What role does obedience play in claiming the territories mentioned in Joshua 13:5? The Setting and the Promise “the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon to the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath” (Joshua 13:5). God Himself itemizes these northern territories still waiting to be occupied. The list is not incidental; it is a divine reminder that His promise reaches every boundary line He named. The Unfinished Task • Israel has entered Canaan, but God says, “very much of the land remains to be possessed” (Joshua 13:1). • Possession is certain because God has decreed it, yet participation is required. • Divine promise and human obedience stand together, never in competition. Obedience—The Key to Possession • God had already pledged the geography (Joshua 1:3-5), yet He attached it to a lifestyle: – “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law” (Joshua 1:7). • Obedience demonstrates trust; without it, promised territory becomes theoretical, not experiential. • Where Israel obeyed—Jericho, parts of the central hill country—ground was won. Where obedience faltered—Ai (first attempt), the Gibeonite treaty—progress stalled. Patterns in Scripture • Deuteronomy 11:22-25: “If you carefully keep all these commandments… every place where the sole of your foot treads shall be yours.” • Numbers 33:55-56 warns that failure to drive out inhabitants through obedience would turn those peoples into “barbs in your eyes.” • 1 Samuel 15 contrasts partial obedience (Saul) with wholehearted obedience (Samuel’s call to “obey is better than sacrifice”). Territory or throne—both hinge on compliance. • New-covenant echo: John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The principle never changes. Practical Takeaways • Promised blessing is not passive; it summons responsive action. • Selective obedience limits what God wants to hand over. He listed Lebanon, Gebal, Baal-gad, and Lebo-hamath so none could say, “We didn’t know You meant that too.” • Each boundary in Joshua 13:5 calls believers to examine personal “unclaimed territory”—areas of life where delayed obedience still withholds the full enjoyment of God’s provision. • When obedience aligns with God’s explicit Word, every remaining frontier—geographical for Israel, spiritual for us—moves from promise to possession. Therefore, obedience is not merely a duty; it is the God-designed pathway by which promised land becomes occupied land, ensuring that every inch named by the Lord in Joshua 13:5 is ultimately inherited and enjoyed. |
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