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Autumn 2026: The Book of Joshua
- Saturday 10th October – Joshua 6:22-27 & Matthew 1:5-6 ‘Rahab’s destiny’
Our week began with Rahab. It’s fitting that it ends with Rahab, too – as she is indeed spared, along with all her family. Her courage and faith were rewarded, not just with life, but with a place in God’s people: ‘she lives among the Israelites to this day’ (v25).
As we reflected yesterday, this is a beautiful story of grace and redemption in the middle of a robust narrative of conflict. Somehow Rahab had grasped who the Lord was – despite, as far as we know, never having encountered the Israelites directly before – and was prepared to risk her life to serve this Lord. It is a wonderful reminder of how God’s grace is at work in all kinds of places and all kinds of people. No-one is beyond God’s love, or reach.
But there is a beautiful post-script to this story – one we don’t learn in Joshua, but only many centuries later, at the start of Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 1:5-6). After the events at Jericho, Rahab is freed from prostitution and marries a man called Salmon, one of the Israelite settlers. They have a family, including a son called Boaz. This is the Boaz who marries Ruth in the Old Testament story who bears her name. Boaz is King David’s great-grandfather… in other words, Rahab is King David’s great-great-grandmother! And therefore also, by definition, a direct descendant of Jesus himself.
It is fitting that a woman of such faith and courage should have a bigger part to play in the story of scripture. It also reminds us that when God rescues us, he also gives us a new purpose in life. We all have a valuable part to play in God’s kingdom coming: there are ‘good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ (Ephesians 2:10) We may be aware of (some of) those things which God has planned for us; we may even feel we have largely fulfilled them, one way or another; or we may still be wondering. Perhaps God is pointing you in a new direction, or stirring something new in you?
Grace saves us as we are. But it doesn’t leave us as we are. We journey with the Lord, in faith and hope. May Rahab’s story inspire us this week, and renew our desire to live fruitful lives, for God’s glory. Grace is truly the fuel for life.
- Friday 9th October – Joshua 5:13-6:21 ‘The fall of Jericho’Read more...
The story of the fall of Jericho is one of those iconic Old Testament stories. Packed with drama, and involving a mighty miracle, it’s been a staple of Sunday Schools for generations…. but many of us reading it as adults may feel somewhat more ambivalent. The children’s version is a rip-roaring tale of derring-do; the adult version may well feel a ...
- Thursday 8th October – Joshua 5:1-12 ‘Essential preparations’Read more...
Back in London where we used to live, the area next to us – called Furzedown – had no pubs in it. This was a surprise, since it was a relatively affluent area with a large number of houses: plenty of people in other words, who would gladly have used a local place to meet and socialise. The reason Furzedown had ...
- Wednesday 7th October – Joshua 4:1-24 ‘The power of remembering’Read more...
In both of our churchyards you’ll find War Memorials. These were erected after the Great War as our communities – like thousands around the country – tried to come to terms with the horror of what had happened. 27 men lost their lives from two small villages in four years. I learned recently that stonemasons around the country were inundated with ...
- Tuesday 6th October – Joshua 3:1-17 ‘Following the Ark’Read more...
Once, when asked how he made decisions about church life and leadership, a well-known Christian leader replied: ‘I look to see what God is already doing and then try to follow that.’
If you’re anything like me, it’s easy sometimes to lose sight of the literal meaning of the word ‘follower’: it automatically implies the leader is ahead, ...
- Monday 5th October – Joshua 2:1-24 ‘Rahab’s testimony’Read more...
If I was to ask you to name any of the great confessions of faith in the bible, I wonder which you might recall? Perhaps it would be Solomon’s great prayer at the dedication of the Temple; or David’s poetic psalms; or Isaiah’s encounter with the living God; or Peter’s and Thomas’ impassioned recognitions of Jesus’ identity; or Paul’s erudite sermons ...