Read the Bible in a Year: Week 7 – Joshua 4-24

In week 7 of our schedule to read the Bible in a year, we will finish the book of Joshua. Last we we saw the Israelites get set up to enter the land of Canaan. Now that they have crossed the river, the battles will begin. This book can be quite challenging since it deals with themes of violence to completely wipe out various people groups. The thing to keep in mind is that this is not an arbitrary act of violence, but is something that God has called the Israelites to carry out. God is both a gracious God and a just God. He will forgive us for a very long time, but eventually, his patience wears out and he calls for justice and punishment. In this case, the people of Canaan are meeting the just God and the Israelites have been asked to complete the horrific task of carrying it out. Do keep in mind that later in the Bible, the Israelites try God’s patience, and God ends up calling on the Babylonians to carry out justice and punishment towards the Israelites.

Forgiveness and justice are two opposites, but live together in our God. When they collide, the results are quite uncomfortable. The book of Joshua is not for the squeamish. Read about God’s punishment of the Canaanites throughout most of the book, then read about God’s forgiveness of the Israelites in the last chapter.

Read: More Blog Posts about Joshua

Flexible Plan: Reading for Week 7

If you are following the flexible plan for reading the Bible in a year, here is your reading assignment. You can break up the reading however you like throughout the week!