Joshua 14:1-5

I am learning through these chapters in Joshua that God is looking for people who follow His directions, His instructions, to the letter.  At first glance into chapters 13 and 14 it appears we are just rehashing the list of the tribal names, only learning who got what.  It is much more than that, it is God, lifting up the importance of following his directions to the last dotted i and crossed t.

Every instruction the Israelites have been given by God has a purpose.  It might be that only God knew that purpose, but for Joshua, that was good enough.  The people of Israel had been following His commands, but occasionally would revert to their own will.  It always resulted in tragedy of some sort or another.  They would then come to the realization that God knows what He is doing.

Don't we do the same?  Don't we pick and choose what commands to obey?  Don't we start out with good intentions only to fall back into old habits?

The People of Israel followed through exactly as God had commanded Moses. They apportioned the land. (Joshua 14:5)

God chose their inheritance for them, they didn't have opportunity to bicker and fight over it. There are many stories of families fighting over their parents or grandparent's belongings.  They lay claim to heirlooms before anyone else has a chance.  Families are torn apart, relationships destroyed over the claim to possessions.  Most families have memories of something like this in their lives.

If we learn only one thing during this study, it is that God knows best.  God will guide us to a perfect life.  God will forgive our failures and He will always be there until the day we can claim the inheritance He has set aside just for us.  We simply have to trust and obey.

Read Joshua 14:1-5 here

Listen to Joshua 14:1-5 here