Jun | 14 | Dan’s refusal of God’s designer clothes

DARE

Dan’s refusal of God’s designer clothes

Joshua 19:47, 48
And the border of the children of Dan went beyond these, because the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem and took it; and they struck it with the edge of the sword, took possession of it, and dwelt in it. They called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. NKJV

Seven of the tribes had still not taken possession of their inheritance. The sent promised-land surveyors had now returned and the set boundaries of firm occupancy had now been set. God was saying: “Go fill the land. Go take your land.” Up to now they had not taken full possession. History would tell us that they would not. Why?

Well, maybe they were frightened? Maybe they were tired of war and conquest, of screaming and of blood? Maybe they were cowards? Maybe they just did not have enough faith and so maybe, they were content to become compromisers? Certainly Israel’s coming near history as portrayed on the book of judges would show them to be the latter. Even so, for now, God’s command and covenant remained sure. “I have given you this land, I am with you, so go in and take possession of it.”

With the Canaanite dooms-day document in his hand, Joshua, through the casting of lots, determined from God which were to be the boundaries of each tribe. Interestingly, it is ‘Desperate Dan,’ who, without any seeming retribution toward him or admonition regarding his actions, breaks out beyond his own allotted boundaries and possesses more than his God given allocation. Why? Because he wanted to? Why? Because he could? Is this the spirit of Caleb manifesting itself in the tribe of Dan? You know, “God is surely with me, so give me this mountain!” Unfortunately, no, it is not. All is not what it appears to be.

Now of course, it is true that Dan found their inheritance too small. Well, when you share your bed with an elephant, of course it is hard to turn over! And that’s just what happened with Dan. The bull elephant of the Amorite valleys said “Hell no! We won’t go!” And they did not: “And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;” Judges 1:34 NKJV. Look now: Dan’s God was big enough to wipe clean the valley floor, however, Dan’s faith in their God and their own measure of fortitude in following His commands were not big enough to possess that which rightfully belonged to them, which, at the end of the day, still lay in the hands of their enemies. This lack of faith squeezed Dan’s shoulders together and so they turned from their God given possession toward some easier pickings.

It seems this ‘lack of faith’ in Dan festered quickly into continual compromise. So much so, that Dan is squeezed into the sea, its commerce and it’s conquest, and so much so, that Dan, some would say, becomes an unsealed and disinherited tribe. Now them without going into the controversies and complexities of the tribe of Dan and its ultimate end, there are two principles of great note for the would be ‘man of faith’:

First of all, remember that in sport, being praised for the winning of a national title is a great thing indeed, but then again, everyone knows you are not the world champion even though you could have been. Yes, it’s good to gain the lesser, but my friend, you have still lost the greater, and everyone knows it. The first principle then is this: Defeat can clothe itself in lesser victories. Yes, settling for less, can be dressed up in some surprisingly good looking clothes.

Secondly, those old sayings of rather of “better being a live donkey than a dead lion,” or of being a “large frog in a smaller pond” are the sayings of the ‘settling for less.’ Dress it up how you will my friends, but ‘getting by’ is how most people live. Now then, look where that has led the church, and God help us, the present Levi stock of shepherds, still earn their money by keeping things just ‘so-so’. Be honest, most of our shepherds are paid to put new springs on our wagon and keep them well oiled. I tell you, you will never hear talk of ‘courage’ from men or girls dressed like men, who settled for less and long, long time ago. Here is the 2nd principle then: Most never the raise the bar higher. Most settle for less than ‘everything’ and those that are ‘shooting high’ are those few that are truly 'counting the cost.' Are you 'counting the cost'?

Look tonight in your personal wardrobe. What kind of clothes are hanging in there? Are they designer labelled or just 'off the rack'? Dare to get 'everything' friends. Dare to follow God’s design for you. Dare to kick out the elephants. Dare!

Listen:- “…..Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:33-40 KJV

Pray: -  Lord, let me not settle for less, but allow me to live this life in the possessed fullness of Your so great promises. Grant me the gift of faith O Lord, and with it courage and strength and perseverance. Whatever the outcome, help me be part of that golden band, ‘of whom the world is not worthy.’ Amen and let it be so.

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