Joshua 13.
UNPOSSESSED LAND Joshua was around ninety years old and had seen and experienced a lot since he was a young man in Egypt under bondage. He had experienced the miracles that had brought about the freedom, the crossing of the Red Sea and the miraculous survival of millions of people in the inhospitable wilderness. He had seen how close they came forty years ago to getting what they now had. He had seen all those who he had known in his youth buried except for Caleb. For about seven years he had served the Lord in a leadership role and had experienced being in fellowship with God as they conquered the land as a nation. Now each tribe had to possess what was theirs by walking over every foot of it, but as yet they had not done this.
To some of us, most of life’s battles are over. To others, most of life’s battles are yet to be fought. May we all be able to say when the journey is over, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” We are still able to serve God in old age with the benefits of wisdom and experience. Age brings the increased capacity of spiritual discernment. Discernment is a kind of knowledge that goes well beyond one's intellect. Age also gives a greater appreciation of spiritual life, the eternal life that we have received as a gift from God. We know that we have received that life when God saved us, but to experience eternal life as we live from day to day in fellowship with God in the little things of life as well as the great things, comes with experience and age. Spiritual truth as food for the soul becomes more real as we learn by experience the truths contained in the scriptures and apply them to the situations of life. Spiritual desires are like a thirst of the soul for God as we submit to the Lord, consecrate our life and all we claim for ourselves to Him, and appropriate each blessing by faith. Spiritual blessings are more easily discerned when we learn that not all blessings will make us happy at the moment, but afterwards we understand the reasons behind the blessings of difficulties. There is no need for us to live poverty stricken, defeated lives when we have learned by experience that "all things work together for good."
As we read in Joshua13:1-6: There must be no resting on past achievements, otherwise God’s purpose for Israel could never be realized. God had given them the land, but they must possess every inch of it. The method of possessing the land was to first survey it, then apportion it among the tribes, and last of all, leave each tribe to appropriate what was given it. What God intended the Israelites to have, with what they actually possessed, was very different. Never in all history did the Israelites achieve God’s intention. Joseph's inheritance was given to the descendents of his two sons long before they possessed the land. Judah also received the biggest allotment because of his offer of himself for Benjamin. The rest of the land was given by lot and the boundaries were precise. The tribe of Levi had a proportion throughout the land of certain cities and land around them. Their portion was to serve God by serving His people.
What the land was to Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ is to us. The mountains give us views of heaven. The valleys may seem to be valleys of discouragement and despair, but they turn out to be valleys of divine blessing – green pastures and fertile fields. Our inheritance in Christ is not part of Christ, but all of Christ. Our possessions are only what we are willing to claim by faith. I am caused to stop to reflect: What "lands" are in my life that I have yet to conquer and possess? I fear I have used half-measures instead of laying hold of all the Lord has for me.
We never reach a stage of Christian experience when we exhaust all the possibilities of life in Christ. Not one of us has won every battle we have fought. There are times when we have been defeated. We have not fought every battle we should have. There have been times we evaded the enemy and chosen the easier path. These experiences of defeat followed by confession and assurances of forgiveness, give us the incentive to press on with Christ toward the goal. He never leaves us, but there is still land to be possessed.
AREAS WE NEED TO POSSESS Knowledge: this is distinct from intellect. Mental discipline, memory and observation can develop intellect. A person can have little intellect, yet have a deep discernment of spiritual truth that goes beyond the limits of intellect. A person can be informed but a fool in the things that matter most.
Another area to claim is spiritual experience. There are enemies, strongholds, habits and “kings” that are entrenched. Our peace is often disturbed by the raids of evil. He attacks us without warning, and in a moment when we have lost our temper, have spoken sharply and critically. In some cases, people are reluctant to admit to, and submit to the authority of the Lord over worldly associations and worldly friends.
We appropriate Christ by faith when: We utterly submit to the Lord and surrender to His will. We consecrate our life, talents, and everything we have, in every part of our life to the Lord. We appropriate by faith the life God intends us to have.
We don’t live in spiritual poverty; don’t yield and fall to the pressures and temptations around us; don’t get apathetic, complacent and lazy.