7 NovemberNumbers 33

Possessing the Land

Numbers 33:53 (NIV) Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.

The Israelites made 42 stops on their journey from Egypt to their final resting place in Jordan. These stops represent the journey from slavery to freedom. Interestingly, are also 42 names listed in the family line from Abraham to Jesus. The Israelites spent 40 years in the wilderness.

After being dramatically freed from slavery in Egypt, God led the Israelites through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Initially, the trip was supposed to be short. Still, because the people lacked faith, disobeyed, and constantly complained against God (significantly when they believed the negative report about the Promised Land), God decided they would wander for 40 years. This ensured that the faithless generation (those 20 years and older) would die off while the faithful (like Joshua and Caleb) and the new generation would enter Canaan.

During their time in the wilderness, God performed miracles like providing manna from heaven, water from a rock, and guiding them with a cloud by day and fire by night. Despite their mistakes, God remained faithful, teaching them to trust in Him and preparing them for life in the Promised Land. Moses continued to lead them during this time, receiving the Law, including the Ten Commandments, on Mount Sinai, which shaped their relationship with God.

At the end of the 40 years, Moses passed leadership to Joshua, who would lead the next generation into the Promised Land. The wilderness period is often seen as a time when God tested, purified, and prepared His people.

God gave the Israelites both a promise ("I have given you this land") and a command ("Go and take possession of the land"). They needed faith in God's promise and action to take possession of it to succeed. They couldn’t just wait for God to hand it to them.

If we hear God's promises but don’t act, we live in fear, and the promise goes unfulfilled. If we act without listening to God, we rely on ourselves and struggle without direction, failing to bear fruit.

God repeats His instructions at the journey's end that everyone “live” in the Promised Land. He also wants all of us to live in the Promised Land. He does not want any to perish.

2 Peter 3:9 (AMP) “The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”.

God has prepared a special place just for you. It doesn’t matter if others are currently living there—God is giving it to you in Jesus' name. There may be challenges or obstacles, like giants, trying to stop you from taking what God has promised, but just as He saved the Israelites from Pharaoh, He will help you overcome these giants in Jesus' name.

In conclusion, the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land serves as a potent reminder that God's promises are sure, but they also require faith and action. Just as the Israelites had to overcome obstacles and giants to take possession of the land God promised them, we, too, must face challenges to claim God's blessings. However, we are not alone, God is with us every step of the way, providing strength and guidance, just as He did for the Israelites.

God's promise is clear: He has a place of blessing reserved for each of us. But we must be willing to act, trusting in His power and direction. As 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, God is patient and does not wish for anyone to miss out on His promises. He wants us to repent, trust in Him, and move forward confidently, knowing He will lead us to victory. So let us, like Joshua and Caleb, stand firm in faith and boldly step into the land God has promised, knowing He will help us overcome every giant in our path.