Joshua 15:1-12

¹ The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south.
2 Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea, 3 crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. ⁴ It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is their southern boundary.
⁵ The eastern boundary is the Dead Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.
The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, ⁶ went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. ⁷ The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and came out at En Rogel. ⁸ Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). ¹⁰ Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah. ¹¹ It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea.
¹² The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.
These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

Oklahoma Land Rush

The Oklahoma Land Rush was featured in the movie “Far and Away.” At precisely twelve noon on September 16, 1893 a cannon’s boom signalled the largest land rush in America. An estimated 100,000 people raced for land in the northern Oklahoma Territory known as the Cherokee Strip. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/landrush.htm

The Israelites had a lesser dramatic way of dividing their land. The land east of Jordan was allotted to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. The land west of Jordan was allotted to the rest of the tribes of Israel. Boundaries of their inheritance have complicated and controlled description.

1. Complicated

¹ The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south.
² Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea, ³ crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. ⁴ It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is their southern boundary.
⁵b…The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, ⁶ went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. ⁷ The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and came out at En Rogel. ⁸ Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. ⁹ From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). ¹⁰ Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah. ¹¹ It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea.

The description of the southern and northern boundaries of Judah is not easy to remember. It included different terrain like deserts, valleys, and rolling hills. With such complicated descriptions of boundaries, it requires an enthusiastic outlook to appreciate the terrains where land boundaries start and end.
What’s the point of learning the narrative of land boundaries we don’t own?
Boundaries define the limitations of property. To know our boundaries is to know our limitations. There are boundaries for spiritual responsibilities or abilities.

Senior

The shadow of church drama early this year still lingers in some people’s mind. Last Sunday, one senior voiced out her confusion. She asked why people had to take away church members and organize another church. Did God drive those people to create confusion in the church and then form another church?
God is just and righteous. He will surely deal with them according to His righteousness. We may not understand all complications why God let confusion in the church but we should be thankful for the faithful remnants.
The disciples of John the Baptist expressed their confusion in John 3:26-27, ²⁶ “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” ²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.”

The disciples of John did not understand why people were coming to Jesus. Similarly, anyone could transfer to wherever they wish. If it helps them grow spiritually by transferring, so be it. Spiritual maturity produces faithfulness.
Spiritual boundaries are complicated but we don’t control people.

2. Controlled

^5a The eastern boundary is the Dead Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan… ¹² The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

That’s plain and simple description. Know where Mediterranean Sea and Dead Sea are and you’ll know the eastern and western boundaries of Judah. The eastern and western boundaries of Judah were controlled by the seashores. Where the sea starts there it ends the limits of eastern and western boundaries of Judah.
Spiritually speaking, the boundaries of our destiny are controlled by the Lord. We may desire to stay in one place or go to different location, we may desire a particular situation and despise another but the will of God shall prevail.

Job

The story of Job teaches us that we can only do what we think best for our family but God decides for their future. It says in Job 1:5, ⁵Early in the morning Job would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

Job was a righteous man. He desired what was best for his children.
He did what he thought that may benefit his children. But God had a different plan. Job’s children had an unexpected ending. It was not what Job expected to happen but he remained faithful to God. In Job 42:12, ¹² The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.

God allows us to experience devastating confusions to test faithfulness. It is easy to claim that we trust God when things are favourable to us. It is easy to say we have peace when things around us are peaceful. Peace that comes from God is more practically experienced when everything is in chaos.
There are complicated situation that may confuse us but God is in control of our spiritual destiny. It would be better to have desire that comes from the Lord. When God place His desire into out heart, we delight, we take pleasure in Him.

It says in Psalm 37:1-7, ¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; ² for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. ³ Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. ⁴ Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. ⁵ Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: ⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. ⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Desires that come from God have peaceful and joyful effect in our life. God allows complicated things we cannot easily understand but by faith, we can trust the Lord that He has the best design for each of us. Amen.
Let Christ’s Spirit prevail in your heart and mind. Let Him lead you to the destiny He prepared for you. Keep asking God to strengthen your faith in Him. As faith grows stronger, the more that we grow stronger in our relationship with God, and the realization of God’s design becomes more apparent to us.

The description of boundaries of the land of Judah offers a practical example of complications and controlled spiritual boundaries. We may choose to have plain and simple things but we cannot avoid complicated situations that the Lord has designed to help us grow spiritually mature as Christians.
We may plan our lifestyle but God decides which step we should take.
It says in Proverbs 16:9, ⁹In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. In Proverbs 19:21, 21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

If that’s the case, it is then very necessary to grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord for us to hear His voice, know His will, and follow Him.

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