LESSONS OF FAITH FROM JOSHUA
Lesson 9 : Heirs of the Promise, Prisoners of Hope
9.2 The Land as a Gift
Living in Covenant with God
Introduction
In today’s lesson, we realize that the land was more than just territory for Israel. It was a visible sign of divine grace, identity, and relationship. It reminded Israel that they were not autonomous—neither materially nor spiritually—but dependent on God’s grace. Even for us today, it’s important to remember: The earth belongs to the Lord (Psalm 24:1). Our life, our possessions, and even our homeland are temporary gifts entrusted to us in faithfulness and trust.
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Bible Study
1. The Promised Land as a Gift from God – Not a Property Right
Exodus 3:8
“So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
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The land is not only geographical, but a theological expression of divine grace and care.
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It is “good” and “spacious”—not just because of its resources, but because it was prepared by the Lord.
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It is the destination of deliverance from slavery—a symbol of freedom, identity, and hope.
Leviticus 25:23
“The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”
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This core principle changes everything: God is the owner.
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Israel was only a tenant, a steward, a guest—dependent on God’s favor.
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Ownership was secured not by right, but by covenant faithfulness.
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Theologically, this means: All resources are on loan.
2. The Land as a Framework for Knowing God
Deuteronomy 6:3
“Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.”
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The blessing of the land is tied to obedience.
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“Milk and honey” is an expression of abundance, but not automatically guaranteed.
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The land was meant to educate Israel—to trust in God’s Word, not in human strength or productivity.
Leviticus 20:22
“Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out.”
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The image of “vomiting out” is dramatic: The land itself becomes a judge when the people are unfaithful.
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Possession of the land is not static, but a dynamic result of the covenant relationship.
Numbers 13:27
“It does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.”
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The spies confirm: God’s promise is true!
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Yet possession does not depend on material richness, but on inner trust (see Joshua and Caleb).
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Faith is more important than geo-strategic strength.
3. God’s Universal Ownership
Psalm 24:1
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”
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God is not only the owner of Canaan—but of the whole earth.
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That means: No human being is the ultimate “owner.”
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Even today, we live on God’s land—with accountability before the Creator.
4. Life as Pilgrimage – The Faith of the Fathers
1 Peter 2:11
“I urge you, as foreigners and exiles…”
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The New Testament church lives like Israel—as foreigners.
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Our possessions are temporary, our life a journey toward an eternal home.
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The Christian lifestyle is shaped by letting go of worldly attachments—in anticipation of what is to come.
Hebrews 11:9–13
“By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country… For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
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Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in the promised land—but as guests.
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The promised land was a foretaste, but not the final home.
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They lived in the now with a view toward the not-yet—and still believed.
Theological Overview
| Theme | Old Testament | New Testament |
|---|---|---|
| Land Promise | Gift of God to Israel | Symbol of eternal inheritance in Christ |
| Ownership | God is the owner, Israel is a guest | Christians are strangers on earth, citizens of heaven |
| Covenant Relationship | Obedience = access to the land | Faith = access to heavenly inheritance |
| Blessings of the Land | Rain, fertility, protection | Spiritual blessings, eternal life |
| Goal | Canaan – earthly homeland | Heavenly city – new earth, new fellowship with God |
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: What characterized the special relationship between God, Israel, and the promised land?
Answer:
The relationship between God, Israel, and the land was covenant-based. God gave the land to Israel out of grace, not because they earned it. It was not a property right, but a trust. As long as Israel remained faithful to the covenant, they could live in the land—but the true owner was and always would be God Himself (Leviticus 25:23; Psalm 24:1).
The land also had a teaching function:
In Egypt, they depended on people. In Canaan—without irrigation systems—they depended on rain, that is, on God. Every harvest became an act of trust. The land’s fruitfulness reflected spiritual faithfulness. And: When the people disobeyed, they lost not just the land, but also God’s protection (Leviticus 20:22).
Question 2: What does it mean for you personally, in light of 1 Peter 2:11 and Hebrews 11:9–13, to live as a stranger and sojourner and to look expectantly toward the city whose designer and builder is God?
Answer:
These verses remind us: This is not our true home. We are strangers in this world—not rootless, but oriented toward what is coming. Like Abraham, we live between promise and fulfillment, in tents instead of palaces, by faith instead of sight. Our lifestyle, decisions, and view of possessions should reflect the fact that we are awaiting a heavenly city (Hebrews 11:10). This gives us direction—and comfort: Our current home is not the final destination.
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Spiritual Principles
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God is the owner of everything—including the land.
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Promise means grace, not entitlement.
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Blessing is linked to the covenant relationship with God.
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Our life is a pilgrimage—what matters is trust, not ownership.
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Application for Daily Life
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House, apartment, possessions—everything we have ultimately belongs to God. We are stewards, not owners.
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Seek spiritual home: Our hope should not be in the earthly—our perspective must go further.
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Live faith daily: Just as Israel depended on rain, we too live spiritually in dependence on God’s daily grace.
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Be worthy guests: We are guests on God’s earth—so we live with respect toward the environment, others, and resources.
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Conclusion
The promised land was never the end goal—but always a sign of God’s presence and faithfulness. As Christians, we live in the tension between the now and the not-yet. We know: Even though we live in this world, we are on our way to the eternal city. God calls us to be stewards of His gifts—not masters. And: What God gives is always bound to His grace.
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Thought of the Day
“You may own much—but only those who rest in God’s hands truly have a home.”
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Illustration
“The Earth Beneath My Feet”
A Story of Faith That Remains When the Land Is Taken
Chapter 1: The Border
Zambezi Valley, Zambia, dry season.
The old man, Jabari Chileshe, stood in his parched garden, gazing at the soil where his family had planted cassava for generations. But now a dam project was coming—”for progress and electricity,” the government said. Yet his house wasn’t on the blueprint. No paperwork, no title, no right.
“It was my land. I cared for it like a child,” Jabari told his son Mubita, who had returned from studying in Lusaka.
“But who really owns it, Baba?” Mubita asked gently.
“Us,” Jabari replied.
“Or… God?” Mubita wondered aloud.
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Chapter 2: Rain on Borrowed Ground
That night it rained—the first rain in weeks. But Jabari couldn’t rejoice. His faith was deep, but the thought of losing his land made it tremble.
His wife Tariro read from the Bible aloud the next morning:
“The land must not be sold permanently, for the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”
(Leviticus 25:23)
“So we’re… just guests?” Jabari murmured.
“Guests who were entrusted with something,” Tariro replied. “And trust means responsibility—not ownership.”
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Chapter 3: The Contract
Two men in suits came with contracts. They offered resettlement and a new plot “closer to the road.” But Jabari refused.
“My father lies beneath this soil. I won’t leave.”
But that evening, Mubita read to him from Hebrews 11:
“They admitted that they were foreigners and strangers on earth… they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.”
“Maybe,” Mubita said quietly, “God wants to take us somewhere we wouldn’t choose on our own.”
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Chapter 4: The Departure
Reluctantly, they packed. There were tears, bitterness, and prayer. But Jabari was not a bitter man. On the last day, he sat under his favorite tree and said:
“I loved this land. But I didn’t make it. I was allowed to tend it—and now I give it back.”
He picked up a handful of earth and whispered:
“You were never mine. You were always His.”
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Chapter 5: The New Field
The new plot was dusty, uneven, without the shade of a tree. But they began to work. Cassava again. Hauling water again. Praying again.
And it grew.
Not overnight. But it grew.
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Chapter 6: The Tree
A year later, a small mango tree stood there. Jabari had grown it from the seed of an old tree—from the old field.
When it bore fruit for the first time, Jabari told his grandson:
“God doesn’t give us land—He gives us hope. And if you care for it well, it’ll take root.”
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Epilogue
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
(Psalm 24:1)
Jabari is no longer alive. But his mango tree still stands. And Mubita now teaches in his village school:
“My father taught me that we are strangers—yet never without a home, if we remain with God.”
