PROVISIONS FOR YOURSELVES

"Prepare provisions for YOURSELVES . . . " (Josh 1:11)

AT THE TIME OF OUR TEXT, Moses, the servant of the Lord, had died. He was not allowed to enter into the promised land because he was provoked by the people to speak hastily and to strike the water-yielding rock instead of speaking to it. Of this circumstance, the Psalmist said, "They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips" (Psa 106:32-33). That reveals another decided disadvantage of being in the company of the ungodly. They can provoke things to come out of us that are better held within.

GOD SPOKE TO JOSHUA saying, "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" (Josh 1:2). He promised to give them every place on which the soles of their feet walked, so that their only real limitation was a failure to survey and walk within the land which God had given to them. Wherever they walked, no one would "be able to stand" before them. God would remain with them, as long as they walked before Him. Therefore, the Lord urged Joshua to be "strong and very courageous," knowing that he was going to divide the land to the people, just as God had promised their fathers (1:5-7).

IMMEDIATELY JOSHUA CALLED the officers of the people, delivering a solemn word to them. They were to prepare the people to enter into and possess the promised land. "Within three days" they would cross over Jordan, going into the land to possess it. But they were not to go into the land unprepared. The officers were to command the people, "Prepare you victuals," or provisions of food. Other versions read, "Get ready a store of food" (BBE), "make provisions ready" (NJB), and "prepare for YOURSELVES provisions" (YLT).

AT THIS POINT, THE PEOPLE were still receiving manna from heaven – a provision that did not cease until the sixteenth day of Nisan, well after they were in the promised land (Josh 5:12). However, that manna had to be "gathered," "ground . . . in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it" (Num 11:8). Additionally, being on the borders of Moab and Midian, and occupying the rich county of Bashan and Gilead, they could obtain any other supplies that were required. Many are of the opinion this involved meat, or game, which the word "victuals," or "provisions," suggests.

THREE DAYS LATER, when the people crossed over into the promised land, they confronted Jericho. This city was delivered into their hands. However, the city and everything in it was "accursed" (6:17). Consequently, the Israelites were not to take anything out of Jericho, keeping it for themselves. As it is written, "And ye, in any wise keep YOURSELVES from the accursed thing, lest ye make YOURSELVES accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it" (Josh 6:18). All of the silver and gold, with all vessels of brass and iron, were to be taken from Jericho and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord (6:19). Nothing could be taken for the individual, or for personal use.

THIS CONDITION IS WHY the Israelites had to "prepare provisions" for themselves. They would not be allowed to provide for themselves from the spoils of Jericho. Getting ready to occupy the promised land, therefore, required having sufficient to sustain themselves while they were surrounded by things that were cursed, and unlawful to use for sustenance.

THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS are in a similar situation. While we have entered the land of promise, or into God's "rest"(Heb 4:3), yet there is a sense in which we are also in a place that has been cursed, and in which cursed things are found. We are in the process of walking throughout the land, and have not yet occupied it as fully as we will during "the ages to come." There is a sense in which we are presently charting out our inheritance, with the promise we shall inherit everything on which the soles of our feet trod. That is, in the glory, we will receive the fulness of all we have initially experienced in this world. I say this with the utmost care, not wishing to develop a cold and stony doctrine that robs the soul. This is, however, something to ponder.

NOW, WHILE WE ARE WALKING through the land, we must "prepare provisions" for ourselves, gathering supplies from the "spiritual blessings" in the "heavenly places" into which we have been raised (Eph 1:3; 2:6). Jude refers to this as "building up YOURSELVES on your most holy faith" (Jude 1:20). Let us be about placing into our personal treasury things both old and new, provisions for ourselves (Matt 13:52).

– Given O. Blakely