Joshua 24:12-13 (ESV Strong's)
And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.
I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’
Subject: God's Provision
We tend, in our society today, to accumulate things. We not only accumulate things, we like to brag and boast about the things we have accumulated. It is in our nature. We tie accumulation to success and therefore we tend to use these things to show others our great success. Joshua was afraid, that after his death, the nation of Israel might think that their accumulated cities and towns and land was due to their good nature; great strength; exceptional wisdom. In the above verse, Joshua reminds them that the reason they have these cities, this land, the crops and the bounty they have, is because the Lord gave it to them. The very fruit in their mouth was because God allowed the nations that were there before them to plant the fruit and harvest the fruit. The olive oil they had for baking, eating and utilizing was there because God allowed another nation, whom God destroyed, to harvest it. God did not want the hearts of the people of Israel to get haughty because of their possessions. The same is true with us. We tend to think our great strength, skill-sets, schooling, talents, or experience and education gets us what we have today. That is the way of our society. God wants us to know that it is HIS great strength and grace and mercy that allows us to accumulate what we have. We are to give God praise for the wisdom, strength, talent and skill-set. We are not to take credit for theses things.
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