice
21.2
The Divine Strategy revealed: the Plan for Canaan
21.3
The Thinking behind the Strategy clarified: Canaan
's
State
21.4
An Aside: Taking Remedial Action
21.5
An Aside – Being Responsible
21.6
More on God's Responsibility
21.7
A Final Example: An alternative seen in the life of Rahab
21.8
Some Conclusions
B.
Detail
Chapter
19 - Canaan (1): A Contradictory God of Justice?
Thesis
of Chapter 19: If
the clear testimony of Scripture is that God is a God of Justice,
it is inconceivable that He will commit acts that are contrary to
justice, and so we will need to review all His acts in the light of
this.
The
point of this chapter is to set up a framework to enable us to then
think about whether there is a contradiction between God's reputation
as declared in the Old Testament and His acts.
The
Law of Moses, from God, demanded justice within this new society
Justice
was expected in the subsequent life of the nation of Israel
The
psalms speak of the Lord as a God of justice
The
prophets (under God's inspiration) demanded justice within the nation.
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Chapter
20 - Canaan (2): Thinking about Justice and God
We
need to consider just what justice is.
The
words used for justice are, in older versions of the Bible, rendered
‘right judgment' and the sense is always of a fair judicial decision.
Justice
is about what we deserve or what transgressors deserve.
Cries
for justice are commonly heard.
We
expect, in a civilised nation, someone
to step in and intervene to stop the injustice that is occurring,
whether that be parents, social services or the police.
Nowhere
is there the attitude that “justice means we do nothing”. No, justice
demands something is done.
God,
as Creator, knows best how the world that He has brought into being
should work – including human beings.
The
Bible is quite clear that God does NOT do two things:
•
He does not sit back and let us wallow
in our failures.
•
He does not bring instant judgment
on our failures.
What
He does do is intervene in our activities in order to bring us to
our senses and to help us come back (or come to) a place where we
are living according to His design-rules.
Romans
1 shows us that because people refuse to take notice of the truth,
God ‘gives them over' to foolish destructive behaviour, in order to
bring people to their senses and back to Himself.
God
is a bringer of justice.
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Chapter
21 - Canaan (3): God, Israel and the Canaanites
God's
intent was the Israel
should take over the land
of Canaan
It
is clear that it was a land full of superstitious idol worship that
also involved child sacrifice.
It
was a messy society waiting to be dealt with.
In
life generally, we see situations that need remedying, where there
is a threat to something good, which if not dealt with will only get
worse.
God's
strategy explained was first to make the people of Canaan
flee.
It
is clear that God anticipates that this will be the main thing that
should happen.
An
alternative which becomes clear is that they could make treaties and
join and become part of Israel
.
Failing
this, fighting is the only outcome left.
One
way or another, the existing situation is not going to remain – but
the choice of what happens is up to the inhabitants. Theirs is the
final decision. God has given them plenty of chance to avoid fighting.
C.
And So?
We
have taken some time to consider a number of issues pertaining to
the taking of the land
of Canaan .
We
have very much focused on the subject of justice, suggesting the situation
required action be taken against this land where evil reigned and
lives were being taken for superstitious idolatrous reasons. It was,
we suggest, as much an issue of justice as anything else.
The
Lord was using Israel
and His desire for them to have this land, as a means of dealing with
something that needed to be dealt with.