I understand that Bro. White was preaching series of messages from the Book of Joshua before his move. He may have addressed this thought, and some of you may have heard it. But the rest of us haven’t had that privilege, so I turn first for you. But if you are among the previously blessed, then I hope your heart will add to, and fill out, my few thoughts.
In the transition of Israel’s leadership from Moses, Joshua needed some encouragement and fortification. He knew first hand the rebellious nature of his countrymen. He had experienced their wrath against him for his trust in God. He had seen the wear and tear those people had laid on the soul of Moses. So stepping into that man’s shoes involved some trepidation. But God in His wisdom and grace spent the first part of this book encouraging the new leader in his new role.
And in that encouragement the Lord said, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” Notice that God had made a promise to Moses, and now He was applying it to Joshua. “AS I said unto Moses,” in Deuteronomy 11:24, “I say now unto YOU.” What we have here is almost word-for-word what the Lord said earlier.
This evening, I want to take that promise another step farther, twist it just a little, and then apply it to you and me. There is still spiritual territory which God’s people need to occupy. There are spiritual enemies whom we can turn into friends. God still wants His people to glorify His name by utilizing the faith He provides us. There are still divine promises which we need claim as our own.
But before we can actually apply these things, there are OTHER THINGS which we need to DISREGARD.
For example, when it comes to the promise of God, it doesn’t matter who the human agent of that promise might be. “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan.” Noah may have been the first person to see a rainbow and apply God’s promise, but when the Fultons saw a beautiful bow yesterday, they still applied that promise. Similarly, as far as God’s blessing on a church is concerned, it doesn’t matter who the pastor might be. I understand that the church in Smithville, Oklahoma, despite seeing revival and growth for some time – is now experiencing new blessings under a new interim pastor. When God sends revival into a community it doesn’t even matter if the church leadership is at forefront. I think that when the Lord spoke of “every place that the sole of YOUR foot shall tread,” He was not speaking specifically of Joshua. He was referring to the collective feet of Israel under his leadership. God’s new undershepherd didn’t need to step on every acre of the promised land, if the rest of the people believed God and stepped forward in recognition of the promise.
Furthermore, it doesn’t matter whether or not our parents believed or rejected the promise God has made. Forty years earlier Jehovah told Moses to send twelve men in to spy out the land. It appears that they walked the length and breadth of the land, looking at its bounty and its dangers. But upon their return they turned the weak and wicked hearts of Israel against the Lord and His gracious gift. As a result, every one of those rebellious doubters died in the wilderness, except for Joshua, Caleb and perhaps their families. But – what took place in the past doesn’t matter when it comes to our acceptance of God’s promise. What our parents did or didn’t do – what they believed or didn’t believe – should not stop US from stepping forward to occupy the promise of the Lord. It doesn’t matter whether or not the soles of those earlier unbelievers walked back and forth over the land. What matters at the moment is where the soles of our souls are going to step. I have given it to you Joshua, ”as I said unto to Moses.”
And it doesn’t matter if a few of the sons of Anak still live in the land. It doesn’t matter if the Hittites are the political and military leaders of Canaan. It doesn’t matter if the optics and mathematics say that you can’t occupy God’s promise – step forward. The only thing that truly matters is whether or not the omnipotent God has given His word.
And it doesn’t matter if there is an overflowing river standing between you and the fulfilment of God’s purpose. Can you picture the geography of that part of the world? From where Israel stood, just east Jericho, it was less than 50 miles to the southern tip of the Dead Sea. Especially in the light of the previous 40 years, Israel could have spent another week or two marching south and then from the other side of the Dead Sea entered the land without dealing with the Jordan. But that was not God’s way. “Go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them.” “My promise is not hindered in any way by this flood of waters.” No matter what our mind or eye might say against the promise of the Lord, what really matters is that this IS the PROMISE of the Almighty God.
I know I shouldn’t do it… But for the sake of this lesson, let’s take the word “sole” literally – “the SOLE of your foot.” Let’s pretend that Israel didn’t wear any sort of shoes, when we know they did. One of the great miraculous blessings of the previous forty years involved their shoes. Moses said in Deuteronomy 29:5 – “I have lead you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.” Maybe you have a favorite pair of shoes that you’ve been wearing a long time – but forty years? I don’t know if the Israelites were looking forward to new Converse or Nikes, but they didn’t need them. One point God was making was – even if Israel wore sandals in their march around the land, they would be safe. It doesn’t matter if there are scorpions and vipers throughout the land, “every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” What if someone stepped on a rock and twisted an ankle? It didn’t matter. What if someone stubbed his toe, stepped into a hole, or tripped over a rock? The promise still stood no matter what foot weaknesses the people may have had. The key was not the strength of the foot, but the blessing God vowed to give to those feet.
When it comes to the promises of God, there are so many things that simply don’t matter. Before your salvation, was the Devil telling you that you were too wicked for God’s grace? It doesn’t matter how wretched a sinner might be, God’s saving grace and power are greater. Have you tried but failed to defeat your addiction? Has it been so many times you can’t remember? It doesn’t matter how many times you have failed, the Lord is incapable of failure. Lean on Him. Forget about your weakness; step out and tread down on God’s power. Have you tried to master a skill which you feel Christ Jesus could use for His glory, but you can’t get it? He can. Would you like to be able to speak out, sharing your testimony with others, perhaps even to hundreds at a time, but your fear of public speaking silences you? The God who created the voice and the heart, can give you the words and courage to speak. The question is: Are you willing to put our soul down on the promise and power of the Lord?
No doubt, I am overstepping its meaning but what if …
What if “every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon,” meant more than the obvious?
Sunday, I saw Darren measuring some distances in the church back yard. He was putting one foot down in front of the other – toe touching heel – and counting the steps. Then he took that number and multiplied by 18″ to determine the distance from the back door to the alley. As Israel marched around the land, they had the opportunity to measure not only the land, but the Lord’s promise about the land. It was so many steps wide, and so many steps high. The land was eventually divided up between the tribes in this sort of way.
Here is my point: we need to learn the extent and depth of the promises which God has given to us. Simply reading about them as we find them in the Word of God is good, but it is not enough. We need to apply our feet, walk around them, and really discover their width, depth and extent. Can we really sell all – sell out – for the Lord, trusting Him thereafter for our daily bread? Can we trust God to take care of our dying friend without worrying ourselves to death over him? Can we step out of the boat and onto the tumultuous waves, when He says, “Join me?” The application of the soles of our feet and the sole of our soul, is how to really make the promise our own.
I’m speaking allegorically of course, but in putting the soles of their feet onto the promise of the Lord, Israel was marking their territory. Like finger prints, the sole of every foot was unique and by planting it in the soil, they were claiming it. Their soles would not only measure God’s promise but mark it as their own. Isn’t this a common problem? We sing, “Every promise in the Book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.” But singing the words is not the same as putting our soul right down on top of it.
Again, pretending the people were shoeless Joes, when they put their foot down, they could feel it in their soles. The soil pushed up between their toes and filled in under each step like a good arch support. Picturing it once again – with their feet they were personally enjoying the feeling of the blessing of God.
And finally, with their feet they had the opportunity to actually claim that land. They not only felt the soil with their souls, they were empowered to believe “This is our land; this is my land. From the Mediterranean to the river Euphrates; this land has been given to you and me. From the red wood cedars to the eastern deserts; this land has been given you and me.” Their feet gave the people of Israel the opportunity to believe the promise of God. Despite the obstacles and the hurdles they would have to jump, they were walking up and down in the blessing of the Lord. What God had said to Moses in Deuteronomy, was no longer just an ethereal, verbal hope. It was real and it was substantial; their feet could feel it, and in the process their souls could enjoy it as well.
There are still hundreds of promises given to Moses, David, the disciples and the first church, which also apply to us. We are not going to enjoy them until we step out of our shoes, out the boat and over the Jordan. As a church we aren’t going to fully enjoy revival and spiritual wealth until we put our soles down on what God has told us. And as individual Christians, there are still blessings promised but not received, because we are still standing around in our shoes on the eastern side of the river.