Scripture
14The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”
15“If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.” 16The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” 17But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment 18but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.” Joshua 17:14-17
Observation
The people of Joseph weren’t the only ones who were waiting for The Promised Land to be handed to them on a silver platter. Joshua 18 shows us this attitude of entitlement was pervasive, “there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. 3So 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?” They had all been on this journey together. They had seen with their own eyes the God who split the Jordan tore down the walls of Jericho and made the sun stand still in the sky. God was doing His part and the people needed to do their part. God would fight with them but He wasn’t going to do the fighting for them. Yet, even after all of these victories, maybe because of all these victories, the people of Joseph expected special treatment. Even in their own words, while they bragged on how big they were, they acknowledged “the Lord has blessed us abundantly.” They wanted some land they didn’t have to deforest. They wanted some land that didn’t have enemies with iron wheels. They wanted something that required little to no work on their part. Joshua, being the discerning leader that he is, called them on their entitlement and repeated their very own words back to them, “You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment 18but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.” In other words, “What are you waiting for? God has given it to you, but you have to take it. Can you see the forest for the trees? Have you lost your vision that will lead you to victory? Can you picture the cities of the future generation that benefit later for your hard work now? Steal your will to fight the steel wheels. Lift up your sword against the Canaanites and You will find God fighting right by your side. Don’t compare your fight with someone else’s. This is the battle God has called you to so quit putting it off and start pressing on.”
Application
Entitlement started in the Garden of Eden and has been going strong ever since. The Devil said to Adam and Eve, “You deserve to be like God. He is holding out on you.” When we are en- titled it’s about my title not God’s title- "what I deserve" not "where to serve". The dictionary defines entitlement as, “the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something. The feeling or belief that you deserve to be given something (such as special privileges).” Entitlement offers a short cut to sacrifice. We have been buying into this lie for most of our lives, “You deserve it easier. You deserve it better. Why should you have to wait? You can have all this.” This entitlement mindset was seen in the people of Joseph and, if we are honest, most of us have been walking in entitlement too. We often blame the Millennials for being entitled but they had to learn it somewhere right? If this Covid-19 Pandemic has done anything, it’s revealed how entitled I’ve been living. I, like many of you possibly, have reacted negatively to the shutting down of our consumer culture. Wait? I can’t gather with the Saints on Sunday? Wait? They closed down the beaches? Wait? My kids aren’t going back to school? I feel, at times, like Violet the spoiled brat in the red dress in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. In the face of all of this waiting I’m shouting “I want it now Daddy!” As American’s, we are having to say “no” to “what I deserve” and learning to say “yes” to “where can I serve”. As a people of faith we are being called back to our roots, living a life of sacrifice. We are learning again to be content in Christ whether we have much or little. Yes, we are facing a forest of issues before us including the tanking economy. We are facing the steel wheels of a virus threatening to roll right over all we know and love. But, if this is the funeral dirge of entitlement, then it’s also the resurrection song of hope that rises through restored humility. Churches large and small are now figuring out how to reach people together. Size no longer matters, serving does! We aren’t going to stand back with arms crossed saying, “This isn’t fair”! Instead, we are going to look for ways to serve our fellow man and take back some ground in a culture that saw Christians as largely irrelevant. Can we be a people of vision like Joshua and see what will be just on the other side of these trees and steel wheels?
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for my entitlement and pride. I lay down my rights and take up Your Cross. Give me the vision to see what life can be like on the other side of this shut down so I can serve that purpose right here and right now. This is not about me. It’a all about what You are doing in me and around me. Forgive me for all the things I took for granted that have, at least for the time being, been taken away. Let me learn the lesson of humility and never let entitlement rise again.
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