Entry into the Land and the Judges

God brings His people into the promised land and calls them to faithfulness

This stage presents Israel's entry into the promised land after the Exodus, the covenant at Sinai, and the journey through the wilderness. God partially fulfills the promise made to Abraham, giving His people a land in which to live as His own.

The entry into the land is not the end of Salvation History. Israel must learn to live in faithfulness, to remember the works of God, and to resist the temptation of idolatry. The book of Judges shows a period marked by cycles of unfaithfulness, oppression, pleading, and deliverance. God raises up judges to save His people, while the need for a more stable leadership takes shape.

You will learn to

Understand the entry into the land as fulfillment of the promise.

Recognize the role of Joshua as leader of the people.

Identify the crossing of the Jordan as entry into a new stage.

Understand the importance of remembering the works of God.

Recognize the danger of idolatry.

Identify the cycle of unfaithfulness, oppression, pleading, and deliverance in the book of Judges.

Understand the judges as instruments of deliverance raised up by God.

See how this stage prepares the monarchy.

How this stage is organized

Main narrative

Joshua · Judges

You will come to know the mission of Joshua, the crossing of the Jordan, the entry into the promised land, the celebration of the Passover in the land, the fall of Jericho, the renewal of the covenant, and the time of the judges. You will also discover the recurring cycle of the book of Judges: the people turn away from God, fall into oppression, cry out to the Lord, and God raises up a deliverer.

Doctrinal understanding

Promise · Faithfulness · Remembrance · Conversion

You will grasp that the land is a gift from God and calls for a life faithful to the covenant. Israel must remember what God has done, keep His commandments, and avoid idolatry. This stage shows that the freedom received can be lost when the people forget the Lord, and that conversion opens once more the path of mercy.

Scripture in depth

Psalms · Deuteronomy · Historical tradition

Other biblical texts help us remember the entry into the land as the work of God. Deuteronomy insists on remembrance, faithfulness, and the danger of forgetting the Lord in times of prosperity. The Psalms contemplate the promised land as a gift and recall both the faithfulness of God and the resistances of Israel.

Fulfilled in Christ

Gospels · Hebrews · Apostolic letters

The New Testament illumines this stage in the light of Christ. The entry into the land anticipates a deeper hope: the true rest promised by God. The Letter to the Hebrews shows that the promise of entering into God's rest remains open and finds its fullness in Christ. He is the true leader toward definitive life with God.

Choose a mode

Path mode

Move step by step, in the recommended order.

Review mode

Shuffled questions to review and gauge your progress.

Group mode

A moderated session, reserved for catechists and teachers.