Let the Prophets Speak

As Joshua neared the end of his life, God points out that now that his fighting years are over, it is time to divide the land. God promises him that He would help the people of Israel conquer the entire land, so he should divide it all as if it already was conquered. We then begin listing the boundaries of each tribe, beginning with the boundaries of Reuben, Gad and half of Menasseh.

The text lists the Kings and territories conquered by Moshe and Joshua as they led the people of Israel.

None of the towns of Canaan accept tp make peace with the Israelites, so war it is. Joshua conquers many more towns and regions, and the people of Israel begin to settle the land.

Joshua continues to lead the people to victory after victory. As God "recedes" into the background, Joshua reminds the people that even if they don't see overt miracles, He is still there!

The Givonites fear of retribution from their kinsmen is realized, and the Amorite kings band together against them. They appeal to Joshua for help, and the people of Israel respond in full force in support of their new allies. The battle is won, the five kings are destroyed, as "the sun stands still" over Givon!

The people of Givon make peace with Joshua, but they secure it through tricky means.

After the conquest of Ai, Joshua recognizes that it is time to remind the people of the purpose of this war. It is time to fulfill the directive of Moshe, and to teach the people the lessons of the Torah. It is this that stirs up the united opposition to the Israelites by the Caananite kings.

This time the attack against the city of Ai of successful, and it is military strategy that wins the day. Joshua sets up a surprise ambush and the city of Ai is taken.

Hubris begins to creep into the nation, and Achan succumbs to temptation. Taking some treasures of the forbidden booty, Achan is led down a path of lies, cover-up, Sabbath violation, and stealing. The people then lose their first attempt at conquering a city "on their own" and they must expose why God is no longer on their side.

The first battle of conquest on this side of the Jordan takes place. The walls of Jericho collapse after the people perform an unusual ceremony circling the city.

The people celebrate the first Passover in the new land, and Joshua has a mysterious encounter with an angel.

The people of Israel are commanded to circumcise themselves before embarking upon the conquering if the land.

God asks the people to set up a twelve stone memorial to the crossing of the Jordan River.

God performs another astounding miracle, but slowly begins His subtle retreat from overt miracles. The People of Israel need to learn that success is in their hands, though they can still have faith that God will be there as long as they follow His ways.

Joshua sends spies to check out Jericho, which will be the first major military engagement after crossing Jordan. The spies seek refuge in the home of the harlot Rahab. Rahab saves the spies from capture and they make her a deal.

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and part of Mennasheh agree to keep their bargain. The people swear their allegiance to their new leader, so long as he continues his relationship with God as did his mentor Moses.

God charges Joshua to lead the people into the Land of Israel.

In the concluding chapter of his book, Nehemiah relates how upon return to Jerusalem from Susa he finds all of his reforms unraveling. He understandably gets angry with the people as he tries to put things back together.

The first Chanukah is celebrated, as the Nehemiah leads a double parade around Jerusalem to rededicate the newly rebuilt and repopulated city.

The people repopulate Jerusalem and the towns of the Judean countryside. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah, the Levites and the priests spread out across the land.

The "Men of the Great Assembly" set out the constitution which created what is now known as Rabbinic Judaism. They all agreed to to follow God's Torah, and enacted a wide range of legislation to preserve and protect the sanctity of the relationship between the Jewish people and God.

The people conclude their prayer before God, and the foundation and structure of Jewish prayer is set for generations to come.

After celebrating the holidays, the people return to their sadness. They mourn all of the years they and their ancestors ignored the Torah of God. They study, they learn, and then they turn to God with a new covenant. They begin by remembering all of God's greatness, and their own shortcomings.

In this beautiful chapter Ezra teaches the people the Torah, and they learn to celebrate Rosh HaShanah and Sukkot together.

Nehemiah completes the walls of the city, and finds the city to be sparsely populated and lacking housing. He begins a full census review to determine the families presents, where they live, and their numbers. The chapter ends as the month of the high holidays approaches, and its time for the people to gather in Jerusalem.