There was an inheritance waiting for the children of Israel. It was on the other side of the Jordan River from the Sinai desert. The Lord had said, “I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:88And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Exodus 3:8)).
Often Canaan is thought of, and even referred to in hymns, as a picture of heaven, or that which comes after death. In other words, something we do not come into the good of in this life. But actually Canaan is a picture of that which we can, and should, have an enjoyment of now. It corresponds with the vast panorama of blessings that are ours in Christ; those heavenly blessings of which we read in Ephesians 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3), “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
Israel’s inheritance was earthly, and consequently it was proper for them to go in and conquer by the sword. The fact of the matter is, that because they did not wholly carry this out, the descendants of those enemies became, and still are a plague in Palestine to this very day. For us, our blessings are heavenly, and so we do not fight with physical weaponry. Yet, while we do not, as Christians, have a physical warfare, it is nonetheless a very real warfare. Satan and his hosts, are very real enemies, seeking to hinder us from enjoying what is ours in Christ. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:1212For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)). We are in a war zone, and we won’t be out of it until we leave this world in exchange for the peace and rest of heaven and the unhindered enjoyment of the Father’s house.
With such a powerful host arrayed against us, we might then ask, “How can we walk with power, and in the enjoyment of our inheritance, while in enemy territory?” The wonderful truth is, that like God’s people in the Old Testament, we do not have to face the enemy in our own strength, or with our own devices. Indeed, if we try to, we will be soundly defeated. We are no match for Satan and his forces! Second Corinthians 10:4, tells us, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” For us we have “The whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:1111Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11)). May the Lord then give us the spiritual energy to carry out the further instruction of Ephesians 6:1313Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13), “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Timothy was reminded to be “a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:33Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3)).
It is significant that the real conflict for Israel never started until they crossed the Jordan, and went in to possess the land. It is true they had a battle with Amalek in the wilderness (a picture of Satan’s working on the flesh, and seeking to hinder our walk with God through this wilderness world), Exodus 17:8-158Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. 10So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: (Exodus 17:8‑15), but there were quite a number of enemies they had to face in Canaan. In the measure in which a believer today seeks to enjoy his spiritual blessings, and walk in the good of his heavenly portion, the enemy will be right there, in one way or another, to hinder and discourage. Satan does not want us to live in the enjoyment of heavenly things. He is adamantly opposed to everything that is of God and Christ.
For Israel, their enemies were “the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites” (Joshua 3:1010And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. (Joshua 3:10)). In this technological age it may be things like the kilobits, megabits, gigabits, terabytes, and so on. While we may need these gadgets and electronic devices, (computers, cell phone, Blackberries, etc.) with their amazing abilities, to keep us connected and in touch for school, work, and business, yet they are the very commodities that can keep us from enjoying Christ, and heavenly things, if we are not careful. We can become distracted, and encumbered with the gadgetry of this present age. Hours are spent, or even wasted, when our time could be better used in laying hold of our heavenly inheritance. Video games and DVD’s, for instance, can cause hours of uselessness to pass so quickly that we don’t even realize they are gone, never to be recovered. Television brought the world into our homes, the Internet takes us out to the world. All these things desensitize us, absorb our minds, and weaken our faith. These are just some of the things that hamper us from enjoying our portion in Christ. It may be many things, even necessary things that are not wrong in themselves, but if we are not careful, become encumbrances and hindrances. How clever Satan is!
How many times detracted,
Absorbed with work or play,
Our thoughts become distracted,
Our focus drawn away;
The blessings we’ve been given,
They to our souls grow dim,
And we lose sight of heaven,
And all we have in HIM!
So many times detracted,
From that which is our own,
Our hearts become distracted
From Christ, and Christ alone:
All that we have in Jesus,
Blurred by a passing whim,
And we lose sight of glory,
And we lose sight of HIM!
So do not be detracted,
From Jesus Christ the Lord,
Do not become distracted,
And lose your bright reward;
He’ll fill your cup of pleasure,
O’erflowing to the brim,
You will have hope and vision,
And all your joy in HIM!
Sad to say there are many Christians, who, although redeemed and delivered, and on their way to heaven, never, practically speaking, cross the Jordan and enjoy their heavenly portion in this life. They never know the joy of taking hold of their inheritance and spiritual blessings as a present possession. Don’t let the enemy rob you of enjoying that which is yours in Christ!