It is amazing what a little understanding of the textual background (history, context, and geography) can do to help us see the Word of God with more clarity. One example of this is found in the famous Old Testament passage of Joshua 24:15.
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve Jehovah, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.”
This passage is plastered across homes all over the world. It can help us to dedicate our homes to the Lord, teach the world about free-will, and much more. Yet, the passage can “come to life” when we consider a bit of the background surrounding this text.
Joshua called the people to Shechem for this assembly (Josh. 24:1). Shechem is in the Nablus Valley along the Shechem Pass in the hill-country of Ephraim making it a central and strategic location. But, if you stood in Shechem and faced eastward, Mt. Ebal would be on your left and Mt. Gerizim would be on your right. This would have been the valley of choice that the Israelites had looked forward to since the sermon of Moses decades earlier as recorded for us in Deuteronomy 11:26-30. God would give them, in the promised land of Canaan, the ability to choose rebellion and cursing on Ebal, or obedience and blessing on Gerizim. As the book of Joshua closes, as the life and leadership of Joshua dims on the pages of Scriptures, Joshua stood in the shadows of those mountains and called on God’s people to choose which way they would follow.
Bible Geography is still a foundational class at SWSBS. First-year students dive deeply into the history, culture, geology, geography, and more of the Bible lands. When they do, the Bible “comes to life” for them. And, it can for you too.