Travel to Southern California's high desert to see the twisted branches of Joshua trees up close. After the sunlight dims, gaze at the stars that illuminate the night sky over Joshua Tree National Park. | USA TODAY

As the sun goes down on another beautiful day in Joshua Tree National Park, let's stop to talk about the environmental factors that combine to create a sunset. Sunsets are impacted by the amount of particulate matter, smog, and humidity in the air. Depending on the combination of these factors, as well as clouds, haze, and other environmental factors, each sunset will produce a unique colloration and appearance. #SunsetSundays Timelapse: NPS / Emily Hassell Alt text: The sky dims in hues of pink

Why did God order Israel to wipe out entire people groups? It can be difficult to read about the violent conquests in the book of Joshua, and the Bible doesn’t always give us neat answers to our questions. But it does point us forward to a day when God himself suffered violence on our behalf through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In this week’s Bible study, we look at the book of Joshua and see how even this part of Israel’s history points to Jesus. Find the study here: https://tbp.