Dr Paul Allen

T he book of Joshua presents most readers with a troubling question: how can a God of love command his followers to destroy an entire nation of people? The Canaanites had lived in their land for centuries before Joshua and his people came to claim it for themselves. While some in Canaan fought against God’s people and were destroyed as a result (cf. the battle of Ai , 8:14ff), others did not attempt armed aggression against Israel . The people of Jericho, for instance, retreated inside their city walls and mounted no attack against the Jews. Nonetheless, following divine orders, the Israeli soldiers “destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys” (6:21). The God of Joshua also required a similar kind of wrathful judgment against his own people when they sinned. Following the battle of Jericho , a soldier named Achan took in plunder “a beautiful robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold...

The Jordan River (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Gospel writers point us to any number of watershed moments in the life of Jesus —moments that dramatically changed his life on earth. But the first such moment is one that literally involved water. From the day of his baptism, Jesus was recognized as one who taught with authority, and he was baptized in the water of the Jordan River for a reason. Within the culture of first-century Judaism, ritual immersion in water was used in a variety of ways, each of which involved living water. The Jewish oral law known as the Mishnah carefully defines various sources for such living water. The purest form of living water is rainfall. Therefore, any water source that flows or directs rainfall is said to contain living water.4 Thus by definition, the water of a river, lake, or sea was considered living water. A manmade pool (Hebrew, mikveh) could also contain living water if it was constructed properly and was fed from a source that collected...

Jesus baptism site - River Jordan 015 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) During the first century, the land promised to Abraham was filled with Roman soldiers who had taken possession of the country by force. An extension of that Roman power lay in the hands of the Roman-appointed priestly aristocracy who had taken control of Jerusalem ’s Temple. They had used their wealth and political influence to obtain and maintain their fraudulent authority over the Temple institution. In the midst of these claims of authority, there was Jesus . All authority in heaven and on earth actually belonged to him (Dan. 7:13–14; Matt. 28:18). In contrast to others, his was the legitimate authority. From place to place he revealed his authority through his words and actions that resulted in the overthrow of evil. In part 2 we will look at various ways Jesus revealed his authority and see again how certain places were often part of that process. In these eleven chapters we will examine events that occurred in...

Moses with the tablets of the Ten Commandments, painting by Rembrandt (1659) (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) By its own testimony (Deut. 1:1, 5; 31:22), Deuteronomy is the work of Moses. Mosaic authorship is affirmed many times elsewhere in the Old Testament (e.g. 2 Kin. 14:6), in ancient Jewish sources (e.g., Josephus), and in the New Testament. This view was almost universally held until the rise of rationalistic criticism in modern times. Critics correctly point out that the last chapter could not have been written by Moses. It is widely agreed that ch. 34 is an addendum, perhaps appended by Joshua. In the same way, the Book of Joshua ends with the death of Joshua, this record clearly having been supplied by the author of the Book of Judges, who appended verses from Judges to the end of Joshua (Judg. 2:7–9; cf. Josh. 24:29–31).  Likewise, the first verses of Ezra are copied and appended to the last chapter of Chronicles (Chronicles ends in the middle of a sentence). This w...

Mural - Elisha (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In Matthew 11:14 , Jesus recalls the promise in Malachi 4:5 , and names John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come. If Jesus is the one who comes after John the Baptist, can we draw a parallel to the one who came after Elijah? If John is Elijah, does that mean Jesus is Elisha ? If we look closer it is actually possible to find an uncanny resemblance between the man of God who came after Elijah in the book of Kings, and the Son of God who came after the second Elijah, the Baptizer. Not only do their names have similar meanings (compare Elisha—‘God is salvation’—with Jesus—‘Yahweh will save’) but the respective accounts of their lives show clear parallels. To begin with, their ministries commence with a ‘handover’ scene at the Jordan River . Elisha receives a double portion of Elijah’s spirit having just passed through the river Jordan ( 2 Kgs 2:6-12 ). He then sees Elijah taken up into heaven by a whirlwind. Jesus, in turn, meets Jo...

StJohnsAshfield StainedGlass Baptism (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) English: Modern church at the baptism site Deutsch: Moderne Kirche an Taufstelle im Jordan (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Matthew 3:4 –6 “Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (vv. 5–6). John the Baptist heralds the king and His kingdom. John administers in preparation for the coming kingdom. According to Matthew , John says that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 2). Of note is the phrase “the kingdom of heaven,” the preferred name for the kingdom in the first gospel. In a few instances, Matthew uses “ the kingdom of God ,” which is favored in the other Gospels. These phrases are synonymous, and Matthew’s use of heaven is probably nothing more than a stylistic variance — a decision to use a different word that gives a slightly different emphasi...

English: Moses and the Messengers from Canaan, by Giovanni Lanfranco, oil on canvas, 85-3/4 x 97 inches, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan , to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it." ( Joshua 1:9-11 )   In the army of the Lord , typified here by the Israelites as they prepared for the conquest of Canaan , there must be order rather than irresponsibility. This is evidently the first reference in the Bible to a chain of command in these armies. God commanded Joshua, who had previously been appointed by God, through Moses , to be their human commander-i...

Baptism of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In the Gospel of John , the disciples of John the Baptist come to him with words that seem tailor-made to provoke envy and resentment. “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan , to whom you bore witness — look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him” (John 3:26). John’s response is worth its weight in envy-fighting gold. First, he remembers where all blessing, success, and opportunity come from. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. Don’t seek an copy and established ministry. Seek a received ministry. We kill envy when we remember that whether we succeed or whether someone else does is ultimately given from the God who reigns from heaven. And how dare we assault his wisdom by murmuring about the opportunities and success of others. Second, John remembers his role. He is the friend of the Bridegroom, the groomsman , not the Bridegroom himself. And the groomsmen rejoice greatly when they...

Gustave Doré, Depiction of Satan, the antagonist of John Milton's Paradise Lost c. 1866 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Jesus , full of the Holy Spirit , returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1–2a). What are the differences between the test that Adam underwent in paradise, and the test Jesus experienced in the wilderness? There are several contrasts we can take note of. First, Adam was tempted in the midst of a beautiful garden, a situation that would reinforce God ’s light and truth to him. Jesus, however, was led into a lonely, dry, bleak, and dark wilderness, an environment not very conducive for being strong in the Spirit. Second, when Adam was faced with Satan ’s temptation, he enjoyed the support and camaraderie of his wife. When Jesus was tempted, it was in a context of solitude. We find it easier to compromise our ethics when we are alone, and when we are unknown to those around us. There ...

English: Conquest of Canaan, as appears in the book of Joshua עברית: כיבוש ארץ כנען בימי יהושע (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD” ( Josh. 22:31b). The relief of the delegation from the west is palpable in this passage. Phineas the priest and the 10 rulers of the tribes settled in Canaan came with a hard message for the tribes east of the Jordan River : “Turn back from your apparent sin in the construction of this altar or face war, for we cannot allow this transgression to stand lest God judge us all.” But the answer of the eastern tribes has left no doubt that they acted not out of rebellion against God but from zeal for His worship . The author of the book of Joshua tells us that the easterners’ answer and their evident sincerity leave Phineas and the others from the west “pleased.” This, h...

English: By Rembrandt. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." ( Romans 1:17 ) Today's verse contains a portion of Habakkuk 2:4 , emphasizing that those who have been "twice born" can live using the same faith that God granted us so that we could believe ( Ephesians 2:8 ). An acronym for "USE" can help focus our thoughts. U--Use what you have: Moses had only a rod when God called him to deliver the nation of Israel ( Exodus 4:2-6 ). We should use the talent and equipment already in our possession, just like the widow of Zarephath who gave her meager grain ( 1 Kings 17:10-16 ). Daniel used his secular position ( Daniel 6:14-23 ) and Esther used her beauty and bravery ( Esther 4:13-17 ) to accomplish His will. S--Start doing it: Nothing happens unless we become involved. The priests of Israel participated in the miracle at Jordan when ...

English: Elisha raising the Shunammites Son (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) He [ Elisha ] picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan  ( 2 Kings 2:13). When it came time for Elijah to be taken up into heaven, he and his appointed successor, Elisha , were at Gilgal . Elijah suggested that Elisha remain at Gilgal , but Elisha insisted on going along with him to Bethel. At Bethel, Elijah repeated his suggestion that Elisha remain behind, but the servant insisted on accompanying his master to Jericho . At Jericho , Elijah urged Elisha to remain in the city, but Elisha insisted on crossing the Jordan into the wilderness with Elijah. Elisha knew that if he were to succeed Elijah, it was important for the rest of the prophets to see him in the company of the master. Of course, an additional factor was his love for Elijah, and his unwillingness to be parted from him. Elijah asked his servant if he had one last request to make o...