Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
Joshua 1:2,3,11 KJV
God’s people did not go into the Promised Land to conquer their enemies and acquire their land. Did you catch that? The Bible does not say that they went in to take land. They went in to possess it. The land already belonged to them. The Israelites only had to go in and possess the land that God had already given them in order to complete the transaction.
The model we have of the Israelites taking ownership of the land God gave them is a lesson and a blueprint of how we receive from God as heavenly kings and priests in the New Testament. It is part of our royal inheritance to receive the good things God has for us, and these passages teach us how to do it.
I remember when Amazon was just an online bookseller company. Today, we live in such a fast-paced world that if I need something at the store but do not feel like driving there, I am quick to order that item on Amazon and have it within a day or two. It is amazing to me that our society has made such rapid advancements in just a few short years!
Now, when you track the progress of the package you just ordered, you say, “Where is my package?” When you see that Amazon box sitting on your front porch smiling at you, waiting to be opened, you don’t say, “Oh, there’s that thing I need to buy. Let me get my wallet.” Of course, you say, “Oh, my item is here!” In your mind, you assume ownership of that item the moment you pay the price for it online. If something happens and the shipment is delayed for some reason, you may get angry with the delivery service and wonder what has happened to your package. Even though you’ve never even laid eyes on your purchase, in your heart and mind, you own it. It is yours!
Israel’s Land Ownership was Established (and so is yours!)
Although God clearly had given the Israelites their enemies’ land, they did not physically experience the blessing of God’s promise until after fighting several battles. Sound familiar? First, God gave them the land as their possession, and then it was their job to go in and possess it themselves. Notice God’s language in Joshua 1:3:
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
Notice God’s perspective on the Promised Land. In God’s mind, He had already transferred ownership from the current occupants of the land to His people. The Israelites had to understand this in order to complete the transaction and fully possess the land of God’s provision. Joshua had to lead them into battle, otherwise the land would never have fully come into their possession.
It’s always wise to get God’s perspective on your situation. This is one reason why God was upset with the ten spies who complained, “The land is good, alright, but we can never take it for ourselves. The giants in the land are just too big.” They had blinders on and were not interested in gaining God’s angle on the whole thing, and they paid for it with their lives.
Joshua and Caleb were the only ones with God’s perspective, and therefore were the only ones who ultimately experienced the fulfillment of God’s promise. How you respond to God’s promise determines whether or not you experience the fulfillment of it. This applies to everything that the Lord Jesus provided for us on the cross, plus any other promise in the Bible. Now that is GOOD news!
We Fight to Protect What We Already Have
In today’s world, our battles look different than the ones Joshua was facing with the giants of the Promised Land. In our world, battles are fought over health, finances, family, and our own selves. Note that although we face battles of many kinds in our lifetimes as born-again believers full of the Holy Spirit of God, none of the battles we face are: a) against flesh and blood; and b) battles that result in us taking ground that does not already belong to us. Let’s explore the latter point further.
When a born-again believer attempts to appropriate and experience God’s promises—take physical healing for example—they often view the blessing as something that is not currently under their ownership, and therefore begin to do battle with the idea that victory means ownership has been secured. This type of mindset manifests through prayers that revolve around pleading, hoping, wishing, and even begging God for the thing they are hoping to receive. See how James addresses this issue in James 1:6-8.
This should provide significant clarity to the question, “Why am I not seeing answers to my prayers?” Mature believers are not fighting for healing (or any other blessing from God) as though it were something they didn’t already possess. This is the key to receiving the promises of God for yourself or your family! We are fully aware that everything God promises us in His Word already fully belongs to us; we received the whole package when we received salvation. The warfare we are engaged in is to kick giants out of any and all geography that has our name on the dotted line, not theirs! Wow! This changes everything!
The Dividing Line
This is the dividing line between those who receive and those who don’t. I know that is a momentous statement, but if we take the Bible at its word, we must admit this is the case. Joshua and Caleb believed that the land already belonged to them, and as such, had little issue with the current occupants, who—in Joshua and Caleb’s minds—were trespassing on their rightful property.
And they said to all the company of Israelites, The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly good land.
If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow [of protection] is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not.
Numbers 14:7-9 AMPC
In the Hebrew text, the phrase “He will bring us” is in the perfect tense, which means it is not a future event, but it represents a completed action. The word if that begins this verse is also in the perfect tense. Taking this into account changes the concepts of the entire passage!
A more accurate translation would be, Since the Lord delights in us, He has brought us into the land and has given it unto us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
In God’s mind, that thing you are asking for already belongs to you.
Possess Your Land
Fellow brother or sister, whatever you are seeking God for is already yours in God’s mind. The natural question, then, is “If it belongs to me, why don’t I have it?” Well, we must correct our thinking a bit… you do already have it. You just don’t see it yet. Remember Amazon? Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean that the item doesn’t belong to you. The shipping company who damages your item will have to deal with you, not Amazon, if anything happens. It’s the same thing with anything God gives us as his royal family.
Just because you don’t see the fulfillment of something yet doesn’t mean that you aren’t the owner. If I plant a garden on my own property, I know that the plants that will grow are mine, whether they are in seed form in the earth or growing tall. I know they are mine, and it’s my responsibility to nurture and cultivate my garden against pests, drought, and neglect. The plants are mine whether they are invisible to my eyes or visible. Doesn’t matter. Ownership doesn’t change when the thing pops up above the earth. Do you see the importance of this concept in the spiritual realm?
Although we have been granted a royal inheritance through the finished work of Jesus, it is still up to us to go in and possess the land that God gave us. In His mind, friend, you are healed; you are blessed; you are prosperous; you are healthy; you are full of joy; you are full of peace. We know God’s perspective on these things because He clearly communicated His Will in His Word.
The easiest way to go in and possess your land is to get intimately acquainted with God’s promises, and therefore His will, concerning the things you need in life, and to believe them with all your heart, accepting ownership of those things. Once you accept ownership as a royal son or daughter of the Almighty God; El Shaddai, the More-Than-Enough-God, you will see the fight for what it is: you are fighting to maintain and enforce the victory that Jesus fought for you rather than fighting a new battle on your own. You are the owner. Accept ownership, and receive your land!
*We will explore this point further in following blog posts. There is so much to say along this subject! Consider this blog as an introduction to this important topic!
Photo by Jaelynn Castillo on Unsplash