Josué 18

Josué 18

Barber - Once the “Tent of Meeting” (i.e., the Tabernacle) had been set up at Shiloh, we would have expected the other tribes to rush headlong into the vacant land and seize an inheritance for themselves. Instead we find that they were content to be squatters. Joshua had to indict them for being slackers (Josh 18:3). As a result of their lethargy they were impugning the character of the One who had promised to give them the land. (Joshua: A Devotional Exposition:) Yahweh’s promises are intended not as sedatives but as stimulants. God does not want us to swallow his promises but to seize them. -- Dale Ralph Davis Dale Ralph Davis - Verse 3 reflects the tension of much believing experience, ancient Israelite and contemporary Christian. Yahweh has promised the land and yet it must be possessed. It is Yahweh’s gift and yet that does not cancel human responsibility. Yahweh’s promises are intended not as sedatives but as stimulants. God does not want us to swallow his promises but to seize them. Such is the apostle’s ‘theo-logic’ in 2Pe 1:3ff. Peter exclaims that ‘His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness’ and that ‘He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises’ (NASB). Then he concludes: ‘Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge’, and so on (NASB; emphasis added). God’s gifts are not meant to tame but to arouse God’s people. (Joshua: No Falling Words)(Bolding added) Believer's Study Bible - It appears Joshua expected the tribes to take the initiative in asking for their portion of the Promised Land. A similar situation could be said to exist regarding the blessings God has promised all believers (Mt 7:7; Jas 1:5; Jas 4:2; Eph 1:3; 2Pe 1:3). Campbell adds that "when the Israelites were thus assembled for erecting the tabernacle and celebrating the new worship center Joshua sensed that a feeling of war-weariness had overtaken them. They were exhausted in the struggle for the conquest of Canaan, so they stopped in the middle of the task of allocating the tribes." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament) Stephen Dray - The land has been 'given', so how long are they going to hang around before getting off their backsides to do something THOUGHT The description the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you is clearly an allusion to the unconditional Abrahamic Covenant. In that covenant Yahweh promised them the land. However as with all of God's promises, they had to believe in order to receive (THE OLD HYMN "TRUST AND OBEY"). Their hesitation would therefore seem to border on distrust (unbelief) in Yahweh and the integrity of His covenant promise. Contrast this with the man Caleb who was of a different spirit (Nu 14:24+) and followed the LORD fully, not partially and hesitatingly. Joshua's allusion to the Abrahamic Covenant also recalls God's promise in chapter 1 that "Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses." (Joshua 1:3+) But even in that promise what is the implicit action they had to take to possess their possession? Clearly their foot had to tread on the land that was promised. God's faithful promise called for exercise of man's faith and obedience. Has your foot tread on the promises God has already given to you in Christ? Or are you procrastinating, fearful, disobedient, unfaithful, etc? Our "Joshua" (Lxx = Iesous) Jesus (Iesous) would command us to step out and "tread" by faith the precious and magnificent promises (2 Pe 1:4+) for it is by believing and obeying those promises we become partakers of the divine nature (aka we grow in Christ-likeness, God's goal for each of His children.).