I love what Matthew Henry said about these following chapters…He said, “Where God has a mouth to speak and a hand to write we should find an ear to hear, an eye to read; and God give us a heart to profit!”

Joshua Chapter 13 Verse 1

• Interesting. Twice there we are told that Joshua is old. HA! Once by himself and the other by God. Why? Well, let me ask you. How many older folks are in the ranks of the nation Israel?
• Remember the entire generation of people that had come out of Egypt had died off in the Wilderness…including Moses! All except Joshua and Caleb and a few that were numbered at Mount Sinai. Why? Because of unbelief man…and unbelief showed up how? Exactly as it does today, in disobedience to God’s Word. And so Joshua is old, a mark of honor amongst the people and God tells him something excellent…, “There remains much…”

• Much was accomplished, right? 31 kings defeated, decimated, destroyed and utterly crushed! Jericho claimed. AI overcome. And do you remember how? Miraculously! “Hey, we are gonna storm Jericho, God! You with us!” “Yep, but leave your swords, spears, shields, weapons…leave them all behind…march around the walls for seven days and then shout. Watch what I’ll do!”

• “God, Adonizedek has stirred up entire nations against us! Swords, spears, shields, weapons?” “Bring them, yes, but watch this epic heavenly snow ball fight!” As God rained down huge hailstones from heaven taking out the majority of the enemies of His people! “God, we’re losing daylight!” “Speak to the sun, my warrior! Watch My hand at work on your behalf.” And that day the day doubled! Remember that?

• So much has been accomplished! With God’s pronounced and palpable hand prevalent in each predicament! Bringing about wondrous success and sky-rocketing the faith of the people! And yet God says, “There is still much ahead, old man!”

• One thing I’d like to point out is what if they had just stopped? I mean much had been accomplished? Isn’t that enough!? No! God would have us take it all man! Get at it all! Outwardly in terms of victory over sin and victory in the home and victory in the workplace and victory in ministry! God says, “Stop at nothing! Take it all!” But also in terms of our heart! He’s not happy with 90% of us or 9% of us! Don’t swallow that bait and hook of the enemy!
• Hebrews 12 says that, “God is an all-consuming fire!” Deuteronomy says, “The Lord your God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God!” He wants all of us, even the depth of our darkness, He wants entrance and ownership! He proved that on the cross. I love what Mineo raps in his Tug of War track, “I wear a cross and give you thanks for my blessings! Ain't that enough?! Why you want everything?! Can't you leave this part of my life untouched?!”

• The answer is no! What part of our lives were left untouched as the blood of grace flowed from the Savior in our place on that cross? Mineo’s lyrics continue, “I've got two choices, Both require pain. One's the pain of change or the pain of staying the same. One of them leads to joy, Other one leads to shame. One of them leads to freedom the other one keeps me in chains”

• God wants ALL of us! He wants to give us a full inheritance! If they had stopped they would have stopped at partial inheritance. God says no. Not for My children. They will have it all…if they don’t stop!

• We ought to NEVER stop advancing! We’ve done all this! Great! There’s yet more ahead…especially in terms of depth of relationship with Jesus. We are to continue forward! Let nothing stop us! Let the leaders remove the blockages! Let the leaders break through the Jericho walls of doubt and unbelief and fear and worry and anxiety. (Psalm 107) Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…and act so! And so they continue. Old, tired, well accomplished…victory, success; miraculous provision…the best is yet to come…

Joshua Chapter 13 Verses 2 – 6a

• Notice how God will deliver the balance of the inheritance? “I will drive out…” He will do the work. But He will use them as His weapons. His faculties. His Word, His work, His power, His provision and yet His choice…to use them…same with us…

Joshua Chapter 13 Verses 6b – 13

• So check this out…God said, “I will drive them out,” and then He said, “Go, I choose to use you…” Not only to get it done but to bless them…it is in following the Word of God that we receive the blessings of God…internally and externally…no other way man…but notice, there in verse 13, “Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites…” No reason given…simply objective…they could have, they should have, but they didn’t…So what? Who cares? Here’s the deal…they missed out presently and this caused a horrifying ripple downstream…as sin always always always does…
• Fast forward 400 years…King David marries…guess who…a princess from Geshur and they have a son. Guess who. Absolom. Absolom ends up rebelling against David and holding up guess where…Geshur…as he plots against his father and ultimately causes death after death, even his own, as this divides the entire nation for a time…
• Man the downstream affect of our failures always causes division and death…harm to others…put yourself aside for a minute…sin always ripples adversely through the lives of your families…So why didn’t they do it? It really doesn’t matter. Why didn’t they obey God at His Word? It really doesn’t matter. No matter the outward reason they could give, no matter how practically valid…it simply doesn’t matter. To the point that it’s not even given…they should have done it man…what is it that you should do…but you have so many valid practical excuses why you delay…that worldliness will end up costing greatly downstream…

Joshua Chapter 13 Verses 14 – 21

• Reba Mcentire? “Because of you, I never stray too far from the sidewalk!” HA! Actually this Reba…well he’s a dude…

Joshua Chapter 13 Verses 22 – 33

• Twice now it is mentioned that the Levites were given no inheritance…why?   Because they got the best of the lot. They got the Lord God of Israel as their sole inheritance…they’re the only ones who got it all….