Read:
If you’ve ever tried to read the Bible in a year, you may have run into trouble right around Leviticus. It’s a common joke, based on truth, that we all give up in Leviticus. The unfamiliar names trip us up.
Joshua 11-20 can be just as difficult. Joshua describes how the land God promised the Israelites was divided, some land given to each tribe. It lists names of towns, mountains, and rivers. Go back and read this section sometime; a map close to hand will make it easier. But think of it this way: if someone from Texas asked you to describe the landscape of Pennsylvania, with towns like Bird-in-Hand, Lititz, Bala Cynwyd, Conshohocken, Shickshinny, and Rough and Ready (yes, that’s a town in PA), the Texan would have trouble following you. The towns listed in Joshua are no less real or hard to pronounce.
God included them in Scripture to make a record for future generations of Israel. To make a long story short, God knew poverty might cause a person to sell his land, but God always wanted land to stay with the original tribe. Every fifty years, in the year of Jubilee, any land sold to a different tribe would be given back to the original tribe. Detailing the division of the land would make sure the rights went back to its original owners. Think of a librarian taking inventory: the books may go out, but the librarian will always know how to get the books back on their original shelves.
After the enemies of God were defeated, and after the land was divided, something very important happened: God gave them rest on every side. No more fighting. No more striving. Now they could rest and enjoy the produce of the beautiful land God had given them.
Israel fought physical enemies. For most of us, fighting enemies in war is, thankfully, as foreign as names like Kedesh, Mishal, and Zorah. We strain against conflict in relationships, financial struggles, and chronic disease. More than anything else, we struggle against sin. But God wants us to have rest, as well, and this only comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Pray: Dear God, life is hard, and I’m struggling. I bring all my cares to you, because I know you are strong enough to carry them and love me enough to do so. Help me to rest in you. Amen.