Healing Eden, Part 12: On the Cusp of Canaan

Today we arrive on the cusp of Canaan, that is to say: the promised land. After a generation of wandering in the wilderness, Israel arrives at last on the eastern bank of the River Jordan. And what lies ahead of them – according to the book of Joshua – are many, bloody battles necessary to secure Israel within Canaan's borders. (For the modern reader it makes Joshua difficult to interpret as it sure seems like God might be commanding… genocide?) But even if the battle scenes are not the whole story, Israel still enters Canaan in a very precarious position. God's people are the weaker party. And if the Canaanites resist their arrival, Israel could easily be destroyed. So as Israel prepares to cross their Rubicon, Joshua gives an impassioned speech about God, and about faith and about the role of God's priestly people in the world. It's a speech that we might do well to hear again today as circumstances – at least for some of us - feel more than a little precarious at present. (This sermon was originally preached in Feb. 2025, but it feels even more true today!) And I hope – in the words of Joshua – it will help you not be dismayed. Have a thought? A comment? A question? Or just up for saying, "helllo"? I'd love for you to get in touch! You can reach me anytime via the contact link at jesusat2am.com , by sending me email , chatting with me on BlueSky , or finding me on Facebook or Instagram. And while you're at it, might you be up for supporting the podcast? You're tax-deductible gift to Canvas is a major help. As are your prayers, your online reviews, telling a friend or two! Want to follow along with the biblical texts for this sermon? Here's the link: Joshua 1:1-18 (NRSV) And here is a link to the map of Canaan .

You can listen to Healing Eden, Part 12: On the Cusp of Canaan online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Healing Eden, Part 12: On the Cusp of Canaan is an episode from Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith by Kirk Winslow | Canvas | Irvine, CA.

This episode is 43:40 long.

This episode was published on Oct 8, 2025.

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