They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.” Numbers 32:5
Our women’s bible study is currently going through the book of Joshua. In the first chapter of Joshua verses 12-14, you come across an interesting statement that Joshua made to a particular group of God’s people. Before they were to go in and possess all that God had promised them Joshua reminds certain individuals of their promise to go into the battle and help God’s people conquer and receive their long awaited inheritance.
In Number 32 it was these very people who asked Moses of they could settle in Gilead, just east of the Promised Land because it was a rich pasture land for their livestock. They looked at this land and were willing to stop just short of the Promised Land, “do not take us across the Jordan.” Moses complied with their request as long as they would help the other tribes in the conquest. Now the time had come for them to keep their promise and once they did they could go back to the land of their choosing.
You could easily skip over a very challenging lesson here if you just read through Joshua 1. However, if you take a closer look you discover an alarming reality that confronts everyone of us as God’s people. Just as Moses complied with with the two and half tribes who wanted to settle before they reached God’s best, God gives us the freedom to choose as well. Many of God’s people today so often choose to settle just short of all that God has promised. We wander in our wilderness so long and as soon as something looks good, something outside of our familiar struggles, we want to settle (right here, right now) and are satisfied with our nominal notion of blessing.
God has always wanted His people to know the fullness and blessings of a life completely set on His will, nothing else and nothing less. Instead, we are willing settle to soon and come short of ever truly experiencing a greater, a truer, and fuller life in Him.
Let’s ask God to help us renew our resolve and choose to march forward and discover what’s waiting on the other side.
WOW IM AMAZED ON THIS INTERPRETATION BECAUSE ITS SO TRUE AND WAS STRAIGHT UP…. A FRIEND POSTED ON FACEBOOK THAT SHE ATTENDED TODAY AND I SEARCHED FOR THEIR WEBSITE ON GOOGLE. I CAME ACROSS CORE WOMAN ON THE SITE AND CLICKED ON IT AND LED ME TO YOUR BLOG.
I love this insight! I had not seen it before but there are always gems in the rereading of the Word, new points of application. Thanks for pointing this one out. I’m marching forward!
I am attending Women’s Bible Study at Core Church Los Angeles! Laurie is wonderful. The Bible is coming to life right before my ears and eyes every Thursday night!
I am intrigued, and becoming full of the Holy Spirit! I am being fed and tended to!
God good! God is Great! Core Church is amazing…a gift from God!
Thank you so very much!