Possessing Our Possessions Pt1
So the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their (possession) inheritance . Joshua 16:4 NKJV. (Note: wherever emphasis is added, it is mine).
The Bible is amazing and the book of Joshua is jampacked with incredible truth.
Part of the back-story here is God birthing the nation of Israel in the furnace of grace. He delivered them from the horror of slavery in Egypt. He led them through the wilderness giving them blessing on top of blessing. They were a favoured people. They were the chosen ones of the Lord God Almighty. He led them, He fed them, He protected them. Eventually He led them into the land of Canaan.
All they had to do was enter the land, destroy the people who were living there and take up residence.
But we know that things didn’t quite work out like that. Some tribes did fully possess their land, some didn’t drive out all the people of the land, other tribes lived among the people.
But God’s commandment was very clear.
You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. Exodus 23:24 NKJV.
(Note: look up the meaning of the word utterly; it is fascinating).
Then we read this verse; which must be one of the saddest verses of the Bible.
As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. Joshua 15:63 NKJV.
The people of Israel could not utterly remove the people from the city. They did not possess their possession. And yet that was God’s command. They lived with compromise. Actually they disobeyed the Lord.
I got to thinking about this. I wonder if there are possessions that God has given me that I have not yet possessed? What possessions do I need to possess? (Now it’s true we don’t know what we don’t know, but bear with me. And also let’s be clear I’m not talking about physical assets; although it can be sometimes).
The book of Joshua is one of the historical books of the Bible, and records the leadership of Joshua, various military campaigns and the quest to take possession of the promised land. Then Joshua, the now aged leader, says this to the people;
“How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?
Joshua 18:3 NKJV.
A whole lot of things began to flood my mind, about possessing our possessions. Let’s explore this today and in the next couple of Brief Words, by looking at three key statements.
God has already given….
When we became born again and entered into the kingdom of God, I wonder if we began to understand what God had given us at that point. It’s taken me years to understand some of these things.
We sometimes think the Christian life is about you’ve gotta to do this and you’ve gotta do that, you’ve got to press in, you’ve got a push forward you’ve got a strive, you’ve got to work hard.
Not at all!
My understanding of the gospel is that it is all by Grace. Not works. We can’t earn our salvation, we will never deserve it, there’s nothing we can do to work for it or somehow gain our standing with God because of our effort.
It is simply given to us by God because of His grace. That’s a hard concept for some to accept. Because many of us in our background have grown up with the cause-and-effect principle, the sowing and reaping principle, which are valid doctrines and must be taught within the correct context of scripture. But our salvation, our righteousness, our standing before God, and some of these important things God has already given us, have simply been given to us by God’s grace. There’s nothing we can do to add to it and nothing we can do to take away from it.
Now, can you sense the frustration in Joshua’s voice?
How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers HAS GIVEN YOU ?
Joshua 18:3 NKJV (Emphasis mine).
Look at these verses from Joshua.
- … I know that the Lord has given you the land… (2:9).
- … which the LordGod of your fathers has given you? (18:3).
- … this good land which the Lordyour God has given you. (23:13).
- … this good land which the Lordyour God has given you. (23:15).
- … the good land which He has given you. (23:16).
This was the promised land. It was a land flowing with milk and honey and it was given to them by the sovereign will of God. As I said all they had to do was enter the land, destroy the people who were living there and take up residence.
Before they entered the land it was already theirs. Yes there was a battle to fight, but God promised them the victory. Doesn’t that sound familiar?
Are we living a certain way in our Christian life because of our family background, or the atmosphere of our upbringing or because of some other belief system, but are completely unaware of…, let’s call them spiritual assets? Things that are rightfully ours and have been given to us by God in His love and grace. But, we have not yet taken possession of them.
It’s true that we don’t know what we don’t know. But the older I get (I will be seventy years old this year. Shock, horrors, unbelievable – how did that happen?!), the more I’m discovering the Holy Spirit delights in showing us things from His word. I’ve been walking with the Lord and reading His word almost daily for over fifty years and yet I’m still seeing things I’ve never seen before.
- But the manifestation of the Spirit is GIVEN to each one for the profit of all: for to one is GIVEN … 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 NKJV
- Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely GIVEN to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12 NKJV
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, WHO HAS BLESSED US with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3 NKJV
Here’s today’s truth – God has already given you and I so much.
But wait. There’s more. In the next Brief Word.
