Joshua 18

The people of Israel gathered together at Shiloh, and they set up the tent of meeting there. What a moment! Not only were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the land that was promised to the patriarchs, but also the mobile place of worship that God had commanded was at rest in one location, and the people came there together.

While “the land lay subdued before them,” the job of the conquest was not yet completed. As they assembled together, Joshua challenged the people, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?”

Up to this point, Judah had a territory in the south and the sons of Joseph in their two tribes had a territory allotted to them in the north. Prior to crossing the Jordan, Moses already gave territory in the east to two additional tribes and to some of the people of Joseph. But there were seven tribal allotments that had not yet been specified.

Joshua called on each tribe to supply three men who would survey the remainder of the land and report back to him. They were to “write a description of it with a view to their inheritances,” and then come back to Joshua.

After the resurrection of the new Joshua, Jesus Christ, the Lord Himself gave His church a mandate to make disciples of all nations. That was the beginning of a calling to the body of Christ to move out in truth and love; a calling that continues down to the present moment. We must consider together the land that is before us on earth, and bring the message of Christ everywhere.

But through this entire conquest of love, there is another sense that our citizenship is not here in this present world, but above in heavenly realms. We are encouraged to consider that inheritance more and more carefully. The Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:1-4 of this surveying of the land above during our lives here below:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Have you considered heaven today? What is it like there? Who is there already? What are they doing? Who rules there? What kind of Ruler is He? What does the whole Bible teach us about the land where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are right now? We need to survey that land based on the Scriptures, and consider the glory and goodness of it, and then come back to our Joshua, Jesus Christ, at the right hand of the Father, and speak to Him about what we have discovered.

Look at all the passages throughout the Old and New Testaments that speak of the glory and blessing that God has for His people, and then remember that the complete fulfillment of the promises of God are reserved for us now in the present heavens. Consider our present bodies (tents) and the more substantial dwellings that the Lord has for us above. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 5:1-5:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Have we surveyed our heavenly inheritance according to the Scriptures? Have we spoken to God about it through Jesus, the Messiah, who won heaven for us? His Word and Spirit are with us today for this good enterprise. This is what our Joshua commands, that we consider the promised inheritance.

Joshua 18 ends with the first of the remaining seven tribal allotments. The tribe of Benjamin would be located between Judah to the south and the double portion of Joseph to the north. Benjamin was the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and the tribe of Israel's first king, Saul. The perimeter of this tribal land was described here, along with a listing of the cities within those boundaries.

Yet there would be something much more for Benjamin and for all the rest of the congregation of Israel then the men of Israel could see in that day. They would share a far greater inheritance with us. Together we would have a glorious land that we could call home, a land that only Jesus could win for us.

We bring the message of our Joshua and of this glorious inheritance throughout the world today. But how can we speak with credibility to others about an inheritance that we have not adequately considered ourselves? By the Word and Spirit of God, the land of Immanuel is before you. Set your heart on things above. Then speak with joy to God and to others here below of the glory that Christ died to secure for you.