In Joshua chapter one, God gives Israel a new leader,
Joshua, to replace Moses and to lead them victory in the Promise Land. When we
become a Christian, we have a new leader in our lives, Jesus Christ!!! God also
gives Israel a new land that He had promised to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. God had made this promise to Abraham some four-hundred and forty
years earlier. God always keeps His promises.
This piece of property that God promised to Israel is about
85 miles (east to west) at its widest point, and 290 miles long north to south.
It is not very big as far as countries go, but it is very special and very
important! It is no doubt one of the most controversial and contested pieces of
real estate in the history of the world. The story line of the Bible centers
around this land!
The Prophet Ezekiel called the land of Israel "the
glory of all lands" (Ezekiel 20:6, 15), which is also translated "the
most beautiful of all lands." Daniel calls it "the pleasant
land" in Daniel 8:9. In Daniel 11:16 and 41, he calls it "the
glorious land". In the first five books of the Bible, it is often it is
described as "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8,
17; 13:5; 33:3; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 6:3; 11:9). This
was a proverbial statement meaning "a land of plenty," a place of
peaceful pastures and gardens where the herds could graze, and the bees could
gather pollen and make honey.
The Prophet Ezekiel also said that Jerusalem was "in
the center of the nations" (Ezekiel 5:5 NIV), and that the land of
Israel was "the center of the world" (38:12, NASB). The Hebrew
word translated "center" also means "navel," suggesting
that Israel was the "lifeline" between God and this world. Remember
Jesus Himself said in John 4:22, that "salvation is of the Jews". God chose the land of Israel to be the
"stage" on which the great drama of redemption would be presented.
In Genesis 3:15, God had promised Adam and Eve that He would
send a Savior to the world; and the first step in the fulfilling of that
promise was the call of Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. God promised Abraham that through
his seed “all the families of the earth would be blessed.” The Old
Testament record focuses on the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham through
the Jews and the land of Israel. Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees to go to that
new land, and there Isaac and Jacob were born.
God also announced that the Redeemer would come from the
tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10). Later in 2 Samuel 7, through Nathan the
prophet, God promised David that from his seed would come a King who would
forever sit on his throne. God prophesied
through Isaiah that the Messiah would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).
Through Micah the prophet, God said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah
5:2).
Isaiah also prophesied in Isaiah 53, that one day the Messiah
would die for the sins of the world. In Psalms 22, David prophesied and described
the Messiah’s crucifixion in detail. All these important events in the drama of
redemption would take place in the land of Israel, the land that Joshua was
called to conquer and claim.
Whatever God makes special and promises, you can be sure
the devil will attempt to do all he can to stop and destroy it! That’s why the
Christian life is so difficult, and the Church of Jesus is always under assault.
Even today the conflict in Israel attest to this truth.
But be assured, God always keeps His promises despite the
devil’s attacks! My friend, I believe that all the events taking place in the
world today is only setting everything up for the “Second Coming” of the Lord
Jesus Christ to ultimately fulfill all His promises to Israel in His Millennium
reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem!
Jesus told us in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore you also be
ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Are you ready?
God bless!
