This paragraph is a marvelous call for the church to stand together, and not allow the blessings God has given to us to keep us from pursuing our ongoing responsibilities. It's easy to get so caught up in responsibilities that we fail to enjoy the blessings God wants us to enjoy, or on the other hand, to get so caught up in enjoying God's blessings, that we fail to use our blessings to serve the Lord. And that is just one of several ways in which this passage helps us to maintain good balance. I could have even titled this sermon “The Balanced Christian Life.”

The division of the conquered land and its significance (vv. 12-17)

Let's look first of all at God's purposes for this particular division of the land. Some of the tribes might have thought that it wasn't fair that these two and a half tribes got their inheritance before anyone else did, or that they got some of the best land that Israel would inherit. But there were logical reasons for how this first portion of Canaan got distributed.

The specific borders

Let's look first of all at what their borders actually were. And rather than going phrase by phrase through verses 12-17 (since you probably don't have any clue of where these places exist on a map), I'll just have you look at the map on your outline. I think seeing it visually is a little bit easier than trying to describe each phrase. Other than the dates (which I've crossed out of the graphic), I think it is pretty accurate. Half of the tribe of Manasseh inherited the northern portion of the land of Og. Gad inherited the southern portion of Og's kingdom as well as the northern portion of king Sihon's kingdom. So Gad's territory straddled parts of the two previous pagan kingdoms. And Reuben inherited the southern portion of the kingdom taken from Sihon, king of Hesbhon. This means that 20% of Israel would live on the east side of the Jordan River.

Some people think this was a curse, but in Deuteronomy 33, God explicitly says that it was a blessing. He blessed them with this land. Others think that the request of Gad and Reuben to get the good pastureland was a selfish and sinful request, but Moses says that he gave the land by divine inspiration and Joshua 22:1-9 shows that Joshua believed they were blameless in their request for that land. And thus, some Reformed commentaries have clearly shown that it was not a sinful request. But that might take a little bit of explaining. The truth is that there were fertile regions on both sides of the Jordan and there were desolate regions on both sides. It certainly wasn’t all fertile on the East. And several commentaries point to hints from various passages that most of the tribes were not at all interested in settling this land on the East - and for good reason: militarily it was extremely vulnerable to attack. They knew that it was the more dangerous portion of Israel's land. Anyway, these commentators rightly believe that Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh volunteered to take this dangerous buffer-zone. But whether that is true or not (and I believe it is true), there are two explicitly given reasons for this particular inheritance.

Division based on occupation - It was ideal for livestock (Numb. 32:1-5)

The first reason is the most obvious one. Whatever the land's liabilities might have been, Numbers 32 shows that Reuben and Gad had more livestock than any other tribe and they noticed that the territory of Sihon was already proven to be very good land for livestock. So they asked permission to settle there. It was perfect for livestock. In his commentary on Chronicles, Andrew Hill says,

During Old Testament times Bashan was an extremely fertile plateau and was renowned for its grain harvests and served as pasturage for cattle (cf. Deut. 32:14) and as a source of timber (cf. Isa. 2:13). The desire for control of this highly productive real estate led to repeated warfare between Israel and Aram.¹

Division based on military strategy - To whom much is given, much is required (Deut. 33:20-21)

So yeah, it was good land, but that last comment by Andrew Hill shows that this also made it dangerous land to live in. So that leads us into the second reason for this distribution. There was a division of the land based on military considerations. Though the land East of the Jordan was very fertile, it was also constantly vulnerable to attack from nations on the north, north-east, East, and south-east. Here's how William MacDonald words it,

Many feel that Reuben and Gad made an unwise choice because, although the land was fertile, the area was exposed to enemy attack. They did not have the protection of the Jordan River. The tribes of Reuben and Gad (and half the tribe of Manasseh which joined them) were the first to be conquered in later years and carried off into captivity. On the other hand, what was to be done with the land east of the Jordan River if none of the children of Israel were to settle in it? God had given this land to them and told them to possess it (Deut. 2:24, 31; 3:2).²

Three times God had told them that they should begin to possess this very land. No one else had volunteered. But it appears that these three tribes had some of the best warriors and were not intimidated at all by that vulnerable position. Deuteronomy 33:20 describes Gad as having incredibly ferocious warriors. Tremper Longman summarizes their long history of war by saying, "The tribe of Gad will become tenacious fighters and be victorious over all the foreign armies they face (Genesis 49:19; Jeremiah 49:1)."³ But the same was true of Reuben and at least the portions of Manasseh that settled on the East. 1 Chronicles 5:18 describes the warriors of all three tribes on the east as being "valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war." Valiant and skillful in war. One Bible Dictionary says,

G[ilead] was to Pal[estine] a sort of bulwark on its eastern border against invading armies from the south, east, and north, and it was a wise providence that planted there the most warlike tribes, ever ready to defend the national life (Jos 17:1; 1 Ch 5:18). As if in keeping with this idea, much of the history of G[ilead] which has a conspicuous place in the biblical records has to do with wars, partly of conquest and partly of defence against powerful enemies.⁴

Why did I mention that the half-tribe of Manasseh that settled on the East of Jordan was much more war-like than the half-tribe of Manasseh that settled on the West? Well, a study of all the passages on Manasseh shows that those family groups were quite different even though they were from the same tribe, and it was only certain family groups from Manasseh that volunteered. Several books mention that the members of Manasseh on the West did not contribute nearly as much to various wars as those on the East did. Just as one example, Smith's Bible Dictionary says during the time of David, "while the western Manasseh sent 18,000, and Ephraim itself but 20,800, the eastern Manasseh, with Gad and Reuben, mustered to the number of 120,000, thoroughly armed — a remarkable demonstration of strength, still more remarkable when we remember the fact that Saul’s house, with the great Abner at its head, was then residing at Mahanaim on the border of Manasseh and Gad."⁵

So what was going on was that God was placing some of the most capable warriors on the East of the Jordan River to act as a buffer against enemy attacks. This was not by accident. This was part of God's divine plan. This is why in Joshua 22:1-9, Joshua explicitly says that they had obeyed the Lord completely and he blessed them in their occupation of that land. There is no hint in that passage that God thinks they were sinful in their request. One commentary says,

Harrison actually makes a military boon of this proposal: “This proposal could be of tactical importance for the nation, since it would afford protection for Israel’s eastern flank once the other tribes had possessed Canaan” (1990:396). Nonetheless, their vulnerable position on the wrong side of the Jordan rift meant that they got hit first and most often. Later records do not question the legitimacy of the Transjordan tribes when they settle there (Josh 22:1–9).⁶

And I have eight additional passages that show how strategic these tribes were to Israel's overall safety (Deut 33:6; Judg 3:12; 10:8, 17; 1 Kgs 22:3; 2 Kgs 10:32–33; 15:29; 1 Chr 5:26). They took the brunt of attacks from foreign nations. And they were providentially prepared by God to occupy that key role. And I'm spending more time on this because it is so often misunderstood. James Montgomery Boice concurs with my viewpoint saying,

Gad was one of the two and a half tribes that settled in Transjordan, the land east of the Jordan river, and Moses says, “He chose the best of the land for himself” (v. 21). This sounds like a pejorative statement, because, put that way, Gad’s decision sounds selfish, as though the tribe grabbed the best land and left the rest for other people. Actually, this criticism is not what is expressed here. Moses commends Gad for possessing the leader’s portion, adding that Gad “executed the justice of the LORD” (v. 21) and Moses blesses God as the one who enlarges Gad’s domain. Why is this a blessing and not a criticism? I believe the reason is that Gad, situated in the desert in Transjordan, would bear the brunt of any attack that came from the east. The people of Israel, when settled in Canaan, were largely attacked by the kings from the east or by robbers from the desert. The Israelites probably thought very highly of Gad’s lion-like qualities as that tribe protected their eastern flank.⁷

Now, I know that I have spent a fair bit of time on that, but I think that these Eastern tribes have been given a bad rap by some preachers. It's true that Moses got angry at them in Numbers 32, but it was because he misunderstood their intentions - wrongly thinking that they wanted to stop warring, to settle down, and to not join the rest of Israel in their battles. But it proved to be a misunderstanding. And we can avoid similar misunderstandings by asking clarifying questions rather than jumping to conclusions. Both Moses and Joshua later praised them for what they were doing - which is an admission that they had previously misunderstood them. And if Moses and Joshua could jump to wrong conclusions, it's a warning that any of us can do so as well. Our first reaction when we hear something that sounds suspect is to assume the best of our brothers and sisters and start asking clarifying questions.

But before I leave this section, I will just add that along with danger there was also blessing in the land on the East side of the Jordan. The Lexham Bible Dictionary says, "Gilead is noted for its healing balm (Jer 8:22; 46:11), fertility, forests, and lush pastureland (Jer 22:6; 50:19; Song 4:1; 6:5; Mic 7:14)."⁸ There were far more springs, wells, rivers, and other water resources on the East side than on the West. Both Bashan and Ajlun were noted for iron and copper in such abundance that it could be easily mined (Deut. 8:9). Manasseh and Gad both had perfect places for growing wheat, barley, grapes, and olives. There were oak forests that could be sold for building materials. And Argob at least had sixty walled cities in the north to help defend against invaders. And because the trade routes were so famous, they could make money from foreigners. And the ninth century BC Moabite Stone mentions Gad as dwelling in Ataroth, one of the main cities in southern Transjordan, showing external evidence of what the Bible is saying.⁹ So there were indeed blessings that helped to make the danger worthwhile.

The conditions for settlement - Unity and responsibility (vv. 18-20)

But in verses 18-20 we see a reminder that these blessings amounted to both a gift from God and a stewardship responsibility. To whom much is given, much is expected. God gave these tribes conditions for settling in this land. And these conditions implied not only their relationship responsibilities to God but also their relationship responsibilities to the other tribes of Israel.

All must see God as the owner of the land (v. 18; cf. Lev. 25:23) who gives a "grant" (נַחֲלָה) of land to Israel as a stewardship trust to showcase His glory

Their relationship responsibility to God can be seen in verse 18. "Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess.'" Now, the English is not quite as clear as the Hebrew, but the Hebrew words used here and later in the book indicate that while God gave the land to them, God still claimed ultimate ownership of the land. And it is part of many passages in Deuteronomy that give us a theology of the land. God said elsewhere, "The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me" (Leviticus 25:23). This implied that the gift was a grant, and the Hebrew word nachalah (נַחֲלָה) (which is used so frequently by Moses) is often translated by scholars by the word "grant." Anyway, Daniel Block, in his article, "The Theology of Land in Deuteronomy," says this: "The majority of the twenty-five occurrences in the book of the last expression identify the land as the 'grant' that Yahweh is giving to Israel."¹⁰ He goes on to show that God gave the land for the specific purpose of being a testimony to the world so that the nations might know that He is Yahweh and come to fear the Lord. To that end, several Scriptures in my notes here say that Israel's arrival in Canaan was to make the land a high and holy hill that would be visible to the whole world - that is, metaphorically (Exod 15:17; Isa 11:9; 57:13; 65:25). Why? So that the world would become jealous of the God of Israel. It thus had a magnetic evangelistic impulse. Block summarizes the evidence of this theology of the land by saying that when Israel properly stewards the land that God has granted, "the land will have played its role perfectly for the glory of Yahweh and the well-being of his people, and the nations will give praise to Yahweh, the deity whose brand they bear."¹¹ Now granted, the theology of the land is more richly exemplified later in the book, but I thought I would at least comment on God's purpose for giving the land.

And I thought that Block's observation was a really cool observation. It means that though the Canaanites were judged, Israel's possession of the land had an evangelistic purpose to other pagan nations. It showed God's care for Gentile nations. And this is one of several exegetical reasons that five missions books I own¹² use to show the difference between Old Testament missions and New Testament missions. These books outline the difference using two words: centripital (which means inward-pulling) and centrifugal (which means outward-sending). Whereas the New Testament has a centrifugal force in missions where God's people spread the good news outward to the ends of the earth, the Old Testament had a centripetal force drawing the nations like a magnetic force into Israel's land so that eventually (once there was a temple) the temple would become a house of prayer for all nations. The Pharisees and Saducees had ignored this purpose and Christ rebuked them, saying, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’" Block shows how the various Hebrew words that are used for the giving of the land (and there are several Hebrew words) show that it was a grant, meaning Israel had a responsibility to use it to God's glory.

Now, he and others applied that idea to missions, but it also has another application that we can take home. If even our use of land needs to glorify God in a way that makes other jealous of our God, that is a huge hint that all we do must have a good testimony to the world. Don't think that how you mow your yard, beautify your house, repair your roof, or in other ways act as a good steward of the land is missed by God or by others. Your use of the land is either a good testimony or a bad testimony. Everything we have is a stewardship trust. So those of you who don’t take good care of your yards, think of that. Granted, it's only hinted at here, but the later theology of the land in Deuteronomy helps us to understand God's purposes for giving this land. God did not want them to possess the land for selfish purposes.

With blessings come responsibilities (v. 18)

In any case, verse 18 goes on to say that with blessings come responsibilities. And part of their responsibility was to join with the other tribes in continuing to conquer Canaan to God's glory. It says, "All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel." While God wants us to enjoy our blessings, He does not want us so focused on our blessings that we neglect our responsibilities. That’s an obvious application here.

All are called to to participate in God's mission - no tribe is exempted (v. 18)

And one of the responsibilities is that every believer is called to participate in God's mission. In their case, no man was exempted from battle. And I think we can learn from this. Until God's spiritual warfare is done, we can never lay down our spiritual swords. Nor can we think that we can enter the battle alone. Just as all the tribes needed each other, we need each other. There is a tendency for some Christians to be solo-Christians or to go it alone. Their motives may be pure. Perhaps they think that no church is good enough, or theologically sound enough, large enough, or engaged enough to serve their predetermined desires. But God calls us to unity. And I think we can take our cues from Jesus. Even though He was perfect, he still valued the love and companionship of His imperfect disciples during His three years of ministry. I was reading the Puritan writer, Richard Baxter's book, The Reformed Pastor, and he said that even in his time there were people who didn't think they needed each other in the church, yet he gave reason after reason why God calls us to minister in each others lives and to be willing to be ministered to. We cannot go it alone.¹³ That's the main principle I want to hammer home from verse 18. And even if you can't personally go out to the battlefield, you can pray for those who do, give financially to those who do, and in other ways encourage those who do.

God cares that the family not be neglected in our dominion (vv. 19-20)

In verses 19-20 we see that God cares about the family and makes sure that the women and the children were not neglected. In fact, God showed that He even cared about their livestock. He says,

But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, 20 until the LORD has given rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.’

So, while they were gone to battle, God ensured that the women and children were taken care of while the men helped the rest of Israel to conquer the land. And we will look at how that was made possible in a bit.

Responsibility comes before enjoyment (v. 20)

But I want to highlight that responsibility came before the leader's own enjoyment. These men could return to their possessions once Canaan was conquered. We live in such an entertainment and pleasure-oriented society that this does not come naturally. But we need to teach our children that responsibility comes before enjoyment. That’s a very important principle of maturity.

But were the women and children left to fend for themselves? No. (compare Numb 32:27 with the praise in Josh 22:1-4; compare the 130,000+ in Numbers 26 with Josh 4:13; Deut 3:18)

But next, I want to look at a huge puzzle. At least if you are curious person like me, it seems like a huge puzzle. And this puzzle may have already come up in some of your minds. Look at verse 18 again and notice that God's explicit command is that 100% of the fighting men were to cross over the Jordan. Verse 18 says, "Then I commanded you at that time, saying: ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel.'" But where are the wives and children? Look at verse 19: "But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you." And verse 20 says that this was to be the arrangement until the conquest of Canaan was done. Well, that poses a problem: It would take another six and a half years for Canaan to be conquered. How could these men fulfill their responsibilities to their wives and children if they were gone for six and a half years? Were the men to abandon their wives and children for that whole time? Think about it. How were the women and the children to protect themselves from invaders from the north, east, and south - and there would have been plenty of people to the north, east, and south of them that could have taken advantage of the fact that no men were present. If the women and the children were alone, they would be sitting ducks to foreign raiders who might swoop in and carry them and their cattle away captive. That's the purported problem.

And here is my answer on why that was not a problem. I want to prove that Moses did not have all the men fighting at the same time. A little less than 1/3 of the men went over at a time and they took turns serving in shifts. After fighting for a while, they would return to their wives and children and have another third of the men take up a shift in fighting on the other side of the Jordan.

How do I arrive at that conclusion? First, if you add up the number of soldiers who fought during these wars from the East side of the Jordan (as listed in Numbers 26), there were over 130,000 fighting men who came from the east of the Jordan River during those six and a half years. Keep that 130,000-man-figure in mind. Second, at the end of the war, in Joshua 22:1-4, Joshua says that the Eastern tribes had obeyed God's commands fully and had fulfilled their responsibilities to fight. This means that 100% of those fighting men fought - all 130,000 men. But take a look at Joshua 4:13. This records how many men went over the Jordan River for the first battle. Joshua 4:13. It says, "About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho." You look at some commentaries on Joshua 4:13, and they claim that these Eastern tribes selfishly disobeyed the Lord; they didn't all go over to help their brethren - only 40,000 did. After all, forty thousand is a little less than one third of their total warriors. But Joshua 22 is explicit that they all fought; they did not disobey the Lord. So simple logic says that if all the men fought, but only 40,000 crossed for the first fight at Jericho, that they must have done so in shifts, with most of the men staying to guard the women, the children, and the flocks. God did not want these men to be presumptuous by leaving the women and children unprotected. And actually, I believe something similar happened with all twelve tribes. Some of the men took turns protecting their wives, children, and stuff while others from each of those tribes fought. It had to be the case. Though Jericho was burned down and totally destroyed, most fortified cities on the West of the Jordan were not. And the women and children could have occupied those cities little by little, just like the women and children on the east side of the Jordan occupied cities. The men would have had to have taken turns spending time with their families and then going out to fight. The Bible is quite clear that we men have responsibilities to our families. To me, this is additional evidence that God cares very much about the integrity of the family.

But it also shows that God enabled the men to maintain some balance between enjoying blessings and fulfilling responsibilities - all responsibilities. And I think all of us can learn a lesson from this. People like myself are tempted to be workaholics. Others are tempted to spend way too much time enjoying the fruits of their labors. But God calls us to have balance in life between work and rest.

The charge to Joshua (vv. 21-22)

But let's move on to God's charge to Joshua in verses 21-22. God had provided for Joshua in spectacular ways in these first two battles. But He also calls Joshua to have a balance between the past, the present, and the future. The more you dig into the text, the more you realize that God is so realistic in His expectations of us. OK, let's look at this charge to Joshua.

Passing the baton to the next generation (v. 21a)

First, God prepares for the future by having Moses pass on the baton to the next generation. Verse 21 says, "And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying..." and then he gives his charge to Joshua. Moses' work was about to end (he was about to die), but he made sure that the nation was not dependent upon him alone. It would be easy for Israel to get used to depending upon Moses alone, but God did not let that happen. Yeah, he was the most gifted man in Israel, but already forty years earlier in Exodus 18 God made sure that the people didn't wear him out with all their questions. He established shepherds over ten families, and sessions, presbyteries, and General Assemblies within the synagogue system. But even in the military God ensured that there was a division of labor. Moses had Joshua, Caleb, and other military leaders learning the ropes while he was still alive. There was a division of labor - and they were being trained into that labor. And this is a good lesson for leaders in churches, in businesses, and in other areas of leadership. They must not act as if they will live forever. All of us will die, and we need to be raising up new leaders to take our place. How many businesses go under once the founder of the business dies? That’s not forward thinking.

Each generation should learn from the past (v. 21b)

Moving on - Moses tells Joshua, "Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings." He is going to be telling Joshua to learn from the past. He is seeking to elicit a response of courage in Joshua from the known experiences of the past. The distribution that had just happened was not an accidental or random happening. It was God's fulfillment of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was not just the result of human effort, though human effort had obviously been expended. But it was a demonstration that God can bless our efforts by fulfilling His promises. This too is the needed balance between trusting and obeying.

Each generation of leadership should point people to God's continued faithfulness (v. 21b)

And trusting and obedience is not just about the past. Verse 21 goes on to say, "so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass." Seeing God's faithfulness in the past should strengthen our resolve to trust God's continued faithfulness in the future. Verse 21 was designed to stir up the entire next generation of leadership to continue to trust God's faithfulness and to lead their people to trust God's faithfulness for the future. True leadership does not make people dependent upon us. True leadership promotes the kind of maturity in followers that helps them to depend upon God just as the leadership had been depending upon God. This too shows a needed balance today. Leaders must lead, but they must lead in a way that helps people to stand on their own two feet. Parents who do not give their children increasing opportunities to make decisions (and with those decisions, to sometimes make mistakes along with their successes), unwittingly rob their children of initiative, maturity, and leadership characteristics. And we should want our children to grow in those areas rather than immaturely always be depending upon us to figure things out for them. This is a part of the growing up process. And the application to other areas of life should be obvious.

Don't fear the future (v. 22a)

And one of the things that people need to catch from their leaders is courage. Verse 22 says, "You must not fear them..." As we saw last week, we must learn how to put off fear. We saw three very concrete ways that we can put off fear. I'm not going to repeat that today. If leaders are fearful, it will generate fear in their followers. But when the whole community learns to face the giants of the land with a total trust in the Lord, then the leaders have succeeded in their job.

Root your courage in God, not in your own strength (v. 22b)

The last admonition was, "for the LORD your God Himself fights for you." Yes, they too had to fight, but they needed to fight with a recognition that they could not completely do this in their own strength. It is a call to courageously trust and obey.

Nine additional applications

Let me end with nine additional applications that I have deduced from the passage as a whole.

First, we need to value the differences that God has put into His people. Just as Israel was grateful to God for the courageous willingness of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh to occupy the most dangerous portion of the land, we too need to value the different gifts, callings, strengths, and weakness of God's people. God does not make mistakes, and He puts all kinds of people into His kingdom for a purpose. Some of his people are gnarly warriors like the Gadites. David hugely valued the mighty men of valor from Gad even though they looked a little bit strange. They really did. Let me give you an example. 1 Chronicles 12:8 says, "Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, [and get this:] whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains." Wow! Whose faces were like the faces of lions??? I'm not sure that's good looking. They might have been scary looking men, but God had crafted them to be of enormous value in David's army. Value the differences in the body.

Second, learn to be balanced in your service. For me, this means learning to not work all the time. What's the point of God giving you blessings if you don't ever take the time to enjoy those blessings? Kathy and I have workaholic tendencies and we need to keep reminding ourselves of that. The warriors in Joshua's army had balance. When they fought, they fought hard. When they played, they played hard. When they were with their families, they were fully in. And I think the Lord has enabled Kathy and me to achieve that balance, but it was only because we recognized our tendencies and sought to overcome those tendencies. Some of you need to learn this balance between work and pleasure.

Third, see your land, your houses, your families, your good looks (or as the case may be, your not so good looks), and everything else that God has trusted you with as a stewardship trust. Our cry should be, "All for Jesus!" And there is nothing God has given to us that can't be used for Jesus.

Fourth, let's think about what the women and children did in their cities. Don't think for a moment that they were sitting in easy chairs watching soap operas and eating bon bons all day. They were working to make their homes true homes that their dads and husbands could come back to and appreciate. They prayed for their dads and husbands. They served their dads and husbands. Everyone has a place in God's kingdom. And we can apply this in many areas of life. You may not be able to go to the missionfield yourself, but you can certainly support such missionaries with encouraging notes, financial gifts, and prayers. God has called the whole body to be united in His cause. We each have a part to play. Just as no tribe was exempt from God's mission, no individual was exempted from God's mission. The women and the children no doubt brought incredible value to their homes, and brought incredible encouragement to their warrior men when they came home. Women and children, have you thought about how you can take initiative to bless your dads and husbands and help them to flourish? Or do you drag your dads and husbands down and make life more difficult for them? The formation of a family should produce a synergy of efforts that increases kingdom growth rather than decreasing it.

Fifth, parents should raise their children to be leaders just as Moses raised up leaders. And by the way, we can all be involved in leadership development. And don't think that your daughters don't need leadership training. They do. I've got a booklet filled with suggestions on how our daughters can be trained to be excellent in all that they do.¹⁴ And with good reason: mom's have an enormous influence in their families, and that means that even they need to learn some of the godly principles of leadership. But certainly pray for Gary and me as we seek to raise up leaders for the next generation.

Sixth, never stop short of God's best for your lives. Keep growing. Never stop growing.mIn verse 18 God called Joshua to give God his best. John Maxwell wrote,

A great leader is always asking his people to give up at any moment what they are, in order to receive all that they can become. Moses reminds the Israelites of what they can become. This issue is not “can they?” but “will they?” By reminding the people that this land is promised and given by God, Moses is helping them measure their potential not by what they see in themselves, but by what they see in God for them.

I've got an acronymn that spells out eleven key things that our family sought to instill in our children and that we are looking for in potential leaders in the church. If you want to be a leader, you need to excel in those eleven areas. The acronym spells GOES FARTHER. You can ask Daniel for a copy of that. Or maybe I will put it into a footnote in this sermon when it goes online.¹⁵ Or, if you want a far more extensive list of things to be forming in your young men, pick up the booklet, Leader Development.¹⁶ This is not just for officers; it’s for parents to be training their boys to be leaders.

Seventh, when you are faced with problems, it's good to try to solve those problems. Don't just grieve over the problems that you have. Do some strategizing on how to solve them. God guarantees that there will always be a solution. After all, 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Part of solving problems is looking for those providentially provided ways of escape. I've already mentioned the problem of division of labor and a couple of other problems. But let's apply this more broadly. The same person wrote, "When I am faced with a problem, I ask six questions to help me determine the solution."

1. What is the problem?
2. What is the background to the problem?
3. What do I want to achieve to God's glory? [In other words, what's the outcome God wants?]
4. What are some possible answers?
5. Of those possible answers, which one is the best one?
6. How can I implement the best solution?

Eighth, take steps of obedience. If they didn't cross the Jordan, they wouldn't have had any more victories. Verse 21 says, "So will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass." If they didn't pass through those kingdoms, they wouldn't have conquered the kingdoms. That's so obvious that it shouldn't need mentioning, but it sometimes does need mentioning to our kids. In Joshua 1:3 the Lord told Joshua, "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses." The Lord is not going to give you territory until you take the steps needed - until your foot treads on the ground that the Lord has given to you. Or, to put it into modern terms, you're not going to get a job if you don't apply for a job. You're not going to magically learn to read if you don't practice. You are not going to overcome a bad habit if you don't diligently start taking daily steps to put that bad habit off and to replace it with the opposite habits. Young men and gals especially need to learn initiative. Too many Christians are passive. They just want God to do everything for them. "Just fix me, Lord!" No, no, no, no, no. God wants you to work at it with His strength. God comes through for us when (and only when) we take initiative by faith. Faith always takes steps of obedience.

Ninth, seek the unity of God's people. Stephen Cook said, "A mantra at Deuteronomy’s core, one God, one people, lies embedded in the grammar of the narrative."¹⁷ I like that - one God, one people. Seek the unity of God's people and avoid anything that destroys that unity. Of course, that assumes that you know how to identify who truly are the people of God. We can't have unity with Rome when they have abandoned the faith. But we can seek unity with evangelicals. And we especially need to seek unity with the Reformed church.

There is a lot that we have covered this morning, but may each of us grow through having heard God's Word. Amen.