It was nothing like they thought it would be. Not like they planned. Not what they imagined. Not how they believed it would happen. They thought it would be more instantaneous. More immediately complete. More conclusively resolved. After years of settling down only to pack up and move again, this was supposed to be it. The last move. The final acquisition. The culmination of all their hopes and dreams. There weren’t supposed to be more battles, more moves, more work. This was to be the end of their journey. The promised land. The place God had sworn to give their ancestors decades ago. Everything. Right now. Or so they thought.
Eagerly packing up their household goods, they had gathered their flocks and herds, loaded their little ones, and climbed onto the seats of their wagons. Expectantly, they held the reins in their hands, poised and ready for the final leg of this arduous journey. Excitedly, they chatted about what they would do when they got there. Kiss the ground. Pitch their tents. Mark their property lines. This moment had been a long time coming. But God was fulfilling His promise. Finally. They were entering the Promised Land. Soon. That entire swath of fertile land would be theirs. They could settle down. Put down roots. Never move again. They were excited. Ridiculously so. God’s good promise would be fulfilled with the gift of this land and the life they would have there. Good gift. Good land. Good life. No enemies. No opposition. No effort. At least that was how they heard it.
It wasn’t what Moses had said. Not exactly. To be fair, he had said a lot of things. They really were headed to a new land. Their final destination. It really would be breathtaking–the fulfillment of God’s promises always are. And this was one magnificent promise. The place they had been gifted was both beautiful and comfortable. More so than any other place they had seen. Abundant in natural resources. Flowing with clear, potable water. Fields of wheat and barley waving in the light breeze. Established vineyards, heavy with grapes for harvesting. Flourishing groves of figs and pomegranates. Trees heavily laden with olives for oil. Honey to be found in great supply. Every need they had would be met beyond their greatest expectations. Someday. Someday, they would own all of the land God had promised them. Someday, they would be able to spread out and truly inhabit the area. Build towns and cities. Own farms and vineyards. Someday God would give them everything He had promised. Someday. Not today. (Deuteronomy 7:22; 8:7-9)
Moses’ words had come as a bit of a surprise. Both when they heard them and when they lived through them. God would take them into the land He promised. He would give them everything He said. He would bless them and multiply them and protect them and prosper them. He would give them land to spread out and build a great kingdom. But it wouldn’t happen all at once. They wouldn’t cross the Jordan River into the land God promised them and find everything move-in ready. There would still be things to do. Battles to fight. Foes to conquer. Obstacles to face. They would gain the land little by little. City by city. Town by town. It was best that way. They would see if they just stayed the course and fearlessly trusted God.
Faith over fear was the encouragement Joshua gave the people every time they faced another battle, another foe, another obstacle. And there were a lot of them. Fortified cities. Intimidating warriors. Daunting armies. Impossible places like Jericho, with its impressive retaining wall. Ai with its gates. Gibeon’s deceitful ambassadors. The five powerful Amorite kings. The terrifying Northern armies. Yet every time Israel faced another knee-buckling army, God would send a message through Joshua. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t give up. Be strong. Have courage. God’s got this.” A reminder that they weren’t fighting alone. They had a weapon greater than any other army. Their battle was God’s. And He won. Every time. Battle by battle. Town by town. Inch by inch. Little by little, God gave them the land He had promised. Not all at once. Not in one day. Not even in one year. Little by little. Just like Moses said. (Joshua 1-13:7)
God didn’t have to do it that way. He could have wiped out the other nations before Israel arrived. He could have made the land empty of kings and kingdoms, armies and soldiers. He could have moved the Israelites in straightaway. Easy peasy. No battles. No arguments. No struggles. Just empty land. Lacking inhabitants. Teeming with wild animals. Lions and bears. Wolves and jackals. Leopards and wild boars. God knew the people couldn’t handle that. The good gift of the promised land would soon become a horror to inhabit. The animals would multiply and mature far more quickly than humans. They would endanger their lives, decimate their livestock, and threaten their children. If the Israelites were to walk into a lush land already devoid of human enemies, it would be full of animal ones. And the people wouldn’t be able to handle that.
From our side of this account, it is easy to see the wisdom of God in this decision. His plan makes sense. His reasoning is sound. It is clearly based on His great love for His people. A plan for them to thrive rather than simply survive. I wonder if the people of Israel saw it. When they were staring at the huge walls around Jericho, did they remember that God had a plan to give them the land bit by bit, and this was the bit He was giving now? When Achan screwed up and brought crushing defeat at Ai, did they remember that God was good, His plan was wise, His reasoning was sound, and His heart was full of love for them? As they crawled across the land, fighting battle after battle, did they sit around their campfires at night and remind one another that God’s wisdom is greater than man’s, that His view of the future is clear, that His reasons for the inch-by-inch victories were based on their ability to survive and thrive in the land He gave them? Did they remember that every step forward put them that much closer to the complete fulfilment of His unbreakable promise? As they were ready for it. When they could handle it. Little by little.
How about you? Do you ever wonder why God doesn’t just dump that bucket of earthly blessings out on your head all at once? Why your name never goes up in lights, your efforts go unnoticed, your work goes unappreciated? Ever wonder why, after God has made you a promise, He doesn’t fulfill the entire thing at once? Doesn’t give you all of the blessing immediately, but strings it out over years, decades, your entire life? Probably the same reason as the Israelites. You couldn’t handle the results.
Just like the Israelites, the wild animals would come in. Not the ones that kill the body. The ones that kill the soul. Pride. Complacency. Arrogance. They would take over. Your mind. Your heart. Your soul. You would long for the things of the world. Money. Accolades. Power. Praise. You would do anything to attain them. Those wild animals of lust and greed and selfishness would overtake your love for God. Your motives would change. Your heart would stray. You would lose your soul for nothing. And God isn’t interested in losing even one soul to the world. (Ephesians 6:12; II Peter 3:9; John 10:10; Matthew 10:28; I John 2:16)
You see, God isn’t withholding His goodness out of unkindness. He is withholding your downfall out of grace. Because He doesn’t want the wild animals to eat you alive. He wants you to survive the skirmishes and battles and wars, and to thrive in the areas you conquer. He has a plan to make that happen. A perfect plan. A sensible plan. A wise plan. A plan to protect, preserve and prosper your soul. A plan to give you every good gift, every perfect gift, every single thing He has for you. So wait patiently for it. At the right time. In the right way. When you are ready for the responsibility. When you can handle the privilege. God will fulfill His promise. All of it. Little by little. Bit by bit. In His time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Joshua 21:45; I Kings 8:56; James 1:17; Numbers 23:19; II Corinthians 1:20; Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 55:8-9)