Daily Lesson for Sunday 5th of October 2025
Read Joshua 2:1, along with Numbers 13:1-2,25-28,33; and Numbers 14:1-12. Why would Joshua start the mission of conquering the Promised Land by sending out spies?
The place from which the two spies are sent out, Acacia Grove (Joshua 2:1, NKJV), is called Shittim in the Hebrew text, and it reminds us of two negative episodes of Israel’s history.
Image © The Classic Bible Art Collection – Formerly Standard Publishing at Goodsalt.com
The first is another spy story (see Numbers 13:1-33) featuring the same essential elements: the commissioning of the spies, the secret incursion of the spies into enemy territory, the return of the spies, the report of the spies on their findings, and the decision to act based on the report.
The other incident at Shittim represents one of the most defiant, idolatrous violations of the covenant by the Israelites, when, at the instigation of Balaam, they committed a debauchery with the Moabite women and worshiped their gods (Numbers 25:1-3, Numbers 31:16). In this context, the name Shittim creates an extraordinary tension as to the outcome of the whole story. Will it be another failure on the border of the Promised Land? Or will it lead to the long-awaited fulfillment of the ancient promise?
Read John 18:16-18,25-27, and John 21:15-19. What parallels do you discover between the second chance given to Israel as a nation and to Peter as a person?
God is a God of second chances (and more!). The Bible calls the second chance (and more!) “grace.” Grace is simply receiving what we don’t deserve. The teaching of the Bible is replete with the concept of grace (compare with Romans 5:2, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 11:6). God graciously offers everyone the possibility of a fresh start (Titus 2:11-14). Peter himself experienced this grace and urged the church to grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18). And the news gets even better: we get much more than a second chance, don’t we? (Where would we be if we didn’t?)
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Think about the experience of the Israelites when they were given a second chance to enter Canaan and about the grace extended to Peter after he denied his Lord. What should these incidents teach us about how we should extend grace to those who need it? |
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