As the children of Israel finally begin to take possession of their inheritance, we find that there are seven tribes that for some reason, have failed to receive their inheritance.
The same problem exists in the church today, there are many of Gods people who are living sub standard lives because they haven’t taken hold of the promises of God.
We must recognize that when the bible says they had not received their inheritance, what it actually means is that they had failed to drive out the enemy.
It was an evident fact that their land though promised to them by God, was inhabited by people who opposed their right to the land.
To posses their inheritance meant they had to dispossess the enemy.
The land belonged to the children of Israel by right of inheritance, by promise, but it was occupied and dominated by their enemies.
With this clearly understood Joshua sternly questions them, you could even say rebukes them for not moving in faith concerning their inheritance.
Listen to Joshua’s words:
KJV
Vs 3. How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
BBE
Why are you so (slow) to go in and take up your heritage in the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?
GWV
How long are you going to waste time (conquering) the land which the LORD God of your ancestors has given you?
Rwebster
How long will ye (neglect) to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
The point is:
#1 The land had been given to them by God
#2 It was their responsibility to do whatever they had to do in order to take possession of it.
Joshua was asking them how long they were going to hang back, and put off, possessing their inheritance.
How long were they going to be lazy, self preserving, fearful, and unwilling to engage the enemy and take their land.
There are many similarities between this old testament story and the new testament experience.
#1 By inheritance the land belonged to them, They were Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
#2 They must forcibly take possession experientially of what was theirs legally.
#3 They were slack to take possession of what was theirs.
We find this same scenario in the church world today.
The word of God is rich with Gods promises toward the children of God.
We are also by faith the seed of Abraham, and we are heirs to the blessing of Abraham
Gal 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:29 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
But as it was then even so is it today, there are enemies to us possessing our inheritance and we must be willing to fight for what is legally ours.
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
One reason many of Gods people are cheated out of their inheritance is: because they do not know what belongs to them, They are unfamiliar with the will.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
Another reason is: we are just plain slack, slothful, lazy, (unwilling to have to fight for it).
Many Christians would rather live a low level mediocre self preserving life, and do without their rights and privileges as Sons and Daughters of God than have to engage the enemy in spiritual warfare.
And so instead of admit that we don’t have it because we’re not willing to fight for it,We say things that make us feel better about ourselves, (in other words we say things that make it sound like it’s not for us here anyway, it’s all waiting for us in heaven).
Songs like this:
On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand and cast a wistful eye, to Caanans fair and happy land where my possessions lie.
This is unscriptural: Our possessions are not over in heaven waiting for us to die so we can go over there and get them.
Our possessions are in Christ, waiting for us to rise up in faith, and drive out every enemy of our promises and take possession of what belongs to us through the redemptive work that God wrought in Christ Jesus.
The Promise land of the old testament was not a type of Heaven (There will not be any giants in heaven resisting our rights and privileges).
No sir the promise land of the old testament was a type of our inheritance in Christ Jesus, that must be possessed through aggressive faith.
2 Co 1:20 For all the promises of God (in him) are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
We need a clear vision of that which is ours in Christ, (Our inheritance) Our rights and privileges as Sons and Daughters of God.
The devil oppresses many of Gods people and keeps them in Bondage, because they do not know who they are in Christ
The devil’s greatest fear is that we will discover who we are in Christ and What belongs to us and that we will take possession of our inheritance.
The devil knows if the believer ever finds out who they are and starts to fight, they will win because he knows he is already defeated by the finished work of Jesus.
So the devil tries to convince us that there is nothing here worth fighting for, that it is all like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and we’ll get it when we die.
But the truth is our inheritance came to us through Jesus death and he willed it to us, and it’s for right here right now.
I don’t need money when I get to heaven (I need it now)
I don’t need healing when I get to heaven ( I need it now).
I don’t need power over the devil when I get to heaven (I need it now).
Joshua realized that to get them motivated they needed to see = (get a revelation of what belonged to them).
look at this verse:
Eph 1:17-18 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18 (The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know) what is the hope of his calling, and what (the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints).
He sent them to survey, to spy out the land =(Take inventory).
This is what we must do: We must get in the word and search out our inheritance, get a revelation of what belongs to us, begin to see ourselves living in the fullness of the life Jesus brought.
It’s time to stake your claim:
You may criticize the name it claim it philosophy but the fact is: If you do not stake your claim concerning the promises of God, and you do not personalize them you will never possess them.
You can say: I believe the bible is true, I believe every promise from cover to cover, but if you do not know what those promises are and you do not personalize them and stake your claim concerning them., you will never experience them.
Many of Gods people miss out on their inheritance because they are waiting for God to give them what is already theirs by inheritance.
Many times we are praying and asking for things that are already ours:
How ridiculous would it have been for those seven tribes to approach Joshua and say:
Please give us our inheritance, please give us what God promised us.
No It was already theirs and they knew it, They just had to possess it.
It is true in our case also:
Eph 1:3 He (hath) blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
2Peter 1:3 According as his divine power (hath given) unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness
1 Co 3:21-23 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things (are) yours;
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all (are) yours;
23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
You see brothers and sisters:
We are already delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of his dear son. Col 1:13
We are already the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. 2Cor 5:21
We are already redeemed from the curse of the law = spiritual death, poverty and sickness. Gal 3:13-14
We are already healed by the stripes of Jesus according to 1 pet 2:24
We have already been given power to tread on serpents and scorpions and all the power of the enemy. Lu 10:19
These promises and many others constitute our promise land, our inheritance.
According to Eph 1:6 We have already been raised up together and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
The question is not whether or not it belongs to you,
No the question is the same as that which was asked by Joshua:
How long are you going to be slack concerning the promises of God, to take possession of that which God has already given you.
How long are you going to let the devil cheat you out of what belongs to you.
Jesus paid for it with his blood, it belongs to you but you will have to fight for it.
The world has a saying, there is a lot of truth in it.
Anything worth having is worth fighting for.
Whatever God has promised you is yours legally, every dream, every prophetic utterance, Now it’s up to you to stand up in faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit and say It’s mine.
Give me my mountain
