Called Emanuel News Today

For better or for worse. however you view that kind of image. whether thats one of excitement and action or thats one of hey, this is war, and war can be ugly. >> reporter: in this war the bible makes clear that no prisoners should be taken alive. every man, woman, and child should be slaughtered. and according to the bible, this bloody battle was just the first stop on joshuas campaign. >> now, according to the book of joshua, the israelite troops invaded en masse from transjordan and in a peri...

Against their own aristocracy for their unjust dealings with the people. >> reporter: but they also offered hope. the prophet isaiah comforts the king of judah, predicting the birth of a child called emanuel, which literally means god is with us. >> and what he says is when that kid is still young enough to be eating baby food the enemies youre worried about will be gone. theyll be conquered. >> a couple of centuries later the gospel of matthew picks up that prophecy in isaiah. >> reporter: but ...

Warrior. >> the bible tells us that joshua conquered jericho by walking around the city seven times. ♪ he marched around the wall seven times ♪ >> reporter: the whole time carrying the mystical ark of the covenant, which the bible describes as having special powers. >> god at that moment causes the walls to crumble and to fall down. and its at that moment you that just get this image of them just rushing in on the city and flooding in and taking it over for better or for worse. however you v...

>> reporter: but they also offered hope. the prophet isaiah comforts the king of judah, predicting the birth of a child called emanuel, which literally means god is with us. >> and what he says is when that kid is still young enough to be eating baby food the enemies youre worried about will be gone. theyll be conquered. >> a couple of centuries later the gospel of matthew picks up that prophecy in isaiah. >> reporter: but its unlikely that isaiah intended his prophecies to hold such meaning eve...

Joshua conquered jericho by walking around the city seven times. ♪ he marched around the wall seven times ♪ >> reporter: the whole time carrying the mystical ark of the covenant, which the bible describes as having special powers. >> god at that moment causes the walls to crumble and to fall down. and its at that moment you that just get this image of them just rushing in on the city and flooding in and taking it over for better or for worse. however you view that kind of image. whether that...

>> davids sins impact his children and his grandchildren all the way down. >> davids sons have grown up learning how to deal with women from their father. two of davids sons grow up to be rapists. >> reporter: and indeed, david it did suffer the consequences of his actions. >> the child hes conceived with bathsheba dies. and he mourns and mourns and mourns. and again, you get the old attractive lovely david again. >> we have to look at david in both ways. he rose to the height of power, and he s...

Against their own rulers, against their own aristocracy for their unjust dealings with the people. >> reporter: but they also offered hope. the prophet isaiah comforts the king of judah, predicting the birth of a child called emanuel, which literally means god is with us. >> and what he says is when that kid is still young enough to be eating baby food the enemies youre worried about will be gone. theyll be conquered. >> a couple of centuries later the gospel of matthew picks up that prophecy in...

Thats all over our world today. >> reporter: but this bible story is also a cautionary tale. >> davids sins impact his children and his grandchildren all the way down. >> davids sons have grown up learning how to deal with women from their father. two of davids sons grow up to be rapists. >> reporter: and indeed, david it did suffer the consequences of his actions. >> the child hes conceived with bathsheba dies. and he mourns and mourns and mourns. and again, you get the old attractive lovely da...

>> reporter: think of america in the 1960s. and at times like these amid the unrest and confusion there are always a few distinctive voice thats capture the mood of the moment. the people who played that role in ancient israel are known to us now as the biblical prophets. >> the prophet is the one who calls us to do what is right at a time that its so easy to do what is wrong. >> and the hebrew prophets cry aloud against their own people, against their own rulers, against their own aristocracy f...