Joshua 18-19

“How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord … has given you?” (18:3).  After conquering Jericho, Joshua urged the Israelite tribes to settle the rest of the Promised Land.  The tribes must have been wavering, despite having seen God’s power.  They did eventually take the land, but the settlement of Israel was precarious and imperfect, because they were human.  Even within the Promised Land, they faced temptation, danger, and inter-tribal turmoil.

In this messy process, God was working.  He knows we are sinful creatures in a broken world, yet He chooses to be Immanuel, God with us.