Today's passage continues the surveying and division of the land that had begun in yesterday's verses. We see both the commands and promises that the Lord had given Moses coming to fruition in these verses. Please find several noteworthy details below:
1. Casting lots as a Spirit-led activity. Casting lots, much like drawing straws, serves as a means of identifying an order. Sometimes, we may play rock-paper-scissors to determine whom will make a decision or earn the first place. But what does God's will have to do with such luck? We may find the key ingredient in the phrase "in the presence of the LORD." Joshua did not seek to split the land based on his own biased views; rather, he intended that casting lots would reveal and carry out the Lord's will for the situation. In Acts 1:12-26, the 11 remaining Apostles inquire of the Lord whom they should add to their number in order to return to the complete number of 12 disciples by casting lots.
When you face a difficult set of choices, how do you approach coming to the answer? As we have learned in the Israelites' shortcomings, particularly with the Gibeonites' ruse, we will handle such situations poorly if we do not submit the matter to the Lord in prayer. While the phrase "What would Jesus do?" may be instructive, I encourage you to seek the Lord's will for each matter, asking, "Lord, what would You have me to do? How can I best honor You in this situation?" God will honor such an attitude of humility, and your heart will be full of joy as you carry out His will. This joy will not be a result of constantly pleasant circumstances, but rather because you have submitted your heart to serving God and will find rest in that submission.
2. Upholding the words of Moses in the cities of refuge and the division for the Levites. After dividing the land among the remaining tribes, Joshua and the Israelites honored God's commands to create the cities of refuge and to provide land for the Levites. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you quickly made a promise, only to find its fulfillment to cost something in the end? As Scott has written over previous days, we must be people of our word, even when it hurts. From the text, it appears that the Israelites gave this land willingly, but there must have been remorse in some corners as the just-granted land became part of the Levites' inheritance. Honoring the commands of Moses in this manner is much like tithing: God had always remained the ultimate Grantor of the land or any material blessing; the division thereof should ultimately serve His benefit.
3. Seeing the fulfillment of God's promises. While the Israelites had a part in honoring their commitments, God becomes the focal point of the passage, and His faithfulness is worthy of great praise: "So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." (Joshua 21:43-45) These words brought to mind two other parallels from the New Testament:
a. All God's promises are "yes" in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 1:18-22, we read: "But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not 'Yes' and 'No.' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me [Paul] and Silas and Timothy, was not 'Yes' and 'No,' but in him it has always been 'Yes.' For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Just as God delivered the Promised Land to the Israelites, He has faithfully provided redemption to those who seek Him through Jesus Christ.
b. God will deliver an even greater (and permanent) Promised Land. Revelation 21:1-7 reads:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'
"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'
"He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.'"
QUESTIONS
1. What promises have you seen God uphold in your life this week?
2. In what ways is God calling you to follow Him more closely?
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