What about "Now"?
Joshua • Sermon • Submitted
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· 12 viewsGod is always faithful to deliver on His promises. Here in Joshua 13-19 we are able to see the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and the people of Israel, as they are given the land. How are we using the portion that God has given us? Are we being good stewards of His reward as we await the time when we are in His presence?
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1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. 2 This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites 3 (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, 4 in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, 5 and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, 6 all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
What about “Now”?
Why is there something versus nothing?
What’s gone wrong in the cosmos?
Is there any hope?
How will history end?
Today we will be discussing the passage in Joshua and how it relates to the 3rd question, “Is there any hope?”, which also leads to our understanding of the answer to the fourth question, “How will history end?”
What about “Now”?
What about “Now”?
The Israelites demonstrated several times throughout their time in wandering the wilderness, that they were asking God the question, “What about now?”
We live in a day and age, where instant gratification and immediate reward has become the norm. When I was a youngster, they said the same thing. Back then, adults would talk about how the microwave oven, cable TV and computers were changing the world and society’s willingness to wait for the things they needed for wanted. Each year since then, it seems technology has only made the prevalence of “having it our way, right now” only increase exponentially.
Now we carry powerful computers in our pockets or on our wrists, with information only a click away. Companies like Amazon & Wallmart are using internet technology to allow us to shop from anywhere and they frequently offer items, which can be delivered in 24-48 hours. We can now do our grocery shopping using an app on our phones and either have our groceries delivered to our doorstep or pick them up in front of the store, without even needing to step foot in the store. We can choose when and what we watch on TV from a list of millions of shows and films from media sources like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Youtube, Hulu, etc. . .
I believe this situation is a double edged sword. In one respect it brings convenience and ease to our lives, but it also makes it particularly difficult for many to see any hope of a better life. It makes it difficult for some to see beyond today, for hope, hope that history will end the way the Bible says it will end.
You may ask, “what does this have to do with the book of Joshua?” or “How does that relate to what we just read?”
Please let me explain.
First, I want to show you a few of the “now”s in the center portion of the book of Joshua. First, I’d like to take you back to chapter 12 in , and and then we will look at ,, which we just read a few moments ago.
In chapter 12 we see that Israel, through God’s power and work, by way of Joshua and Moses as their leaders have conquered a significant portion of the Promised Land. We spoke a couple of weeks ago about the fact that God was just in His wrath toward the inhabitants because of their sin and rebellion.
Joshua 12:1
1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward:
Joshua 12:7
7 And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, that rises toward Seir (and Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their allotments,
Here we see they have taken possession of the land which their forefathers had been promised generations earlier. You can imagine the difficulty they would have had in trusting that their inheritance would be realized.
1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.
7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
4 Framework Questions of any Worldview:
Why is there something versus nothing?
What’s gone wrong in the cosmos?
Is there any hope?
How will history end?
Today we will be discussing the 3rd question, “Is there any hope?”, which also leads to our understanding of the answer to the fourth question, “How will history end?”
What about “Then/ their Now”?
What about “Then/ their Now”?
10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full,
God’s Covenant Promise to Israel was being fulfilled as Joshua began dividing the land to the various tribes.
God’s promises will always be fulfilled, but they are done in His timing.
19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? 20 Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. 21 He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. 22 God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. 23 For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’ 24 Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”
19 and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes. 21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)
19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? 20 Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. 21 He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. 22 God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! 6 Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. 7 Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.”
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind! This means that God is not fickle. He is not undecided, or recalculating, the promises that He has made.
Listen to the promise made to Moses and the Israelites in Deut 6:10-11.
10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full,
Did you hear that? He promised to give them what?
Great and Good cities they did not build
Houses full of all good things that they did not fill
Cisterns that they did not dig
Vineyards and Olive trees that they did not plant
verse 12
What about Now?
What about Now?
What about Now?
That must have been something that ran through the minds of the Israelites over the centuries. When or even will, God the Father make good on His promises?
What else will we need to go through before He makes things right and allows us to settle down in the land he swore to our forefathers?
This is a question we may ask ourselves from time to time.
Particularly, in this moment in history. In a time when it seems as if an increasing number of people in our nation are vehemently opposed to God. When people around the world are turning their backs on the Word of God and His principles of right & wrong, of justice and mercy, of love and grace. In some instances people are denying basic simple principles of nature that God has clearly designed and ordained.
We live in a time, when people attempt to twist reality to be what they want it to be rather than what it truly is. But we do not lose heart.
When
We should not become discouraged.
We should not become afraid, or anxious.
We have a hope, that lives within us. So we can and should ask, “What about NOW?” but even as we are asking, we wait patiently for God to answer and to move.
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
God is at work! He is alive and is at work preparing a place for us. We may ask, “What about Now?” but we do it knowing that God the Father’s timing is always perfect. His ways, are always BEST! So we long to be with Him
TO be absent from the Body is to be present with the Lord, but there is still work to be done, to minister to the people around us.
Even as the Israelites were given the land, and portions of the land were designated to each tribe (the tribe of Levi was given something different), they had more ground to take, as God went before them, but not without them.
NOW Let us consider, the question “What about now?” from a slightly different perspective.
What have we been given as of this moment in time?
Where have the “boundaries” of our inheritance been set?
How are we utilizing our inheritance?
Are we giving up ground or are we taking more ground?
Are we using the gifts and resources God has given us, with the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish what He has commanded us to do?
What about “when”? When we get to Heaven, that is.
What about “when”? When we get to Heaven, that is.
Based upon the word of God, I have assurance that one day, I will be with Christ in the New Heaven and New earth, which is the ultimate fulfillment of my inheritance.
I look forward to the day I am glorified and able to stand in the presence of God I am excited to see the New Heaven and the New earth, when God finally establishes His Kingdom completely. In fact, in Paul tells us,
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Col 3:1-
What
CS Lewis Quote: “Women sometimes have the problem of trying to judge by artificial light how a dress will look by daylight. That is very like the problem for all of us: to dress our souls not for the electric lights of the present world but for the daylight of the next. The good dress is the one that will face that light. For that light will last longer.
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
One day we will stand in the presence of God, and enjoy fellowship with Him in a new and perfect way.
One day we will stand in the presence of God, and enjoy fellowship with Him in a new and perfect way.
Until then, we need to constantly be asking ourselves,
“What about Now, in light of eternity?”
“What about Now, in light of eternity?”
Do not worry about tomorrow for it will worry about itself. Set our hearts on things above, on our inheritance.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
In a similar but even more exciting, permanent and complete way, God will one day bring us to abide with Him on the New Earth and New Heaven.
7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”
It is an amazing fact to ponder that Christ has gone before us, and is preparing a place for us. Let us ask the Lord to give us eyes that see today in light of eternity.