February 23 - Joshua 12-14

Now, we have a summary of all of the victories God has given the Israelites so far. This provides an encouragement before the rest of the Land is divided among the tribes west of the Jordan river. The strong implication is that God not expects each tribe to conquer their area with His help. Each tribe would need to trust God to give them the victory for their particular situation, so they could rid their land of the enemies and the pagan influence. This speaks to me of the Christian life, too. God saves us all. He forgives our sins and gives us eternal life with the Holy Spirit living in us. However, from that point each life is different. Each of us has different enemies and challenges. Each of us must trust in God's power to lead us and to provide for us. It is a relationship God desires, and we grow in that relationship in an individual way. Yes, all of our lives are similar as the tribes faced similar enemies, so they could relate to each other and support each other. However, the victories were to come by each tribe trusting God in their own area. Unfortunately, the tribes were only partially obedient. This was disobedience to God. They did not drive out all of the pagan people, so they became a stumblingblock to them.

The story of Caleb inheriting Hebron and conquering it is a lesson in the faithfulness of God and the rewards of trusting God. Even though Caleb had to wait 40 years, God preserved his strength and enabled him to have his reward. I hope you know that God is always faithful in response to our faithfulness to Him.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Joshua 15-18.