Joshua 19:49 When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: :50 According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein.
We've heard now of all the tribes inheritances and the dividing of land is coming to an end. Joshua, the Captain, The leader, the one most deserving of all, we find he receives his lot last. What an example of character and leadership. He made sure his subjects were served first and when the very last one was served then he received his portion at the hands of the ones he had served. I'm afraid that servitude is something our churches have forgotten about. We as Christians ought always to put others before ourselves. If ever presented with the option to exalt self or someone else, always take the low road and allow others to be first. I'm trying now to instill into my children that the way up is down. The lie that we have been told and sadly believed by others is that we have to take what is ours and be assertive, take charge! Show them who the boss is! Don't let them push you around! Stand up for yourself! Does any of this sound familiar? If you do decide to put others first, undoubtedly, there will be people, even other Christians, who will call you a pushover or a doormat or a wimp. This is hurtful and a unfair assumption that your meekness is weakness. Look to Joshua, would you consider this man weak? He lead armies into battle and fought tooth and nail for the inheritance of God's people. There was nothing weak about this man and yet we find him putting him self last. Meekness is power under control. What good is power without control? Imagine a nuclear power plant. That plant has the potential to power sixty million homes, as long it is controlled. If it becomes uncontrolled then it will cause far more damage than it ever did good. This truth is especially true for any leaders that may be reading this, whether it be employers, foremen, or pastors or leaders in the church. The way to lead is to put others before your self. Most likely you, like Joshua, will receive service from the hands of the ones you have been serving. Have we forgotten the words of our Savior?
Matthew 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. :12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Now we've considered Joshua of old but let's look now to our Heavenly Joshua, Jesus. No greater example of christian character can be found than that of the one whom we are named after. He exalted others above himself for His entire life. If there has every been one that deserved to be served it was Him. King of Heaven, God in the flesh, perfect, spotless, sinless, Son of God. He deserved the finest things this poor world could offer but instead He lived with peasants, He served his earthly father figure Joseph until he was 30 years old, He washed his disciples feet. Imagine a King bending down to wash the dirt from His servants feet, that is exactly what He did. Look to His ministry, using His godly power to heal and forgive and to touch blinded eyes, to open deaf ears, to feed the hungry. I challenge you to find one place where He ever used that power for His own benefit, He never once did. When He had been 40 days without food and Satan tempted him to turn the stones to bread He would not. Consider now the trial, torture and death that He endured. He could have defended himself like the greatest lawyer that ever lived, after all He knew the law to a T, He kept every jot and tittle never forsaking one element of the law but fulfilling it completely. He never even defended Himself. Remember the words of the prophet
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Jesus, like Joshua of old, would not receive his inheritance until His peoples inheritance was won. Jesus went to the cross with you and I on His mind, you say how do you know that? Read John 17, where he was praying for us. Jesus now is sitting on the right hand of God, He has gone to prepare a place for us that when He comes again, He will receive us unto Himself but before He went to Heaven he put us first. Joshua received his inheritance but only after his peoples inheritance was secured. Jesus sits now in heaven but before he left this earth He made sure to secure the inheritance of His people.
Dear reader, let us follow the example of our Savior, put others before your own self and allow God to exalt you.
The greatest among you shall be a servant!!
Onward Christian Soldier!!