God instructed Moses to tell the people of Israel after they had sojourned in the wilderness from Egypt for forty years the words as written in Deuteronomy 1: 8, behold, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them and to their descendants after them. God’s instructions were three-fold: a time of fulfillment of promise; instructions to enter the land; and instructions to take possession of the land.
God’s time of fulfillment
God’s season of fulfillment of his promises never ceases. Exodus 20: 6; Deuteronomy 5: 22 says God shows his steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 1 Chronicles 16: 41 says the LORD’s steadfast love endures forever. Psalms 77: 8 says has his steadfast love for ever ceased? Are his promises at an end of all time? Psalms 100: 5 says for the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. God does not fail or renege on his promises no matter how long it takes.
God’s instructions to enter the land
This meant the Israelites were to relocate from the present to the new location. It was an instruction for enhancement which required strict obedience based on God’s enablement. It was an instruction for change from their comfort zone to where God wanted them to be. It was a call to make an effort towards God’s instructions because he has already prepared the grounds for success. It was a forward and progress march and not for recapitulation. God wants us to take a step in a new direction towards our goals upon his instructions. God’s instructions to Israel apply to all generations of believers.
God’s instructions to take possession
To take possession meant to occupy and control the land as the owners. God’s instruction was in accord with Leviticus 20: 24. It was an instruction for an everlasting inheritance from the Lord which was to change Israel’s status quo from sojourners to settled ownership. God is the creator of all things and thus gives the right of ownership to whom he will. We have slacked in taking possession of what God has for us because of ignorance, lack of knowledge, indolence, dislike of God’s offer, fear, lack of confidence, doubts, reluctance to change their status quo among others. God through Christ Jesus has prepared for us a blessed inheritance in heaven and can only possess it upon obedience to his will.
The nature of God’s promise
We note from Genesis 13: 15 that God’s promise was for all the land which you see I will give you and your descendants forever. Although, at the time Abraham could not visually perceive the entire land which God had promised, God nevertheless gave at the end what he meant. Our impaired or limited sight cannot change God’s plans and promises for those who love him. The promise was directed at two groups, first, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and second, their descendants or generations after them.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not live to see the promise fulfilled when the time came to possess the land which God promised but their descendants did. On many occasions the Israelites gave up on God out of impatience and frustration but their worries did not change God’s promise. However, after decades of the promise and by tortious root, God fulfilled his promise. God said in Isaiah 55:9, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. God’s promises, blessings and plans are not limited to us but extend to our descendants.
God said to Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 12: 2, I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves. Likewise, our curses extend to our descendants. Exodus 20:5 says for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me. We must be careful about the future by our actions today.
Galatians 6:7 says do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 17-18, so every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. We are the trees and the consequences or deeds will be fruits which our descendants will enjoy. James 3: 12 says can a fig, my brethren, yield olives, or grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
Delays in God’s promise
God will surely honour his promise no matter how long it takes because neither God nor his promise falls out of time, season or his plan. Ecclesiastes 3: 6 says for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die. ‘Delays” are waiting times for us to prepare to receive God’s promises for ourselves and our descendants. Unfortunately, a number of us do not prepare so we are caught by surprise and the same will be at the second coming of Christ Jesus.
Mark 13:32-33 says but of the day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch; for you do not know when the time will come. 1 Thessalonians 5: 2 says for the Lord will come like a thief in the night. We must note that Numbers 23:19 says God is not a man that he should lie. We can only move God’s hands towards his promises in our life-time if we rather ask him in humility as Hezekiah did for life and God will exercise his sovereign will in our favour. God said to Hezekiah in Isaiah 38: 5 that the Lord said, I will add fifteen years to your life.
We pray that the Lord will open our minds to understand his instructions to take bold steps to actualize our possession in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we have repented for evaluating your promises based on our own understanding and circumstances rather than believing your promises. Teach us to accept your word by faith and in obedience. Grant us wisdom to prepare to receive your unfailing promises through the blood and in the name of Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour, Amen!!
