Possess The Land

Take possession of the land and settle in it, because I have given it to you to occupy. [Numbers 33.53]

God didn't really give Israel the "option" of occupying the Promised Land. Once the promise was given, it seems God turned it into a command.

Keep in mind that 40 years before the time of the verse above (God's command to Israel to take possession of it), Israel balked at taking possession of the Promised Land. It cost them dearly too.

God has given promises to us today too, namely, the promise of eternal life:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [John 3.16]

Did you know though that God also gave a command along with His promise (just like His command to Israel to take and occupy the Promised Land)?

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28.18-20]

If we can see it, here is that same command but in very different words:

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. [Matthew 6.14-15]

If we are to take possession of the land for God, then we will accomplish it in no other way than the way it was shown to us by Jesus. Forgiveness. Check this out:

Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20-21-23]

Jesus saved the world on the Cross where He declared, "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus "took possession" of the world on the Cross when He forgave them. His forgiveness was made universally obvious in His request of the Father to forgive them.

If we are to take possession of our world, it will be in no other manner than that so clearly demonstrated by our Lord and Savior - our Master and Teacher - Jesus.

There is much to meditate on in what has been said here. The Kingdom power of forgiveness is exactly what Jesus taught and demonstrated in His ministry on earth.

Father help us to possess our land by forgiveness as Jesus modeled so explicitly for us.