The Appeal of the Book of Psalms

Treasures of Our Faith with Deacon Richard Vehige

On Friday of the Tenth week in Ordinary Time our Church invites us to reflect on a Scripture passage from the beginning of the book of Joshua (10: 1-14; 11: 15-17), entitled “The people of God take possession of their own land”. Our treasure for today, which follows, is from the Explanations of the Psalms by Saint Ambrose, bishop.

The Book of Joshua presents a narrative of the way Israel took possession of the land of Canaan, making it the land of Israel. This process is swift and inexorable, and is followed by an orderly division and disposition of the land among the twelve tribes, with a concluding ceremony of covenant renewal.

The theological message of the book is unmistakable. God has been faithful to the promise of the land. If Israel relies totally on the Lord for victory; if Israel is united as a people; if the law of herem is kept and no one grows rich from victory in war—then and only then will Israel possess the land.

The Israelites are led by Joshua, the successor of Moses, and the book is at pains to show not only how Joshua carries on the work of Moses but how the “conquest” of Canaan is continuous with the exodus from Egypt. This is seen in the repeated insistence that, as the Lord was with Moses, so he is with Joshua; and, especially, in the crossing of the Jordan River, which is patterned after the crossing of the Red Sea.

The Psalms are a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers that make up the third and final section of the biblical canon, known as the Writings. They were written by many different authors over time, including King David, Solomon, Moses, and other worship leaders. The psalms are often set to music, but not always, and express the emotions of the individual poet to or about God.

Saint Ambrose was a fourth century, theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan, Italy. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, firstly promoting Roman Christianity against Arianism and paganism.

Saint Ambrose is a Doctor of the Church. He is celebrated for his scholarship, service to the unfortunate, oratory skills, leadership of the people, and defense of the Church.

The Book of Joshua presents a narrative of the way Israel took possession of the land of Canaan, making it the land of Israel. This process is swift and inexorable, and is followed by an orderly division and disposition of the land among the twelve tribes, with a concluding ceremony of covenant renewal.