Darash Chai Experiment

The division in the Corinthian church was a major issue for Paul. It is such a foundational issue that Paul found it necessary to address this issue first. And with all of the other issues that Pau…

The church of Corinth was divided and in disarray. Factions were forming and standing in opposition to each other. It is into this fray that Paul sends this letter to the Corinthian church. In the…

The church at Corinth was a mess. There were many issues that it faced that Paul decided to confront through written letter. But what were those issues? What was the underlying cause that allowed …

As the book of Joshua closes, Joshua gathers the leaders of the people of Israel to Shechem for the last time before his death. While there, Joshua closes the book in the same way that it opened. He…

As the war for Canaan draws to a close, the two and a half tribes that had chosen to settle beyond the Jordan River are released from their vow and are sent home. And all is at peace in the land. But…

In these two chapters of Joshua we read of the cities that were given to the Levites as their inheritance in the land of Canaan. As we read through this list there is one city that stands out among t…

The next two chapters of the book of Joshua are among the most dry chapters in the Bible. There is not a lot that occurs in these chapters as they are simply an accounting of the tribal allotments f…

After the tribe of Judah has been given their inheritance the next in line are the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. The sons of Joseph who were adopted by Jacob. When these tribes are given their allo…

As we begin to read the chapters of Joshua that deal with the dividing of the land to the various tribes, it is easy to simply check out and seek to move on to more exciting texts. But if we were to…

In Numbers 13 and 14 we read of the faith of Joshua and Caleb when they reported on their scouting trip to Canaan. Despite their faith, Israel reacted in fear to the report of the spies and that gen…

With the fighting over and Israel now firmly ensconced in the land of Canaan, we are introduced to a problem. Not all of the enemy was driven out of the land. And not all of the land was settled. …

This short pivotal chapter that takes up the prime real estate of the middle of the book is perhaps one of the most boring of the book. This chapter features simply a list of names of the kings that …

The book of Joshua is often derided as presenting a God who is unloving and vengeful. These remarks often come from people who want a God who is all love. One who would never judge them or anyone el…

Joshua is often considered a book of conquest, and yet when you read Joshua you discover that only two chapters of the book contain any sort of prolonged warfare, and the first of these is chapter 10…

The idea of covenant is central recurring themes of Scripture. From the covenants with Noah, Abraham, and David, to the Old and New Covenants with Israel, covenants are found throughout. Every time…

After the crushing defeat at Ai, and the removal of the offense from the camp of Israel, the army is now ready to attack this small fortress once a second time. But this time, rather than making the…

Just after the victory at Jericho, Israel presses on to their next target. A small fortress town called simply Ai. After what had happened in the first victory, this small town should pose no real t…

The battle for Jericho is one of the more memorable stories in the Bible. The armies of God march around a city and in the end the wall fall down and Israel is able to defeat the first city of Canaa…

The first thing that Israel does after crossing the Jordan is to engage in a practice that would leave them in physical pain and vulnerable to attack. This cutting of the flesh is then followed up b…