Gary Gleans

These chapters describe the borders of the land designated to the two tribes that came for Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh.  We see clear details in the allotment that would allow one tribe to distinguish from another.  These borders were designed by God and were to be respected by Israel.  Every tribe had a portion of land according to its need and every tribe’s allotment had it own advantages as well as hardships associated with it.  We must recognize that God’s will for our life will have great blessings but that some of those blessings will come in the form of trials that are designed to make us stronger.  There are two details that stand out to me in this portion. THE DAUGHTERS WERE GIVEN AN INHERITANCE: There was one of the families in Manasseh that had only daughters and no sons to inherit the land.  This possibility was foreseen in the Law that Moses had left and the solution was for the daughters to be given the land that they would have received ...

The details of the division for the tribe of Judah are the theme of this chapter.  It is amazing to see the clear description of the border that was to be included in this land.  These details may seem rather tedious for us to work through, but they were very important for the nation of Israel.  This was the formation of the different “states” in this new nation.  God cares about details and left a written record of how the tribes of Israel were to be divided.  He also cares about the details of our lives. JUDAH RECEIVES ITS INHERITANCE: We have the limits of the land clearly defined in this passage.  Every border was clearly defined and this is the tribe through which the Messiah would eventually come.  David and the kings of Israel would come through this tribe and the capital of the nation was included in these borders.  Judah was blessed of God, not because of anything that Judah had done.  Judah had sinned greatly with Tamar, but God...

Joshua is now starting the process of dividing the land on the west side of the Jordan River.  Moses had commanded him to do this division by lots and that is what he is about to do.  Joshua was very careful to do exactly as the Lord had commanded him to do and as he had directed him to do through Moses.  As leaders it is important for us to recognize that we are given a task to accomplish by God and we are to lead the people of God towards doing that work.  We do not have the right or the freedom to make up our own job description; that is the work of God.  Our job is to follow and obey Him.  The remainder of this chapter is dedicated to the beautiful story of Caleb. CALEB RECALLS HIS OWN OBEDIENCE: Before Joshua divides up the land Caleb comes to him and reminds him of the promise that Moses had made to him when he had come back with Joshua after spying out the land.  Caleb and Joshua had been the only ones to trust God and come back with a good ...

Finishing well should be the goal of each and every one of us.  There are many who start well and even continue well for a period of time, but there are very few that sustain a consistent testimony right up through the end of their lives.  Joshua was such a man.  He was faithful to serve beside Moses as a young man.  He was one of only two faithful spies who trusted God to be able to deliver the Promised Land into the hands of Israel.  He remained faithful through the forty years of wandering in the wilderness.  Then he concluded his life as the godly leader who succeeded Moses.  He is now an old man and God is preparing him for the end of his life.  May God grant each of us the grace of being faithful old men and women.  God wants to communicate two basic messages at this important juncture. THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO BE DONE: God used Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land and they conquered many nations and much ...

It is always important to remember the victories that the Lord has granted.  Today’s chapter is simply a list of the kings who were defeated by Moses on the east side of the Jordan and the kings who were defeated by Joshua on the west side.  God had promised to be with these men and use them to fulfill His promises to the nation of Israel.  God was faithful to do just that.  We can always be confident that God will keep His promises and help us to be victorious through Christ. THE LANDS CONQUERED BY MOSES: Moses fought many battles from the time that the children of Israel left Egypt to the time of his departure.  This chapter only mentions the two kings and all their lands that were conquered on the east side of the Jordan and were given to the two tribes who chose to remain on that side of the river.  These were large lands and really the first tests of the people in war.  God used Moses in a great way to liberate the people and to prepare them t...

The nations of the north united to try to join forces and defeat Israel.  They realized that as individual nations they could not defeat this nation led and protected by God.  Together they thought they could mount an army so large that by sheer numbers they would be able to overwhelm the nation of Israel.  They were wrong.  God had given the land to Israel and no matter how big the army or difficult the task, He would give the victory.  God is faithful to do His will and to keep His promises.  When things look like they are impossible to us, that is when God is at His best. GOD HARDENED THE HEARTS OF THE NATIONS BEFORE ISRAEL: Besides the Gibeonites, none of the other nations sought to make a peace treaty with the nation of Israel.  Even though they saw that God was fighting on their behalf to the point of making the sun shine for a full day and hail drop from the sky.  Even so, in their minds they thought that they could amass a huge army ...

The conquest of the land of Canaan continues with Joshua leading the children of Israel into battle and the Lord delivering the people into their hands.  God is faithful to give victory and the people are faithful to obey God’s commands.  The battles are composed of both supernatural interventions with God fighting for the nation of Israel as well as conventional battles that have the children of Israel combating the enemies and overpowering them in the strength of the Lord.  I think it is important for us to realize that both of these aspects are a part of every endeavor that we undertake in the name of the Lord.  There are times where He steps in and works in obvious and miraculous ways to meet our needs.  However, there are many times where He uses our efforts and a dependence on Him to accomplish His will. GOD SENDS ISRAEL TO DEFEND THE GIBEONITES:  When the surrounding nations heard that Ai had fallen and then that the Gibeonites had made peace w...