Book Review - Joshua Rest -Land Won (Turabian Format) Essay

Book Review - Joshua Rest -Land Won (Turabian Format) - Essay Example The author of the book is an accomplished theological writer with more than sixty books already published. Before his death, Jensen held a BA degree from Wagner College and worked for thirty years as professor at Bryan College in Tennessee. This paper is a knowledgeable review of his informative commentary on Joshua and the journey to the Promised Land. Summary of the Content Even for a person who is not acquainted with the book of Joshua, Jensen’s commentary provides a good resource for studying the entire text. In this detailed analysis, the author puts the book of Joshua in its chronological setting. He traces the flow of events through four parts that detail the journey of the Israelites. The central character in this commentary is the biblical Joshua. The author portrays Joshua as a revolutionary leader who was handpicked by God. His main duty was to lead the Israelites through the remaining part of the journey into the Promised Land. The author provides brief biographica l information on Joshua to make the reader acquainted with the kind of leader he was. To take the reader through the journey, Jensen avails a map detailing Joshua’s three campaigns at the beginning of the text. ... The third and fourth parts deal with the issues of inheritance and consecration as outlined in the book of Deuteronomy. Written in a plain and nontechnical style, this eloquent commentary contains a map, an outline, clear annotation, and a very useful bibliography on Joshua. Another valuable aspect of the book is the comparison the author makes between the proceedings in the book of Joshua and the main beliefs of Christianity illustrated by the New Testament. Evaluation of the Text Like many other works of Jensen, this particular commentary employs a clear nontechnical style. This style is easy to follow through and comprehend. What captures the attention of the reader is the way Jensen outlines each progress in the journey to the Promised Land. For instance, before embarking on an analysis of Joshua’s leadership, the author provides information on events preceding the coronation of Joshua as the leader. He then follows with an analysis of the events that follow until the Isra elites settle in the Promised Land. Since the sequence of events is easy to follow through the commentary, Jensen’s work makes an informative read. The author certainly achieves the goal of making the reader understand the journey and conquest from his point of view. According to Jansen’s commentary, the book of Joshua gives Rehab (the harlot who saved the spies) a special place in the conquest.1 This view is emphasized in the book of Mathew (1:5) which reserves a prime place for her in the Messianic history. Another positive about the book is the way Joshua is portrayed as an admirable mentor.2 This is certainly a perspective most Christians ought to take when reading the book of Joshua. Most people read the book of Joshua as a chronological account of the