There are still
very large areas of land to be taken over (Joshua 13:1).
British poet Robert
Browning (1812-1889) wrote: “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp – or
what’s a heaven for?” [1].
Sometimes we get the
idea that Israel marched into the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership, and
that all their enemies surrendered when the walls of Jericho came a-tumblin’
down. The truth is it was a little more complicated than that. The previous
chapters outlined the three military campaigns led by Joshua in Canaan. This
passage makes it clear there was still work to be done.
Notice the division
of land. God didn’t say, “Well, I was going to give you this land, but
you didn’t conquer it, so now your inheritance will have to be much smaller.”
No, the division of land went on as
planned, even for land that hadn’t yet been conquered. God gave them the land.
Next step? Take it.
Most responsible
preachers try to stay away from allegorical interpretations of
Scripture, so I’m not saying God orchestrated this gradual assimilation of
Canaan to Israeli control to show how our spiritual life works. On the other
hand, I can’t overlook the obvious similarities. Show me someone who has set
their goals in life and achieved every single one according to a pre-planned
time table, and I’ll show you an anomaly – an outlier. Most of us have starts
and stops in our forward progress. Israel’s ongoing battle to take the land God
had already given them illustrates the point.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
Does your reach exceed your
grasp? What victories are still ahead of you? Ask God for a clear vision of
your preferred future.
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