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Context No. 4164 of 4322 · Joshua

Context · Reflection

Joshua 18:24-28: in context

24Chephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba; twelve cities with their villages. 25Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, 27Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28Zelah, Eleph, the Jebusite (also called Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kiriath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

This passage lists the cities given to the tribe of Benjamin as their inheritance, and among them, easy to miss, is a striking entry: the Jebusite city, that is, Jerusalem. The city that would one day be the capital of Israel and the site of God's temple is here listed among Benjamin's allotted cities, yet at this point it was still a Jebusite stronghold, not yet taken.

It was theirs by God's allotment, but not yet theirs in possession. There is a picture here of the gap that can exist between the promise and the possession. God had given Jerusalem to his people as part of their inheritance; on paper it was theirs. But it still had to be taken, claimed, possessed. There is a lesson in this for the life of faith. God has given his people great and precious promises, blessings that are ours in Christ. But there is often a gap between what is ours by God's gift and what we have actually laid hold of and are living in. Some of our inheritance in Christ remains to be claimed, taken hold of by faith, entered into.

Is there an inheritance God has given me in Christ that I have not yet laid hold of, like Jerusalem allotted but not possessed, and will I take hold by faith of what God has granted rather than leaving my inheritance unclaimed?

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