Joshua 12-15

God’s message to me: The idea that people deteriorate as they age is a human failing. For those who followed God and stood strong for Him, the bible shows us long lives of good health. Moses and Aaron both walked to their own funerals. Despite being in their 80’s Joshua and Caleb were still as healthy and strong as when they had been in their forties and younger. Both were still capable soldiers who could go into, fight, survive and walk out of a battlefield not only safe but victorious.

Promises: God delivers. He promised Joshua and Caleb they would inherit the land they spied out because they wholly followed the Lord. Alone ,out of the people of Israel who came from Egypt, These two survived to enter the Promised Land. They had been spies at the age of 40, they had wandered with the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, they had fought in the promised land for 5 years. Caleb asked for the mountain which was Kirjath Arba, named for the Father of Anak whose name is the origin of the name Anakim which refers to Giants. This mountain was still under control of the Giants but, Caleb was still as capable a warrior at 85 as he had been at 40 and he knew God would let him overcome the giants because he had been promised the land as his inheritance. He overcame Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, Giants of the sons of Anak and named the land Hebron.

Commands: Do what God commands and prosper. God told the Israelites to conquer the promised land but, they chickened out and wound up wandering the wilderness for 40 years until that generation died. A few tried to change their minds but were immediately defeated in battle. When the next generation went into the promised land they had no trouble defeating each and every enemy they encountered. They conquered the enemies, enjoyed they spoils of war and divided the land amongst themselves to form the country of Israel. 12 tribes inhabiting land once ruled by over 30 kings. That’s no small nation. God prospered the Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just as He had promised. The best part was that He wasn’t close to finished.

Timeless principles: God delivers in due time. The population of Israel had grown large and they took a lot of land as their inheritance but, they did not take all they had been promised. God gave them what they could manage at their current size then allowed a time of peace in which they were not attacked and did not attack others so that they could grow and prosper some more until they were ready to expand into the rest of the promised land.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: Never doubt God. Few people, even the if they were the most die hard devil dog Marines, would consider trying to attack and conquer a mountain kingdom ruled and inhabited by giants. Caleb asked for exactly that opportunity because he knew that God had promised him he would inherit the land he had spied out. That mountain full of giants had been one of his assignments and he wanted it.

more to learn for in-depth study: Before entering the promised land, Moses led the children of Israel to victory over Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan a rephaim giant. The lands of these kingdoms were divided between the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, who saw it as good grazing land and land to raise livestock. These tribes had a large amount of livestock and saw this as the perfect land for them.

The rest of the Israelites settled inside the promised land on the other side of the Jordan after defeating: the Hitites the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. They also had to defeat the kings of Jericho, Ai Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, Shimron Meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam in Carmel, Dor in the heights of Dor, the people of Gilgal, and Tirzah. 31 kings and their armies and peoples.

They weren’t nearly finished. As God had promised He allowed them to conquer what they could handle and left the rest for when they had grown enough to make use of the land. Still to conquer was all of the Philistine territory and that of the Geshurites. The land from Sihor, east of Egypt to the border of Ekron in the north which is considered Canaanite territory. The five lords of the Philistines, the Gazites, Ashdodites, Ashkelonites, Gittites, Ekronites and Avites. All the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek to the border of the Amorites and the land of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon toward the east from Baal Gad below mount Hermon to the entrance to Hamath also where left to conquer. In fact, they also still needed to take the mountains of Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth and all of the Sidonians.

Balaam son of Beor is mentioned here again. Balaam was hired to curse Israel but God made him bless them instead. Balaam accepted money to do something God wouldn’t let him do. He could have, and even started to, turn down the job but, he accepted the money and went to work. God took control and blessed Israel through him but, for accepting the commission to curse them Balaam was marked among the enemy and killed in that war.

The Israelites failed to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites during this first series of wars. The rest of the territory and how it was devided between the tribes is described in detail in these passages.

tomorrow: Joshua 16-18