Almost Paradise
In the book of Joshua, we read about the Israelites finally making it to the promised land. God had promised them this land since way back to Abram in Genesis 12. They had been wandering around the wilderness for 40 years because they had almost been the paradise but had decided the way was too hard and turned back from trusting God.
God had allowed them to cross the Jordan River at flood stage and had knocked down the wall of Jericho so they could go straight in and conquer the unconquerable city. They had experienced a setback at Ai because of Achan’s sin, but God had brought them through that episode, and they had seen the consequences of disobedience. They had conquered Ai and had moved on through the promised land. God had gathered first the kings from the north and then the kings from the south together so that Joshua and Israel could conquer them and not have to face long and drawn-out campaigns. The land was subdued before them. All that was left for them to do was to divide up the land and move in. They had some work to do to make the land livable for their numbers, but the work had been done and now was just moving into paradise. This is where the problems began to surface.
First, Manasseh came to Joshua complaining in Joshua 17. They wanted more land and asked for another allotment from Joshua. He told them they had enough land; they just needed to clear the forest and drive out the last of the inhabitants. Manasseh and Ephraim were afraid of the inhabitants because they had chariots of iron, so they asked Joshua for other land so that they did not have to obey God. Disobedience from fear is still disobedience and they disobeyed.
Next, the people delayed obeying God to the point that Joshua called them out in Joshua 18. The wars had been fought. The land had been subdued. It had been allotted to the various tribes, but still they refused to go to the land they were given. They wanted to hang around Joshua so he would be available to lead them and protect them. They did not want to do the work of settling down in the land they were given. This was supposed to be paradise for them, but they were unwilling to obey and just put it off. Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
The tribe of Dan took another tactic. Rather than complain about not being given enough land, they simply decided on their own how they were going to obey God. When you read Joshua 19:40-51, you read the list of cities Dan was allotted. There are a lot of them, and they are hard to pronounce, but if you read them, you will find that the city they finally decided to conquer was not in the list. They decided they knew how to obey God better than the instructions Joshua gave them. Like Saul and the Amalekites, they decided their own path rather than submit to God’s authority. Deviated obedience is still disobedience.
In Joshua 24:14-15, we read that the Israelites were called to put away the idols they had served since they left Egypt! They had carried these idols around with them through the wilderness. God had provided, protected, defended, and made a way for them. He had fed them, kept their clothes from wearing out, and steered them away from having to fight people too strong for them. And all throughout the journey, they had been worshipping other idols. They assumed they were okay because they worshipped God as well. Divided obedience is still disobedience.
Joshua ends by telling the people they would not be forgiven if they continued their present ways, but to choose to worship God and submit to Him and to put away their idols. This insinuates that if they were to put these idols away and worship God alone, they would be forgiven. They would experience paradise like followers of Jesus look forward to in the new heaven and new earth that will see God living with His people and no longer any sin or separation. God forgives all kinds of disobedience if we repent. Have you?