Joshua 14:1-5

¹ Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. ² Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine and a half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses. ³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest, ⁴ for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds. ⁵ So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Introduction

We don’t guess how Christ wants us to show love for Him. He prescribed it! In what way does Jesus want to see how we love Him? Obedience to His commands what Jesus wants to see. He said in John 15:10-11, ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Christ exemplified how to obey. He didn’t do what He wished to do. He obeyed His Father. Joy of serving the Lord will be most experienced by the obedient believer. You keep worshipping the Lord in spite of trials the church has gone through because joy and peace from the Lord strengthened you. To follow what Christ has prescribed proves that the His Spirit has produced joy and peace in to sustain your obedience.
Trials can discourage service. With joy, we persist. If we insist what we want to do for God, it results to frustration. Disappointment can drive leaders to quit. Joshua and the elders didn’t quit as leaders, and the Israelites served the Lord in their lifetime.
It concluded in Joshua 24:31, ³¹ Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

How did they persist as leaders? They implemented the commands of the Lord.

1. Implement

¹ Now these are the areas the Israelites received as an inheritance in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel allotted to them. ² Their inheritances were assigned by lot to the nine and a half tribes, as the Lord had commanded through Moses…⁵ So the Israelites divided the land, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Although Joshua was considered as their leader, he did not lead alone. Eleazar the priest and tribal leaders worked hand and hand with Joshua in leading the Israelites. They did not try to push for their personal agenda. They implemented God’s instructions just as He commanded Moses. They could have easily ignored Moses but they did not.
Eleazar the priest was mentioned here, why? It implies praying for God’s guidance before they cast lots to determine which tribe would be allotted a particular land.
The land west of the Jordan was divided among the 9 & 1/2 tribes. The other 2 & 1/2 tribes of Israel were given inheritance east of the Jordan. Is it trivial to divide land?

Piece of cake

Two hungry siblings shared a small piece of cake. The older child divided it in two unequal parts. One portion is larger, and told the younger child to choose one portion. When the younger child chose the larger portion, the older child protested, “Why did you choose the bigger one?” They both wanted the larger portion.
If it’s not easy to divide fair portion of little piece of cake, it would be tougher to divide fair portion of inheritance. Not a few movies based on true to life stories have told scheming and cheating among siblings just to get the larger portion of inheritance.
Did the Israelites argue which lot should one tribe receive? The reality that they served the Lord in Joshua’s lifetime implies that nobody complained of the inheritance the received. They cast lots not because one tribe wanted a better place. In obedience to the Lord, they sought His guidance on how inheritance should be allocated.

2. Inherit

³ Moses had granted the two and a half tribes their inheritance east of the Jordan but had not granted the Levites an inheritance among the rest, ⁴ for Joseph’s descendants had become two tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds.

The name of Joseph was not included in the 12 tribes of Israel with inheritance but his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim received the double portion inheritance of Joseph.
Why did Joseph get a double portion that was normally given to the first born?
Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. Why did he not receive the double portion of share?
It says in 1 Chronicles 5:1-2, ¹The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, ² and though Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph).

How did the Israelites decide that Joseph’s children should be given the right of the firstborn or the double portion of inheritance? Joseph was also the first born of Rachel, and Israel loved Rachel more than Leah, the mother of Reuben. But that was not the reason that Joseph got the double portion. It was Israel who declared it.
Israel declared in Genesis 48:5 & 22, ⁵ “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine… ²² And to you I give one more ridge of land than to your brothers, the ridge I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”

The Israelite honoured what Jacob said. Manasseh and Ephraim were counted with the 12 tribes. No land was named after Levi. The Levites received towns to live among the other 12 tribes. Why were the Levites scattered among the 12 tribes?
Israel declared in Genesis 49:5-7, ⁵ “Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence. ⁶ Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. ⁷ Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.

The Levites were scattered among the other tribes as they served as priests and judges for the people and no time to develop their land. The tribe of Simeon was not totally scattered in Israel. They received inheritance within the territory of Judah.
It says in Joshua 19:1, ¹The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.

The declaration of Israel was binding and followed by his descendant. Joshua, Eleazar the priest and the heads of the tribal clan implemented the commands of the Lord through Moses. It implies that what Jacob told his children were God’s instructions.

What does that mean for us? What can we learn from the Israelites’ obedience to God’s word? What can we learn from the leadership of Joshua and the elders?
The Israelites received inheritance not according to their choice of land but by lot which might have been prayed for by Eleazar the priest. Joshua and the elders who outlived him didn’t quit, and the Israelites served the Lord in their lifetime.

Serving God is not how we choose to serve Him. Whatever, whichever God decides for us, it’s our lot—the manner He wants to be served. Faithful service to the Lord does not depend upon well-defined ministry or situation in life. Wherever God positions us, it’s where God wants us to experience His grace to serve Him faithfully.
It says in Ephesians 1:17, ¹⁷the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Pray for wisdom and revelation for you to discern how God wants you to show your love for Him, the ministry He wants you to be involved with. The Holy Spirit gives us joy and peace to serve Him in the ministry even when situation seems so bad. All situations, may it be good or bad in our sight, are significant in God’s design.

Moses

God is good. His plans are good. But why did God not stop Pharaoh from killing children? Why would a good God let Moses’ mother to leave him crying in the river? When Pharaoh ordered the killing of Israelite boys, Moses’ mother was forced to leave him in the river but it turned out to be the best plan ever happened to Moses and his mother. Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby Moses crying and took him as her son.
In Exodus 2:9-10, ⁹ Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. ¹⁰ When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Pharaoh’s daughter ordered the mother of Moses to take care of him with pay. Moses lived as a prince in Pharaoh’s palace. As adopted child of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses was given the highest education available to Pharaoh’s children.
God has dramatic designs to have great experience of His grace. He allows His people experience the toughest problem. Great people would face great challenges.
When God lets difficult situations, He places us strategically within His great design as opportunities where we can experience much of His grace. Are you in a bad situation right now? Praise God! He about to glorify Himself in your situation! Pray that God would help you remember to thank Him when His blessings for you come to reality.

><((‘> … ><(((‘> tmec\2020 <‘)))>< … <‘))><