17 HEBREWS 11:30-31 1. Read Numbers 13:25-14:25. Although Joshua Isn't Named in Hebrews 11, His Presence Is Implied by His
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Running the Race with Perseverance Amy M. Donaldson LESSON 7: FAITH TO ENTER THE LAND HEBREWS 11:30-31 1. Read Numbers 13:25-14:25. Although Joshua isn’t named in Hebrews 11, his presence is implied by his leadership in the march around Jericho (11:30). The disobedience in the wilderness is skipped here (see Heb. 3-4), but it is the hinge that stands between the first five books of the Bible and the continuing narrative in the book of Joshua. Abraham and his descendants may have been tent-dwelling sojourners, but Joshua will lead the twelve tribes to claim this land as their inheritance. But to understand Joshua’s role in leading the people into the land, it’s important to know what happened the first time he set foot there, as one of twelve sent to spy out the land. a. Originally, God sent his people on a fairly direct route to the promised land. Once they arrived outside the land, Moses sent one person from each tribe to spy out the land. Among the twelve were Caleb and Joshua. Numbers 13:25 picks up the story with their return after forty days. (If that number seems familiar, see Num. 14:33-34.) • What report did the spies bring back? What disagreement was there among them, and who fell on which side of their division? (See esp. Num. 13:25-33; 14:6-9.) • What roles do faith and fear play in the spies’ report and the reaction of the people? • Why do you think God wanted Moses to send spies into the land (see Num. 13:1-2, 17-20), and how do you think God and Moses wanted the people to react to what the spies saw there? b. Although the Israelites have been complaining their way through the wilderness from the Red Sea to Sinai to their camp outside the promised land, this is the first time their complaining has turned into a flat-out mutiny. Why do the people want to head back to Egypt, and how do Moses and Aaron respond? How does God respond to this decision by the people? • Similar to the golden calf incident, Moses intercedes with God on the people’s behalf. What does Moses argue to God, to persuade him to spare the Israelites? (See Num. 14:13-19; compare Exod. 33:12-17; 34:4-9.) • God’s response to Moses is “I do forgive, just as you have asked; nevertheless...” (Num. 14:20-21). Even though God does punish the current generation, how is God’s decision also an act of mercy and forgiveness? • In our own lives, what is the relationship between the consequences of our actions and God’s forgiveness? What are some of the results we experience in our lives when God forgives our actions (or thoughts or inactions)? c. Although God will punish the generation that rebelled in the wilderness, God does spare two people for their faithfulness: Caleb and Joshua (Num. 14:30, 38). Joshua in particular earns the role as Moses’s successor. • How did Caleb and Joshua display faith and leadership in their report to the people and their response to the rebellion? (See esp. Num. 13:30-31; 14:6-9, 24.) • What can we learn from Caleb and Joshua about how to respond to “giants” or insurmountable odds in our lives? 2. Read Hebrews 11:30 and Joshua 6:1-21. With verses 30 and 31, Hebrews 11 wraps up the focus on God’s promises to Abraham as the Israelites finally take possession of the promised land. Jericho is known as the first great success during the period of conquest. a. The march on Jericho is an unusual battle plan. What are the Israelites told to do for the first six days, and how is the seventh day different? 17 Running the Race with Perseverance Amy M. Donaldson • What do you think the people inside Jericho were thinking during the first six days? What do you think the Israelites were thinking as they marched around the city for six days? • How was it an act of faith by the Israelites and their leaders to follow this approach to conquering Jericho? b. The priests and the ark of the covenant play a key role in the instructions to march around the city. What did the ark of the covenant represent, and what is the significance of including it in the marching plan? • In what ways did God show the Israelites that the battle belonged to the Lord rather than to their own might? Why do you think God wants us to rely on him instead of on our own strength? c. The conquest of Jericho includes the challenging concept of “the ban” (Hb. herem), or devoting things to destruction in dedication to the Lord (Josh. 6:18-19, 21). While this is a more complex topic than we can discuss fully here, it is important to know a couple things: (1) the conquest of the land was God’s judgment on the people who lived there (compare this to the flood), and it was not an opportunity for personal gain by the Israelites; and (2) the complete obedience of the Israelites was key (when they didn’t obey, they were punished; see Josh. 7). • A regular part of warfare was plundering the defeated and taking their people as slaves. Why do you think God wanted the Israelites to behave differently, by not taking spoil or slaves from the people they conquered? • Why do you think obedience to God in this matter was so important? What did God want his people to learn as he used them to bring judgment against the people living in Canaan, who had not been faithful to Yahweh? • What does God want us to learn through our obedience to him rather than pursuing our own personal gain? 3. Read Hebrews 11:31 and Joshua 6:22-25 (see also Josh. 2). Rahab is an interesting figure in the Bible. As a non-Israelite and a prostitute, you’d think she would get more negative press than positive. Instead, Rahab is celebrated in both the Old Testament and the New. She is among the few women named here in the Hall of Faith (Heb. 11) and in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1). Rahab stands out as an early convert to the God of Israel, and so she is remembered with favor for her act of courage, even though she is also remembered by her profession. a. What role did Rahab play in helping the Israelite spies when they came to scout out Jericho? What risks did Rahab take in helping them? Why did her actions mean so much to the Israelites? b. Why do you think Rahab was so willing to help the Israelite spies? • What can we learn from Rahab’s courage and willingness to trust in God? c. Why do you think Rahab continues to be such a revered example of faith in the New Testament? • What encouragement does it offer us that even though Rahab was remembered for her (less-than-godly) past, she was also remembered as such a great example of faithfulness to God and to God’s people? Bringing It Home: Moses asked the twelve spies to bring back some fruit of the land, as a down payment on the good things God had in store. What are some things in our own lives that serve as a sampling of God’s future promises and a reminder of God’s goodness? (For example, the Holy Spirit, worship music, beauty of creation) For Further Reading: Anakim/Anakites and Nephilim (Gen. 6:4; Deut. 2:10-12, 20-21; 9:1-3; Josh. 11:21-22); sin of the Amorites (Gen. 15:13-16); Joshua (Num. 27:12-23; Deut. 31:1-8, 14-23; 34:9; Josh. 1:1-9); the ban/devoted to destruction (Lev. 27:28-29; Deut. 7:17-26; 13:12-18; 1 Sam. 15); Rahab (Matt. 1:5; James 2:25) 18 .