We are back in Joshua this week after the one week break last week. We are looking at chapter
17 and something that I find interesting.
God had taken the
Israelite people all this way, battle after battle, and they had gotten a lot
of land. But on tribes came to Joshua and said -
“The people of
Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one
portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed
us abundantly.” - Joshua
17:14 NIV
So on the surface
I see them complaining about their share of the land. They wanted more. They
were unsatisfied with what they had been given. So Joshua gives them a
solution:
“If you are so
numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small
for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land
of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
The people of
Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites
who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan
and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
- Joshua 17:15-16
NIV
Joshua told them
to go and get themselves more land and they told him that even that land wasn't
enough and that they were afraid to go take the land.
This is what
stands out to me - God had blessed them in more ways than they could count. He
had taken them through battle after battle, guided them from place to place and did many amazing things right in front of their eyes.
But even after all that God had done for them, they were afraid of going and
taking the land. They looked at the people of the land and said that they would
be hard beat. Joshua then gave them a little pep talk -
“You are numerous
and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill
country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the
Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can
drive them out.”
Joshua 17:17-18
NIV
The Israelite
people had God on their side. It's the one thing they forgot and sometimes we do as well. They were
powerful! Not just in number and human strength - but God was with them as
well.
This is also the
one thing that we need to remember as well. When something comes up and it's
too hard to face, we need to remember two things:
1) Remember what
God has already brought us through and what He has done.
2) God is always
on our side and He is always ready to help us through anything we might face.
“If God is for us,
who can be against us?” - Romans
8:31 NIV
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