Day 86 – Joshua 16-18
Talking Points
- God is faithful to keep His promises – the land that He had promised them so many generations before is now being divided among the tribes of Israel.
- Even still, after everything, the Israelites are a reluctant, complaining, and disobedient people. As the land is divided, the sons of Joseph complain that their portion isn’t big enough (even though they allowed the Canaanites to persist in the land), that some of it is covered in forests, and that the Canaanites in the land are too strong, with “chariots of iron” (17:16). The last generation to complain died in judgment, yet they keep on.
- The Judahites and Ephraimites fail to fully drive out the Canaanites, breaking a clear command of God. Instead, they allow them to remain in the land as forced labor. It is weird to think that the forced labor of Egypt (the Israelites) eventually brought trouble to Egypt as they grew great in number. Now, they are allowing seeds of trouble to remain in their land by not following God’s command.
- Here we go again — Lap 299 — God is faithful. His people, not so much.
Thoughts
I once read that to warn a boy is pretty much the same thing as sending him an invitation. Sometimes I wonder why that is so true. And then, reading this account, I can’t help but wonder if God thinks the same thing.
Why do we consider a command, given by the all-knowing, infinitely wise, eternally righteous God, to be more like a suggestion, or even an invitation to disobey? It’s almost like we see it as a challenge — “Oh, You said don’t do that? Yeah, I’ll just see…” It’s truly a constant case of cutting off our own noses to spite our faces.
When I’m trying to get my children to trust me and actually obey, I find myself reminding them that I know things they don’t know, I see things they can’t see, and I love them like no one else. If we could only see that our God is so much greater than that! He knows things we can’t know, sees things we can’t see, and He truly loves us like no one else. He wants what is best for us. His commands are good. They are wise. They are righteous. We can trust Him!
God knows things we can't know, sees things we can't see, and He truly loves us like no one else. He wants what is best for us. His commands are good. They are wise. They are righteous. We can trust Him! Share on XLord, help us to see You. Help us to trust You. Give us the desire and strength to obey You. You are worthy.
Want to receive our latest content directly to your inbox?
Join our newsletter. We would love to share new content with you!