Lesson 177 - Junior
Memory Verse
"There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass: (Joshua 21:45).
Notes
Division of Land
The time came when the Children of Israel were assigned their land in Canaan. God commanded that the land be divided by lot for the nine and one half tribes who went into the Promised Land ([JOS:13:7-8]; [NUM:34:13-15]). We have studied (
) how the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh asked and received permission for their families to remain on the east side of the Jordan river, thus failing to possess that good land which God had for them. The tribe of Levi (the Levites and the priests) inherited no land in Canaan ([JOS:13:14]), for God was their inheritance ([DEU:18:1-5]).Caleb
Caleb had been chosen to represent the tribe of Judah at the division of the land ([NUM:34:19]). No doubt to show its approval of his request, the tribe of Judah to which Caleb belonged went as a witness with him to Joshua. Caleb did not have an unreasonable request. He wanted the land, which God had promised him for an inheritance. He reminded Joshua of the time, forty-five years before, when the spies had been sent into Canaan.
Although ten of the spies had returned with a discouraging report, Caleb had said: "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it" (Numbers 13:30). Caleb did not speak to please Moses, or to contradict the other spies -" he spoke from his heart, for he trusted God.
The spies told of the sons of Anak who were giants ([NUM:13:33]), and of the great walled cities (Numbers 13:29) that they had seen in the Land of Canaan. God had said that Caleb would be given that very land because he "wholly followed the LORD" (Deuteronomy 1:36).
The aim of Caleb was to give glory to God. He testified of God's goodness to him -" that God had kept him alive through the perils and fatigues of the wilderness when so many others died. No doubt the land of giants and walled cities was the most difficult to conquer. Yet Caleb asked for that land as his inheritance because he valued the promise of God and knew and trusted in the power of all Israel. His faith was in God who had given him such physical strength that he was fit for battle even forty-five years after the promise was given to him.
Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him the inheritance God had promised him -" the "mountain" wherein was the city of Hebron. Later, when the city of Hebron belonged to the priests and became one of the cities of refuge ([JOS:21:9-13]), Caleb was content with the land round about the city. He had claimed the promise of the Lord, the land was possessed, and the people had rest from war.
A Different Spirit
What happened to the rest of the spies, the ten who took back a discouraging report? They died of a plague, and the ones who listened to them were not permitted to enter into the Promised Land. In fact, of all those people only Caleb and Joshua went into Canaan to claim God's promise. God said, "But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went" (Numbers 14:24). Caleb had "another spirit" -" not one, which spread discouragement.
Sometimes children take home to their parents and other young people a report of the Sunday School and Young People's meetings that can be discouraging or it can be of another spirit which trusts God and fully follows Him. The report that one gives to others may influence them to the extent that they will possess the inheritance that the Lord has for them, or they may never get to the place where they claim God's promises.
Fulfilled Promise
God's promise to Joshua that he would "cause Israel to inherit" the Land of Canaan ([DEU:1:38]) was fulfilled, too. After the division of land, the Children of Israel gave unto Joshua a city among the lands of his own tribe, Ephraim. Although Joshua was their leader and had been a faithful spy along with Caleb, he was not given first choice of the land. His first duty was to his country; and later he thought of himself. Joshua did not set aside a city for his own use, but he was given his inheritance "according to the word of the LORD" (Joshua 19:50).
Everyone can profit by this example of Joshua. No one has ever lost by being unselfish, but many lose both spiritual and material blessings by being concerned about themselves before all others. The standard of a Christian includes unselfishness. Paul wrote of it in his letter to the Romans where he gives the pattern of a Christian life. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Romans 12:10).
Not to Joshua and Caleb only did God fulfil His promise. There failed not one good thing that the Lord had promised the Children of Israel. God gave them victory over the enemy (Joshua 21:44) for He had promised to drive out the Canaanites little by little (Exodus 23:30). God gave rest to the Children of Israel " rest from the fatigues of travel, rest from war, rest from enemy insults -- as He had promised. All the promises came to pass. Not just some of them, not just the large things, nor just the small and easy things, but all came to pass (I Kings 8:56).
Your Inheritance
If all God's promises came to pass, why did not all of the people who came out of Egypt enter Canaan? Because they were disobedient; they trusted not in the Lord and broke their agreement with Him. It was the fault of the people, for God will keep His part of a covenant.
Why do not all the people today have the spiritual inheritance that God has promised? The failure is on the part of the people. In II Peter 1:3, 4, we read that God has "given unto us exceeding great and precious promises" that one can live a godly life without the sins of the world. Like the Children of Israel, you, too (boys and girls as well as the older people), can have victory over the enemy of your soul; you can have rest and peace, and live so you will have an inheritance in Heaven. All these good things can be yours by valuing the promises of God, by believing and trusting God, by following Him with your whole heart and with a spirit other than that of the world. You can claim God's promises by obedience.
Joshua's Farewell
Some years later, Joshua called together the elders and representatives of the people. He gave them a farewell speech, for he was about to die. Joshua was an old man and experienced -" he lived to be 110 years old ([JOS:24:29]). Joshua wanted to encourage the Children of Israel to be true to God and faithful in His worship. He did not remind the Children of Israel of what he or they had done. He said, "Ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done." God had led them, had fed them, had kept them, and had fought for them. Not only that, God was ready to do in the future what He had done in the past as long as the Children of Israel would cleave or hold fast unto the Lord in obedience. If they turned not to the right or to the left, God would fight for them, and one man would "chase a thousand" of the enemies.
Joshua's message was filled with caution as well as courage. The Children of Israel were again warned against idolatry, against even any respect for idols. If they took heed to themselves they would not by degrees slip into unfaithfulness. They were warned lest step by step they would forsake God by sparing the Canaanites. Next would be association with them, then acquaintance, and intermarriage with those who were opposed to God and true worship. Then the Children of Israel would find that they had broken their promises and covenant with God.
In three different verses Joshua told the Children of Israel that they would be destroyed and perish from the good land unless they continued to follow the Lord and His commandments. When they trespassed against the Lord, then God's promise of judgment and destruction would come to pass as surely as all the good things that God promised would not fail.
Questions
1. As spies, what report did Joshua and Caleb take to the Children of Israel?
2. What report was given by the other ten spies?
3. What were the results of the report?
4. Why did Caleb want the land of giants and walled cities?
5. Why was Caleb given an inheritance in Canaan?
6. How was God's promise to Joshua fulfilled?
7. What happened to the other ten spies?
8. How many of God's promises to the Children of Israel failed?
9. Why did Joshua warn the Children of Israel against idolatry?
10. How could the Children of Israel continue in the blessing of the Lord?