Allotments 1

Joshua 11, 12, 13 & 14

All the trivial things about kingdoms and government and boundaries.

Ch 11:15 “ As the LORD commanded his servant Moses,

So Moses commanded Joshua.

And Joshua did it;

He left nothing undone

Of all that the LORD

Commanded Moses,

18 Joshua waged war…..

…for a long time.

23 He took the entire land

Just as the LORD

Had directed Moses

And He gave it as an inheritance

To Israel

According to their tribal divisions.

Then the land had rest from war.

Ch 13:1 “When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him.  “You are old and there are still very large areas of land to be taken.” 

And in chapter 14 Caleb pops back into the story. 

Also a good and faithful servant. 

Another quiet confident guy.

He has quietly aged and walked with Israel these 40 years.

I wonder how it felt,

Knowing “What could have been?” for 40 years.

Eating manna instead of giant grape clusters.

I wonder if any of his talk was sprinkled with bitterness

Or if he kept right on dreaming

And telling stories of what’s coming

Raising up a whole new generation

Of hungry, eager, God fearing warriors. 

Ch 14:7 “I followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me to explore the land.  And I brought him back a report according to my own convictions. 8 But my brothers who went up with me, made the hearts of the people melt with fear.  I however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.  9 So on the day, Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’ 11 So here I am today, 85 years old!  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out. I am just as vigorous to out in battle now as I was then.  13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”

Wholehearted. 

And then the land had rest from war.

Peace.

Peace on earth.

I wonder you keep walking and how you keep fellowship in a community that ignored your reports and your words and your ideas.   Can you humbly lay those down and choke down the manna?  

When I see Caleb today, I see a man who quietly put one foot in front of the other.  And some days that is how our own walk feels.  Not glorious, or glamorous.  But slow and steady.  And Joshua blessed Caleb.  He must have been so glad to have such a friend in the ranks.  

I’m so thankful for my slow and steady friends today.  

The ones who stick around for the hard times and hold tight when the ride gets oh so rough.  

Until we have rest on every side and we can let our breath out.  

The slow exhale of relief and gratitude.