The Eastern Inheritance

The Book of Joshua  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Object Lesson: the difference between my Seagull and my Taylor. To the average person, they may look at each guitar and not think much of it. They may see the name Taylor and recognize it as a guitar that gets played on stage by some big named artists. They may see the Taylor and the nice, shiny top. They may look at the Seagull and notice the cracks that have been repaired, the uneven seam in the back of the guitar, and the heavy pick wear above the pick guard. They may even note the store “value” of the instruments — the Taylor retailed at just over $1300.00 and I think I paid around $750 for the Seagull. But here’s the thing…while the Taylor MAY be the nicer guitar, there’s a lot of sentimental value wrapped up in this old Seagull. It was my first “nice” guitar. Sure, it sat in my closet for quite some time, but that was owed more to an inability to get it repaired than it was anything else. Even still, I could never bring myself to part with it. It’s a part of me. It’s the guitar I used when I really learned what worship was about. It’s the guitar that took me from a guitar strummer to more of a guitar player…though that is very much still a work in progress. It has character. One day all of my guitars will be passed on, hopefully to boys who have learned guitar, to boys who will use them in the same way I have — to help people sing praises to God. One day it will be part of their inheritance. And this old beat up Seagull may not mean much to the rest of the world, but for these boys, it’ll have a deeper value.
So it is with today’s passage of Scripture. What begins in this passage may not mean much to the casual reader, but it’s a part of our history as believers and it was very much a part of Israel itself. Hopefully with new understanding and appreciate, let us study Josh.13 together.

Faith calls us to move forward and not rest on our accomplishments (Josh.13:1-7)

Though Joshua is old, he still has a job to do. Though the land is conquered, there’s still work to be done.
First, Joshua is old…advanced in age the Bible says. Some scholars believe that he’s possibly 100 years old at this point! And, he and Caleb are the only two remaining Israelites to have come out of Egyptian captivity. He’s no spring chicken, that’s for sure. By the way, you may have heard you’re only as old as you feel, or age is just a number we place on things, but I’m here to tell you, if God says you’re old…YOU’RE OLD! But still, even being advanced in age, God still intended to use him. Perhaps the greatest practical takeaway from this is the fact that there’s not point at which you age out of usefulness and effectiveness for God’s work. We don’t retire…we may retread, you know, find a different way to serve from how have in the past, but if God hasn’t called you home yet, He intends to use you!
Even in his old age, Joshua had a task to do. The job wasn’t finished. There still remained in particular for Joshua the need to distribute the land as an inheritance for Israel. In the west, we take great care to preserved documents of ownership. And while title deeds may prove boring reads even for legal experts, they’re necessary to prove legitimacy of ownership. So, you can see where maybe the next several chapters of Joshua have significant meaning for the Israelites.
Now as far as the land is concerned, Joshua’s job is to distribute it, but the Israelites must continue to take possession of it. Now, they’re not left on their own to do this. God promises, “I will drive them out before the Israelites.” You know, it’s a great reminder that God’s promises are God’s promises, not handicapped by people or anything else. Further, this reminder, and really it was a small portion of land, the vast majority had been taken, but it was a reminder that there was a big difference between being victorious in the land and actually occupying the land.
Note the difference in owning a house and renting a place. If you own it, you invest in it and you sweat over it because it is valuable to you. But if you rent, there’s not near as much personal investment and care. You don’t upgrade it like you would your own home. You’re at the mercy of the owner in most decision about the home. There’s something about crossing the threshold of a place you’ve mortgaged, the place where your name is on the deed. Israel now had that place for themselves.
What is this if not our spiritual life in a living illustration. Eternal life is ours, the victory has been won though Christ and His death and resurrection. But, there’s still work to be done. Until the day we die, there’s a big difference between the victory Christ has won and the life we are called to live. There are battles to be fought continually, new land to be explored and conquered, and new pockets of rebellion that have to be squashed. May we continue to work out our salvation in fear and trembling, constantly striving to become more like Jesus. Faith calls us to continually move forward, not resting on our past accomplishments.

Faith must deal with our short-comings (Josh.1:8-13; 15:15-32).

Though God had given land to the Transjordan tribes, there were still pagans in the land. Incomplete obedience may not pose an immediate crisis, but they would ultimately suffer for this.
First, the allotment of the land, and just like chapter 12, it begins with the Transjordan tribes: Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh. A couple of notes on those real quick:
Reuben doesn’t receive the lion’s share like you would expect for a first-born. One concrete reason for that, and one theological reminder: 1.) Reuben was demoted from his place of prominence for promiscuity with Jacob’s concubine Bilhah, and 2.) God often prefers the lesser over the greater. We see this concept all throughout Scripture — Abel’s sacrifice was preferred over Cain’s, Jacob was loved and Esau was hated, and the first shall be last and the last first. We also see this with Manasseh. Back to this in a moment.
Gad receives an inheritance, the seventh son of Jacob born to Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid during a time when Leah and Rachel were competing to be tops on Jacob’s wife list. That in and of itself should be a clear enough warning against polygamy! The Gadites were peripheral for most of Israel’s history, only figuring in to national importance in brief periods.
Finally, the half-tribe of Manasseh. If you track along in your biblical history, you’ll recall that Manasseh actually isn’t one of the “tribes” or sons of Jacob/Israel. Rather, He is Joseph’s first-born. Still, he is given an inheritance alongside his uncles (and alongside his brother Ephraim, too). This is probably due to Jacob’s preference of Joseph and Manasseh bringing Jacob safe to Joseph in Egypt.
Now just as it did in chapter 12, the inclusion of the Transjordan tribes reminds Israel that there are no second-class citizens. All of Israel is all of Israel. And, the fact that the allotment is attributed to Moses…he was the allot-er…it shows us once again that the ministry of distributing the inheritance of the Promised Land is one more way that Joshua fulfills the role of Moses.
But, as is often the case, the out-of-tune verse provides the greatest insight: Josh.13:13but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath still live in Israel today.” This verse is rather straightforward…incomplete obedience usually is. And, as is often the case with incomplete obedience, there is no immediate crisis that arises. But maybe this serves as an opportunity for a great reminder for all of God’s people — as one scholar puts it, “we frequently and strangely prove faithful in the great crisis of faith, remain steadfast in severe storms, perhaps even relish the excitement of the heaviest assaults, yet lack the tenacity, the dogged endurance, the patient podding often required in the prosaic affairs of believing life; we are often loath to be faith in (what we regard as) little.”
The question is “why?” Why didn’t they finish the job? But then, why don’t we? Why don’t we remain faithful in the small things? Why don’t we remain faithful in the easy, day-to-day moments of our life? Are we lazy? Complacent? Dissatisfied? All of the above? The text doesn’t tell us, and maybe that’s a way of saying the reason doesn’t matter, this is true of all of us. Often, we don’t receive all God intends for us because we stop walking in faith before Him. As we move forward in the fight, He gives. He drives out as we stand up. He provides as we appropriate. So if God has stopped moving, maybe it’s actually because we stopped moving first. Consider this: you have just as much of God as you want. I can promise you this: He’s not withholding Himself even though you want more. Mt.5:6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Yes, we fall short, but faith calls us by grace to get up and press on and chase after and fight for more of God.

Faith realizes that there is life beyond the here and now (Josh.13:14, 33).

The priestly line of the Levites received no land as an inheritance. Rather, YHWH, the God of Israel was to be their portion in life.
The lack of land allotment for the Levites/priests will serve as a reminder to the entire nation of their dependence upon God. As glorious as the gift of the land was, and it WAS to be stewarded as a gift and a fundamental covenant provision, Israel was still to be dependent upon God. The rest of the land to be received — God would provide that, and even sustained living in the land, that would be God’s provision so long as Israel remained faithful to YHWH.
The priests received no inheritance because they would daily depend on the sacrifices and offerings of Israel. Deut.18:1-5The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, will have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They will eat the Lord’s food offerings; that is their inheritance. Although Levi has no inheritance among his brothers, the Lord is his inheritance, as he promised him. This is the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether it is an ox, a sheep, or a goat; the priests are to be given the shoulder, jaws, and stomach. You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and fresh oil, and the first sheared wool of your flock. For the Lord your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes to stand and minister in his name from now on.” Priests have the responsibility of being examples, and this dependence upon God served as a visual reminder of Israel’s need for daily dependence on God as well.
NT believers need the reminder of the priestly testimony (see Mt.6:19-21 ““Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Mt.6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.”)
Remember that we are called to be a priestly testimony to the world. 1 Pet. 2:9-10But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”When all of our focus becomes on our earthly inheritance, and I’m not saying live foolishly and flippantly, but when our earthly possessions become our primary focus, what does that communicate to the world we are called to witness to? Even in the here and now, consider the words of Ps.142:5I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my shelter, my portion in the land of the living.”
At the end of the day, all we have is a glorious gift from God. The priestly faith reminded Israel of its dependence on God and called them to look beyond the gift of the land, beyond the gracious hand of provision, to the face of the One who blessed them in the first place. And as a kingdom of priests we are called to daily depend on God and to look beyond our earthly inheritance. The true treasure is not the treasure, but the One who is the Giver of all good things. Which one are you living for?

Active and Obedient Faith

Are there unchecked pockets of incomplete obedience in your life? If so, how can you move forward in the battle and deal with the small things before they become unchecked, large things?
What are you going to do to keep from letting down your guard against sin and Satan when the big trials are past but your left dealing with the small struggles of daily life?
How will you cultivate a heart that loves the Giver more than the gift?
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