Joshua, Judges, and Ruth
Who is God? How does God act in our lives? How are we to act as God's faithful people? Joshua, Judges, and Ruth represent a chorus of voices reflecting on Israel's earliest days in its land. In Joshua, God empowers an obedient Israel to conquer the promised land. In Judges, Israel's faithlessness and God's wrath lead to a downward spiral of sin, subjugation, and social disintegration. Ruth narrates a story of divine blessing worked out through human loyalty. Within these plots, the characters wrestle with a range of issues including faithfulness versus faithlessness, identity, leadership, and the nature of providence. Pressler explores these themes in their historical context while also presenting their relevance for the church today. --From publisher's description
Print Book, English, 2002
Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY, 2002
Commentaries
xii, 312 pages ; 23 cm.
9780664255268, 0664255264
49870631
Joshua. Setting the stage
The outsider's faith
Miracles and memory: crossing the Jordan
Rites of passage
And the walls came tumblin' down
The battle of Ai: a cautionary tale
Joshua's altar
The Gibeonite ruse
The promise fulfilled
Possessing the land
For the sake of justice
Priestly presence
Tension and unity
Joshua's farewell
Covenant and final note
Judges. Introduction
Othniel, Ehud, and Eglon
Deborah and Barack
Gideon
Abimelech: a(nother) cautionary tale
The "minor" judges
Jephthah
Samson
Thieves, thugs, and idol worshipers
The body severed
Ruth. Introduction to the book of Ruth
Loss and loyalty
A provisional resolution
Scandalous valor
Negotiations and blessings