“Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance…”
Nehemiah 9:24-25a
Last time we saw how Yahweh lavished generous boundaries in the Promised Land to the Israelites and multiplied their descendants. Today we see how those descendants lived in the promised blessing.
“So their children went in (bo – come in, carried, certainly come to pass, bring forth, abide) and took possession (yarash – inherit, utterly dispossess, give to possess, heir, new owners, occupy, enjoy take possession of, come to poverty, make poor, expel, drive out, expel, occupy by drive out previous tenants) of the land.
So their children came forth and inherited the land.
Just as promised, it came to pass. Those allowed to enter the Promised Land came forth and took possession of it.
You subdued (kana – to be humble, done, bring down low, bend the knee, humiliate) before them (paneh – before the face of) the inhabitants (yashab – to sit, remain, dwell) of the land;
You brought low the inhabitants of the land before their face.
Because of the way white supremacy operates, I cannot stomach any sort of interpretation which would bring low inhabitants of a land before others seeking to conquer. But because we serve a Faithful God, I cannot ignore this section of Scripture. God did what He said He would do. He subdued the inhabitants before the eyes of His people, fresh out of slavery, weary from wandering, and with no military experience.
So let’s chat about the spiritual implications of this. What has God said? Then He will do it. Has He said, “I oppose the proud but give grace to the humble”? You better believe He will actively oppose those with a mind for only their own interests. Not because He’s mean, but because He’s good.
Did He say, “Blessed are those who mourn, are meek, poor in spirit, pure in heart, hunger and thirst for right-living, the peacemakers (not peacekeepers)”? Then may we see with our spiritual eyes what He promises is True.
How about, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Did He say that? Then why are we not living as if dying to ourselves is the ultimate honor of our spiritual lives?
And did He not say, “You must love your neighbor as yourselves”? Then we probably have some loving to do. Too much, in fact, to be more busy with gossip, revenge, justifying evil systems, and distracting each other from our mission.
Friends, do you know how low the enemy is humbled when we absorb these truths into our depths? How evil is forced to bend the knee to the One all hell knows holds ultimate authority? Before our faces He will subdue Him and the Kingdom advances. Glory.
You gave (nathan – give, set, allow, appoint, allowed, assigned, certainly gave, apportioned, provided, bestow) the Canaanites into their hands (yad – hand, authority, care, custody, entrust, pledged), along with their kings and the peoples (am – folk) of the land, to deal (asah – accomplish) with them as they pleased (ratson – goodwill, favor, acceptance).”
You gave the Canaanites into their authority/custody, along with their kings and regular folk, to deal with them as they pleased/goodwill.
I feel like as a nation we should be sat down with our mamas and reminded what it means to have financial resources, military might, fertile land, and industrial opportunities. It means we have more than others and if others are brought into our custody, within the realm of our authority, we have an obligation to deal with them generously. With goodwill. In a favoring way. To those whom much is given much will be required. We will answer for the ways we either hoard in fear or share in trust with fellow image bearers.
“They captured (lakad – seize, take, clasp) fortified (batsar – to cut off, make inaccessible, enclose, gathered, impenetrable) cities (iyr – excitement) and fertile (shamen – fat, robust, plenteous) land (adamah – ground, field)…”
They captured impenetrable cities/excitement and fertile/robust land…
Something about the mention of fortified cities makes me smile. Scripture makes sure to point out these cities were well-protected. Forces gathered, they should have been impenetrable for the Israelites. And yet, when obeying Yahweh, they took hold of them. God gave the victory.
Anything looming before you as inaccessible? An area you cannot imagine God could penetrate with His Spirit, His power and conquering love? Any system lacking justice or community brutalized? Let’s together believe in our Covenant Yahweh to give the victory. To join Him in moving in prayer + action in areas fertile for a Gospel movement.
“…they took possession (yarash again) of houses filled (male – completely, abundance, strong, old) with all (kol) kinds of good (tub – best things, bounty, goodness, prosperity) things…”
…they took possession of houses completely filled with all kinds of good/bountiful/prosperous things…
This one is harder for me. I picture the families living in these homes filled with good things being displaced by the Israelites. But I know that I know our God is always just and loving. He knows what I do not. And what we do know of the Canaanites who were driven out is a practice of evil and cruelty. So I will choose to believe in the long-suffering love and perfectly just motives of El Shaddai.
“…[they took possession of] wells (bowr – cistern, fountain, pit) already dug (chatsab – chop, cut, engrave, cleave, quarry)…”
… they took wells/cisterns already dug…
This one reminds me of something Jesus said to His disciples about the plentiful harvest. About reaping a spiritual harvest from land in which others have done the hard work to sow.
I think sometimes we forget that not everything in our spiritual lives conforms to our modern idea of fairness. Just the other week our family was doing yard work together and it reminded me of an incredibly unfair parable Jesus told. Well, unfair if our aim is earning.
I asked the boys how they would feel if, 5 minutes before we packed up and headed in for the night, their (imaginary) younger brother came out, did a tiny bit of work, then everyone got paid the same. They were not thrilled.
But, grace. Grace.
Sometimes He walks with us through a Hebrews 11 experience, never seeing with our own eyes what we toiled for, only from a distance. Other times, by no merit of our own, we stumble upon a person or situation in which His Spirit and the cooperation of His people has plowed, planted, fertilized, weeded, tended, and pruned. We simply get to harvest.
As for our Israelites who walked into homes chocked full of bounty and wells already dug, no work was required, only obedience. No, it wasn’t fair. It was faith.
“…vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees (maakal – food, fruit, something to eat) in abundance (rob – multitude, greatness, extensive, immense, multiplied)…”
…vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in immense abundance.
I know many of us could look around at our well-stocked pantries, overflowing refrigerators, and handsomely decorated homes and see the literal reality of these verses. And, indeed, He sometimes blesses with material things. So we might open our lives and give to others.
But, as His Church may we see how Jesus promised blessing under the New Covenant will be our lives bearing much fruit. Zero guarantee of material prosperity; absolute guarantee of suffering. And simple grace for our need.
May we live like what He said is True.