RTW March 27
One Day
But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.
Joshua 15:63
My Takeaways
Something Old
Often I wrestle with unbelief. The enemy stands at the gate of my inheritance of peace, joy, and abundant living the Lord died to give me. And yet I have surrendered this real estate to the Jebusites of this world; doubt and fear. Have you given up and given in to the Jebusites? Friends, if God says it, we can believe it! Grab your bull horn, proclaim these promises, and reclaim your real estate.
- Jesus came to give us peace. (John 14:27)
- Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. (Romans 8:37-39)
- Jesus came to give us an abundant life. (John 10:10)
- God will never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
- Jesus died for every “whosoever” who will believe. (John 3:16)
- He is faithful and just to forgive all our sins. (1 John 1:9)
Something New
Something to do
Reading all of the careful and detailed instructions about the distribution of the lots and land made me realize how important boundaries are to God. God’s boundaries are necessary in our lives. He displayed that back then in those days and still today. God is also very organized and detailed about every part of our lives and His creation. Actually think about all the things going on at once in everything in creation. It’s mindblowing.
I think about that a lot, and it always reminds me how we will never understand it all. Makes me appreciate God.
In noted 4x in this reading where the tribes did not completely drive out the Canaanites from the land. They allowed them to be slaves but didn’t completely drive them out. God has commanded them to drive them out completely. This was to punish the canaanites for their wickedness and to protect Israel from following their wicked ways. By allowing them to stay, even as slaves, they were disobeying God and setting themselves up for temptation to follow their evil ways. My reflection was…what have I allowed to stay in my life, even if I have subdued it, that I need to completely get rid of? Allowing sin or bad habits to remain when I know they must be destroyed will only lead trial and struggle.
I love your insight! Thank you for sharing
~I noted the same verse that Wendy did that the tribe of Judah COULD not drive out the Jebusites. Why? Wendy did a good job addressing that.
~Then I also noted that the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy their towns because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. But when they became stronger, they forced the Canaanites to be slaves. Guzik notes that if they were strong enough to force them to be slaves, they would have been able to drive them out. (Josh 17:12-13).
~Lastly, I noted that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh said that the Canaanites were too strong for them and had iron chariots. I love that Joshua tells them that they will drive them out even though they are strong and have chariots. (Josh 17:17-18)
I noted those same things and also read Guziks commentary. He was helpful in his thoughts and application for us today.
Love all comments and so thought provoking, I’m in agreement and will reflect. The Lord puts us each in a sphere of influence for Him, giving us each boundaries in it. Who is my sphere of influence in the boundaries ( the land) He has put me in? Am I reflecting Him?
Great insight and questions to reflect!
What I found interesting, once again the linage or the “thin black line” and the wickedness passed down through generations. Noah’s Son Ham, then Canaan, then the Jebusitea, were a wicked people who made war against Israel. The modern day Jebusites are Syrians/Arabs/Muslims, so the war goes on against Israel. Signs in the Mosques in Jerusalem read “death to Israel.! The Modern day Jebusitea believe and teach Jerusalem/Israel belongs to them not the Israelites!
As a review:
The first mention of the Jebusites in the Bible occurs as Genesis lists the descendents of Noah. Here, they are counted as direct descendents of a man named Canaan. Then in Exodus, as the Jews look to move to the land of Canaan that was promised to their patriarch Abraham, God promises to “drive out” the Jebusites and other tribes from the Promised Land. In Deuteronomy, God orders the Jews to destroy completely “the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than yourselves,” and forbids intermarriage with them.
The promise to give the Promised Land to Abraham is unconditional, the pledge to remove its inhabitants such as the Jebusites is conditional upon Israel’s obedience. In the book of Judges, Israel is recorded as disobeying the order to completely annihilate the Jebusites who have committed “abominations” before God, and the book relates how the Jebusites continued to mix with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem. There is no mention of the Jebusites’ total annihilation.
In the end times, the Jebusitea (Syria,/Iraq/Iran) will wage war against Israel, bring ing much death and destruction “until” God says enough, then He will wage wars against them.
Key: disobedience is that thin black line from Genesis until salvation through Jesus Christ, sins forgiven, a new beginning and the generational curse removed!
Wow. That’s a lot to take in!
A good read which I highly recommend! The Jihad hate Israel and America!! God continually warns America!!
“The Third Jihad”
What will America look like in 2050? Is the Islamic States of America far-fetched. Read the book by Dr. Michael Youssef who is the expert on the subject because he “was” one. The Third Jihad and America’s best hope for survival.