Today’s reading: Joshua 18:11–19:51
As I began slogging through (yes, you read that right—just keeping it real!) the remaining verses that set out what land was assigned and given to each of the remaining seven tribes, I had to stop. Why? Because I was slogging, and it made me realize that I didn’t have the best mindset about what I was reading.
If you recall, I wrote in an earlier blog about how we should ask God to show us something new as we read these drier portions of scriptures. So that’s exactly what I did. I stopped and asked God to teach me something from these chapters regarding why He divided the land and provided us with so much detail. Then I started again from the top. And what a difference! Here are some of the thoughts that came to my mind as God revealed things to me.
As I began reading, immediately God turned my attention to how He could have just given the totality of the land to the nation of Israel as a whole and let them figure out how best to live in it. But God doesn’t do this because He knows that man’s sinful nature will cause problems. I contemplated for a few minutes the conflict and troubles that a “free-for-all” environment would have created. Without a doubt, it would have been downright ugly. Thankfully for the Israelites, God lovingly and caringly puts in place detailed structure and order for them. In doing so, He not only provides guidance but also creates a healthy environment of cooperation and harmony between tribes.
“Thank you, God, for prompting me to slow down and consider what I could learn from these chapters today. Thank you for giving me a better understanding of your great love and care for your children.”
What did God reveal to you from these final passages dealing with the allotment of land to the Israelites? If you’re having difficulty answering that question, I encourage you to do as I did today. Ask God to open your eyes to something new, and then go back and read these verses again. Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
