A New Phase (Joshua 18:1-10) (December 13, 2025)

A New Phase (Joshua 18:1-10) Living Life 12/13/2025 Daily Devotional Bible Study

A New Phase

Introduction: Facing an Assignment That Feels Too Big

Have you ever received a task that felt far too frightening to confront a loan or too difficult even to imagine completing?
When I was twenty seven years old God called me to the mission field and I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
I asked him for a confirmation again and again and although he graciously confirmed his calling each time obing still felt overwhelmingly difficult.

I had never lived overseas without my family up to that point.
I faced the risk of a language barrier and an unfamiliar culture.
At times there was no running water and no electricity in that region.
I've only been attending church for three years at that point and I believe that mission work required people far more experienced and spiritually mature than I was.
All these thoughts crossed my mind as I was hearing God's call through the lips of my leaders.

If you've ever faced a daunting assignment one that felt impossibly large I understand and the people living in Josha's time felt the same way.
Let us turn to today's scripture

Scripture Reading: Joshua 18:1–10

Joshua Chapter 18 verses one to ten.

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Chilo and set up the tent of meeting.
There the country was brought under their control but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.
So Joshua said to the Israelites How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors has given you?
Appoint three men from each tribe.

I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it according to the inheritance of each then they will return to me.
You are to divide the land into seven parts.
Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north.
After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God.

The leave eides however do not get a portion among you because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.
And Gad Ruben and the half tribe of Massa have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.
As the men started on their way to map out the land Joshua instructed them

go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it then return to me and I will cast lots for you here at Chilo in the presence of the Lord.
So the men left and went through the land.
They wrote its description on a scroll town by town in seven parts and returned to Joshua in the camp at Chilo.
Joshua then cast lots for them in Chilo in the presence of the Lord and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

The Problem: Delayed Obedience and Procrastination

We can tell that in Josha chapters thirteen through 21 the 12 tribes of Israel are in the process of receiving their territories.
Ruben Gad half Menisa Judah and Ifram already received theirs.
The remaining seven tribes struggled to claim their allotted territories for several reasons.
The five tribes had already secured and settled their lands but Benjamin Simian Zebolin Isakar Naftelli Asher and Dan are now expected to embark on their military campaigns without the assistance of the.

Furthermore the regions assigned to them were mountainous making both conquest and future daily life difficult and intimidating.
Perhaps their motivation waned when they considered the sheer size and strength of their enemies much like the tense spies Moses had sent decades earlier.
Out of the twelve those who saw giants instead of God perhaps they felt it was unfair for that their portion required more effort, more danger and less appealing terrain.

Whatever the reason scripture suggests that the seven tribes were procrustinating.
The Hebrew word for how long will you wait refers to procrastination.
Joshua rebuked them saying how long will you wait before taking possession of the land the Lord has given you see the tense is past participle meaning it has been already completed and got size.
The Hebrew conveys a sense of reluctance hesitation born out of fear much like the servant in Jesus' parable out of talent.

Fear of Risk vs. Faithful Action

If you remember in the parable the servants entrusted with five and three talents invested them and multiplied their master's wealth.
But the servant who received only one talent buried he feared failure he feared the risk and perhaps he believed that what had what he had been given was too small to be worth attempting anything significant.
Yet he is the one who is rebuked not for failing after trying but for refusing to act.

Where the Lord commands his people are called to respond with obedience not hesitation regardless of the circumstances and taking possession of the land was not merely a matter of geography or military achievement It was the fulfillment of God's covenantal promise first given to Abraham.
For more than seven centuries God had been preparing the circumstances shaping nations and forming the hearts of his people.

A Mission Bigger Than Possession

Conquering the land was not simply about survival not simply about territory not simply about building homes and communities.
It was the beginning of Israel's call to reveal the one true God to the nations to become a blessing to all peoples on Earth.
Their obedience had a missional purpose far greater than themselves.

So how did Joshua address their hesitation?
He paused the distribution of territories and established the Tent of meeting at Chilo.
This was intentional.

Returning to the Tent of Meeting

Josh was turning the people's heart back to our God away from the fear away from the calculations away from the giants and the mountains and back to the one who had called them.
The Tent of meeting reminded them why they began this journey in the first place.
There the tribes gathered and Joshua instructed each to appoint three representatives to map and divide the land.
He said he would cast lots before the Lord

so Joshua 19,551 This phrase refers to specifically to the entrance of the tent of Meeting.
Josh was redirecting their vision away from their intimidation away from the rugged landscape and back toward God who brought them out of Egypt who split the red Sea who stopped the waters of Jordan who scattered the walls of Jericho and who had given victory wherever they stepped when they obeyed

Salvation Is a Gift, Growth Requires Participation

Joshua was reminding them that salvation is a gift but sanctification requires participation and costly battles.
God call his children to drive out darkness in their lives and claim the ground he has already promised.
I wonder has God spoken something to your heart that you've been delaying?
Is there a task you have pushed aside because the risk seems too great the challenge too heavy or the reward too small?

Does it feel unfair that your portion requires more labor than someone else is?
If so bring it to God enter your own tent of meeting let him reawaken your calling.

Responding to God’s Call Today

Earlier I mentioned how I was called to go to a foreign land to serve God there and how that felt to me like almost an impossible task to start and complete.
But as I responded to him with yes just based on how trustworthy he was I saw his miraculous work that felt like stopping up the Jordan River

and my journey with him so adventuresome and so transformative began.
It doesn't have to be a call to go to a mission field.
It can be a call to forgive and reconcile with your family or someone with whom you have a broken relationship.
It can be a call to take good care of your cool workers.
It can be a call to bring small changes in your city whatever the call might be if you send Scott's call and you have not fulfilled it yet I want to challenge us to take an action before this year is over

so we can experience who God is and his mighty deeds.

In what areas are you partnering with God?

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Stepping Forward Into the Next Season

As the year 2025 comes to a close let us reflect with gratitude and let us step into the mission God has interested to us.
A mission is never merely a task there is a deeper purpose behind it.
No matter how small menial or unfair the assignment may appear God weaves profound meaning into it and in the end we will not be ashamed We will not be disappointed we will see his glory We will realize that every sacrifice, every risk, every step of obedience was worth it.

Closing Prayer

So let us pray Dear God Thank you for calling each one of us in ways unique to our lives and circumstances.
Above all we thank you for the gift of salvation.
As we look back on this ear we confess that there are things you asked us to do that we have not completed.
Help us to lift our eyes from our enemies and circumstances and fix them on.
You. Grant us strength and wisdom beyond our abilities As we take steps of faith

Let our eyes witness the parting of our own red seas and Jordan rivers And may your name be exalted among the nations We pray in the name of Jesra Our salvation who came to us in a major and bore shame, poverty and betrayal for our sake.