Joshua 19

 

As the distribution of the lands is completed, we are reminded that this was done by lot under the eye of  "Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel." There could be no accusation of preference or backroom (or behind-the-tent here) deals. God made sure that everyone knew that what was given was fair and that no partiality was given. God had given the deeds to the property, now it was up to the tribes to take what they had been given and finish removing the remaining enemies and settle the land. 

If you have been saved, now it's up to you to use what God has given you. 

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Jeremiah 7

 

Jerusalem, God says, will become like Shiloh. What happened there? The people were then living in disobedience and thinking that the ark of God would protect them and give them victory; they took the ark from Shiloh. The place that was supposed to hold the ark, the representation of God's presence, was left without it. To make it worse, the Philistines won the battle and took the ark as a spoil of war. It was one of the darkest days in Israel. The line of leadership was broken with Eli and his children dead, and as far as they knew, God was no longer with them. God is saying to Jerusalem, I did this before, I'll do it again. You will lose the presence of God in your midst. Spoiler alert: they did. 

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Joshua 18

Beginning in Joshua 13, Joshua is starting to push the tribes to take the land, which is what they were already supposed to do. Joshua's job was complete, but now, when he is old, he has to try and push Israel to where God wants them to be. They have entered the promised land and taken what Joshua gave them, victory over, but nothing much beyond. This is how many people live their Christian life today. They take the victory that Jesus has given them, but do nothing with it. They don't grow, they don't mature, and they don't deal with the things that may lead them into sin. If they don't, they may find themselves being as victorious in the Christian life as Israel was in the book of Judges: failures.

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1 Corinthians 2

 “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him—

I have heard this preached with the idea that the wonders of heaven are greater than we can imagine. There is a problem with using this text to prove this; it's the next verse. "These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit," verse ten begins. So whatever these mysteries are, God has shown them to his people. In context, we see Paul is talking about the salvation found in Jesus's death on the cross and resurrection. Only the mind of God could come up with a plan that could bring about not just salvation but the transformation of lives. A plan that gives us the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ. It was God's plan. Others may say there are others like it in history, but they aren't like what God really did. 

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Psalms 64

God will be victorious. First, it can be in direct actions (verse 7), and second, by using their own words/actions against them (verse 8). The second way is the way we typically see God work in the world today, but there is coming a day when God will take direct action. We may think that we wish that day would come quickly, but remember that when God comes, all will be revealed, even our shortcomings. I want the time to try to do what I can for God and let him clean me and help me grow. The promise is that God will bring judgment, and he will do what is right. 

When God uses our actions/words against us, it allows us to see the error of our ways and repent. So though it may be judgment, it is also a mercy if we respond correctly. This is the wonder of God: he tries to use even our sin to draw us to him. 

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Joshua 17

"Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers" (Verse 1b NIV).

Some translations say that Makir was a "man of war" instead of a great soldier, but why is that important? I looked it up in several commentaries, and it seems that the area that they were taking would require a great soldier to take and keep. The descendants seemed to carry this ability with them. This to me is a reminder that there are times God truly gives a greater challenge to ones who should be able to complete it. To say it another way, if God gives you great power, he expects great responsibility. 

Joshua 16

 

"So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, received their inheritance" Verse 4a.

All the other tribes represent one of Jacob's sons, except Ephraim and Manasseh. The tradition of the day said that the oldest child received a double portion in the inheritance. Joseph wasn't the oldest child, but either because Rueben had disgraced his family or because Joseph was the oldest of child of Jacob's favorite wife, we see Joseph, as it were, getting this blessing in the form of his two sons becoming the head of their own tribe with the eleven others. Yes, this means there are thirteen tribes, but only twelve received an inheritance of land. This chapter shares what Ephriam received and their disobedience. 

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