All Came to Pass
Joshua: Pass Over and Possess • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.
There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
Introduction
Introduction
God always accomplishes His objects and carries out His promises. In our passage this morning, we will see a fundamental principle in the interpretation of Scripture. However long it takes, God is always doing just what He has said He will do.
We need to be looking throughout the book for our theme for 2025. The central focus of the book of Joshua is that God wants us to move forward and take ahold of the blessings of our salvation.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
As we saw in our study of Ephesians, God has blessed us with spiritual blessings. All the saved have access to these blessings. Do we share them with the lost? Do we live them faithfully in our lives? Do we thank God for them daily? The book of Joshua leads us along the path of living the victorious Christian life. All we need to live victoriously, we already have in Christ. We must just cross over the river of fear and take ownership of the land of Promise!
What can Joshua 21 have to say for us as we seek to move forward in our Christian lives?
One of my fondest memories of my childhood is hunting with my Grandfather. I remember him teaching me to shoot and then taking me hunting for the first time when I was about five. In the first few years, Granddaddy would stay with me and we would hunt together. This was good for safety but I quickly learned this was not for talking.
As time went on, I learned to hunt on my own. Keeping yourself occupied for three or four hours quietly in a tree stand is hard for a kid. I remember one time bringing a mp3 player with me to listen to music. However, I had to keep one earbud out to hear any deer running by.
Whenever Grandaddy would leave me by myself, he would tell me that I should stay up the tree stand until after it got completely dark. If needed, He would come back to get me. No matter what, I knew that Grandaddy would not leave me by myself in the woods. The promise of my Grandfather’s presence was enough to get me through those hours of silence and solitude.
What gets you through the challenges of your life? When God says that He is in control, do you doubt it because you cannot see it? Job could say with confidence in one of the earliest books of the Bible that God would be there as the Redeemer in heaven. He had said so in Gen 3:15 and Job believed it to be true.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead In the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, And mine eyes shall behold, and not another; Though my reins be consumed within me.
No matter if this world goes away or our bodies waste away, the promises of God are sure. We can stand upon them and believe them to be the truth that will bring us comfort in times of silence and solitude. In the midst of the desert, there is an oasis of the promises of God. Peter tells us that the promises of God are directly connected to the promise of Jesus’s Death and Life.
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The promises of God are applicable to us today because we too have needs that must be met somehow. This morning, we will see a principle that ought to guide us each and every time that we interpret and study the Word of God. God has always carried out His Promises. There are no exceptions. All came to pass.
Declaration
Declaration
God always carries out His Promises. Wherever we are, He is there to provide for us physically, emotionally and spiritually. No matter how long it takes, wait patiently for God to give you His promises.
1. God Meets Physical Needs
1. God Meets Physical Needs
And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
There is a declarative statement in verse 43 regarding the physical needs of the people. It has been said that the three things people need are food, water and shelter. These were provided by God in the book of Joshua. We see this especially summed up in chapters 13-21. Each and every tribe that had traveled out of Egypt, across the wilderness and into the Promised Land, has now received a place to live and to thrive. God has given them the land of Canaan which before was inhabited by the unbelieving people they fought against.
God had promised this provision of physical blessings to their fathers. We see throughout the book of Genesis that, beginning with Abraham, God promises to give the land of Canaan to His faithful people. God has a plan to give them a place to live out the blessing of obedience.
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.
Looking back at the verses above in chapter 21, we can see the continuation of this land being divided among Abraham’s descendants. The context here is the carrying out of giving a place to dwell to the Levites in the beginning of the chapter. The Levites come to Joshua to receive their promised cities. The verses that follow give us a listing of those cities donated by the other tribes. Part of the carrying out of the promises for the children of Israel was the final piece of giving a place to dwell to Levi. They had God as their possession but they needed a physical place to dwell and worship Him.
But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.
They were to be pictures of the worship and dedication of the Israelites to God. Spread throughout the land, they pointed the people constantly to their role of bringing glory to God. Some commentators connect them with the living sacrifice of Romans 12.
God has met the physical needs of the children of Israel. This promise has been fulfilled. It was fulfilled when
they possessed it - this required the crossing of the river and the faithful fighting of the battles according to God’s instructions
they dwelt in it - this involved their travel to the divinely selected areas in Canaan
The Divine action of God was to give this land to the people of Israel that He had promised them. It is true of God’s promises to us as believers today. God meets physical needs. As Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount, He addressed the physical needs of the people listening. We all need food, water and shelter, yet, He tells us
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Has there ever been a day that you have not had food to eat, water to drink or clothing to wear as a believer in Christ? God knows what we need. He takes care of our concerns. God meets physical needs. David could say with confidence in the Psalms,
I have been young, and now am old; Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his seed begging bread.
2. God Meets Emotional Needs
2. God Meets Emotional Needs
And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.
There is a second declarative statement in this passage in verse 44. God not only provided the land for the people but He gave them rest. This was more than just a house to live in and fields to eat from. God gave the people of Israel space to experience His presence and worship Him in their lives. Rest was the settling for the daily work of God in spiritual growth and emotional comfort. Much of Joshua is taken up by battles, now there is rest from war. This summarizes chapters 1-12 as we see that the battle has been won and the enemies subdued.
God had sworn this rest to their fathers. There would be a time that they would be able to enjoy dwelling with God and having His Presence in their lives. The idols were to be taken out so that God could be worshipped.
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.
God promised to send rest, emotional provision to His people in the midst of their challenges and trials. This was not just something physical but something that brought comfort to the mind and heart. God is always working with the heart of people to be sure that it is right with Him. This promise came to pass when:
no one could stand in victory against them in battle - there was no one left who had not see defeat before the victorious God of Israel
God spoke to Joshua before the battle that the odds were already stacked against the people of the land.
And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
all were now under the power of Israel - there was nowhere for the Canaanites to run from the presence of the victorious Israelites
So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
A second Divine action of God is to give rest to the people in the land that they have been brought to. Today, God meets our emotional needs as well. How many times have we cried because we feel alone? How many times have the challenges we face brought us to complaining or murmuring against God? The children of Israel are the example that the writer of Hebrews gives us in chapter 4. While we don’t have time this morning to break down this entire passage, we do see that this rest is available more abundantly to us today because it is found in Jesus Himself.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
God meets emotional needs. When there was conflict, God sent victory. When there was turmoil, God sent rest after the battle was won. Today, when we have emotional needs, God is there for us to meet them as He did for Israel.
3. God Meets Spiritual Needs
3. God Meets Spiritual Needs
There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.
The final declarative statement in this passage is found in verse 45. Nothing was missing from the promises of God to Israel. God is a good God. He gives good things to His people. A good gift brings happiness and rejoicing in the receiver. Our physical needs and our emotional needs point toward an even greater need, the spiritual need. This need too God provides for. Moses’ testimony of what God had done for Israel uses this same word, “good”.
And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel.
God had spoke it and it had not “fallen to the ground”. That is the idea behind the word “faileth” in the King James. One commentator on Joshua used this verse as his title for the book, No Falling Words. No one can deny that God has done all that He promised. Nothing remained to be carried out because God had done it before their eyes. The message of Deuteronomy and Joshua is that God carries out His promises in the lives of His people. He works on their behalf.
And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
All came to pass. Every promise fulfilled. As Joseph Parker says in his preaching on this verse,
Four words remain, which contain all we want to know about God’s promises and God’s dispensations. These four words are all of one syllable.
Too often we make things complicated. What God does here for His people is not complicated. He gives them His Presence. The Presence of God is seen in the carrying out of His works as we have seen throughout the book of Joshua. At Shiloh, in the midst of the land of Promise, God is there to meet their physical and emotional needs. But more than that, He meets their spiritual needs.
The most pressing spiritual need was their sin. In the Old Testament, they offered sacrifices to cover their sin according to the Law that God established as Sinai. In the New Testament, we find that the payment for all sin has been made through the death of Christ. He tells us,
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
No matter your sin, Jesus has taken it away on the cross. It is removed as the east is from the west. The Israelites had the spiritual need of seeing God’s Presence through His works. We have the spiritual need of eternal security in His sacrifice alone. Believe today that He has taken your sin and given you new life!
Joshua God Gives Perfect Gifts
Kit Yarrow, a researcher in consumer behavior, names the six gifts you should not give to a person. First, “the all about me gift,” which is not wanted or needed, tells more about you than about the recipient. Second, “the obvious regift” says you do not care enough to give a present that is especially for the recipient. Third, “the statement gift” is a gift that makes an evident declaration, not of appreciation, but of disapproval. Fourth, “the well-meant misfire” gives a present that is well intended but hurtful, such as an acne solution kit for a person with skin problems. Fifth, “the passive-aggressive gift” is a kind of statement gift that is an expression of hostility wrapped up in a decorative package. Sixth, “the non-gift” is often a gift that would need to be bought anyway, such as socks; but worst is the one given between members of the same financial household that is an expensive purchase that the recipient had no input in getting, such as a new car.
The gifts of God are not like any of those. God gives us gifts that He had promised to meet each and every one of our needs. Our loving Father knows just what is the most pressing concern of each moment and there He is beside us. Even when we don’t feel His Presence, we have His Word that it is there.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God always carries out His Promises. Wherever we are, He is there to provide for us physically, emotionally and spiritually. No matter how long it takes, wait patiently for God to give you His promises.
In our passage this morning, we have seen that there is a connection here between Levi, inheriting the Lord Himself, and the carrying out of God's promises. The tribe of Levi did not inherit land or a geographical region but the Presence of God. We have everything that we need to have victory when we receive His Presence in our lives. This should be an encouragement that God does carry out everything that He says He will do. We have seen that in the physical, emotional and spiritual realms here.
What are you struggling with today?
Are you in need physically? Jesus says to seek the kingdom first and God will take care of those needs.
Are you in need emotionally? There is the rest promised to the child of God made possible because our sin has been taken on the cross by Jesus.
Are you in need spiritually? The promise of God is that He is there with you each step along the way.
No matter what situation we are in, we must live in confident expectation that God will bring us to His expected end for our lives. For Job, that path led through suffering. For Elijah, that path led through loneliness. For Jesus, that path led through the greatest sacrifice of human history as He gave His life for the sin of the world. God will bring you through as surely as He has done every other person He cares for. As one reformer said,
Our faith should be borne up on wings by the promises of God.
John Calvin
How ought we to respond to the confident summary found in verses 43-45 in praise of God? We see the pattern of David in 1 Chronicles. When he sees the greatness of God and thinks of the future temple to be built, we read
Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
All we have received is from the storehouse of God to meet our needs. Respond to the promises of God in His Word today with a desire to have a pure heart to receive His Presence and to carry out the calling that God has for you each day of your life!
