“Yeah, Right!”

GETTING STARTED

If you had told me 30 years ago that I would be living in Texas, I’d have laughed at you. How many things have happened in your life that if someone told you years ago would happen, you would have laughed in their face? God is in the business of raising the bar exponentially on our expectations of his character. Today’s passage (which, on the surface, ranks high on the scale of “Not Interesting,” along with biblical genealogy passages!) is a classic example dropped in this history of Israel to remind us of God’s undeterred purpose and power.

  • What is something you look back on that God did which was bigger and better than you could have imagined? Thank him for it now!

READ THE WORD: JOSHUA 12:1-6 (ESV)

12:1 Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward: 2 Sihon king of the Amorites who lived at Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and from the middle of the valley as far as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, that is, half of Gilead, 3 and the Arabah to the Sea of Chinneroth eastward, and in the direction of Beth-jeshimoth, to the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, southward to the foot of the slopes of Pisgah; 4 and Og king of Bashan, one of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei5 and ruled over Mount Hermon and Salecah and all Bashan to the boundary of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and over half of Gilead to the boundary of Sihon king of Heshbon. 6 Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the people of Israel defeated them. And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land for a possession to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. What strikes you about the first half of verse 1 as you read it? If God said he would give them the land, why did they have to fight for it?
  2. God did quite a bit of refining in Israel’s life before they could go west, cross the Jordan, and enter the Promised Land. What encouragement does this passage give as you think about God’s work in their lives at that time?
  3. Moses, who led Israel during these earlier conquests, at one time questioned his ability to lead (Exodus 3:11 and 4:10, 13) Why is this significant?
  4. Is there a debilitating weakness in your life—like Moses’—that God wants to redeem and use to do something great for his purposes?

RESPOND TO GOD

In Exodus 6:6-8, God told Israel that he was going to do something big in seven, very clear, “I will” statements. Fast-forward to our passage today in Joshua, and we see that God has done what he said he would do— “I will give you [the land] for a possession.” There are times when we can’t even begin to comprehend the scope of God’s power and ability to accomplish things in our lives. But God is faithful; he will accomplish what he sets out to do. Part of that work is forming us into the image and character of his son, Jesus. Is God prompting you to be a part of something that is bigger than you feel comfortable or even capable of? Good… you are in good company!

  • Be bold: Ask the Lord what big, audacious—or simply, out of the ordinary—thing he wants you to be a part of for his glory. Then ask for his presence to strengthen you to see that work come to fruition in your life.