Possessing the Land

Journey Into The Promised Land

Joshua 24:1–28 (CSB)

REVIEW OF ISRAEL’S HISTORY

24 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the region beyond the Euphrates River, led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave the hill country of Seir to Esau as a possession.

“ ‘Jacob and his sons, however, went down to Egypt. 5 I sent Moses and Aaron, and I defeated Egypt by what I did within it, and afterward I brought you out. 6 When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued your ancestors with chariots and horsemen as far as the sea. 7 Your ancestors cried out to the Lord, so he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea over them, engulfing them. Your own eyes saw what I did to Egypt. After that, you lived in the wilderness a long time.

8 “ ‘Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you, but I handed them over to you. You possessed their land, and I annihilated them before you. 9 Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to Balaam. Instead, he repeatedly blessed you, and I rescued you from him.

11 “ ‘You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. Jericho’s citizens—as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites—fought against you, but I handed them over to you. 12 I sent hornets, ahead of you, and they drove out the two Amorite kings before you. It was not by your sword or bow. 13 I gave you a land you did not labor for, and cities you did not build, though you live in them; you are eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.’

THE COVENANT RENEWAL

14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

16 The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the Lord, because he is our God.”

19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, he will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after he has been good to you.”

21 “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the Lord.”

22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship the Lord.”

“We are witnesses,” they said.

23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey him.”

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them. 26 Joshua recorded these things in the book of the law of God; he also took a large stone and set it up there under the oak at the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone—it will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the Lord said to us, and it will be a witness against you, so that you will not deny your God.” 28 Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

Faith’s Victory

When the children of Israel finally came to the end of their wilderness wanderings and crossed the Jordan River into the promised land, it marked the end of the first charge that Joshua had from God. Moses had led the children of Israel on the remarkable odyssey out of the long and bitter bondage of Egypt, but it was Joshua whom God used to lead His people into the promised land.

Joshua was no stranger to the promises of God, nor was he a stranger to acting in faith. Forty years before, when Moses sent twelve men in to spy out the land of Canaan, Joshua was one of the two who returned with a positive report of faith that Israel could possess the land. Joshua believed God’s promise, and sure word of victory. But, there never would have been one victory in the promised land if Joshua had not acted upon God’s Word.

Faith is a fact, but faith is an act. Joshua’s victories in Canaan required more than just faith in the ability of God. It required faith in doing what God had commanded. For example:

• At Jericho, God told them to march around the city quietly once every day for six days, on the seventh day to march around it seven times, and then shout. He required action.
• After the military defeat at Ai, Joshua received orders to get the sin out of the camp and then go up again to battle.
• In the battle with the five Canaanite kings, Joshua was instructed to have God’s people put their feet upon the necks of the kings, symbolizing what God would do to all of their enemies.

To follow these and the many other instructions God gave during Israel’s conquest of the land took faith in knowing that God was God, that He had power to deliver, and that His presence was with His people.

It is not enough to know that God is supreme. It is not enough to know that God is divine. It is not enough to know that God is God and to say, “Lord, we have confidence in Your ability.” We must have enough faith in God to obey His Word and act upon His promises.

God tells us to give and He will give back to us. He tells us to forgive and He will forgive us. He tells us in the heat of our battle, “Having done all to stand, stand therefore.” He tells us “Submit yourselves unto God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” He tells us, “Launch out into the deep and trust Me.” He tells us to “Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” He tells us to cast our burden upon Him and call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us.

We need the kind of faith that does not just sit back and say, “Well, whatever happens, will happen.” We need faith that will act upon God’s Word and receive the blessings of His promises.

Make this declaration:

I will act upon God’s Word in faith today, knowing I will receive the blessings He has promised.

*Adapted from MCWE email – Journey Into The Promised Land by Morris Cerullo

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *