United in Vision
6 min read
17 “But we will arm ourselves for battle and go ahead of the Israelites until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our women and children will live in fortified cities, for protection from the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the Israelites has received their inheritance. 19 We will not receive any inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan, because our inheritance has come to us on the east side of the Jordan.”
Numbers 32:17-19
The fluidity of the boundaries of the promised land tells us a couple of things, at least. First, it is a reminder that God’s plan of salvation for the world is for the whole world, not just the boundaries set by Moses with the LORD. Second, the conquest of the land was not just about the land, but about the faith and unity of God’s people.
The Israelites were the recipients of God’s covenant inheritance together—not as individual tribes, clans, or families, but collectively as the people of God. And so as the collective recipient of God’s promise, they had an obligation to fight together in order to claim the inheritance for every tribe, clan, and family.
We know that the Israelites never fully drove out all the people from the land of Canaan. They were fighting with the Philistines until the Philistines were subjugated under David and Solomon. The Jebusites also remained in the land, as well as others.
The reason that the Israelites were not able to fully drive out all the people was because of the disobedience, and especially the idolatry, of the Israelites. Instead of driving out all the people, they conformed to the ways of the people.
In light of God’s sovereign foreknowledge, we could say that the point of the conquest was more about the faith of the people than it was about possessing the land, per se. In other words, taking complete possession of the land was really just a sign of the unity of the people born of faith in the LORD. But they never took full possession of the land because they never fully trusted in God, and therefore, they could never stay united.
This world has become so corrupted by selfishness, greed, and the hunger for power and control. It’s easy to see why people are so cautious and suspicious about messages calling for “unity” and “alignment” around a common vision.
But if that vision is in line with the word of God, the call for unity around a vision is a call for unity with Christ and not merely a call for unity around a human vision. In fact, according to God’s word, unity itself must be a key part of every biblically given vision.
The word of God says,
18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
— Proverbs 29:18, ESV
On the other hand, if a biblical vision is delivered to a community and the people rebel against that vision, what hope of blessing can there be for the community?
Father, You are good, and You are always good. But we, by nature, rebel against Your goodness, even though doing so would be bad for us. How do we become so unwise? Show us wisdom. Teach us wisdom. Make us to be wise. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
