Notes on Joshua 3

Joshua shares a name with Jesus. God save/helps/delivers. The Promised land itself is a an image redolent for All Saints Day as well.I don;t know if I would even consider using this book if it did not get featured in the RCL.I know that i have not gone through a commentary with care on the entire book, just bits and pieces.We can follow from last week and see how the successor, joshua, does waht Moses cannot, to go into the Promised Land. One could go through some of the citations on the river Jordan and its importance as a water source now.

1) This famous passage is not a military conquest is it? It is a liturgical procession that  fells a city.(I also encourage the archaeologically minded to look at the succession of sites that Jericho occupied over the centuries.Entry signs are important to what follows.

2) the river Jordan is an invitation to look at boundaries in our lives. It could speak of liminal space, the space between one area and another.

3) The presence of God is a vital piece here and can be explored in our time. when do we need the presence of God and when do we shun it?

4) One should note the links to the story fo the crossing of the Sea in Exodus.for instance, the word heap occurs there too.

5) Look at the actions of the priests, both leading and being in the midst of the water.Too oftne, Christian interpreters fall into stereotypes of religious ritualism instead of ritual.