Image: A Resting Place, 2019, Winterthur Mansion Gardens, DE
Joshua 11:23 (NKJV) 23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.
This verse can be a bit misleading in that it implies that all the fighting was done. As we shall see in the next few chapters that was far from the truth. As with the period of the Judges the Scriptures talk of the land "resting" during interludes prior to the next big event. In this case, after Joshua had essentially destroyed all Israel's enemies in the central "heart" of the promised land, there came a time of resting. I imagine that there were some skirmishes here and there and that some governing system had to be implemented to control the remaining population but the next big step was to divide up the inheritance.
Essentially we see in the first clause there is a quiet summary: Joshua took the "whole" land. Israel was established as the top dog in the region. Those cities and sections that were yet to be conquered were not a threat and their eventual conquest is a foregone conclusion. After their incredible victory over the coalition armies of the North (11:1-9) Joshua's confidence was well founded. The Northern Armies were said to number "as many people as the sand that is on the seashore." Their total defeat meant that the relative threat posed by the remaining cities was inconsequential. Israel would discover that it was not going to be that easy because they would depart from Joshua's firm commitment to honor God in all things. Still there was time for rest.
In the second clause we see Joshua dividing up the land as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel. True enough, having given title to the land there was the remaining requirement to go take it in some respects but Israel's claim was firmly established. It was now the legal right of every tribe to dispossess the current residents and claim their cities, herds, vineyards and all other good things as the tribe's own. There is more to "rest" than just relaxing... there is the renewing of vision, the firming up of plans and the clarification of roles and strategy.
Israel rested from war but was not idle.
I think there is something for us to glean from all this.
We Christians need to do this relatively often. The purpose of God's Sabbath was that it was "meant for man" not vice-versa. That doesn't mean that the Sabbath is just a day to lounge around although exhausted bodies and minds do need that if they are present. But resting on the Sabbath is a great time to reflect on where we are in God's plan for our lives. It is ideally suited to taking stock of our resources and inquiring of God how He wants us to use those resources. The Sabbath provides us opportunity to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and be refreshed by both them and our experiences but being able to sit on a bench and talk with each other and look to the future is important also.
God has given us an inheritance also. This world will one day be ours and, indeed, in one sense, it already is. The final victory is assured but much remains to be done. As Israel rested before God at Gilgal so the people of God need to have periods of rest so that the remaining work to be done may be pursued with efficiency and vigor.
Our rest must not only be as individuals but as a corporate body, united by bonds of love and the seal of faith. Let us together rest on occasion so that we may, together, serve the Lord in certainty of success.
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