Joshua-Ruth

Who is God? How does God act in our lives? How are we to act as God’s faithful people? Joshua, Judges, and Ruth represent a chorus of voices reflecting on Israel’s earliest days in its land. The main storyline is straightforward: in Joshua, God empowers an obedient Israel to conquer the Promised Land; in Judges, Israel’s faithlessness and God’s wrath lead to a downward spiral of sin, subjugation, and social disintegration; and Ruth narrates a story of divine blessing worked out through human loyalty. Within the overarching plot, multiple voices wrestle with a range of issues including faithfulness and faithlessness, identity, leadership, and the nature of providence. Pressler explores these themes in their historical context while also presenting their relevance for the church today.