Joshua assumed the mantel of leadership for the express purpose of leading God’s people in the conquest of the Promised Land. He led Israel across the Jordan River and through a dizzying series of victories (because God was with them) over people far more powerful .
“Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed’” (Joshua 13:1 NKJV). God was saying the work He had given Joshua and the Israelites was not finished.
The Lord’s message to us could well be the same. He gave His followers a spiritual commission of worldwide conquest. “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:46-47). Paul understood the need to keep preaching the Word, as is seen in his instructions to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2).
God wanted Joshua and the people to recognize He was still on their side. He listed the land and people yet to be conquered and promised, “…them I will drive out from before the children of Israel…” (Joshua 13:6). The population of the world is now above 7.6 billion, while known members of the Lord’s church would only be a few million. Thankfully Jesus promised to always be with us as we carry out our mission (Matthew 28:18-20). We can have the strength to press on to the goal with the strength Christ gives us (Philippians 4:13).
Every tribe was promised an inheritance if each was involved in carrying out fully the Lord’s instructions (Joshua 12:6-7). Each member of the church, Christ’s kingdom today, similarly has a role to play. “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (1 Corinthians 12:18; Romans 12:4-5). May God help us to press on to complete the conquest, knowing a heavenly inheritance awaits.
