Choose You This Day Whom Ye Will Serve

Student choice assignment #1 Joshua 7-24

1.  Read Joshua 10:12-14 & Institute manual "Did the sun really stand still in the heavens?".  Did the sun really stand still?  Write paragraph how you could explain these verses to someone who says he or she won't believe the Bible because of contradiction to science.

No, the sun really did not stand still.  Just like in Nephite times when they had a day and a night and a day with no darkness, and also when there was the day and night and day with no sun, God can make anything happen.  He created this earth and can create things to happen to this earth as well as make things change from their normal pattern on this earth.  In this instance, God stopped the earth from moving so that it seemed as though the sun stood still.  People that only look to science should recognize that magnificent events can happen and does not have to be explained by science.  Some things are just miracles.

2.  Read chapter summaries of Joshua 7-22.   Make two lists, one that lists Israel's successes and the other that lists Israel's failures.

Successes                                                                                    Failures
Israel defeats Ai, slays inhabitants                                            Israel defeated by people of Ai
Make servants of the Gibeonites
defeats Amorites and their allies
Conquer the whole land
2 kings on east of Jordan, 31 on west of Jordan defeated by Israel

3. Read Joshua 23-24 & Institute manual "Choose you this day whom ye will serve".  What was the major theme of Joshua's final address to his people?  Why did Joshua choose to deliver his final address on this topic?

I think that the theme of his address to his people was to decide whom they will serve and then to serve faithfully.  Of course he wanted them to serve God and so he reminded them all that God had done for them in helping them to defeat different nations and the blessings they had received as well.  His speech was very motivational and I believe gave the Israelites hope that even though he would be gone, that they could still go on because they had learned the things they needed to know and that living faithful to their covenants they would be able to keep their inheritances and blessings and receive more.