Right Timing

Joshua 18:1-10

1The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The country was brought under their control, 2 but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.
3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? 4 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. 5 You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north. 6 After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. 7 The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.”
8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” 9 So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

Introduction

A young pastor found it hard to understand when those church leaders who called him to be their pastor did not pay attention to the ministry ideas he presented. The pastor was terminated eventually. As years went by, the said pastor visited his former church and find out that they were implementing his ideas that they rejected.
Neophyte leaders are also disappointed when their ideas are rejected by seasoned leaders. Were your ideas ever rejected before? You feel confident that your idea is great but experts cannot appreciate it, is it the will of God that your great idea to be rejected?

When other believers won’t agree, God might be teaching that it’s not the right time to implement just yet or to wait on God’s timing. Does it affect your confidence when your ideas are rejected? Praise God! He is doing something great through you.
Expect Christ’s power is at work. It says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Sometimes, over confidence is reliance upon human effort. Limitation to make things happen should lead us to rely upon God so that His power will be perfected in us. God has prepared many things but we need to wait for the right time to receive them.

1The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The country was brought under their control, 2 but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

Five tribes have taken possession of their land but the rest were still doing nothing to occupy their inheritance. The land was under control but the 7 tribes weren’t moving on to their inheritance. They need Joshua prompting to take possession of their land.

1. Prompter

3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? 4 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. 5 You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north. 6 After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. 7 The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.”
Joshua saw the need to prompt and push the seven Israelite tribes. They have not decided on their own just yet. Joshua had to give them instruction of what to do. He also reminded them that the other tribes have already received their inheritance.
He kept on reminding the Levites that serving the Lord is their inheritance. Their daily sustenance would come from the offering to the Lord and not from land produce. Some people might have thought that the Levites were favoured by the Lord because they don’t need to plant or farm the land like the rest of the Israelites.
In reality, it was tougher situation for the Levites because their provisions depend upon the faithfulness of the Israelites’ offering to the Lord. If the Israelites become unfaithful in their offering, the Levites have nothing to share or take part of.
In similar manner, financial support is a practical hindrance for many to take fulltime ministry more seriously. They assume that ministry cannot support their lifestyle.
In 1 Corinthians 9:11-14, 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Genuine believers understand such privilege for preachers. Unbelievers assume that it’s for personal gain that pastors preach giving. Paul did not avail of such privilege from the Corinthians because he wanted to teach them about selfless service to Christ. King David teaches us right attitude of giving back to God in 1 Chronicle 29:14, 14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

Giving back to the Lord is a spontaneous response of gratitude to God’s grace. Joy of giving comes from the Spirit of God. He inspires to recognize His provision. Preachers are just prompters to take possession of what God has already prepared for us.
The Lord has already given the inheritance of the Israelites but Joshua had to tell and prompt them of what to do. They obeyed and divided the land in God’s presence.

2. Presence

8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” 9 So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

The lifestyle of the different tribes of Israel is a picture of the different responses of believers to God’s promises. While a few respond immediately, others need prompters.
The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were the first to receive their inheritance. They approached Moses, and presented their case without hesitation. Next, Caleb from the tribe of Judah told Joshua about God’s promise of his inheritance, and the whole tribe of Judah received their inheritance, too.
The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked for more inheritance. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim. Was it because Joshua was their relative that they’ve got much confidence to appeal for their case?

In contrast to the confidence of the first five tribes of Israel, the seven tribes did assume of what they needed to do. They waited for the prompting of Joshua before they took a decisive move to take possession of their land. To wait upon the Lord produces great results. God can cause any natural way to accomplish His purposes.

God chose Saul as King

When the Israelites asked for a king, Samuel did not know who would be chosen.
It says in 1 Samuel 9:15-16, 15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”

Saul and his servant were looking for missing donkeys. His servant suggested that they would ask Samuel to help them find the missing donkeys. Asking for help is practical necessity. Did God give Saul the desire to ask for Samuel’s help? Was it God’s divine appointment that Saul had to ask for help, and for Samuel to identify the chosen king?
In 1 Samuel 9:22-24, 22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.” 24 So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’”

Samuel has made preparations in expectation that God would send the right man to be anointed as king of Israel. Samuel didn’t rush in choosing a king. He didn’t call for election or ask anyone to come forward. Samuel relied and waited upon the Lord. It says in Isaiah 30:18, 18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

We wait for Christ coming again, and we expect Him to come soon. We wait and expect God to grow His church. In expectation for church growth, let’s pray that God would raise more God-fearing leaders. We also pray for God’s divine appointment for those He prepared for us to disciple or witness to. Waiting requires patience.
Waiting upon God’s right timing requires patience, the fruit of the Spirit. If you’ve got patience from God, you also have joy and peace while waiting for God’s right time. Faith can be tested by waiting. When waiting becomes tough, ask God to strengthen your faith in Him, and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit, and you’ve got joy and peace.

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