Introduction

Let us examine Chapters 18 and 19 of the Book of Joshua. God has presented me with a difficult problem. I have read it countless times, but I still do not fully understand it. If you do not understand it, what are you going to share with us? I will share what I can understand. If you ask me what the theme of Chapters 18 and 19 is, I think the theme should be: All Received Their Inheritance.

The fact that all received their inheritance is something worth pondering. Did these Israelites deserve this land? The Israelites obtained this land because God remembered the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and therefore chose the Israelites. But how was the performance of this group of Israelites? Their performance was barely satisfactory, really quite ordinary. As we read the Book of Joshua, some places feel a bit strange. For example, what does Chapter 18 of the Book of Joshua say? It says something very interesting:

So Joshua said to the Israelites, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? (Joshua 18:3)

God Delights in Proactive People

If we carefully consider this sentence, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? After reading this sentence, you will find that the Israelites are very passive. We will find that the previous chapters talked about Judah and several daughters of the tribe of Manasseh who went to Joshua to fight for their inheritance, including the tribes mentioned earlier. No matter what their method was, they were actively seeking it, including the Ephraimites who also fought for it.

But there are still seven tribes who remained silent. What were they waiting for? Waiting for Joshua to say, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land? In other words, these people are a bit passive. In fact, even though they all received their inheritance, everyone obtained it in a different way.

Actually, as you reflect in the Old Testament Scripture, you will find that the sun shines on good people and bad people alike. God gives grace to good people and bad people alike. No matter who you are, even those who once betrayed Moses and were killed in the wilderness, they all ate the manna in the wilderness. Did they receive grace? Yes, they did, but these people were not pleasing to God.

These seven tribes were very passive. How long would they wait before taking possession? Speaking of being proactive versus being passive, brothers and sisters, I would like to share a few words with you. I think God does not like passive people. From the New Testament to the Old Testament, and from the Old Testament to the New Testament, if you read carefully, I have never seen God liking passive people. Even if you are proactively wrong, it is better than being passive!

For example, in the previous chapter, the Ephraimites went to Joshua and said, We have too few people and too little land. Give us another portion. After arguing back and forth, Joshua's answer was: Go and attack! Cut down the trees on the mountain, open up the wilderness, and attack the people on the plains. Even if they have iron chariots, you will surely be victorious.

But these passive people are almost never pleasing to God. Did they obtain their territory? Yes, they did. Did they obtain the Promised Land? Yes, they did. But why did they obtain it? Not because they were good enough, but because God remembered Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God Blesses the Israelites Because He Remembers Abraham

Brothers and sisters, what kind of mentality should we have when we believe in the Lord? Should we have a passive mentality? No. Should we have a proactive mentality? Yes, we should! Many things are obtained through striving, and what is the result? Striving is always better than not striving.

Do you want to be like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or like these descendants of Abraham in the days of Joshua? Did these descendants obtain the land? Yes, they did. But among these people, how many are recorded in the Bible as thoroughly as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Almost none. Here, only Joshua and Caleb are people who wholeheartedly followed God, so the Bible records more about them.

So, brothers and sisters, do you have such a heart and such thoughts? If we obtain God's promise, just as God made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God also makes a covenant with us, and then we become those who draw upon God's promise, and many people will be blessed because of us. The reason why these Israelites obtained their inheritance is not fundamentally in these Israelites, but the fundamental reason is that there was once an Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because God delighted in them.

In fact, the tribe of Judah obtained their inheritance relatively early, because Caleb and the people of Judah were valiant warriors. The remaining seven passive tribes also obtained it, but it does not feel like something glorious. It is just said that they finally obtained it. It is like what I just said, many people ate manna, but what does that prove? It only proves one thing: God has abundant grace and mercy.

Can we be like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? The grace and mercy obtained are different. Speaking of this, I encourage everyone, can you ponder and think about what kind of person you should be? When I read through the Bible, I often compare myself to it. If you listen to my sharing, I also encourage you to often compare yourself to it, and often reflect on what kind of person you want to be.

If you ask me whether I want to be someone who possesses the land, of course I do, but I would rather be someone through whom many people can possess the land. I often think in my heart that because God remembers me, you can possess the land, and I will become your blessing. In fact, within my family, there are many who have been blessed because of me.

So, brothers and sisters, can you rethink what kind of Christian you want to be? Do you still need someone to remind you to take possession of this land? How long will you delay? This is the characteristic of passive people. In my ministry, I often encounter passive situations. On the surface, it sounds like obedience, but it actually conveys the meaning of passivity. For example: Whatever you ask me to do, I will do. Then you become a slave! In fact, God's children are full of freedom.

We must develop the proactive mentality within us and begin to be people who are after God's heart, people who are pleasing to God! This is a very important theme that I am talking about. Do not think that it is enough if you have received the promise. In fact, many people have received the promise, and many people have eaten manna, which is nothing special. But what kind of person you are is very important.

So, what kind of person should you be? Be a proactive person, be a striving person, do not be a passive, waiting person. And what kind of person should you be? Be someone whom God blesses many people because of you, not someone who receives grace because of others. We ourselves must be the ones who are more pleasing to God.

Offering the Priestly Service to the Lord is Our Inheritance

Chapters 18 and 19 clearly state that the Promised Land has been divided, so who did not receive it? The Levites. Here, it is clearly recorded:

But the Levites have no share among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. (Joshua 18:7)

This passage talked for a long time about how the Levites have no share, no land, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. Did the Levites actually receive anything? We just talked about actively striving, but the Levites did not actively do so, nor did they strive. Joshua said here that the Levites have no share among you, and as a result, the Levites did not say a word, and did not strive at all. Then what is said? Their inheritance is the priestly service of the Lord.

Seeing this, we will ask: Is this acceptable? The priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance, so what about their land? What about their houses? Seeing that others have obtained everything, and everyone has divided the land, what do you think the Levites felt? The Levites must have felt uncomfortable too! This one has obtained, that one has obtained, so what about me? The Lord is our inheritance.

If you are offering the priestly service before the Lord, I tell you that although it is said that you must actively fight for inheriting the land, actively striving is not as good as being a priest of the Lord, because if you are a priest of the Lord, God will take care of your portion for you. So I think that among these Israelites, whether proactive or passive, none can compare to the Levites.

Let me tell you the answer. In fact, later on, did the Levites receive anything? Yes, they did! And they received even more. How is this calculated? It is calculated like this: There are twelve tribes of Israel in total. Except for the tribe of Levi, there are eleven tribes. Each of these eleven tribes took out one-tenth to give to the Levites. In other words, each of these eleven tribes has ten shares, taking out one-tenth and leaving nine shares. The eleven shares taken out by the eleven tribes were given to whom? Given to the Levites.

In other words, according to the average, the Levites received twenty percent more than the Israelites, possibly even more than twenty percent. And what about the priests? The descendants of Aaron received even more. So, this matter is very interesting. The Levites have no share among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance.

So I ask you, do you want to be priests of the Lord God? If we are priests of the Lord God, we have actually jumped out of this proactive and passive situation. Striving or not striving, that is for obtaining the Promised Land. In fact, if you are a priest of the Lord God, if you serve God, your portion does not need to be strived for. God has reserved it for you. Why? Because this is called Mingding Destiny.

This is the Levites, the Levites received a lot!

Be People Who Shoulder Mingding Destiny and Follow God Wholeheartedly

There is also a person named Joshua. In Chapter 19, after everyone had finished dividing, Joshua, as a leader, managed the Israelites. Joshua obtained the city of Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim:

According to the Lord’s command, they gave Joshua the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled in it. (Joshua 19:50)

The Israelites obtained their inheritance and divided up all the land. Everyone has something, but everyone's situation is different. People are really divided into different classes. Which class you want to be in depends on your creation. What kind of person do you want to be? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were they striving for that piece of land? No, they were striving for God's covenant. Did they obtain that piece of land? Yes, they did. Joshua was a person who wholeheartedly followed God. Did he obtain it? Yes, he did, according to the Lord's command.

So, brothers and sisters, what kind of person do you want to be? You can be those descendants of the tribe of Manasseh, Machir's grandson, Gilead's grandson, Hepher's son, Zelophehad's daughters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. You can be such people. But being such people is not as good as being someone like Joshua, not as good as being someone like Caleb, not as good as being a Levite. Do you understand?

I often encourage everyone to be a person with Mingding Destiny. What does that mean? In fact, I am not letting you suffer losses, I am letting you take advantage. How can being a priest of the Lord God be a loss?

Lacking Nothing When Devoting Heart to Loving and Serving God

The Israelites are above all nations on earth. Within Israel, there are Joshua, Caleb, Moses, and going further back, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, occupied a large territory. Who was it because of? Was it not because of Joseph! Should we strive to be like Joseph? Of course, we should.

How wonderful it is to be like Joseph! So we examine and learn how Joseph acted. Some brothers and sisters among us are full of complaints. Some others have just arrived, and I often correct them, as they are filled with grievances about how others have wronged them. I say: Have they sold you into slavery in Egypt? They say no! Then what grievances do you have?

Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt and did not feel aggrieved. Was it hard? Yes, it was! Did he ever think he was unlucky? Yes, he did! But did he discern good and evil? No, he did not! Today, under no circumstances should we discern good and evil. Therefore, the descendants of someone like Joseph occupied two large portions. This is remarkable. Then there are Joshua, Caleb, and the daughters of Zelophehad, along with the Levites. I tell you, if a person serves God and devotes their heart to loving God, they will lack nothing good.

I recently recorded a prayer called Devoting Heart to Loving God, and it went viral. I said that the title Devoting Heart to Loving God is excellent! Some people said that the title should be Devoting Heart to Being Loved by God, but that's not something we can focus on. We can devote ourselves to loving God, but we cannot devote ourselves to being loved by God. We can devote ourselves to giving ourselves away and being a blessing to this land, but it is a little difficult to have others devote themselves to loving us.

So what kind of person should you be? You should be a person who devotes their heart to loving God. I tell you, God knows a person who devotes their heart to loving God. If a person does not love God, they are accursed and damned. Is this serious? What does it mean to devote your heart to loving God? It means giving yourself to God. Many people shed tears when they hear this prayer, and then they begin to pray along, and many diseases are healed.

Recently, I have received several responses. One person wrote back saying: I don't know how it happened, but I couldn't find you anymore. As a result, after praying along with this recording, my illness was healed. I ask you, is it more rewarding to devote your heart to loving God, or to devote your heart to being loved by God? It is more rewarding for those who devote their heart to loving God.

If a person loves God, they will keep and obey God's commands, and they will refuse to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Even if they are whipped, betrayed, or persecuted, they will not care. Such people are those of whom the world is not worthy. If you become someone of whom the world is not worthy, God will surely reserve a portion of earthly blessings for you.

Casting Lots is Governed by God

Therefore, brothers and sisters, after reading chapters 18 and 19 of the Book of Joshua, the promised land has been divided. What is your portion? If your portion is that of the Levites, that is powerful; if your portion is that of Joshua and Caleb, that is also powerful; if your portion is that of Abraham, that is even more powerful!

The twelve tribes of Israel all entered the promised land because God remembered the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In fact, there were many mixed and not particularly good people among the Israelites. Did they receive land? Yes, they did. God! How did you let them receive it? Because God remembered the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

This division of land is very interesting. These people divided the land into seven portions, and then each tribe selected three people, for a total of twenty-one people from the seven tribes, to start drawing maps. After drawing the maps, the land was divided into seven portions. When divided into seven portions, do not think that the portion you divided is yours. There is still a lottery环节 (huánjié - link, phase) . Where did they draw lots? They made it clear that they would take it to Joshua.

Joshua said: I will cast lots for you before the Lord my God. As for the division of portions, did these people have any ulterior motives? Surely they did. Should I divide this portion over there? No, if I divide it over there, what if I draw a small portion? Many people had ulterior motives, but they just didn't say it. But maneuvering is useless. Later, when they drew lots, whatever you drew or didn't draw was determined by God. It depends on your destiny.

What does it mean? It depends on whether you are pleasing to God inside. If you are not pleasing to God inside, then it's interesting. No matter what you do, the portion you get will not be very good. Although it is also a land flowing with milk and honey, there are upper, middle, and lower classes, and different grades. Which lot you draw depends on your destiny. After the lots were drawn and divided, what happened? No one could complain. You drew it, who can you blame? Casting lots is very interesting; it is governed by God.

God Will Raise Up Us Chinese to Be a Blessing to This Generation

Brothers and sisters must know that the borders on earth are drawn by God. The borders that God has drawn for us Chinese are very large! China's borders, with billions of people, are powerful! God, before all ages, has drawn the borders for us Chinese. In fact, the Chinese are more interesting than the Jews. Why? Because some people say: Wherever there are people, there are Chinese.

Although they are now called Chinese, several generations ago they were Chinese. Wherever there is land, no matter what place, you can find Chinese. Don't you think it's very interesting? We Chinese are scattered all over the world. Wherever there are people, there are Chinese. This is what I once heard. Why? Because God will raise up us Chinese in this generation.

I firmly believe that God will raise up the Chinese in this generation. Do you see our Chinese nation becoming stronger and stronger? Why is that? Some people explain it because of this, because of that, but God has a miraculous plan to raise up us Chinese to be a blessing to all nations in this generation.

Borders are drawn by God. Therefore, these borders that God has given us Chinese are truly wonderful! What are we thinking in our hearts? Are we thinking about possessing the land, or are we thinking about something else? I think, if you are thinking about possessing the land, it is better to think more about how to obtain Mingding Destiny. Because hundreds of years ago, God promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and as a result, hundreds of years later, many people obtained this land because of them. So who is better to be? Of course, it is better to be someone like Abraham.

Emulating Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to Become People Pleasing to God

I encourage you to see clearly God's intention. What is God doing? He has divided all the land. What then? In fact, God is doing one thing: God is fulfilling the promise to Abraham because He remembers the covenant He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The tribes that possess the land do so because Abraham is the source of blessing. Therefore, what did God say? God made Abraham a blessing to all nations on earth, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through Abraham. How wonderful is that!

I once gave an analogy. Everyone uses Alipay to pay, and as a result, Alipay is very powerful! Alipay is a payment platform. Every time a payment is made, it skims a little. So long ago, someone said: If you want to get rich, skim off the top of everyone! That's how Alipay skims it. If you want to become a blessing to all nations on earth, you become Alipay. What do you pay? You pay blessings! Blessings are paid out through you, so how much do you receive? Of course, a lot!

If you are a channel of circulation, whether it is a commercial channel or a channel of blessing revealed by God in the Bible, that is a very powerful thing. Therefore, when speaking these words today, we must know what God is doing.

God let the Israelites go in and possess the promised land. The houses were not built by them, the land was not cultivated by them, but they obtained it as their inheritance. Don't you think God is too miraculous? It is quite cruel to the Canaanites, but if it weren't cruel to the Canaanites, how would we obtain it? Therefore, brothers and sisters, if we fight victoriously and obtain God's promises for the sake of gaining benefits, that is troublesome. It is very important that it is so that we can become a blessing to others!

So, in the end, what kind of people should we be? Yes, the promised land has been completely divided, and whether passively or actively, it has been obtained. But are we willing to be above all the nations on earth? Are we willing to be a blessing to all nations on earth? Let us no longer live in a selfish motive, nor live in a state of just wanting God to heal me. What will you do after you are healed? After being healed, you will come again, and then be healed again. After being a little better, you will not know who you are.

I once ministered to a couple who were full of illnesses and many problems. After being ministered to and getting better, they ran out to play again. After playing and returning, the illnesses all came back. What's so fun about that? Today, some of our brothers and sisters are still ministering to them. I feel sad! People only want to enjoy themselves, but in the end, do they enjoy it? No, that is a curse.

If a person only wants to be a blessing to others, it is hard for you not to live well! What kind of person should you be? Be a wise person, remove your eyes from possessing the land, and then begin to emulate Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, becoming people pleasing to God. This is of utmost importance. What are people pleasing to God like? They are people who desire to be a blessing to others.

May God bless everyone!