Chapter Six - Joshua 1:12-18

Choose Wisely

        In Numbers chapter thirty-two, the people of Israel, after failing to even attempt to conquer the Promised Land, were now wandering in the wilderness because of their disobedience. The old generation was dying off and a new generation was being raised up—a generation who would do what the old would not and move into the land that they were promised.

        But before the time came when they were ready to move, the descendants of two of Jacob’s twelve sons, Reuben and Gad (later joined by half of the descendants of Joseph’s son Manasseh), approached Moses and his leadership to ask a favor. They were cattle and sheep herders by trade and they had decided that the Promised Land (the land west of the Jordan) wasn’t suited for their flocks and herds. Instead, they thought that the east side of the river would be a better place for them to make a decent living. So they asked Moses if they could have the land to the east instead of taking any land within the Promised Land.

        Moses tried to give them a history lesson by reminding them that the reason they’d been wandering for the past forty years was because their fathers didn’t want to go into the land. He then asked them why in the world they would want to commit the same sin. But that didn’t change their minds, so Moses capitulated and promised them the land east of the river with the stipulation that they first had to help the rest of the nation conquer the land God had promised them.

        At the end of Joshua chapter one we now find Joshua reminding those two and a half tribes of the agreement made between them and Moses a few years earlier:

Joshua 1:12-18

And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.'  Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise."

        So they answered Joshua, saying, "All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage."

        Choice… it is one of the most important components in our relationship with God. We can choose to believe what He says or to believe something else, and He’ll honor that choice. The two and a half tribes here in Joshua chapter one chose to stay and live on the east side of the Jordan River despite the fact that God had been telling them for years that the land He was giving them was going to be perfect for them. Evidently, they thought they knew better than God about what would be best for them.

        And so it is, I believe, with most Christians today. We hear God’s promises and see His directives, but in the end, we follow what we think is going to be a better path for our lives.

        Here are some examples of how we may choose to stay outside the Promised Land of the Spirit-filled life:

       

Living on the Outside

        I’ll use the same principles that frustrated Pastor Tom in chapter four; marital relationships, child rearing, and money management. They seem to be areas that we all struggle with. If you go to BlueLetterBible.org or the Bible search program of your choice and search for everything the Bible has to say about marriage, family, and money, you’ll find things that, quite frankly, go against societal norms.

        Type in the word “wives” in the search pane and you’ll find that wives are to submit to their husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:24) and that they are encouraged to stay at home with their children (Titus 2:4, 5). Type “husbands” into the search pane and you’ll find that husbands are to love their wives sacrificially, putting their wives’ needs above their own (Ephesians 5:25). They are to give honor to their wives, seeking to understand them (1 Peter 3:7).

        Search out topics about child rearing and you’ll find clear direction on how to raise your kids. Search for “divorce” and you’ll find out that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and that though He may allow it in certain circumstances, it is never the best option. Keep searching about how you should control your family finances (search “tithe”) and you’ll find that every cent you have is from God and He asks you to give back ten percent—and that in giving back He’ll bless you.

        All this direction, but very few families are following it. Throughout even Christian society, husbands either don’t lead or they selfishly lead, wives fight continually for their right not to submit and for control over the family leadership, children are in childcare, divorce rates are around 50 percent, and nobody feels they can afford to tithe.

        “It’s hard to set aside my desires and lead selflessly; I don’t even understand what my wife wants,” the husband will say. “How can I submit to my husband when all he does is make stupid decisions?” the wife will exclaim. “Our only option to continue in the life we have is for us both to work… We use ‘time outs’… don’t you know spanking is wrong… Ten percent? I just put whatever I can afford that week into the basket as it passes. Anyway, we live under grace now and those Old Testament commands are not valid for today…” 

        And we wonder why there is no peace in our homes, no joy in our trials, our kids are running wild, and there is no provision for our needs? We are choosing to live on the east side of the Jordan River, outside of the Promised Land.

Promised Land Choices

        “OK, I accept the premise that I can choose to stay out of the Promised Land,” you might say. “I want to choose to go in, but what must I choose?”

        Here are some choices that we are often taught we need to make if we want God’s promises:

1. Choose to no longer be controlled by sin.
2. Choose to study and memorize the Word daily.
3. Choose to surrender everything over to God.
4. Choose to put aside your selfish ambitions.
5. Choose to pray and fast at least once a week.



        I tried for a long time to get into the Promised Land by doing all of those things. In all honesty, not only did I fail, but doing them brought me to the brink of giving up on even trying.

You see, as long as we are in these bodies of flesh, sin will always be lurking in the shadows, and we will fail.       If having control over sin gets us into the Promised Land, none of us will ever make it. If daily studying and memorizing the Word is the key, then I fail at least once or twice a week. We get busy, sleep too late… whatever the excuse, it is very hard to study as much as we’d like. If surrendering everything is the key, then we’re all in trouble because every day you’ll discover something else that wasn’t surrendered or needs to be surrendered again. Controlling our selfish ambitions is ridiculously hard. We always desire something selfishly, be it life, food, or happiness. So then… praying and fasting… if I discipline my body, that is the key. Man, I hope not because sometimes I fall asleep when I pray and I need to eat, I love my food, and fasting is hard! These things, these works, will never get you into the Promised Land. They are not the remedy; they are the evidence of the cure.

        So what is it that we must choose? Back to Numbers 32. Why would the two and a half tribes want to stay on the east side of the river? God had been telling them for years that the Promised Land was a special place where they would find rest and prosperity. God told them He was going to give it to them, divide it up according to their needs, and that He would provide for them in the land… Evidently they didn’t believe God.

       

The Better Way of Belief

        Those two and a half tribes saw the land east of the river and thought that it was a perfect land for them and they wanted it, as opposed to wanting the land God had prepared for them. What they lacked was belief. It’s not like they weren’t willing to do the work, they agreed to fight with the rest of the people. But they didn’t believe the land they were fighting for was worth living in.

        Can you imagine being a warrior from those tribes? What was their motivation to fight? In battle, when it started to get ugly, how hard did they fight? When you believe that what you are fighting for is worth it, you are motivated to do the things necessary to win. When you don’t believe that your battle is worth the fight, are you motivated to do whatever it takes to win? 

        God has promised us a better life within His will, but for whatever reason, we don’t believe it will be better. We still do battle, and we try to do what is right. But because we don’t believe that what we are fighting for is actually worth fighting for, we fall short of doing what it takes to win.

        If we truly believed that doing marriage God’s way was the best way, husbands would humbly lead and wives would humbly submit. If we fully believed that God’s way of rearing children was best, we would discipline our children with love and wouldn’t allow their desires to control how we raise them. If we actually believed that God’s way of managing finances was better than our own, then churches would never have to ask for money because we’d all be tithing. But we don’t believe, so our marriages are falling apart, our children are spoiled, and our finances are never under control. Then we have the gall to blame God for our problems!

        We are told in Hebrews 11:6: …without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Faith… Belief! That is the key here!

        You must choose to believe that God’s way is best, and in that belief you will find the motivation to do what it takes to live the life He wants you to live. And here’s the cool part: Once you believe, God promises to supernaturally come alongside of you, fight the battles with you, lead you through life, and give you victory!  

        Choose wisely… choose to believe God.