Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-312).

Joshua. Setting the stage -- The outsider's faith -- Miracles and memory: crossing the Jordan -- Rites of passage -- And the walls came tumblin' down -- The battle of Ai: a cautionary tale -- Joshua's altar -- The Gibeonite ruse -- The promise fulfilled -- Possessing the land -- For the sake of justice -- Priestly presence -- Tension and unity -- Joshua's farewell -- Covenant and final note -- Judges. Introduction -- Othniel, Ehud, and Eglon -- Deborah and Barack -- Gideon -- Abimelech: a(nother) cautionary tale -- The "minor" judges -- Jephthah -- Samson -- Thieves, thugs, and idol worshipers -- The body severed -- Ruth. Introduction to the book of Ruth -- Loss and loyalty -- A provisional resolution -- Scandalous valor -- Negotiations and blessings.

Who is God? How does God act in our lives? How are we to act as God's faithful people? Joshua, Judges, and Ruth represent a chorus of voices reflecting on Israel's earliest days in its land. In Joshua, God empowers an obedient Israel to conquer the promised land. In Judges, Israel's faithlessness and God's wrath lead to a downward spiral of sin, subjugation, and social disintegration. Ruth narrates a story of divine blessing worked out through human loyalty. Within these plots, the characters wrestle with a range of issues including faithfulness versus faithlessness, identity, leadership, and the nature of providence. Pressler explores these themes in their historical context while also presenting their relevance for the church today. --From publisher's description.