I was talking with a member of our church family after the service Sunday morning. He shared with me how, when his children lived at home with them, he used to teach them about the Bible. Namely, he didn’t call what we find contained within it merely stories, though they are that. Rather, he went out of his way to describe them as histories.
I really liked that idea, because in our culture, when we hear the word story, we would probably think in our minds of fiction, nine times out of ten. In the words of my friend, the word history makes us think of something that did, truly, occur. It is an account of reality. We probably wouldn’t even question it.
Which is why we started there in the sermon on Sunday, describing Joshua and a number of books that will now follow in our ongoing study of the Bible, the histories. For these things actually did happen, and it’s important to understand the facts of the past, as recorded and told in the Bible. And we must then move beyond what merely happened, to ask the question “why,” and what the significance of these histories may be both in the past, and our present.
If your curiosity and interest has been piqued (and I hope it has), I suggest you continue exploring the history found in the book of Joshua. The resources below will help you proceed:
- Review last week’s sermon on Joshua.
- After eight weeks in our series now, your probably used to this second suggestion, and have already bookmarked in your browser the book summaries from the Bible Project. Namely, Click here to find a whole page of videos, milestones, study resources, and recommendations for further reading and study on this remarkable history, Joshua.
- Watch the theme video and check out resources on The Day of the Lord, which helps us think through the violence within the histories found in the Bible.
As always, please feel free to email me with questions or ideas for The Whole Story. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday, when we will begin the next chapter of the drama by studying the story found in Joshua. Be sure to read it before you come!
Grateful to Serve the God of all History with You,
Pastor Matthew
