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May 05 2024

Writer's picture: Pastor MikePastor Mike

Sunday May 05

A New Land

 

Joshua 1:1-2

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying:

2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them--the children of Israel.

3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.

4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

 

For the past several days we have been looking at the new leader, Joshua, that the LORD prepared and gave to the nation of Israel to lead them victory in the Promise Land. When we become a Christian, we have a new leader in our lives!!! He is the Lord Jesus Christ and He leads us and gives us the victory over our enemies of the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”

 

Not only did the nation of Israel get a new leader but they were given a new land! The is land is often called their inheritance because it was a land promised to their forefathers!  This is a great picture of the fact that as believers we have a new inheritance in Christ. Our Christian experience on earth should be by faith claiming the reality of our inheritance in Christ and living in victory every day!

 

In Ephesians 1:11-14, Paul talked about our inheritance: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

 

The word "land" is found eighty-seven times in the Book of Joshua because this book is the record of Israel's entering, conquering, and claiming the Promised Land. God promised to give the land to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-7; 13:15-17; 15:7,18; 17:8; 24:7), and He reaffirmed the promise to Isaac (26:1-5), Jacob (28:4, 13, 15; 35:12), and their descendants (50:24). The Exodus narrative gives many reaffirmations of the promise (Exodus 3:8,17; 6:4, 8; 12:25; 13:5,11;16:35; 23:20-33; 33:1-3; 34:10-16), and these are repeated in Leviticus (14:34; 18:3; 19:23; 20:22-24; 23:10; 25:2, 38) and Numbers (11:12; 15:2, 18; 16:13-14; 20:12, 24; 27:12; 33:53; 34:2, 12).

 

In Moses' "farewell speech" in the Book of Deuteronomy, he frequently mentioned the land and the nation's responsibility to possess it. The word "land" is found nearly 200 times in Deuteronomy and the word "possess" over 50 times. Israel owned the land because of God's gracious covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-5), but their enjoyment of the land depended on their faithful obedience to God. (See Lev. 26 and Deut. 28-30.) As long as the Jews obeyed God's law, He blessed them, and they prospered in the land.

 

God called the Promised Land "a good land" (Deut. 8:7-10) and contrasted it with the monotony and barrenness of Egypt (Deut. 11:8-14). It was to be Israel's place of rest, her inheritance, and the dwelling place of God (Deut. 12:9,11). After enduring slavery in Egypt and misery in the wilderness, the Jews would finally find rest in their Promised Land (Josh. 1:13, 15; 11:23; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1). This concept of "rest" will show up again in Psalm 95:11 and Hebrews 4 as an illustration of the victory Christians can have if they give their all to the Lord.

 

We have a promised inheritance in Christ which is guaranteed by the Holy Spirit in us. Today, are you enjoying and experiencing rest and victory in Jesus?

 

God bless!

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