The Promised Land Part 1
The Promised Land Part 1
Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Joshua 1:1-9
The Promised Land series begins with the story of Israel arriving at the border of Canaan after centuries of waiting. From Abraham’s calling, through Egypt and the Exodus, to Moses’ final instructions at Sinai, this opening message traces the long arc that leads to Joshua 1 where God commissions Joshua to lead the people into the land.
At the heart of the message is a question that will return throughout the series: What kind of people can actually possess the Promised Land? The answer Israel is given, and the answer we are still receiving, is people committed to unwavering covenant loyalty to Yahweh, who love him with heart, soul, and strength.
The message also offers a lens for reading what comes next. The stories of conquest in Joshua do not tell us how God’s power works in all circumstances. They describe how power worked in the Ancient Near East. God’s plan was never conquest or domination, but transformation. Israel and the Promised Land are not the final project. They are part of a much larger movement toward the renewal of all creation.