Lesson Nine
Heirs of Promise, Prisoners of Hope

God provides a perfect home for the newly created human race, which we refer to as the Garden of Eden. God gives them dominion over the whole newly created earth (See Genesis chapter one and two) Yet, God is still the supreme owner and sustainer of all!

Adam and Eve sell out. They choose to follow the suggestions of the enemy and doubt and disobey the One Who had given them everything, including life itself. They loose their perfect home.

God, however, has a plan of hope. Promises.

Israel being given the land holds many very interesting and helpful illustrations of God's plan of restoration of the lost "home" and inheritance.

As the historical account of Joshua begins we see the promised land is under the control of evil. Satan has had his way with the inhabitants of Canaan, leading them into all manner of false worship, immorality and violence.
The Canaanites have heard -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob have lived among them. The true God has revealed Himself to them. They were warned that their life style had consequences -- Abraham actually rescued them when an invading army which had conquered their cities, including Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham freed them and the Canaanites went back to their cities (Gen. 14)
But they didn't learn, Sodom and Gomorrah and that whole area in the Siddim Valley which is now the salt sea, (Gen. chapters 14, 18 and 19) were destroyed by fire and brimstone.

They had heard, they had been warned.
But they did not repent and turn, but continued to follow Satan, the enemy of the true God. The prince of evil only led them deeper into darkness of sin.

OUR WORLD
Our world is also "the promised land"! But at present Satan is much of what is going on in this world. We are longing for the time when God's saints inherit the "new earth" with Christ, cleansed and recreated in it's Eden glory and perfection.
But right now this world is inhabited by evil. Satan claims the dominion belongs to him, and he is leading people deeper and deeper into an existence that rejects the true God and His commandments.

JOSHUA AND ISRAEL
They were promised the land. It was God's gift to them. They didn't earn, God gave it to them. Now, they were commissioned by God to clear out the evil. First it was a more general "clear out" enough for Israel to take root in the land.

OUR WORLD
God called forth a church, where people can find escape from a world largely rejecting God.
With the church Christianity takes root in the land.

JOSHUA AND ISRAEL
The territory was divided by tribes, and within each tribe's territory families were given their territory. The land was not only given them as a gift from God, but also responsibility rested on each family and individual to clear out their property.

IN OUR DAY
By God's grace we are brought into the faith, and given individual titles to the promised land. Yet we also (by God's grace and strength) have the responsibility to clear out (not dislocate people) but clear out sin in out hearts and minds, and lead our families in worship and faith in God.

Heirs of Promise, Prisoners of Hope

The already is, but not yet, paradox.

When we read Joshua 11 and 12 we can get the impression the war of conquest was all over, the land was all free of opposing forces and Israel could just move in and settle down.

Yet as we continue reading in the book of Joshua (chapter 13) it soon becomes apparent there is still a lot of conquering to do! In Joshua 18:3 Joshua reprimands people " How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you? "

How like the experience of Christianity.
Christ confirmed the covenant, the enemy was defeated, the power of evil broken, at the cross!
It is reality!

Yet the battles are only beginning, the defeated foe will not relinquish his claims on the land and the people without a desperate fight. The human race are still prisoners, many without hope, others with hope because they have full faith that the battle has been won, the promises are sure, and Jesus is and will deliver them from the cords of evil that seek to bind them.

So why is the world in such a mess?
And why did ancient Israel experience so many invasions, and so much trouble, famines, and sinking into idol worship and other abominations? God had given them the land with many promises of blessings, protection, and happy, peaceful living, a light to the world?

Maybe the question is the same as Joshua's question:
How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?

"The Lord has a great work for us to do, and he invites us to look to him, to trust in him, to walk with him, to talk with him. He invites us to make an unreserved surrender of all that we have and are to him." (June 6 1901 YI)

While some give in to slackness and pull away from "a great work", others have thought their own endowments sufficient for an enterprise.

Christ says, "Without me you can do nothing." "Follow me, abide in Me, then you will bring forth fruit".
Jesus says. "Follow where my footsteps lead the way. Then you will not meet the armies of Satan alone. Let me go before you, and you will not be overcome by the enemy's planning to deprive you of your crown which I have laid in store for you".