March 27th

Today's reading from the One Year Chronological Reading Plan is Joshua 15:20-17:18. Click here to read online.

The passage that jumped out at me today was when the people of Joseph ask Joshua for more land, when they hadn't even completed the task they were given in the land they already had. (Joshua 17:14-18, 16:10, 17:12-13).

It's true that the number of their tribe was large, but that was simply an excuse. They wanted easy land. They wanted their inheritance handed to them on a silver platter. Well, maybe that's being a bit harsh - after all, they had been fighting for 7 years already. But they were not willing to put in the work required to complete the task.

What a huge contrast to Caleb's response. He wanted the land of the giants, and he knew God would be with him to conquer it.

Not these people. When they grew strong enough they put the Canaanites to forced labour, but they didn't drive them out. See what's wrong with that picture? How can you be strong enough to makes slaves of a nation, without being strong enough to drive them out? They were strong enough. But it was easier to keep them as slaves. Maybe even convenient to have some slave labourers. Either way, they failed to complete the task they were given. Incomplete obedience is disobedience.

They also showed that they did not have faith in God's ability to help them drive out the Canaanites with their "chariots of iron". Joshua sets them straight, but they fail to drive out the Canaanites despite God's command to do so.

Unfortunately the descendants of Joseph did not show nearly the faithfulness that he did.

And they wanted more before they were even faithful with what they had been given! Let us make sure not to make the same mistake. We need to be faithful with what we have already been given.

Don't ask God for more of anything if you aren't doing right by what He's already given you. Some want more understanding of the Bible but they don't obey what parts they do understand. Some want more money but aren't faithful in little. And they wouldn't be if they had a million dollars. They say if they won the lottery they'd tithe....Some want to know God's will for the future but they haven't sought to obey what God has showed them thus far. So why should He give us more? (those convicting words are from here, emphasis mine)

Is our faith like that of Ephraim/Manasseh or like Caleb? How's that for some conscience pricking.

Tomorrow's passage: Joshua 18:1-19:48.