JOSHUA 18 PRINCIPLES TO APPLY We can never rely on past decisions or mountain-top experiences to give us the principles of Christian living. We may learn from those but most of our lives are lived in the hum-drum of everyday life. Missionaries, Christian workers of all kinds with great expectations and high motivations, spend much of their lives in daily chores just like everyone else. Most times people are not clamoring to come to Christ for salvation, so there is the constant need for doing the same things over and over until the labor bears fruit. We can live in the land of joy and spiritual power. There are certain things we must avoid in order to enjoy this full life.
We must use what we already have and do what we already are able to do first, and then we will find out if we are able or qualified to be trusted with more responsibility. Often there are things we allow to remain in our lives that make it easier to live in the world but really blocks our possessing the blessings of life on holy ground. Anything that blocks our spiritual progress and fellowship with God and His people, needs to be gotten rid of. The greater the obedience, the greater the discipline in life. The greater the discipline, the greater our faith is in God. The greater the faith, the greater is our commitment to the Lord. The greater our commitment, the greater is the grace of God seen in our lives. The greater the grace, the smaller one becomes in his own eyes.
The tabernacle was moved from Gilgal to Shiloh in the center of the country. Even though that is where God's presence was in the midst of His people, it was not a godly city. It did make it easier for the people from all directions to come together for the seven feasts of Jehovah and the events surrounding those feasts. There the ark remained through the time of the judges of Israel until the Israelites took it into battle and it was captured by the Philistines. The testimony of an assembly may not be in the most admired place, and surely, we are not the most admired people. Yet it is our privilege to be associated with the name and Person of our Lord Jesus Christ wherever His chooses to place His name. People around may say, "Why do you go there?" in a manner that is derogatory as they compare who we are and where we go with what is popular as admired by the world. We need to remember, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."
Another principle to remember is that no matter how attractive and appealing the world is and its ways, whether in business, society or religion, the "Canaanite" world is still not that with which we should be taking our guidance, nor should we copy its ways. The path of least resistance may be the path of highest cost to one who is a child of God. We may think it is the easiest way to deal with a matter or conduct some business by contracting with those who do not live or practice biblical principles, but their influence and the end result will bring us down to that level. Some of the Israelite tribes did not destroy the threat others had against them because they would rather others do for them what they should have done for themselves.
Many of us don’t gain the promised blessings of God for those who live by faith in the grace that God has given us through Christ, because we don’t like the cost of self-denial. To sacrifice some favorite habit or sin keeps us spiritually slack and easily satisfied with past achievements. This robs us of blessing and may even hinder other people and give place to the devil. We need to be like Paul and “press for the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Do we really expect God to bless us, or are we yielding to spiritual inertia?
Joshua said to the children of Israel, 18:3. “How long are ye slack to in to possess the land…?” There was a description made of the land by three men of each tribe and then lots determined which tribe would get each portion. It is an interesting observation that in this way the land and the tribe to possess it was a match made by God to suit. Benjamin was promised to dwell in safety… “between His shoulders,” [De.33:12] if they possessed their land. A safe place to be! Benjamin's land was a buffer zone between the northern and southern tribes. Issachar would receive “treasures of the ocean and jewels of the sand.” Some of the greatest blessing of grace and character are promised to the Christian. Asher’s land would be full of winepresses and would be strong. “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” [De.33:24-25]. They would be fresh and strong. The child of God today has the oil of the Spirit to get strength and power for every situation in life. Naphtali would be full of the blessing of the Lord. All of the Israelites would be greatly benefited if they possessed the promised inheritance. Each of the tribes was suitably adapted to the place where their lot fell.
That principle still applies to us. God knows each of us and how best we can be used in the kingdom of God. It is His divine prerogative to place us where He wants in order for us to do what He wants.