King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Chapters: Joshua Chapters 12-15
Message: Receive an Eternal Inheritance
Hello My Friend,
This past Sunday was Palm Sunday and I did not even mention it even though I had intended to do so every day. This would be the week that we would take note of Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on a donkey and everyone shouting “Hosanna”, only for Him to be captured a few days later, [Matthew 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.] Jesus, said this when the Pharisees tried to get Him to quiet the people, [Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.]
There is nothing more liberating than knowing that you are a saved, born again child of the King. This is something that we need to be shouting, especially now with all the false religion and representation of the greatest holy day of all time. In fact, the stones actually did cry out when Jesus died on the cross, [Matthew 27:50-52 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,]
That must have been one incredible sight to behold, not to mention that it probably scared many to death and even to repent. In fact, it was a Roman soldier who immediately admitted that Jesus is the Son of God, [Matthew 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.]
When Jesus died on the cross a horrible and sinless death, He did more than give eternal life to all who would believe on Him, He is also preparing a place for us. [John 14:2-3 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.]
God, promised the Israelites that He would give them the land that He their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, dwelt on, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land that had everything they ever needed, even homes and crops, for their possession. There was one catch, the land had already been occupied by heathens, and in order to receive their inheritance they were going to have to take it from them. They were literally commanded by God to destroy the people and anything that would tempt them to turning from Him. It all started with Moses, when two of the kings were taken, and the people were destroyed. As we continue in the reading of Joshua, an account is given to the nations or I should say territories that were taken so far.
[Joshua 12:1-2,4-6 Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and from the middle of the river, and from half Gilead, even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; 4 And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, 5 And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 Them did Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.]
[Them did Moses the servant of the LORD…gave it for a possession] God, intended for all twelve tribes to inherit a piece of the land that He had given them. However, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh decided that it would have been more beneficial for them to stay on the other side of the river. Therefore, it was Moses who granted them their request, but since God does not mess with anyone’s freewill, He let them make that choice, [Revelation 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.]
Notice that Joshua kept referring to Moses as the servant of the LORD, while Moses was no where near perfect and messed up so bad that he was even denied the opportunity to step foot on the promise land himself, but he was still a faithful servant of God. It is not our failures that God sees, it is what we do for Him after we are saved that He sees. Now, an account is given to Joshua of the kings and territories they have taken.
[Joshua 12:7-8,24 And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the valley of Lebanon even unto the mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir; which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions; 8 In the mountains, and in the valleys, and in the plains, and in the springs, and in the wilderness, and in the south country; the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: 24 The king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty and one.]
[which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession] What was the difference between what Moses gave the two and a half tribes and what Joshua gave to the other nine and a half? God, gave it to Joshua first to divide among the tribes as he was their leader at the time, [Joshua 11:23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.]
[all the kings thirty and one.] All in all, thirty-one kings were conquered as well as their territories taken possession of. This account served as a reminder to the Israelites that they were to never forget the powerful and miraculous help that God had given them in order to take possession of the land that was promised to their fathers. It is also in our best interest to keep reminding ourselves of what Christ did for us on the cross as it helps us appreciate our salvation a little more, [Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.]
Notice that with Moses it says the kings of the land and with Joshua it says country, [Land; Any portion of the solid, superficial part of the globe, whether a kingdom or country, or a particular region. Country; The whole territory of a kingdom or state, as opposed to city.] While the land was only a portion of a country, the country was the entire land. When we accept Christ as our Saviour, God does not just give us a portion of land, He gives us His entire Kingdom. Thirty-one kings were taken out, thirty-one portions of land was taken for the Israelites possession, and thirty-one cities were removed of all the people and their houses and buildings were ready to move in. However, that was only a fraction of the country yet to be possessed, in fact, God, reminds Joshua of that.
[Joshua 13:1-3,6,14 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. 2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri, 3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites: 6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee. 14 Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.]
[only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance,] Whatever land that was left to be taken was still going to be divided, but each tribe would be responsible for making sure they did their part to remove the inhabitants. While God did promise to drive them out, unless they actually took possession of it, He would just let them remain there and become a nuisance to them. This is the same thing as having faith without works, God, will give us eternal life through our faith alone, but if we are not willing to do anything beyond our salvation, then the things that remain will become a nuisance to us, [James 2:18-20 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?]
[Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance;] I was thinking about this and it just occurred to me why some people live in homes passed down from generation to generation while others move every few years. God, will put His servants where He needs them, while some do remain in one spot their entire time serving Him, most do not receive an earthly inheritance because our inheritance is Jesus, [Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.]
One more time, the Levites were reminded of this, but also that they were to be given cities to dwell in among the rest of the tribes, [Joshua 14:1-4 And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them. 2 By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.]
[By lot was their inheritance,] Each tribe was to receive portion of land according to the number of people in the tribe. If there were inhabitants they were commanded to remove them, just as they did the others. When Joshua starts dividing the land, Caleb, comes up to him, and reminds him of the promise Moses made to him.
[Joshua 14:7-10,12 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. 10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.]
[if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out,] You see, Caleb, knew what needed to be done in order to get his mountain, but he also knew that that was up to God. Caleb, wanted that mountain, and was willing to fight for it as long as it was in God’s will to give it to him. God, does not want us to settle, He wants is to fight for what He is has to give us. Think about it, salvation is given to us freely, and that means there is no work to be done to receive it before or after we are saved, but if we want the greatest blessings from God, then we need to be willing to fight for what is given to us. We are not fighting for our salvation, but to drive out whoever or whatever it is that is in our way from getting what we desire while we are here. Caleb, did as he said and the tribe of Judah drove out the majority of the people, but even they were guilty of not driving them all out.
[Joshua 15:1,5,13-14,63 This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast. 5 And the east border was the salt sea, even unto the end of Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of Jordan: 13 And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. 14 And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 63 As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out: but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.]
[the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron.] Incidentally, Hebron is where David would actually reign as king of Judah for seven and a half years and would set up his kingdom when he became king of all of Israel, [2 Samuel 2:11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.]
[the children of Judah could not drive them out:] Okay, so sometimes God does allow some challenges in our lives, but the one thing to remember is that we have Jesus, [2 Corinthians 12:8-10 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Joshua 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Oh, I know that my salvation is bought and paid for with my Saviour, and that I could never do anything to repay You for that, but also know that if I want the things You promise me, then I must fight for it through these conquests that You send me on. In order to find rest from these conquests, I must first, trust You, second, remove anything that is blocking my way, and third. Let You lead me there. Lord, I want that mountain, and by Your power, might, will, and strength I know I will get it. I know all things are possible with You, I know can do anything with You, I know that I will receive my inheritance, and with You, nothing or no one can stop me. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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