Israel in Their Inheritance

Notes

There is not the disagreement between Heb. 4:8 and the record in Josh. 21:43-45; 23, that some seem to imagine. In Hebrews it is stated that Joshua did not give the Israelites rest, that is, the inheritance promised. See Deut. 3:19, 20. In Joshua it is stated that the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware unto their fathers; that the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand; and that there failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken. Yet in the same connection we are told that the enemies were not driven out, and they were given directions as to their course in order to expel them. After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked the Lord which of the tribes should first proceed against the Canaanites. Judges 1:1.

All this is easily explained. First, it is absolutely true that not a thing had failed of all that the Lord had spoken. Everything had been fulfilled in its order. They had had wonderful deliverances, and had been miraculously brought into the promised land. They had been established there, too, for there was not a man that could withstand them, so long as they preserved their trust in God.

Their enemies were thus delivered into their hands. True, they had not yet conquered them all; but it was only a question of time when they should conquer them all, if they maintained their allegiance to God. When Joshua was called for by the Gibeonites, to make war upon the Amorites, the Lord said to him, "Fear them not; for I have delivered them into thine hand." Josh. 10:8. Yet Joshua had still to go up and fight against them. In like manner the Lord had delivered all the Canaanites into the hands of Israel. If Joshua had remained listlessly where he was, or had distrusted God, he would not have conquered the Amorites, even though the Lord had said, "I have delivered them into thine hand;" so, as the Israelites failed in believing God, they did not drive their enemies out from the land.

Yet they possessed the land. It had been given to them, they were in it, and had all power to extirpate the Canaanites, who vainly opposed their advance. If they had been true to God, and mindful of his covenant, they would have gone on, always invincible, either conquering or converting the surrounding nations, until their fame and sway would have extended over the whole earth. Jerusalem, the capital, would have stood forever (Jer. 17:23-26), and thus would have been fulfilled the promise that they should inherit the earth. Of course the plan of salvation would necessarily have been completed in the death of Christ, and the patriarchs would have been raised from the dead to share in the reign of universal peace.

But they were unfaithful to their trust, and so they did not enter into the rest which God designed for them. To us the same promise remains, and we are exhorted to take heed lest we fail to enter in because of unbelief. If we remain faithful to the end, to us will come the word of the King, when he comes in his glory, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:34. Compare Heb. 4:3. The whole earth is then given to the children of men. They do not dwell on it for more than a thousand years afterward; but they show that they possess it by dwelling in its capital, the New Jerusalem, and in sharing with Christ in his work of pronouncing and executing judgment upon those who still defile it. See 1 Cor. 6:2, 3; Jude 14, 15. They, with Christ, come into possession of the earth, in order that they may rid it of those who have no rightful claim upon it. See Ps. 2:7-9; 149:5-9. In like manner the ancient Israelites possessed the land in order that they might root out their enemies. But, unlike them, those who are finally admitted to the possession will know no failure; for they will already have gained the victory over every foe, including death itself. And so they shall go no more out, but shall inherit the land forever, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.