Read Joshua 13
Despite the amazing victories Israel has
experienced so far, the job is not yet finished. Chapter 13 opens with God
speaking to Joshua. God lays out exactly what parts of the Promised Land Israel
does not yet possess (v 1-5). The areas God lists are scattered throughout the
Promised Land. They are also the most populous Canaanite regions. With Joshua’s
age, it is apparent that he will not live to see Israel in complete control of
the land. Yet God makes a promise, “I will drive them out before the sons of
Israel” (v 6). There are several possible reasons why God told this to Joshua.
It would lead the Israelites to love and worship Yahweh – He is good to them! A
constant reminder that God’s will is best would prevent the Israelites from
settling for second best. Following God would be far better than making
treaties or intermingling with the Canaanites. Finally, this message from God
would remind the Israelites to be prepared for war. They could not fully rest
until they had received their full inheritance.
God then commands Joshua to apportion the
land. This will partially be a prophetic act, since Israel does not yet possess
all of the land. It will be an act of faith that God will come through. Joshua
will apportion land by lot. First, we are reminded that the other tribes are
not left without provision. As Reuben,
Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh were first to receive their land, their
borders are recounted first (v 15-32). This description provides a model by
which Joshua will divide the land west of the Jordan River.
Prayer
and Journaling
1. Spend time in worship today. Praise God
for being a good father and wanting the best for His children. Think of the
ways God has revealed Himself to you recently and worship Him for this. If it
helps, play some worship music and praise God through this.
2. Persevering until we see the fulfillment
of God’s promises requires strength and determination. It is not always easy.
However, the greatest rewards are set aside for those who persevere until the
end. This is true of our prayer lives. When we begin to see good fruit we are
too often satisfied and stop praying. However, God intends these firstfruits to
be a taste of the greater things He has to come! Ask God what He wants you to persevere in
prayer for. Commit to interceding for this person, situation, etc. until God
tells you to stop.
