Leaders Finish Well 4:6

Joshua 12-14
Part 4 of 6

God pulls no punches about Joshua. In Scripture, Joshua is identified as being “old”.   The Bible punctuates his years saying that Joshua was not just “old” he was “very old.” That makes old bones creak.

It was time for a transition. Joshua would no longer be the swashbuckling leader that he has been. Instead, the individual tribes will need to step up and take the land that they have been given and secure it from the remaining Canaanites that live there.

As Caleb demonstrated with his vigor and determination, God would give each tribe the strength and fortitude to drive out the last vestiges of the enemy and secure their land. God never leads His people without providing all of the resources and energy that will make their faith endeavor successful.

Half-hearted efforts to obey lead to an incomplete mission. Each tribe is perfectly able with God’s help to secure their borders. If they would simply obey, trust God and act decisively then their military efforts would be rewarded. Faith looks beyond what the natural eye can see.

The tribe of Levi had no real estate parcel per se. They were given cities and pasture land, but their reward was doing the service of the Lord. In the ministry that was sufficient for their satisfaction.

Those two and a half tribes who settled on the East side of the Jordan River chose too early. They settled and as a result became fodder for the eventual invasion forces that swept Israel off to captivity. Never settle and justify accepting less than what you know is what God wants for you.

More later…