J19-4: How Joshua’s Land Inheritance Shows That God Keeps His Promises…ALWAYS!

“When they had finished distributing the land for inheritance according to its borders, the people of Israel gave an inheritance within their territory to Y’hoshua the son of Nun.  According to Adonai’s order they gave him the city he had asked for, Timnat-Serach in the hills of Efrayim; so he built up the city and lived in it.”-Joshua 19:49-50

Verse 49 informs us that finally, finally after many long years of service and toil for the Lord, Joshua received as his reward his land inheritance.

And where was it located?

It was located in the territory of Ephraim?

Why Ephraim?

Because Joshua himself hailed from the tribe of Ephraim.

Let’s not forget just how much power and influence one’s tribal and clan affiliations held in ancient Israelite society.

Here’s something else really interesting.

This section of Joshua dealing with the divvying up of the land STARTS with Caleb who was one of the 2 scouts who came back with a positive report after reconnoitering the land when Israel was still wandering out in the desert wilderness…

…AND…

…ENDS with Joshua, the other scout who came back with a positive report.

Can you say holy moly?!

There are a couple of important things being demonstrated here that we shouldn’t overlook.

FIRST, we’re being shown that the God we worship is a God who keeps His Promises no matter what.

SECOND, we’re being shown that Joshua was an obedient servant who laid down the pattern of the type of leader Israel was to follow. 

Understand that we’re not to glorify the land inheritance Joshua received or worship Joshua himself (or the other Y’hoshua to come after him for that matter).

Everything being written here is to underscore the principle that the God of Israel keeps His Promises…ALWAYS.

Hundreds of years may come and go and it may seem like the Lord has changed His mind on certain things.

Or when we look at our world today and think that circumstances are beyond hope or salvation, think again.

Men may lose faith, give up and fall away from God (I know I have more times than I can care to count), yet, what the Lord has said is gonna happen, is gonna happen in His perfect timing in His Perfect Way.

To close, I’m reminded of these words from the prophet Isaiah.