Tuesday, January 13th

Today I want to give you space to study a passage. We are going to use the same passage from Sunday, Joshua 1;1-9. This is going to be the exegesis portion; what do I need to know about the passage first in the “there and then”?

First things first, let’s prepare our hearts and pray. Give yourself space, quiet, and the invite the Holy Spirit in. It can also be a simple prayer like this, “As I open the Scriptures now, I pause to be still; to breath slowly; to reset my scattered senses upon the presence of God.”
Remember the author is in the room with you.

Take a moment and read the passage slowly, maybe only read a few verses at a time.
As you go, you can circle, or highlight, or put a question mark down. Getting curious with the passage - do I know the context? Do I know the people in the story? At least the main characters? What is happening? Anything behind the scenes? Do I have clues to pay attention to?

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

What did you notice? Did you go looking to understand things better through reading other material or passages? If you could summarize what you learned in the “then and there” what would you summarize?