Final Conquest & Dividing the Land

Transcript

GRS 2-45
10/15/2006
Final Conquest and Dividing the Land
Joshua 11-17
Gil Rugh

We are in the Book of Joshua together; and we are at Chapter 11. Chapter 11 of the Book of Joshua; and really we are at the end of the conquest of the land. Southern part of the land has been secured that doesn’t mean that everyone in that area has been dealt with or resistance has been dealt with. But the major opponents in Southern Palestine have been defeated. Now, we deal with Northern Palestine and that will go rather quickly; and Chapter 11 talks about the taking of Northern Palestine, northern Canaan as might be known.

First five verses of Chapter 11 summarize the situation very similar to what happened in the south. The Canaanites in the north now try to join forces. They have seen what has happened; and they think well, if we can marshal perhaps a large enough army pull our forces. I think what was going on in Canaan as you have these minor kings spread throughout and they have their territory and their armies. Now they are coming together to try to make a strong coalition.

Down in verse 4; they came out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore, with many horses and chariots. Josephus was a Jewish historian in the first century during New Testament times; and he says, that the numbers of the armies here in Chapter 11 of verse 4, that are like the sand in the seashore; included 300,000 foot soldiers, 10,000 cavalry troops and 20,000 chariots.

Now we really don’t know how accurate Josephus figures are, because Josephus is living approximately 400 years after these events. But he is a lot closer to those events than we are; and at least you see something of the numbers that he was dealing with. But we don’t have any idea where he got those figures or how reliable they are, but we are dealing with a large number of people they are, the armies are described as being like the sand of the seashore and they are very powerful, because they have horses and chariots which gave this army significant strength and power.

Verse 6m then the Lord said to Joshua, do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow at this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel; you shall hamstring their horses, burn their chariots with fire. Now one of the reoccurring emphases in the book of Joshua is don’t be afraid, don’t fear; the Lord is doing the fighting for you, there is nothing to be afraid of. It’s interesting to me how the scripture lays it out in the opening verses here. Down through verse 5 of Chapter 11, you have something of this mighty army presented and their resources and horses and chariots. And then you have the Lord statement to Joshua, don’t be afraid tomorrow at this they all will be dead. I will deliver them into your hand, and you think about it that’s good enough.

Turn over to Psalm 118, and look at verse 6; the Lord is for me; I will not fear what man can do to me; what can man do to me. If the Lord is for me what is man able to do, does it matter whether the armies of the Canaanites were 300,000 or 3 million; I mean it’s a real irrelevant issue isn’t it, because the Lord is on Joshua side. I will deliver them to you slain, going to take a long time no, tomorrow at this time. While you are in Psalm 118 look at the verse 8, it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princess.

Back to Chapter 11 of Joshua; note he says tells him at the end of verse 6 to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire. Now militarily that doesn’t seem like the best idea. I mean if you are going to talk humanly speaking, you want to conquer and take all of the chariots and horses you can, because that just gives you a much more powerful and mighty army to make you more effective in cleaning up Canaan, you hamstring the horses they are no good for the cavalry any longer, they are crippled.

You burn the chariots, I mean that will be like having the tanks in biblical times and that was a tremendous advantage, and you are going to destroy them. God’s intention here is to be sure that Israel doesn’t transfer its confidence from him to their army men’s. That now we are strong enough in ourselves to do these battles. I mean we have the horses. We have a cavalry. We have chariots, nobody will be able to stand against us and suddenly the confidence has changed; and not so suddenly, from being in the Lord we have nothing to fear, because he is on our side to we have nothing fear, because we have horses and cavalry and the chariots. So the destruction of these items is so that Israel doesn’t transfer its confidence.

I should have kept you have in Psalm, but come back to Psalm that’s easy to define. Psalm Chapter 20, Psalm 20 verse 7; some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God. You see that focus all we need is the Lord. Our confidence is not in our military; our confidence is in the Lord, even though God is going to use the armies of Israel in the defeat of the Canaanites. He wants to keep it clear that it is his arm that is giving the armies the victory.

Turnover to Isaiah 31, prophet Isaiah Chapter 31, verse 1; the Chapter opens up the Lord those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the holy one of Israel nor seek the Lord. Back in Deuteronomy 17, and we won’t go back there now. But Israel was warned about they get a king and then the adding to themselves of a cavalry and horse and chariots, because of this very thing; and you know just a constant reminder, we have the Lord on our side, what else do we need.

Turnover to New Testament Hebrews Chapter 13; so is reflecting on this section. You know I find myself thinking, yeah it’s clear that Israel they had nothing to fear, they had nothing to worry about, God is on their side, sure burn the chariots, hamstring the horses; the Lord is on our side. And I sitting here thinking in my chair #, you know it’s easy for me to read this about Israel and say sure; they shouldn’t be afraid, they shouldn’t be dismayed and they should be willing to just have the Lord; little different when I might be in my own situations.

The writer to the Hebrews addresses this and in fact the quotes from Psalm 118 verse 6, which we just read a few moments ago. In verse 5 of the Hebrews 13; make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have for he himself has said; I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. So that we may confidently say, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid what will man do to me. In verse 6 quotes from Psalm 118 verse 6; for the readers that he writer to the; Hebrews is writing to, he warns them about transferring their trust from the Lord to their possessions in the same issue. So we quote Psalm 118 verse 6.

You know how often do we fuss and threat worry about these things and if we had more money, but what happens the more money we get the more our confidence gets transferred the Lord for the Lord to our money, and our possessions. But if he said I will never leave you or forsake you then the Lord is my helper I won’t be afraid; what will man do to me; doesn’t depend in whether I have a million dollars in the bank or no bank account.

I mean I am just as secure right, because I have the Lord; and he is one who cares for me, he is one who protects me, he is the one who keeps me. So in that sense the issue for the people of God is no different; whether we are talking about the day or we are talking about Israel in their situation, and the constant danger is yes we trust the Lord, but I would feel a little more secure; if we have the chariots, if we have the cavalry, if I had the physical resources.

Come back to Joshua Chapter 11. As you are aware that’s going to be a snare for Israel through down through their history. Isaiah was writing about it 800 years or so after Joshua. And we read were Isaiah said that, you shouldn’t be going looking for chariots and horses, but your confidence needs to be in the Lord. Alright so Joshua is instructed don’t be afraid; I will deliver them into your hands. And verse 7 Joshua and all the people of war with him came upon them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and attacked them the Lord deliver them into the hands of Israel, so they defeated them.

Now again the Lord didn’t deliver them into their hand. Verse 6; at this time I will deliver all them slain before Israel, so that Israel just walks out and finds dead bodies on the ground. Israel goes to war; the armies of Israel attack the Canaanites. But verse 8; the Lord deliver them into the hand of Israel, so they defeated them. The ultimate explanation for the victory of Israel is not their military abilities, it’s the Lord gave the enemy into their hands and the victory is theirs, and to Joshua’s credit and this will be repeated down further.

Verse 9; Joshua did to them just as the Lord had told him, it’s the strength of Joshua’s leadership. He does just as the Lord tells him to do. It’s not that he is a great military commander, he may have been; and not that he’s got the other things together; he does what the Lord tells them. What’s he do now, he’s got the victory, well boy you know I am a military man, I can see you know not only conquering Canaan, but then controlling Canaan, may not be an easy task; horse and chariots could be an asset.

What you find Joshua doing, he hamstrung the horses and burns the chariots, because that’s what the Lord told him to do, didn’t try to come up with plan b for the Lord or to get ready in case the Lord needs help. Let’s do what the Lord says. And then let the Lord do what only he can do. The simplicity of it almost escapes us; then telling about Joshua capturing the cities, killing the people and so on.

Verse 14 all the spoil of these cities and the cattle, the sons of Israel took as their plunder. So again you see from previous events in the disaster there, but here the Lord provides booty, the spoils of war for the Israelites, but the Canaanites has to die. So all the people, every man is struck with the edge of the sword. Verse 15; just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

And as I mentioned this is the great secret of Joshua’s strength. In the New Testament Paul write to the Corinthians; remember in First Corinthians Chapter 4 verse 2; and says I want to be considered whether men consider us as stewards of God and his mysteries; and above all its required of a steward that a man be found faithful; that’s it simple as, we think, oh if we can only do great things for the Lord; the greatest thing I can do as a servant to Lord is obey him, be faithful to him.

What made Joshua quote great, oh he did great things, and no he had great obedience. What God had commanded through Moses, Joshua did. What commanded Joshua, Joshua did, whether it came through Moses or it came directly; Moses did it, Joshua did it. Verse 15; so I want to be if I can use that word great servant of the Lord, I use greatly of the Lord then just obey him, do what he says and allow him to do then what he chooses to do.

Verses 16 to 23; begin the summary of Israel’s conquest. Verse 16; Joshua took all the land, the hill country, the Negeb, the land of Goshen, the lowland and the Arabah, the hill country of Israelites low land and describes what goes on; and you know verse 18; Joshua waged out war a long time with these kings. We are going to just see the conquest of the land is spread over about seven years. Now we will say these things in you know a rather concise form here and we read through it and say, wow this really didn’t take any time at all, but here in a little bit we will get a timeline for us and we will find out it took about seven years for this conquest.

So it says that Joshua waged war a long time with all these kings and his faithfulness and staying with it. And you say man; we ever going to be done war after war, battle after battle, conflict after conflict, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, on it goes; there was not a city, verse 19; which make these with the sons of Israel except the Hivites living in Gibeon; they took them all in battle.

Now note the reason verse 20. We came ahead to look at this verse in the previous portion. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but he might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Striking passage, I have highlighted in my bible and underlined; it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, and that they might receive no mercy. Passage, a portion that we sometimes read and say, you know that’s not the Lord would want to soften their hearts.

But remember in Exodus, we repeatedly confronted this same expression. I want you go back to Exodus when we just open we want to read a few passages and then carry you forward in the scripture. Exodus Chapter 4; God said to Moses and this is the confrontation with Pharaoh. And God tells Moses, when you go back to Egypt you see you performed before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power, because I want to see if I can soften Pharaoh and win them over.

And think about what that will mean, if the Pharaoh of Egypt is converted, not in God’s plan; due to all these wonders all these signs I will harden Pharaoh, I will harden his heart, so he won’t let the people go. I want to send you back to do all these miracles, but they will fail in the sense that it won’t make any impact to the change the heart of Pharaoh, because I am going to harden his heart.

Over in Chapter 7 while you are here in Exodus verse 13, yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, he didn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said. Then the Lord said to Moses Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn strong, basically it’s been hardened. Down in verse 22; Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. Look over in Chapter 8 verse 15; he hardened his heart. Verse 19; Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. Sometimes it was Pharaoh heart was hardened, other times his heart was hardened. Down to verse 32 of Chapter 8; Pharaoh hardened his heart. Verse 7 of Chapter 9; the heart of Pharaoh was hardened. Verse 12; the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. So on it goes in that emphasis of the sovereign work of God in hardening Pharaoh’s heart. And we think what is it, you know the Lord doesn’t he desire men to be saved and he want Pharaoh to respond with truth.

Turnover to New Testament Romans Chapter 1, remember this is coming out of the fact that the bible tells us; that none of the Canaanites were softened to respond in faith, because God hardened their heart, because he didn’t intent to show them any mercy, his intention was to bring judgment on them and destroy them. Romans Chapter 1 verse 18; the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth and unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power, divine nature have been clearly seen being understood through what is made, so that they are without excuse.

Every single person is a sinner in a state of rebellion against God without excuse. You have to keep this in mind; we are not dealing with neutral people, we are not dealing with people who have an added opportunity to make a decision, we are dealing with people that God says are without excuse; he has revealed himself through the creation. Now remember there is enough revelation and creation to condemn a person, but not to save a person. What the revelation or creation does is, demonstrate the sinfulness of man, because every single person responds negatively to that revelation. So they suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

Verse 24; therefore God gave them over the lust of their hearts to impurity. Verse 26; God gave them over to the degrading passions. Verse 28; God gave them over to a depraved mind. Come over to Chapter 9 of Romans on verse 18; and here it’s in the context Pharaoh. Verse 15; he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy; I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Coming from Exodus 33; so then it does not depend on the man who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy; for the scripture says to Pharaoh for this very reason, I raise you up to demonstrate my power in you; that my name might be proclaimed throughout the whole the earth, so then he has mercy on whom he desires in the hardens whom he desires; that doesn’t seem right to me.

You know God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, he didn’t have a chance. God hardened the hearts of the Canaanites, they didn’t have chance. But keep in mind what we are talking about here; verse 18, he has mercy on whom he desires. Now wait a minute, he hardens whom he desires. What is mercy, it is something undeserved. We are not dealing with innocent people here; we are dealing with stubborn sinners; who has suppressed the truth; who are living in rebellion against God. Now God can show mercy should he so choose, but he’s not obligated to and turn them over to their sin and prepare them further for destruction.

So we are not dealing with innocent people here. We are talking about God hardening people; and here people who have continue to stubbornly resist and rebel against him that was a point of Romans 1; they suppress the truth and unrighteousness. What about people in lands who have never heard, aren’t they exposed to the creation, don’t they look up and see the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the flowers; the God has revealed himself in the creation, but they suppress that truth and refuse to acknowledge him and honor him they are without excuse.

Now God determines what he will do with those who rebelled against him. We have used angels as an example. The angels rebelled against God and sinned, and you know he never showed any mercy, never made any provision, never will be there will be an angel who sinned who gets forgiven. There was no provision made to forgive an angel, because Hebrews 2 says; Christ didn’t become an angel and die for them.

I realized this is review, but sometimes we read these passages and says God hardened and said, well it sounds like God made them sin. You know they are sinners. God is withholding his mercy. Keep in mind 400 years earlier God told Abraham; that before 100 years until he gave the land of the Canaanites to the descendants of Abraham, because inequity of the Amorite was not yet right. So that time they were living in inequity there 400 more years, they continue to suppress the truth and reject the living God, now judgment has come God has hardened them. There is no opportunity for forgiveness. There is no mercy now, just judgment; that’s what hell will be according to Revelation 14.

But we are told that those cast into hell, the smoke of their torment goes up day and night in the ages of the ages, because they bear the brunt of the wrath of God unmixed with mercy. Pure wrath no mercy mixed in, what hell will be, so God pouring out his wrath, people who have rebelled against him. One other passage then we will go back into Joshua. Come over to Second Thessalonians Chapter 2; you know the way the scripture presents man and God is sometimes different than the way we even as God’s people think of it and present it.

God offers mercy. He is commanding all everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness remember. But we have to understand that had God is serious about this. When the day of mercy is passed, there is no mercy. Today is the day of salvation, tomorrow may not there may not be mercy offered to you. God is not obligated to offer mercy. Serious thing to say, I will think about it, don’t think about it, because God says today is the day of salvation, tomorrow there may not be an offer of mercy.

For the Canaanites in the land of Canaan there is no mercy offered. God has determined to harden them, because he determined to destroy them; and to harden them he just withholds his mercy. But he’s never been obligated to offer anyway. Look in Second Thessalonians and this is yet a future time. So that we understand the way that our sovereign God operates has not changed.

Second Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 11; we have been carried to the yet future time the seven year tribulation preceding, the coming of Christ to earth. And there in that context we are told for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence, so they will believe what is false, in order that all maybe judged to did not believe the truth, but to pleasure in wickedness, their opportunity is passed. Now God sends a deluding influence and they more readily believe the lie. They should have turned and responded casting themselves upon the mercy of God in that day of grace.

So whether we are in the past looking at what went on in the Book of Exodus or whether we are looking in the days of Joshua or whether they are looking in our present time as we looked at verses in Romans or whether we looked at the future; God operates on this principle. He’s dealing with sinful people. He does hold out mercy, but he’s not obligated to show mercy. And I take it the indication from Romans 9; we are dealing with two individuals that this issue of mercy and hardening has comes right down to the individual, not just nations and groups.

But he has mercy on whom he has mercy and he hardens whom he chooses to harden; that’s his sovereign choice. So not Pharaoh no, because he is dealing with sinful people, you don’t have to show mercy. If you have to show mercy it’s not mercy, because mercy by definition is undeserved. I realized I will be laboring the point and repeating myself, but it shouldn’t be an issue. We are dealing with sinful people; God doesn’t have to show mercy to sinful people to be consistent with his character, he has to show justice. The angels being an example, he didn’t have to provide an opportunity for angels to be saved. And he doesn’t have to provide an opportunity for falling angels to experience mercy and grace, he has prepared hell for the devil and his angels; that’s their only option, no exceptions.

Alright, so we come back to Joshua Chapter 11 verse 20; it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, why; the inequity of the Amorite is right. Its time, don’t you sometimes look at what’s going on in the world and say, why doesn’t the Lord do something, why doesn’t he intervene and bring judgment; we have that sense of the rightness of that, but only God knows the timing of that. For the Canaanite, its time; 400 years earlier God told Abraham, it’s not yet time. I have the exact time 400 years from now, I am going to judge them.

So harden their hearts that they might receive no mercy, because he intends to destroy them. Verse 23; so Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord has spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And thus the land had rest from war. The whole of the land now has been subjugated; that doesn’t mean every area in that land, but the major resistance has been broken, the major armies’ coalitions have been defeated.

Now it will remain for the land to be divided and each tribe get its own section, and then they will be responsible to clean out if you will the pockets of resistance and bring the conquering of the land. So Chapter 12; we are not going to do anything in this Chapter. It lists the kings that were conquered by Joshua and you can read through that. You can see verse 9, they starts a list that are not elaborated on. Now, the king of Jericho one, the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one each of these kings defeated and their city conquered.

You come to Chapter 13; you have the division of the land. In Chapter 13 begins the second major division of the Book of Joshua. The first 12 Chapters are concerned with the conquest of the land. The last 12 Chapters are concerned with the dividing up and distribution of the land among the 12 tribes of Israel, relatively little of Canaan was occupied by Israel at this point. But the major resistance, as I said had been dealt with.

The first 7 verses of Chapter 13; God gives Joshua instructions regarding the division of the land; and we are told in verse 1; Joshua’s old and advanced in years; when the Lord said to him, you are old advanced in years very much of the land remains to people thus see that very much remains. There are no major if you will armies to threaten Israel as a nation now. When you break it down to the tribes they will have to depend upon the Lord to enable them to clean out the area of Canaan given to each one of them and secure it, and this is the land that remains and it goes onto elaborate that.

So verse 7; now therefore a portion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh; with the other half tribes the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan to the east. Remember two and half tribes took their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. They agreed that their armies would go over with the bulk of Israel to Canaan was conquered, but their inheritance would be on the east side of the Jordan River.

Verse 1; tells us Joshua was old at the last Chapter. In Chapter 24 verse 29; we are told Joshua was 110 when he died. Now we know from Chapter 14 verse 10; that Caleb is 85 years old at this time. So Joshua is probably about 90 in verse 1 of Chapter 13, he has 20 years to live, he is going to live to 110. But in light of Caleb, who remember was one the spies went into the land with Joshua and gave a good report is 85 about this time. So Joshua is probably about 90, so he is old and advanced in years even though he has 20 years to live.

Verses 8 to 33; talk about the dividing of the Transjordan River region, the area across the river between Reuben, Gad and half tribe of Manasseh. So the tribe of Manasseh divides; half the tribe is taking their inheritance and while we call the Transjordan the eastside of the Jordan River and half will take it in the land Canaan itself. And then the tribe of Reuben and Gad will with the half tribe of Manasseh have their portion, in what we call the Transjordan area.

So verses 8 to 33 talk about the division of that land. I just want you to know verse 22, and to recounting what we do now as you are going to divide that among them, it’s an opportunity to repeat what happened, because remember we are reading this down. But every Israelite didn’t have his own copy like we do to keep the reminder. So now you reiterate the conquest of the land that included in verse 22; the sons of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the diviner, with the sword among the rest of their slain.

Back in Numbers 31, Balaam being wrath false prophet and uses an example of false prophets in the New Testament. You come to Chapter 14, its basically taken up with Caleb’s portion out of the spies that went to spy out the land, ten brought back a bad report remember; and only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report that led to the wilderness wandering until that whole generation died out.

In verse 1; these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land the Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel a portion to them for an inheritance. So there are three parties involved here. You have Eleazar the priest, Joshua the leader of the nation and the heads of the households of the tribes; that now I am going to sit down and we are going to divide up the land, and you have some reiteration elaboration.

And then you come down to verse 6; then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, you know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh-barnea. I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me back, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land. I brought back word back to him as it was in my heart, nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I followed the Lord my God fully. And Caleb was a faithful man and God honors that faithfulness.

So verse 10; now behold the Lord has let me live just as he spoke these 45 years. Now he told us in verse 7; he was 40 years old when he went to spy out the land and Israel wandered in that wilderness 38 years and you have the 40 years when you have the time at Sinai and all of that added in. So now he is 85, he’s 40; 38 years of passed in the wilderness wandering; that was 45 years ago you have 7 years that been the Book of Joshua these Chapters up till now have recorded the conquering of the land. So it’s been a 7 year process. So we read it rather quickly, but 7 years of insistent constant warfare and fighting; that’s a long time. So the people waited a long time for their inheritance.

Caleb is ready to have his portion. You know Caleb is overshadowed by Joshua. We know Joshua and the Book of Joshua’s named after Joshua, when he becomes the leader. Caleb is a very faithful man; here it said verse 8; at the end of verse, I followed the Lord my God fully. Down verse 9; the end of the verse, you have followed the Lord my God fully; Moses said and so you will be rewarded by going into the land.

Down in verse 14; Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb, because he follows the Lord God of Israel fully. He may not have been as famous as Joshua. He doesn’t have the prominence of Joshua. But he was an outstanding servant of God. Again, you know how we measured #, you know what did he get out of this well. Here he is giving his blessing, it doesn’t mean he will be as great as Joshua, it doesn’t mean he is entrusted with the role that Joshua has, but then God determines those things.

You know if I get sidetrack to this and I am Caleb pretty soon I am thinking while it would be Joshua or I will at least be more prominent or I you know I have to follow the Lord my God fully, and then the Lord does with me as he chooses and that’s true for us today. So Caleb gets his portion and he will have to secure it. You come to Chapter 15; you have Judah’s portion. Judah’s the first tribe to receive an inheritance. And I don’t have a map, but you in the back of your bible or a bible atlas. You ought to have a bible atlas, because you know otherwise we don’t have any idea where things are.

If you go to bible atlas; I looked at one again this afternoon is pottered of the shelf and but every bible atlas will show you the breakup of the land and you know mark out where this tribe went, this tribe went, this tribe went; you will get an idea of how its laid out. Judah get the largest portion and it’s in the southern part, and we are familiar with where Jerusalem is and that old southern part of the land with simian placed in the middle of where it is surrounded by Judah’s territory.

But Judah is the first tribe to receive an inheritance; on the west side of the Jordan in the land of Canaan. We have already a portioned out the eastern side of the Jordan for the two and half tribes. And Judah is a large tribe and obviously very significant tribe. Interestingly down in verse 63 of Chapter 15 and we are not going to through the Chapter. You’d almost need an atlas with you to follow along, because it’s telling you the border went from this town or city to this town this river, so we won’t bother reading through that, wouldn’t make a lot of sense unless you had a map before you that marked it out.

But down in Chapter 15 verse 63; interestingly now, as for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem the sons of Judah could not drive them out. So the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day for whatever reason, now the tribe that Judah was not successful in driving out to Jebusites and taking possession of Jerusalem; it will not be until the days of David, that David will conquer Jerusalem and drive out the Jebusites and make it the city of David. That’s in Second Samuel Chapter 5 verse 6 and 7. So roughly David is around 1000 BC, so we are 400 years or so give or take till David the Jebusites will maintain control of Jerusalem. But David will take it becomes known as the city of David and of course it becomes the capital and center of Israel in the land.

Okay Chapter 16 and 17, I think it just summaries these. These are the two tribes that Ephraim and Manasseh, they are descendant from the sons of Joseph. Remember, Joseph really gets the portion of the first born, even though he wasn’t the first born, but the first born Reuben forfeited that and so he gets the double portion. So Joseph one of the 12 sons really gets two portions of the land, because his two sons each are now the head of the tribe. So you don’t have the tribe of Joseph, you have the tribe of Ephraim and the tribe of Manasseh, which were the two sons of Joseph.

And Chapter 16 and 17 talks about these tribes; one half of the tribe of Manasseh remember took their portion on the east side of the Jordan. So you have Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh to get their inheritance in the land of Canaan itself, neither of these tribes are successful in cleaning out the land and this becomes a failure, remember they were to annihilate the Canaanites, because if they don’t the influence of the Canaanites will corrupt Israel and their worship.

And we read in Chapter 16, verse 10, regarding Ephraim; they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day and they became forced laborers. Now that statement is a problem they became forced laborers. They could have driven them out, because they conquer them. But now they have people to do the work for them, smart no dilemma, because they weren’t supposed to spare them, so they could use them to do the work, because it will create problems down the road for Manasseh.

Comedown to verse 12, but the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. God didn’t say it would be easy, it came about when the sons of Israel became strong then they destroy the Canaanites; no, they put the Canaanites to forced labor. So there is a time when the resistance is strong enough that to have tribe of Manasseh couldn’t effectively drive them out, but when they did its strong enough to do it and God had purposes in this remember, so that the land didn’t become overrun with wild animals and so on, until Israel was ready to take it.

They put them to forced labor they didn’t drive them out completely. Now the incomplete obedience as this or bad we’ve conquer them, now there are slaves. I mean we are in charge and they will never be anything but slaves. So it seems like it’s going to be alright, but it’s never alright when we haven’t done what the Lord said. Remember what made Joshua great; he did all that the Lord commanded him. What made Caleb great; I followed the Lord fully. But here now there is breakdown, as these tribes are to secure their portion of the land, they are not obeying the Lord completely, they are not following the Lord fully.

Lord didn’t say, subjugate the Canaanites; he said destroy the Canaanites, otherwise there will be a snare to you always, always, always. Our incomplete obedience to the Lord sows the seeds for future trouble, and sometimes we don’t reflect on it, but it’s easy we have Israel’s history worked out, we can see the problem the Canaanites will be and their worship, their ideas begin to corrupt Israel, it will bring judgment on Israel; what seems like a minor point here will become a major issue being # for Israel.

I think well, should I learn from this; well these things are written for our admonition. We have to learn from them. I think well, you know I know the Lord says this, but this is not a major area, this is not something major. I can never rebel against the God of heaven and it will be a minor issue, can I. I can never disobey the living God and say; well you know this isn’t a big thing. The actual item may not seem big, what makes it big is, it’s an active rebellion against the God who spoke; yeah but this you know this can’t be that significant. What is significant I have said no to the living God; that’s big and anytime that happens; even what seems like a good thing.

I mean when the Lord want us to take control of the land and cultivate it and prosper here and obviously we can do that much better if we have these slaves, and they learn that they have to serve the people of the living God; it doesn’t matter how good it sound, it’s not God’s plan. God never asked Ephraim, Manasseh to come up with an alternative to his idea in destroying the Canaanites. God never told them to show more mercy than he has chosen to serve. So for us God’s blessing has come, he is true to his word, Israel is in the land.

Israel now, as the individual tribes are privileged to benefit from God’s faithfulness. Even though Israel has been unfaithful, they spent 40 years giving from Egypt into the land, God is faithful. And the promises given to Abraham 400 years plus earlier, God is faithful. And now they have the joy of the entering the land, but how quickly the blessings of God trap us, and we are in snare.

Now here you have got your portion of the land, it’s yours. And the God of Israel will be your strength to enable you to conquer your enemies and posses it. And they are not being obedient. And I can’t help to think as I share with you many times; one of the studies I did many years ago in the school I was in, we studied Christianity around the world and how prosperity ends up just weakening Christianity till it finally just as washed out in its effectiveness.

You see the pattern that impacted Israel, impacts us pretty soon we don’t have time. Look around at the empty seats, where is everybody; well we have a lot we have a lot to do, we have full lives, we have places to go, things to do. We love the Lord, but and our blessings become what, a snare. And the devotion of our heart gets divided and the consequences are more severe. We can choose to obey. We can choose to disobey. We cannot choose the consequences; for obedience there is blessing. So here in the midst of the blessing of God giving them land, we see seeds being sown in their disobedience, which down the road were being ruin and disaster to the nation, as a nation.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord for who you are. And Lord we do rejoice that even when we are unfaithful you are faithful; you cannot deny yourself, for all the sadness, the tragedy of the pain of disobedience. Lord, you have demonstrated your faithfulness to Israel again and again and again, and here it’s your faithfulness, your goodness, your blessing that has brought them into the land. You have delivered their enemies into their hand. Now they are privileged to take possession of what you have promised. But how sad in the midst of that blessing they sow the seeds of incomplete obedience, which is disobedience.
Lord, may we learn these lessons and we will take to heart, how important it is for us to be a faithful people and obedient people. Passion of our heart may not be to be important to be great, to be rich, to be influential, but to be servants who are faithful, obedient to our God; who have a passion to serve you fully with all our heart. We pray in Christ’s name, Amen.