From that time on

Reflecting on Joshua Ch. 5

Haiku for a new land

God tells Joshua

that the disgrace of Egypt

has been put away.

They are in Gilgal,

in the land promised by God;

the new era starts.

There, Israel kept

the Passover, recalling

God's deliverance.

On the day after

they ate produce from the land;

unleavened cakes, grain.

The manna ended;

they ate the crops of Canaan

land from that time on.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Unification

Haiku for a kingdom

David reigned as king

of Judah, there in Hebron;

ruled for seven years.

With King Saul’s demise,

and his sons', David is left

as the most likely.

Israel’s leaders

approach David at Hebron:

We are family!

While Saul was our king

it was really you who led

us into battle.

The time has arrived

when God’s promise is fulfilled.

You shall be our king.

You’ll be a shepherd,

watching over my people,

ruling Israel.

They made covenant,

David, the elders, before

the Lord, at Hebron.

They anointed him

to rule them, to reign as king

over Israel.

Reigning in Judah

seven years, thirty-three more

over Israel.

From Jerusalem,

renamed City of David,

he ruled Israel.

Blessed by God, David

became greater and greater.

The Lord was with him.

© Ken Rookes 2024

Decalogue

Haiku for living well

Moses reports back

to the people, having spent

time in God’s presence.

Ten words from the Lord.

The first: God is one; you shall

have no other gods.

The Lord rescued you

from slavery in Egypt.

You need none other.

Respect the Lord’s name,

don’t misuse, speak it loosely,

God will be angry.

One day in seven

shall be a sabbath; no one

should work on that day.

In the story told

of how the world came to be,

God himself took rest.

When people grow old

that doesn’t mean they’re useless;

honour your parents.

You shall not murder.

Be faithful in your marriage.

Don’t steal from others.

Always be truthful.

Don’t lie to seek advantage

over your neighbour.

Don’t waste energy

covetting what isn’t yours;

it gets you nowhere.

© Ken Rookes 2024

Dreamy boy Joseph

Haiku of family strife

Dreamy boy Joseph,

 

flash coat setting him apart,

 

from jealous brothers.

 

They had good reason

 

to hate him. The favourite

 

dobbed his brothers in.

 

Israel sent him

 

to look in on his brothers;

 

found them near Dothan.

 

They saw him coming,

 

conspired to kill the dreamer;

 

blame wild animals.

 

Reuben intercedes.

 

Don’t kill; throw him in this pit.

 

That is what they did.

 

They stripped his flash robe

 

and put it aside. Could prove

 

useful, later on.

 

Some traders came by.

 

Better that we sell, not kill;

 

that is what they did.

 

Twenty silver coins,

 

the price of their brother; sold,

 

and bound for Egypt

 

 

© Ken Rookes 2023

 

Peniel

Haiku of struggle

Jacob heads for home

hoping that time has softened

his brother’s anger.

Jacob is fearful.

He prays for deliverance,

hopes in God’s promise.

He hedges his bets:

sends his ample gift ahead

trying to appease.

Pausing for the night

Jacob buys time, putting off

the confrontation.

Sends the mob ahead,

waits alone. A man appears;

strange, mysterious.

Coming together

in a primeval contest,

Jacob fights the man.

They wrestle, Jacob

and the stranger. No one wins,

The sun is rising.

The man asks Jacob,

Let me go! Before I do

give me your blessing.

I’ll give you a name.

you have contended with God;

you are Israel.

Jacob understood;

he had wrestled with the Lord.

Somehow he survived!

Each of us wrestles

with the Lord in our own way;

we don’t often win.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Ruth and Naomi, Israel and Palestine?

Reading this quote from Nathan Nettleton, i could not help but reflect on the modern state of Israel and her relationship to Palestine.
"The whole vision of Israelite faith in that era was welcoming and inclusive and called for a radical responsibility by the whole community to ensure the welfare of those who might otherwise be pushed to the margins of the community. Unfortunately there is a tendency in human beings to always want to narrow down the in-group and write off those who don’t fit, and to narrow the view of God’s concerns accordingly. This was somewhat understandable in Israel’s history. They were a small nation in a strategic location surrounded by big powerful nations. Their existence was always under threat and they were taken off into exile more than once. When you are a persecuted minority group, drawing more and more clearly the boundary lines of who is and isn’t part of your group is a basic survival strategy. By the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, after periods of exile in Assyria and Babylon and now under Persian domination, the focus of Israelite faith and self-understanding has narrowed down to the pure “holy seed” of Judah. The holy seed is to be protected at all costs from any danger of contamination because God’s covenant is only with the holy seed. The idea that God even cared about the fate of those outside the holy community had all but vanished from the dominant ideology. Israelite was no longer seen as a light to the nations, but a pure light to be protected from the nations. The generous inclusivity of the early faith was a suppressed memory. Instead of their faith and law having a clear focus on protecting the welfare of those on the margins of the community, the focus is now on protecting the identity of those at the core of the community, even if that must be done at the expense of those on the margins."
http://www.laughingbird.net/ComingWeeks.html

Break down the dividing walls

The separation wall in Israel is a great example of oppression and fear, and the graffiti that is sprayed upon it reflects the words of Paul in refusing to bow down to that oppression, but instead showing Hope.

a mighty ...shrub???

A mustard bush in Israel is more of a weed than a mighty tree.