Lesson 5
The Land of Promise
I. The Land of
Promise
A. Possessing the
Land
1. The Death of
Moses (Deuteronomy 34)
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 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. God's Word is true and He has the resources to see that His plan is
carried out.
During the last years
of Israel's wandering. God instructed Moses to speak to the rock. God had
promised to provide Israel with water that they had cried for. Moses in his
anger struck the rock, disobeying God. God in mercy, however, did cause water
to come forth out of that rock. Nevertheless, his disobedience kept Moses from
entering the promised land. (See Numbers 20:7-12.) Moses, was allowed to view
the promised land from Mt. Pisgah; he then died and was buried by the Lord. The
leadership then passed on Joshua to take Israel into the promised land.
2. Crossing Jordan
When the priest's feet
went into the Jordan river, the waters divided. The priest went into the middle
of Jordan and stood there until all of Israel passed over to the other side.
Twelve men took a stone and placed the stones in the Jordan River as a memorial
to God. They also took twelve stones from the Jordan River and built another
memorial to God at Gilgal. This was a sign and a reminder to future generations
of what God had done (Joshua 3 and 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 those things that are beautiful and true and
good. Ugly things are not for jewel boxes, and the memory of wrong deeds or
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. The words of the great Apostle Paul are meaningful,
"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 possessing the proimse of God: The
warfare, trials, mountain top experiences, and valleys 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 the results of failing
to believe in and act upon the promise of God. Unbelief caused 1000's to perish
in the wilderness. Millions today still wander in the dark wilderness of
unbelief. All the older ones (except two believers) of Israel died in the
wilderness in their unbelief, while their offspring went with Joshua into the
promised land.
3. 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 must fight for the land of Canaan but God would fight for them as
they believed and obeyed the Lord.
God worked
miraculously giving Israel victory after victory. Imagine the confusion of the
inhabitants of Jericho (Joshua 6) watching the great host of Israel marching
around the walls. They marched around the city once each day for six consecutive
days. On the seventh day they compassed the city seven times. At the end of the
seventh march on the seventh day, Israel gave a mighty shout and the walls came
falling down flat. God gave Israel a tremendous victory! The marching around
Jericho may have seemed foolish, but God often uses foolish things of this
world to confound the wise. The major thing to remember always is to obey the
Lord and exercise your faith and then victory will follow (Hebrews 11:30).
Israel fought against
Ai (Joshua 7) but lost that battle because there was sin in the camp. God had
told the Israelites not to take anything, no silver, gold, brass, iron or
garments for themselves out of Jericho. All 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 Ai. Israel fought but lost
the battle at Ai because there was sin in the camp. Unknown to Joshua, Achan
had taken and hidden the forbidden spoils 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 the judgment of God
caused him and his family to be destroyed (Joshua 7:24-26).
Sin defeats God's
purpose of victorious living. Man is powerless to fight against sin without
God's Spirit dwelling within him. Victory, power, joy and peace are found only
in the Holy Ghost.
4. The Land Subdued
From city to city and
village to village the army of Israel fought on to take their promised land.
North to south and east to west they won each victory. Joshua was a great
leader, constantly challenging them to
the triumph ahead.
Israel, by the power
of God, subdued the land, and the land was divided (Joshua 14) so the twelve
tribes of Israel could have their own areas to dwell in. It was then, after a
long life of service, that Joshua died (Joshua 24). There was no successor to
Joshua.
Israel fell into the
deepest of sins after Joshua's death because of the lack of good leadership.
Sin led to captivity. In their captivity they cried out to God and God then
raised up judges to lead Israel (Judges 2:16-23). There were fifteen judges in
all, one was a woman (Deborah) two were priests-judges. Eli and Samuel along
with Gideon and Samson are known for the way that the Lord used them mightily.
God used judges until the time that Israel had their first King. "And when
he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to
them by lot. And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four
hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet" (Acts 13:19-20).
"The Judges were
tribesmen in Israel upon whom the Lord laid the burden of Israel's apostate and oppressed state. They were the spiritual ancestors
of the prophets. They were men raised up of God to lead their people from
bondage to freedom. They were patriots and religious reformers. National
security and prosperity were inseparably connected with loyalty and obedience
to Jehovah. Not one of the chosen deliverers had anything whereof to glory in
the flesh. Othniel was but the son of the younger brother of Caleb; Ehud was a
left handed man and an assassin; Shamgar, a rustic with an ox-goad; Deborah, a
woman;
Gideon, of an obscure family in the smallest tribe, etc.
Each of the classes mentioned in I Corinthians 1:27-28 is illustrated among the
Judges" (Scofield Bible, page 289).