New Year: Dt 34; Josh 1-2 for Mar 3

It's great to see the seamless continuation of the story of the people of Israel across the end of Deuteronomy and into Joshua 1-2.

When Moses is called "the servant of the Lord" in Dt 34:5, and again in Joshua 1:2 -- by God ... -- we have verbal confirmation of the conscious continuation of the story across the two books. But that's just a verbal, external indicator that there is continuation. Much more evidentiary is the continuity.

Here are two evidences of continuity of Joshua with the perspective of the first five books of the story. First of all, just as God takes the initiative to call Moses, it is God, here (Josh. 1:1) who takes the initiative to speak to Joshua.

Secondly, in Josh. 2, who does not recognize the theme, in Josh. 2:9-10, of God as the God who acts in behalf of the Israelites? This is an unmistakeable biblical framework. God Himself is the architect of their commencement forward into the land (1:2,5,9,etc.)