Joshua 18-19A Place for Everyone

A God Who Keeps His PromisesThis is part 2 of a two part messageCh 14-17 Showed us a God who keeps his

promisesPersevering, adventurous faithSometimes there were obstacles

Challenged usAre we going to be those who let our fears stop

us or are we going to trust God and act?

Josh 18:1aJosh 18:1a The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there.

Move from Gilgal to ShilohShiloh located near centre of land

Central location promotes sense of national unity.Key to prosperity & blessing

was worshiping and serving Yahweh

Josh 18:1a-2Josh 18:1a-2 The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

Entered the land with high hopesThis was the promised landThey were here and they were winning the warNow they have stoppedSeem to be downhearted

Josh 18:3Josh 18:3 So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?

Josh 18:4-10 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north. After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the LORD our God. The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the LORD gave it to them." As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, "Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD." So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the LORD, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

Josh 18:4-10Commissions 21 men, 3 from each tribe

without a land allocationSurvey remaining landRequired time and skillSurvey about number of cities and the

relative natural wealth of the areas

Shiloh

Gilgal

The End Result

Simeon’s inheritanceWere under a curse from Jacob:

Gen 49:5-7 "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. "Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. "Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.

Given an allocation of cities within Judah's territory

Josh 19:49-51 Joshua's inheritanceJosh 19:49-50 When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for--Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.

Could have had any land he wantedDemonstrated his humility

He requested Timnath SerahCity in rugged, infertile and mountainous district of his

own tribe - Ephraim

Josh 19:49-51 Joshua's inheritanceJosh 24:29-30 After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

Israel’s Inheritance…He provided a fertile and varied landHe provided his guidance and presenceEveryone had a place - no tribe was missed

outHe kept his promise to Caleb & Joshua, his

faithful servantsKept his promise to his chosen peopleTenancy of a land “flowing with milk and

honey”Had to maintain their relationship with God

Christian’s InheritanceEph 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

A sinful person cannot be accepted by a holy GodBut we are made Holy

Christian’s InheritanceEph 1:5-6 In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Cannot be children of a Holy God if we are not also Holy

Christian’s InheritanceEph 1:7-8 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Redemption - freeing of a slave by paying a ransomRansom paid was Jesus's life

That's what it cost to make us Holy and Blameless

Christian’s InheritanceEph 1:9-10 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

God shared his great plan with us.

Christian’s InheritanceEph 1:11-14 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

We too are included because of our response to the GospelReceived the Holy Spirit

Deposit - "down payment"

Christian’s InheritanceLife that will never end (John 3:16)A gift that can never be lost (John 6:37,39)A love from which we can never be separated

(Rom 8:39)Rom 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Christian’s InheritanceA calling that will never be revoked (Rom

11:29)An inheritance that will never diminish (1

Peter 1:4-5)

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Our WorkSpend time maintaining our relationship with

GodPrayer & MeditationBible studyOur Actions

Our ChallengeAre we going to be those who let our fears

stop us or are we going to trust God and act?Are we going to drift through life with a

somewhat distant relationship with God or are we going to continually deepen our walk with him?