Scripture

Joshua 15:16-17

And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

Observation

As the conquest of Canaan winds down, the disbursement of the lands allotted to the various tribes begins. In a foreshadowing of Judah’s future pre-eminence among the tribes the first lot falls to Judah, the tribe from whence the Messiah will come. Caleb is given the land promised to him beforehand (by the command of the Lord) as a reward for his obedience and valor when spying out the land with Joshua. With some inhabitants still needing to be driven from the land, Caleb offers his daughter in marriage to the man who would attack and capture the city of Kiriath Sepher. Caleb’s brother, Othniel, takes the city and so receives Caleb’s daughter, Aksah, in marriage. Before departing to her new home, Aksah petitions her father to extend the field that he had given her to include a portion that includes springs of water, and Caleb does so. The chapter ends noting that the tribe of Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem.

Understanding

God works in the present with the future in mind.

While Othniel was simply focusing on being courageous and obedient to the Lord (and unbeknownst to him), God was using the opportunity as a testing ground that would produce in Othniel the character, faith and strength that would be needed to lead Israel in the future.

Life Application

God wants to use what I am going through today in order to use me in the future.

Scripture

Joshua 14:10-11

¹⁰ “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! ¹¹ 

Observation

The Israelites had received their land inheritances.  But Caleb already knows his inheritance so in v. 6, Caleb approaches Joshua and gives full account of it – given to him by the Lord through Moses because of his faithfulness and integrity shown when he was sent out to the land of Kadesh.

Understanding

At eighty-five Caleb still feels just as young and strong as he did at forty; and I get the idea that this isn’t just a young at heart or young in his mind type thing…he truly IS just as strong and vigorous. (v. 11).

I haven’t yet experienced what it feels like to be 45 or 85 years old.  But I do know that at 34, I feel far different than I did at 24 or 14 years old…and I love the idea of feeling the way I do now 40 years from now, at seventy-four.

We are reminded that with God’s promises, we get far more than face value.

 Matthew Henry’s commentary states, “This was the fruit of the promise, and out-did what was said; for God not only gives what he promises, but he gives more: life by promise shall be life, and health, and strength, and all that which will make the promised life a blessing and comfort. Moses had said in his prayer (Ps. 90:10) that at eighty years old even their strength is labour and sorrow, and so it is most commonly. But Caleb was an exception to the rule; his strength at eighty-five was ease and joy: this he got by following the Lord fully. Caleb here takes notice of this to the glory of God, and as an excuse for his asking a portion which he must fetch out of the giants’ hands,” hence the reason he calls out that he is “just as vigorous to go out to battle” (v. 11).

Two things are shown here.

God ALWAYS delivers on His promises and He makes a way…even if the way or the circumstances don’t make sense to us.  While it wouldn’t make sense that someone would maintain their youthfulness and vigorousness for forty years, God knew that Caleb would need that in order to take the land that was promised from the giants.

Dear God, I’m so grateful that with you it’s never a question of IF you will deliver.  Thank you for being a steadfast, trustworthy source of provision.  May I remember that even when things don’t quite add up in my human brain, that you’ve thought of everything and you can, will and do make way.  Knowing that, may I live more fully for you and in a way that draws others to you so they too may experience you.

Amen.

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Scripture

Joshua 13:14,33

¹⁴ But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them…

³³ But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.

Observation – What does it say?

I imagine all the tribes of Israel are thrilled and filled with excitement. The battle is over for the time being and each tribe is about to find out which portion of this beautiful land they will own and get to call home. As the people of Israel gathered around to hear which portion of the promised land God had allotted for them to inherit, I imagine the excitement on the faces of the Levites. But rather than describing the borders of the Levite territory and the land they would possess, they hear that they were given no inheritance! It sounds like a total rip off at first! That is, until they hear that instead of land they are being given the Lord himself as their inheritance, along with all the food offerings presented to God.

Understanding – What does it mean?

The Levites were set apart as the priests, those who would serve God in the temple and be the mediators between God and the people of Israel. Rather than cultivating the land like their Israelite brothers, they would spend their days ministering to God on behalf of Israel and then ministering to Israel on behalf of God. That was the role of a priest under the old covenant. Here’s the twist: Under the new covenant (established through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus) every single believer is declared a priest.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Speaking to all believers, Peter calls us a royal priesthood and God’s special possession. We are all the ‘new Levites’ if you will. We are God’s special possession and he is ours. 

All believers are called to be priests, who don’t covet a worldly inheritance like the rest of the world but who pursue God as their inheritance.

Life Application

Take my eyes off of the material things and celebrate that God is my inheritance!

Observation

Understanding
That a holy God would listen to a sinner like me is no less a miracle now than it was considered to be by the writer of Joshua.

Life Application
So…I have unhindered invitation and access to God’s presence. Do I take it for granted or do I take full advantage of it?

Scripture

Joshua 9:14

¹⁴ The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.

Observation

God was making a name for himself through Joshua.  As the kings west of the Jordan heard this, they decided to come together to fight; but the people of Gibeon came up with a different plan.  Their intent was to essentially trick Joshua into making a treaty with them, protecting their people from the plight of what many others had faced.

They had gone through quite the effort of carrying out the trickery – making it appear as though they had traveled from far away.  It seems Joshua and his people knew something was up.  The Israelites asked in verse 7…

⁷ The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?”

And Joshua in verse 8…

But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

They had questioned the people and even tasted the provisions but as we see in vs. 14, they did NOT “inquire of the Lord.”

As a result, they made the treaty, only to find that they had been tricked and that the “far off travelers” were practically neighbors.

Understanding

First, this is a reminder to me to ALWAYS inquire of the Lord.  Despite what “intuition” may tell me, as a Christ-follower, I must consult with, inquire of, seek God before and as I take action.

In this case, though, I have to question what would have happened had Joshua and the Israelites “inquired of the Lord.”  Would the deception have been made known?  Would the Gibeonites fallen to the same fate as the rest of the surrounding areas?  It’s unknown. 

But what we are able to see here, is that – because of the treaty – the Gibeonites were brought within the covenant community.  Because of the fraudulent way they got there, they were excluded from liberties and privileges of true-born Israelites.  BUT  their “curse” of being woodcutters and water carriers put them in a unique position to be exposed to Israel’s God-centered beliefs and rituals. 

It takes a lot of wood to keep the fire of the altar burning.  It also takes a lot of water to carry out all of the washing and cleaning that must be done in and around the altar.  As such, as woodcutters and water carriers, the Gibeonites would be required to personally attend the altar of God – which would bring them to the knowledge of the law of God.

In fact, as we read elsewhere in Lev 25:44 and Num 3:9, it seems that’s exactly what God designed the work of the altar for – to minister to the “heathens.”  This appears to be just another example of our holy and redeeming God graciously at work.  God desires to bring people into knowledge of and relationship with Him.  

Life Application

Dear God, thank you for always seeing the big picture.  Your redemption and grace are crazy beautiful and intricately woven throughout our lives.  THANK YOU! 

Help me to remember to seek you first in all I do so I may avoid the “trickery” of those who don’t have my best interest in mind; but, moreover, may I be reminded that, even in those moments, that you can and do work as The Redeemer. 

Use me today to show grace and mercy and to expose others to your redeeming love.  May you be honored and glorified in my thoughts, my words and my actions today.

Amen.

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– Rei

Scripture

Joshua 8:2

You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.

Observation – What does it say?

When conquering Jericho, God commanded Israel to destroy everything in the city and not keep any plunder for themselves. But now in Ai, God allowed them to take all the plunder they wanted. If Achan would have waited just a few more days, he could have had all the riches he could imagine! Instead, he ran ahead of God and took what was forbidden and ended up paying the ultimate price.

Understanding – What does it mean?

Waiting on God and trusting him results in the greatest blessing!

Every sin comes from an attempt to meet a felt need. We don’t want to wait on God so we take matters into our own hands. And, as a result, we exchange the lasting pleasure God offers for the temporary pleasure of sin.

If we could just learn to wait on God and let Him lead and bring into our lives the things that need to be there, we would be far better off. Unfortunately, our flesh wants what it wants and it wants it now! It doesn’t want to wait. 

Life Application

Learn to wait on God.