Bible Study Week 5
Part 1
The Land of Promise
Possessing the Land
During the last years of Israel's wandering, God instructed Moses to speak to a rock in order to provide Israel with water. Moses in his anger at the murmuring of Israel struck the rock, thereby disobeying God. God, in mercy, did cause water to come forth out of the rock. Nevertheless, the disobedience of Moses kept him from entering the Promised Land. (See Numbers 20:7-12; Deuteronomy 34) God allowed him to view the Promised Land from Mount Pisgah: he then died and was buried by the Lord.
Joshua Leads Israel
After Moses" death the leadership passed to Joshua, and he took Israel into the Promised Land. Because of unbelief Israel reaped the judgment of God. This judgment caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Those who did not believe that God would give them the land of promise to Israel died in the wilderness. Two men, Joshua and Caleb, were saved from the judgment reaped by this unbelieving generation. Their faith in God's word delivered them from an early grave and put them in the land of promise safely. They trusted in God and leaned not unto their own understanding. Joshua and Caleb were the only two persons remaining from the Egyptian exodus who were above the age of twenty at the time of their departure.
>>> What are some problems that arise in our lives from disbelief and disobedience?
When we take God at His word and follow the directions He gives us, we have the privilege of being part of his plan. It is sometimes a leap of faith, but when we trust God, we discover the good things He has planned for us.
Crossing Jordan
To enter the land of Canaan, the Israelites had to cross the Jordan River. When the priests stepped into the Jordan River, the waters divided. The priests went into the middle of Jordan and stood there until all of Israel passed over to the other side. Twelve men took twelve stones from the Jordan River and built a memorial to God at Gilgal. This was a sign and a reminder to future generations of what God had done (Joshua 3-4).
It is good for children, families, and friends to be reminded from time to time of the great deliverance God has wrought.
Someone has aptly described memory as "the jewel box of the mind". The term is true, however, only if memories contain things that are beautiful, true, and good.
Ugly things are not for jewel boxes, and the memory of wrong deeds, unkind words, or evil thoughts will bring no happiness in days to come. It is important to live in such a way that today's actions will become precious memories in future years. "Whatsoever things are true, Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report... think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
The Hebrews entered into the Promised Land, which is a type of our possessing the promises of God today. The warfare, trials, mountaintop experiences, and valleys they faced are a part of living and maturing spiritually. Israel was delivered from Egypt, a type of sinful bondage. Israel's forty years of wandering is a type of result of failing to believe in and act upon the promise of God. Unbelief caused thousands to perish in the wilderness. Millions today still wander in the dark wilderness of unbelief. All the older people of Israel (except two believers) died in the wilderness in their unbelief, while their offspring went with Joshua into the Promised Land.
The Battle for the Land
The promised blessing would belong to Israel if they would believe and obey the Lord and take the land. Israel had to fight for the land of Canaan, but God fought for them as they believed and obeyed the Lord.
God worked miraculously to give Israel victory after victory. We can imagine the confusion of Jericho as they watched the great host of Israel marching around the walls of their city (Joshua 6).The Israelites marched around the city once each day for six consecutive days. On the seventh day they compassed the city seven times. At he end of the seventh march on the seventh day, Israel gave a mighty shout, and the walls fell down. God gave Israel a tremendous victory! Marching around Jericho may have seemed foolish, but God often uses foolish things of this world to confound the wise. We must always obey the Lord and exercise our faith in Him, and then victory will follow (Hebrews 11:30).
Israel fought against Ai but lost that battle because there was sin in the camp (Joshua 7). God had told the Israelites not to take anything--no silver, gold, brass, iron, or garments--for themselves out of Jericho. All the spoils from this city were the first fruits and belonged to God. Elated by their victory over Jericho, they decided to send only two or three thousand men to take Ai. Israel fought but lost the battle at Ai because there was sin in the camp. Unknown to Joshua, Achan had taken some forbidden spoils from Jericho and hidden them in the earth inside his tent. This sin brought the judgment of God. The soldiers came back from the defeat at Ai wondering what was wrong. Achan's sin was exposed, and he and his family were destroyed (Joshua 7:24-26).
If we live in sin we defeat God's purpose for victorious living. We are powerless to fight against sin without God's Spirit dwelling within us. We find victory, power, joy and peace only in the Holy Ghost.
The Land Subdued
From city to city and village to village the army of Israel fought on to take the Promised Land. From north to south and east to west they won the victory. Joshua was a great leader, and he constantly challenged them to press toward the triumph ahead.
Israel, by the power of God, subdued the land, and the land was divided so the twelve tribes of Israel could have their own areas to dwell in (Joshua 14). It was then, after a long life of service, that Joshua died (Joshua 24). There was no successor to Joshua.