What has God been building?
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:
What did I like about today’s passage?
After the incredible forward bursts of God's kingdom in the last few chapters of Joshua, today's reading felt more like a quiet stock take, with a not-too-exciting geography lesson thrown in. So I thought about the scale of what God had done in settling his people, and why that is so important for us as we look for God's kingdom to come fully into our world.
God's kingdom building plan was huge, deliberately bigger than one person or even one generation could handle. We are meant to marvel at the scale of what Joshua had seen in his lifetime, not just because it was a big area, but a difficult one to control. It had tough terrain from deserts to mountains and caves (in some ways like Afghanistan, which brings superpowers to despair even today), neighbours and potential enemies on every side, and much valuable, productive land worth fighting over. God was not leading his people into a quiet and dull settlement, but something valuable and exciting with infinite potential for trouble if they stopped relying on him.
Others have built empires which did not last. God's plan was not just to establish a country for a time, but to reclaim the world and good relationships with people who wanted to follow him forever. I love the details and blessings which were worked out around people like Caleb - he was fit, and God promised him a mountain for his faithfulness! His descendants would need good relationships with neighbours if they were going to eat. Meanwhile, the Levites would need to trust God and his system of worship and sacrifice completely, because they were given the Lord rather than land as their inheritance.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God showed the world what life under his authority would be like, not by building the biggest empire but by establishing a society which totally depended on good relationships. This was to remain distinctive from neighbours rather than compromising with their different values, but it was ultimately to reflect God’s values of love and faithfulness.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
Reflect on the roles I have, and the amazing resources God has already supplied to get on with them in good relationships with others. Repent where I try to be too independent or fail to believe that God will supply everything needed to get his work done.
Who am I going to share this with?
People I work with, especially where we recognise that we are working to glorify God, but also with some colleagues who don't yet believe in God but do enjoy success and the benefits of working with people who do!