Study Desk

So now you may see the land that I am giving to the Israelites. But you cannot go into that land."

The Lord said to Moses, "This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I said to them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants. I have let you see the land, but you cannot go there.'"

No other prophet ever did as many powerful and amazing things as Moses did for the Israelites to see.

They gave orders to the people: "When you see the Levite priests carrying the Box of the Agreement of the Lord your God, follow them.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to make you a great man for all the Israelites to see. Then the people will know that I am with you just as I was with Moses.

This is why Joshua circumcised the men: After the Israelites left Egypt, all the men who were able to serve in the army were circumcised. While in the desert, many of the fighting men did not listen to the Lord . So the Lord promised that they would not see the "land where much food grows." He promised our ancestors to give us that land, but because of those men, he forced the people to wander in the desert for 40 years. That way all those fighting men would die. So all the fighting men died, and their sons took their place. But none of the boys who were born in the desert on the trip from Egypt had been circumcised. So Joshua circumcised them.

Later, the king of Ai saw the army of Israel. The king and his people hurried out to fight the army of Israel. The king of Ai went out the east side of the city toward the Jordan Valley, so he did not see the soldiers hiding behind the city.

There Joshua copied onto the stones the law Moses had written down. This was for all the people of Israel to see.

"Look at our bread. When we left home, it was warm and fresh. But now you can see that it is dry and old.

Look at our wineskins. When we left home, they were new and filled with wine. But now you can see that they are cracked and old. Look at our clothes and sandals. You can see that the long journey has almost destroyed the things we wear."

Then Joshua said, "Look around at yourselves and the people with you. Do you all know and agree that you have chosen to serve the Lord ? Are you all witnesses to this?" The people answered, "Yes, it is true. We all see that we have chosen to serve the Lord ."

I will use them to test the Israelites. I will see if the Israelites can keep the Lord 's commands as their ancestors did."

He left those nations in the land to test the Israelites. He wanted to see if the Israelites would obey the Lord 's commands that he had given to their ancestors through Moses.

One time the angel of the Lord came to a place called Ophrah and sat under an oak tree. This oak tree belonged to a man named Joash from the Abiezer family. His son Gideon was beating some wheat in a winepress. He was hiding so that the Midianites could not see the wheat. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, "The Lord be with you, brave soldier."

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what the Lord had told him to do. But Gideon was afraid that his family and the men of the city might see what he was doing, so he did it all at night, not in the daytime.

Samson's father went down to see the Philistine woman. The custom was for the bridegroom to give a party. So Samson gave a party.

When you come to that place, you will see that there is plenty of land. There is plenty of everything there. You will also see that the people are not expecting an attack. Surely God has given that land to us."

The Israelites counted everyone to see who was there and who was not. They found that no one from Jabesh Gilead was there.

Watch to see which fields they go into to cut the grain and follow them. I have warned the young men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, go and drink from the same water jug my men drink from."

Go wash yourself and get dressed. Put on a nice dress, and go down to the threshing floor. But don't let Boaz see you until he has finished eating his dinner.