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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Josh. 13
I love how God instructed Joshua to distribute even the as yet unconquered land as part of the inheritance for Israel. It wasn’t even theirs yet, but God told them to act as though it were. What a great reminder for my life! Though I have become a child of God and entered into His Kingdom, I still have battles to fight. God has saved me from the penalty of sin, but has not yet freed me from its presence. I remain imperfect and incomplete. But God has given me a sure promise that these things will come. Until they do, He asks me to live as if they already have. Maybe that’s what Paul meant when he told the Philippians to, “work out your own salvation” (from Phil. 2:12).
Josh. 14-15
I also love how God often gives us specific examples of the things He asks of us. Caleb gave a perfect demonstration of living out our faith in God’s promises. God had promised Caleb a specific part of the land as his inheritance. Unfortunately, that portion of land was not only still occupied, but it was occupied by some of the most formidable of the people, with large, fortified cities. Because of his faith, the obstacles didn’t matter to Caleb. Only God’s promise mattered.
Caleb’s actions go one step further for us, though. He also shows us the proper attitude in living out our faith. He remained humble and took nothing for granted. He didn’t approach this with the attitude that God owed him this land because of His promise. On the contrary, he said, “Perhaps the LORD will be with me and I will drive them out as the LORD promised.” (Josh. 14:12b). This wasn’t doubt on Caleb’s part. Rather, it was a humble appeal to God’s character. Our faith is not in what we think we deserve. It is in God’s grace and mercy.