Student Connect

great to meet Pastor greetings from Harare , Zimbabwe

Hello dexjoseph35

I am Catherine Luke I am new to the class my first day. Good to meet you. Joshuna is a good book to read. of the promise land

When it comes to current conflicts in the region, Christians should be slow to “take sides” politically. Instead, we should pray for peace, justice, and safety for all people—Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Every person is made in God’s image. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), and that should guide our attitude. We can care about truth and justice without hating any group. Our call is to love, listen, and seek peace where possible.

Studying the book of Joshua has helped me understand Jesus in a deeper way. Joshua was a leader who brought the people into the promised land. He finished what Moses started. In the same way, Jesus leads us into the true “promised land”—eternal life with God.

One thing I appreciate more now is how Jesus brings both victory and rest. In Joshua 21:45, it says, “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” This shows that God always keeps His promises. Jesus does the same. He is the final fulfillment of God's promises. When He said, “It is finished,” on the cross (John 19:30), He had completed the work that brings us into God’s rest.

I also see how the battles in Joshua point to the spiritual battles we face now. But instead of fighting with weapons, Jesus teaches us to overcome evil with good. His kingdom is not about land or war, but about changed hearts. After reading Joshua, I appreciate more how much Jesus gave us a new kind of victory—one that defeats sin, not just enemies.

While I very much appreciative of the study we have undertaken on the Book of Joshua in this course, I would likely approach the study of Joshuas as a pastor in the church where I am now serving from the standpoint of an adult Sunday School class or a discipleship class. I would begin with an overview of the book by explaining the authorship, approximate date of its writing, the purpose and importance of the book and the structure of the book.

               The title I would give to the study of this book, whether it be a discipleship or Sunday School, would be “Promises Made by God and Promises Kept by God.” After in the introduction of the book, I would differ somewhat from the teaching that we undertook. This course was very thorough and intense. Sometimes it is easier to teach a book from a simplistic approach to members of a congregation in a class setting. Therefore, as my source documents, I would use the Bible, of course, and the Holman Old Testament Commentary on the Book of Joshua. The author, Kenneth O. Gangel and General Editor, of this commentary do a great job in providing a setting for a discipleship or Sunday School class. Mr. Gangel breaks the book down into teaching chapter by chapter with only three exceptions. In these exceptions, he includes more than one chapter.

               I would emphasize four important factors in this study. First, Goda made a promise to the Nation of Isarel and He kept it. Second, God made a covenant with the nation and the the people were committed to keeping that covenant. Third, sin will always cause men to fail when they rebel against God. Fourth, it is always man’s choice to follow God’s commands or disobey His commands.

In dealing with various issues, I would stress the importance making the right choices when serving God.  Right choices will always lead to God’s blessings and wrong choices will always lead to blessings being forsaken. I would also relate how to the class how the Book of Joshua applies to Christians today. As our authors have done, I would apply the  aspects of the book to the Inauguration of the Kingdom, the Continuation of the Kingdom and the Consummation to the Kingdom.

The command to destroy the Canaanites is one of the hardest parts of the Bible for many people. It seems harsh. It feels violent. But we must look deeper. We must look through the lens of who God is.

God is holy. He is just. He gave the Canaanites hundreds of years to turn from their evil (Genesis 15:16). But they continued in sin—child sacrifice, violent worship, and corruption. The destruction was not random. It was judgment. God used Israel as an instrument to stop evil. This is not about racism or power. It was about cleansing the land of deep sin.

Also, this was a special event. It was not a model for us to copy today. It was part of God’s plan in history. It prepared the way for Israel to become a nation, so that one day Jesus could come. Today, we do not fight with swords. We fight with grace, truth, and love. As Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

To me, this story reminds us that God takes sin seriously. But it also reminds us that He gives time. He is patient. And when He acts, it is not by our human standards. Even judgment can lead to healing. This is not about control. It is about mercy in a bigger plan.