Joshua 18:1-19:51
How important it is that we recognize that God has a center for His people! In Israel’s day it was a geographical center which, alas, they neglected until they hardly knew where it was (Judges 21:19), but today it is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. How precious it is when we see Him as the gathering center for His own, “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:20. But is this not often forgotten today when the names of organizations of men are put before the all-sufficient Name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Christians will gather in such and such a place because they like the preacher, instead of being exercised to be gathered by the Holy Spirit to Christ alone, in accordance with His precious Word. May we, like the disciples of old, ask, “Where wilt Thou?” Luke 22:9. We will find the answer in the Scriptures of truth.
There in Shiloh, God’s center, the people were reminded that there was much of the land yet to be possessed, and Joshua sent out spies to see it, so that it might be divided among the seven remaining tribes. One feels that this too, has its application to us. It is when gathered in God’s appointed way, where His Spirit has liberty, that we learn what is ours in Christ. An ascended Christ has given gifts for the edification of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-16) and it is in the assembly, gathered as members of the body of Christ, that these precious truths are ministered. It is important that we recognize this, for while we ought to read the Word at home each day as food for our souls, this will not take the place of gathering together with the saints of God in the meetings.
It is beautiful to see that, since the children of Judah had a portion that was too large for them, they shared it with the children of Simeon. Surely this reminds us of our enjoyment of the things of God. Sometimes when meditating upon the precious things of Christ we find a portion that is too large for us. We just cannot contain it, and so we tell it to others, so that they may enjoy it with us. How lovely it would be if, when we came together with the saints of God, we all had a portion which we could share with our brethren in Christ. Let us not keep the good things God has given us to ourselves—though we do well to keep the faults of our brethren to ourselves, telling them to the Lord alone in prayer. Too often it works the other way, and we share the things that will do harm rather than good, and then fail to share the things which will make others “rejoice in the Lord.”
The children of Dan had a portion that was too small for them, we are told, so they went out to battle and fought against their enemies and took more land. It is a fine thing to see this energy of faith that claims the inheritance God has given. The sons of Joseph had complained because they had too little, and yet we do not read of their fighting for more, as Joshua told them to do. But here we do not read of the children of Dan complaining at all, but rather acting for God in the place He put them. How much better this was than complaining!
All this took place in God’s center at Shiloh. What lessons of faith and patience we learn there!
ML 05/31/1953