Conquered, And Yet Given (Joshua 12-13:7)

“These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain...These Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.” (Josh 12:1, 6)

First, the land is ours, even though we must fight (Josh 12:1-6). We read, “Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel had conquered [the kings]: and Moses the servant of the Lord had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of manasseh” (Josh 12:6). We don't get the inheritance of heaven apart from fighting on earth, but grace gives the victory, and grace is honored, even though it involves much striving from men.

I met someone who knew that I was telling the truth, and they blindly refused to release their “will power” as the deciding force, giving glory to God.

Others say, “It is by grace, so there is no need to pursue or fight. If God wants you to have it, you'll have it”. This is like what the older minister said to young Willaim Carey, “Young man, if God wants to convert the heathen, He can do it without you”. This is half-grace. It is not the grace that causes us to strive, war, and fight by faith (Eph 6:10-13)

Secondly, the enemies are plentiful, and grace is conquering them all - “all the kings, thirty-one” (vs7, 24 -13:1). The lust, pride, anger, sloth, and all the kings of sin are conquered by the grace of God, who enables us to obey Christ from the heart, willingly, by the gospel of peace, putting pleasure and power in us to do His will, giving us hope amidst the storm.

I sit back and say, “How will I conquer sin? Seriouly, how will I be kept from falling again?” The Lord responds, “But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. For he found her in the country-side, and the bethrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her”, so that it's impossible that sin be too powerful for God (Deut 22:25-27). If I cry out to Him, then He'll save, even though the battle is life long. We read again, “Now Joshua was old, and advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: You are old, advanced in years, and there remains fvery much land yet to be possessed” (Josh 13:1).

Thirdly, our portion is allotted by God (Josh 13:6-7). God says, “them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you”. He blessed us with spiritual blessings in Christ, and He decided who would get what gift and how much (1 Cor 12:4-11). We are equals, and yet we use DIFFERENT gifts for the COMMON cause of the body, even as the members of your one body work together for the good of the whole.