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Taking Possession

Words of Faith Final

 

Taking Possession

 

Words of Faith 9-29-2020

 

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

 

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

 

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

 

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Joshua 18

 

          [1]  The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, [2]  but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. [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? [4]  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.

 

 

 

          The boundaries had been declared and filed. Each tribe would receive a portion of land, based on their census and then chosen by lot. It was all as fair as could be. Some regions were more fertile, but others were more strategic. Some had better access to water, but others were left more vulnerable to attack. It was going to take a connected effort to settle Promised Land.

 

          Now it was time to actually move in and take possession of these spaces. The whole assembly of the Israelites moved from Gilgal to Shiloh, about 20 miles to the north. Shiloh was in the center of the land. It would be a good place for the Tabernacle (the Tent of Meeting) to be located for the people.  

 

           Shiloh was also in the middle of the territory of Ephraim. Manasseh and Ephraim had complained their allotment was not enough. Shiloh would have been a central reminder of God’s great provision and the unity of the nation.

 

          At Shiloh, there were still seven of the Israelite tribes that had not yet received their inheritance. There was a weariness among the people. They were exhausted from war and needed to be prodded to move forward. Seven of the tribes were without homes and living a nomadic existence.

 

           Joshua’s exhortation was sharp. “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?”

 

          The borders had been set out, but the tribes still had to initiate the land's actual possession and settlement. Joshua probably viewed every passing day as a day lost in the program of completely occupying the land given by God. This was also more time for the enemies to become more firmly entrenched. What was needed? Teams to make the initial survey and description of each territory. 

 

           We know what that is like. We can get weary of all that has gone on. We can get stuck. But what we need to do is move forward and take possession of that which God has already won for us. We start with a survey. Where is that? In the Word of God, we will find that God has won for us and all that He has declared us to be. Then, we move forward into that inheritance. Are you ready?

 

 

 

          Father God, I am ready for the survey. I am ready to move forward. Show me and teach me who I am in You. Bring to my heart the great battles You have already won and the freedoms found in those victories. Then give me the courage to walk forward. In Jesus’ Name.

 

 

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2005, 2020

 

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

 

2820 Business Center Blvd.

 

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

 

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

 

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.