The People S Bible Joshua Judges V

The authors of this commentary take a canonical-historical approach to the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, three books that are diverse, yet share the common historical context of the tribal settlement of Canaan. They examine Joshua, Judges, and Ruth as narratives with dynamic theological messages about the dynamic relationship between God's people and the powerful God who gives land and provides deliverers for the people.

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Each volume is designed to equip pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s Word by presenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text. The commentary series has been structured to help readers understand the meaning of Scripture, passage-by-passage, through the entire Bible. The New Living Translation is an authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today’s English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. The NLT’s scholarship and clarity breathe life into even the most difficult-to-understand Bible passages—but even more powerful are stories of how people’s lives are changing as the words speak directly to their hearts. That’s why we call it “The Truth Made Clear.” About the authors of this volume: Joseph Coleson, (PhD, Brandeis University) is Professor of Old Testament at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He has published numerous articles and books. Lawson Stone (PhD, Yale University) has expertise in early Israelite History and Religion and Old Testament Theology. He teaches at Asbury Theological Seminary and has written a host of books and articles. Jason Driesbach (MA, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a co-author of The Many Gospels of Jesus and a contributor to the Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary. He is pursuing PhD studies in the field of Hebrew Bible.

The books of Joshua and Judges provide religious perspective on Israel's successes and failures from the time that Joshua begins to lead the Israelites after Moses's death until the rise of the monarchy. The stories of these two books show the God of Israel still guiding the life of his people. In Genesis, God makes a twofold promise to Abraham: many descendants and the making of a great nation (Gen 12:2ff). In the book of Joshua, we find this promise brought to this fulfillment as the Israelites come to Canaan, the land of promise. During the span of the 150 years covered in Judges, considerable importance is attached to the religious and political development of the tribal life of the Israelites. This is well before the time of national unity; in Judges, the people are bound together solely by their faith in YHWH. In this rich and insight-filled commentary, Roland Faley draws out the Deuteronomistic thesis in Joshua and Judges: A people of faith, even if they wander, cannot fall.