Joshua 17

I had a great idea while I was reading through Joshua when the tribes of Israel were casting lots for their land.  "Heeeey, I should take an old map of Israel and shade in the areas of the different tribes and where they settled!  That would really help me get through these chapters of names after names after names."

Call it a ditzy moment.  Or milky Christian moment. Whatever you want.  I flipped to the back of my bible and sure enough.  Some smarty pants had already done it.  Hundreds of years ago.  

I know, I know.  The maps have always been included in Bibles, I just had never really cared.

It was really fun to study the map and compare it to my reading.  Okay, there is Beth-Shemesh (Joshua's city he picked), there are the cities of refuge (Kedesh, Shechem, Hebron, Bezer, Ramoth, Golan), and there is the hill country that the children of Joseph were talking about!

My favorite part this week was how patiently Joshua speaks to the children of Joseph when they say the hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron.  I giggled a little bit.  

I had to think of the children of Nathan and Joni.

Humph.  (Arms folded.)

What's wrong?

I can't.

Why?

Iron chariots.

Iron chariots?  Really?  After all God's done, you are worried about iron chariots?  C'mon.  You can do it, you are a big boy.  I know you can!

It is so fun to have a reading plan and accountability to other women...
It's taking me to places I've never been.

Like to those shiny maps in the back of my bible.