Last week, in What we can Learn from the Division of the Land, Part A, we learned that we are never given more than we can manage, and whenever we are asked to take on more, we need to check it out with the Lord first. Sometimes we need to delegate, and sometimes we simply need to say “no”!
We know that the majority of the tribes were assigned their allotments by casting lots. But what about Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh? They specifically asked for land on the far side of the Jordan River, and they got it (See Numbers 32). Why did some tribes get what they asked for, while others got what was given to them by the casting of lots?
This is to teach us an important lesson. Sometimes in life, we get what we ask for, but sometimes we don’t. Remember, the tribes who got what they asked for were content, and so were the tribes whose land was chosen by lots! We need to learn to be content, no matter what.
The tribe of Asher received land that bordered the Mediterranean Sea. This was a big advantage, giving them access to shipping, fishing, international trade routes, etc. In essence, they had waterfront property!
But the land ascribed to the tribes of Issachur, Naphtali and Zebulon were not remarkable in any way. They didn’t have waterfront property, there were no bad people to kick out, nothing at all that the Bible sees as important enough to note.
Were the people of Naphtali, Issachur or Zebulon jealous?
Not that we’re told.
Why not?
Because they learned an important lesson: Be happy with what you have been given in life!
And this is the lesson that these tribes have to teach us. We need to learn to enjoy God’s blessings, and stop wishing for something better or different. Remember what Paul tells us? “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:12-13 NIV)
Finally, let’s look at the allotment given to the tribe of Dan. They received a large allotment, but the Bible tells us that they couldn’t drive out the people in their land: “But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory …” (Josh 19:47a NIV).
But Dan was far too independent to worry about such tiny details. They simply took things into their own hands: “…so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather.” (Josh 19:47 NIV)
There was only one problem: From the beginning until the very end, Dan worshipped idols: “…Then the children of Dan set up for themselves the carved image; and Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.” (Judg 18:29-31 NKJV)
What happened here is that Dan didn’t call on God’s power to drive out the people of the land they were allotted. Instead, they looked to their own strength and wit. They found a sleepy little community, Lechem, far away from any of its allies, they took them by surprise and they slaughtered them.
But the Danites didn’t see that God had given them this victory. Instead they looked to themselves as the victors. And then they were tempted to say, “who needs God when we’ve done such a fine job on our own?” So they set up carved images and worshipped them, and they were still worshiping them on the “day of the captivity of the land” (Judg 18:31).
That’s the danger of taking things into your own hands, friends! When you succeed, you fail to recognize God’s hand in your situation! After all, it was YOUR idea, not His! And the next trap that’s so easy to fall into is to turn away from Him altogether.
Friends, God has a quiet resting place for each of us. He has promised it to us, it is ours. Some of us may already have received that promise, some may not. But whether you have received your promise or not, keep looking to God! Keep striving to possess what He has promised you. Don’t look for an alternative plan! And when victory comes, remember, give Him the credit!
There is just one more lesson we can learn from the division of the Land. Join us next week for LESSONS FROM JOSHUA, Part 17: What we can Learn From the Division of the Land, Part C!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Speech-Language Pathologist, mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org, with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org.
(To access the entire “Lessons From Joshua” mini-series, please click here.)