Land Still to Be Conquered

 

 

Joshua 13:1-7

 

Land Still to Be Conquered

Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.   This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.   Now, therefore, divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

 

Two kinds of letters a person may receive, one is a sham, it may or not have a lawyer's name on it but it’s a con wanting money.  It may look very official and tell you that a large amount of money has been left to you, but it's just someone wanting to make a quick buck.  The other is a real letter and normally from a Trustee or a  law firm, informing you of access left in a will for you.  One letter may have value, but do not be too quick to say yes, because it could end up costing you more than the inheritance is worth in back taxes.

 

But with God, it is not a con job, it is a promise, and all the people were required to do was believe and take action.  Do you recall that obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings curses, and as we keep reading this chapter, we find they chose to be content in the new land?  They were now living in a land flowing with milk and honey, a promised land, in houses they did not build and vineyards they did not plant.  Enjoying all the blessings of God, but were not willing to obey, because they had new plans for this new land.

 

As you keep reading you come across verse 13, Yet the people of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites, but Geshur and Maacath dwell in the midst of Israel to this day.

 

It makes me wonder if I dropped the ball, did I get so comfortable in all the blessings of the LORD, that I did not take the land I was given, not believing, not understanding, it was mine, but the battle was the LORD's.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice