“As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.” [Joshua 11:15]
We often get side-tracked into issues which are unworthy, unhelpful and unrewarding. Therefore, we must be diligent to ensure that we are not bamboozled by the devil who will endeavour to make us occupy too much of our effort in activities that go nowhere and achieve little. Joshua was conscientious to complete all the commands of God. There is a tendency to leave unfinished areas of ministry that need completion. Just enough is not enough. God’s greatest command to Joshua was to destroy and drive out the enemy. There is always a tendency to doubt God because we confuse human sympathy and divine compassion. God’s order was for their benefit not their punishment.
In another passage it says, “And Samuel said, what means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” [1] The bleating of sheep is the music of compromise. If we leave unfinished the commands of God we will find we are subject to continual harassment; our weakness will result in our captivity. Also, we will occupy our minds with issues that rob us of essential thinking to promote our destiny. When we are hurt we tend to brood on these issues to the exclusion of other necessary things. It robs us of our ability to make progress in other areas. The enemy has successfully tied our hands by inaction, but if you want to tie the feet of Satan wash the feet of saints.
The cry of Jesus on the cross meant our salvation was accomplished. Jesus finished His work, reached his destiny and made provision for our future. He sets us an example that we should follow. Paul says: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith:”[2] Do not give up, do not be side-tracked, but persevere to the end.
The tension of time
“Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, you are old and stricken in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.” [Joshua 13:1]
Age strips our legs of pursuing power and we excuse ourselves from the fight because we believe that age militates against victory.
We allow our call to be superseded because of the years. However, the growing epoch should not diminish the need for possession. The dynamics of destiny should not be moderated or curtailed by our birthdays; our advancing years ought not to diminish the need to possess our ‘mountain’ for God. David said: “LORD, by your favour you have made my mountain to stand strong:”[3] Whatever our age or wherever we are in the progress of our life, our destiny waits. Do not let the dimness of the eye blur the fullness of the possession.
But, here is an interesting fact; the battle of the Western Bank kings which is recorded in Joshua 12:7-24 put that portion of land within the occupation of Israel yet it was 400 years after that the Jebusites were driven out by David [2 Samuel 5:6]. They failed to occupy what was theirs by divine grant. So near yet so far. Joshua because of his age delegated the possession to others, and they failed to fulfil it. “Kadesh Barnea is ours and we take it not”.
We must never be slack in driving out the dwellers of our nature both from original sin within and temptation from without. We should never cease to be amazed at the quantity of sin that still occupies our hearts and lives even with the passing of age to maturity. Older does not necessarily mean holier, but circumspection and diligence is a lifelong experience and process. It’s not starting but finishing.
[1] 1 Samuel 15:14
[2] 2 Timothy 4:7
[3] Psalm 30:7
