I have a book entitled How to Read the Boring Parts of the Bible.  That almost seems sacrilegious, doesn’t it?  Who would put into print a book that seems to offend God like this?!  That seems awful.  But let’s be honest: how many of you have ever struggled with reading the Bible because in your mind you were say, “O my goodness how boring!??  If you are honest, you will admit it.  I put kids in cabins to sleep at church camp by reading Leviticus.  It will put anyone to sleep.  I mean, Larry McDowell is gone already! 

What do you suppose is the purpose of Scripture anyway?  Let me give you some general guidelines for how to understand Scripture.

Some of it records a storyline that we all need to know.  This is largely in narrative form.  It is a fascinating story that takes in history and intrigue and is full of anecdotes that put forth morals and guidelines for life.  Usually, these are our favorite parts.

Some of it provides details that are vital for a particular time period.  While Leviticus and its intricate detail about how to kill a calf and where to put his blood and what parts to eat and what parts to burn up are quite laborious, if you were the Israelites then, you know you need to know.  As for now, while it seems ancient, these parts help us appreciate the demands on them and they can sometimes offer us lessons in the form of types for today.  This is what Hebrews does with it.

Some of it contains reflections from characters within the stories which provide us glimpses of the point of view of humanity.  This would cover the psalms and lamentations and other such literature.  This is valuable in that we can experience life in similar ways and find their writings quite helpful.

Some of it simply wants to leave a record of what was done, even if that record becomes irrelevant.  For example, not all of the Bible is inspired in the same way.  Consider the words of Satan or the words of the blind man in John 9.  Are their insights “inspired? like the words of Jesus are?  No.  Another example is our text for today.  The huge section we are ending in Joshua is simply an outline of what tribes got what land.  Reading this is like reading land abstracts from the 1800s, which is mundane and detailed but which has nothing to do with anything now.

However.  This is a big word.  However.  The records themselves are no longer legitimate as far as a claim on the land.  But something is vitally important about them.  Let me share with you the final word God places on the land distribution.

The people were able to stop fighting and start living.  After all the years of sojourning as strangers, they were at peace at home.  The promise of God was complete.

Not one of their enemies withstood them; they Lord handed all their enemies over to them.

God promised them victory over the Hittites and Amorites and Jebusites.  God has completed his promise.

Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Here is the first point of all the boring, elaborate details we have been given.  All these place names and geographical markers are part of the ancient promise that God made to Abraham.  That promise that kept Israel together and gave them a purpose for existence is now in their hands.  I don’t want a line item list of everything I received for Christmas since I was 2.  But there is value in reviewing the memories.  They tell me that I am loved and any promise made about particular items were carried out.  In this sense, the Christmas season is important for reasons beyond the actual gifts themselves.  God wanted to make it crystal clear that he had done all he promised to do.  He gave names and assigned areas and listed boundaries in an effort to show without doubt that he had completely fulfilled his promises.  What this section tells us is that God is very serious about keeping his promises.  Every single promise made he kept. It is in itself tells us two things.

First, look at the promises made.  He made promises that were just and fair and right.  He makes promises that guard his character.  Take the city of refuge–he promised that people unjustly hunted down have a place to go for protection.  He is concerned about justice.  Look at the promise to Caleb–he would have to wander in the wilderness along with the entire group, but it is only right to reward Caleb for his faithfulness.  Look at the promise to Zelophad’s daughters–Numbers 27.  God makes a promise in order to protect what is right.  God makes promises to secure what is right and just.  He expects unity from his people, making sure that everyone is viewed as important.  They are all important to God and they will be treated right.

But he also makes promises to bless his people.  He promised this land to Abraham because he wanted to bless Abraham.  He didn’t deserve it and he didn’t ask for it.  But God wanted to bless his people.  He made the promise of rest just to benefit the people in whom he delighted.  They didn’t deserve it and they sure didn’t maintain it.  He simply offers a promise to bless them as his people.

These two characteristics of God’s promises provide a pattern for us.  We need to praise him for his blessings (promise of forgiveness and forgetfulness) and we need to emulate his sense of justice and fairness toward all.  By the way, any promises you make to people need to be consistent with your character as well. 

Second, when God makes a promise he keeps it.  He is a God of his word.  There are some things God cannot do.  Among them: he cannot lie, he cannot deny himself, he cannot go back on a promise.  So if God tells us something, you can know it is true.  Where else do you get a guarantee like that?

It is in this vein that God makes it clear by example in the Old Testament and by direct command in the New Testament that he never expects his people to make an oath.  But if they make an oath, he definitely makes them keep it.  The most radical example of this is Jephthah.  If you say something, DO IT.

For us, so many years later, there is another message to be gained from this passage.  There is an obvious stress on the idea that all the promises God made to Israel were now completely fulfilled.  There was nothing left that God owed them.  What does that mean?

There is no longer a particular geographical location or racial group who are “the people of God.?  God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 15, made it specific in Joshua 1, and here he declares the promise fulfilled.  He did not make a perpetual land promise to Israel and all his promises were conditional upon faithfulness.  Israel is not the nation of God and the land of Israel or Palestine is not the promised land, nor is it the land that belongs to Israel by divine right.  God has no special interest in that real estate today. 

This has political and religious implications.  Our politicians do not need to protect the land of Israel as though they were protecting the land for when Jesus returns for the 1000 year reign.  We do not need to fear everything that happens there, as though the end of the world begins with conflict in Israel.  We need to recognize that the only promises remaining are spiritual promises–to bless those who are faithful and to punish those who are not.  And just as in the past, we can know even before it happens, that God will see to it that these promises are kept.

So we conclude this boring section, having labored through all the place names and populations listings.  But we dare never to lightly view the significance of what these details communicate.  God is faithful.  God keeps his promises.  We serve a God who is able to make promises and he is able to see them through.

In December an overcrowded ferry in Indonesia sank in the sea.  Over 600 people had to do something to survive.  One man named Suyatno spent four days at sea, clinging to his 6 year old son.  When he was rescued, he simply said, “I was weak, but I never let go of my boy.?  His wife apparently perished, but he saved his son.

God doesn’t make us promises that we will never experience loss or catastrophe or failed health or death.  But he does promise his people one thing above all: I will never let you go.  And that is a promise we can know he will keep.

New the significance of what these details communicate.  God is faithful.  God keeps his promises.  We serve a God who is able to make promises and he is able to see them through.

In December an overcrowded ferry in Indonesia sank in the sea.  Over 600 people had to do something to survive.  One man named Suyatno spent four days at sea, clinging to his 6 year old son.  When he was rescued, he simply said, “I was weak, but I never let go of my boy.?  His wife apparently perished, but he saved his son. 

God doesn’t make us promises that we will never experience loss or catastrophe or failed health or death.  But he does promise his people one thing above all: I will never let you go.  And that is a promise we can know he will keep.