The Land Restored: God’s Promise and Our Hope

 Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 9 -  Thursday

The Land Restored: God’s Promise and Our Hope

The story of Israel is ultimately a story of God’s faithfulness. Even when the people were exiled from the Promised Land, God did not abandon them. Jeremiah 24:6 reminds the Israelites that God would bring them back from captivity, restoring them to their land. Jeremiah 31:16 and Ezekiel 11:17 reiterate this promise, emphasizing that God would gather His scattered people, renew their hearts, and reestablish them in the land He had promised. Ezekiel 28:25 and 37:14 further underline the restoration: God would bring peace, dwell among His people, and make His covenant permanent. Even in exile, God remained sovereign and faithful—a reminder that no circumstance can undo His promises.

The return to the land of Canaan was a physical fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel. Yet Scripture points to a deeper, ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While the land of Canaan provided security and blessing for the Israelites, it could not fully satisfy the longings of the human heart. Jesus is the true Promised Land, the eternal dwelling place of God with His people. In John 14:1–3, He assures His followers that He is preparing a home for us, a place where we will dwell with Him forever. Titus 2:13 points to the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return, and Revelation 21:1–3 paints the glorious picture of a new heaven and a new earth, where God Himself will live with His redeemed people, wiping away every tear.

For Christians today, these promises offer profound hope. We live as pilgrims and sojourners in this world, but our ultimate home is secure. The death and resurrection of Jesus guarantee this hope: through His sacrifice, sin and death are conquered, and the way is opened for us to enter the eternal Promised Land. Just as Israel’s return from exile fulfilled God’s covenant in history, Christ’s resurrection assures us that God will fulfill His ultimate covenant for all who trust Him.

Living in this hope transforms our present. We are called to trust God amid trials, to hold fast to the promise of His presence, and to live in a way that reflects the peace, justice, and joy of His kingdom. Our faith is anchored not in what we see now, but in the certainty of what God has promised and accomplished through Christ.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your unfailing promises and for remaining faithful even when Your people were in exile. Thank You for Jesus, the true fulfillment of the Promised Land, and for the hope of eternal life in Your presence. Help us to live as faithful sojourners, trusting in Your promises and walking in obedience and faith. Strengthen our hearts to persevere, knowing that through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are guaranteed a place in Your eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Jubilee: Rest, Equality, and Generosity

   Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 9 -  Wednesday

The Jubilee: Rest, Equality, and Generosity

The biblical concept of the Jubilee, described in Leviticus 25:1–5 and 8–13, reveals God’s heart for justice, equality, and stewardship. Every fifty years, the Israelites were commanded to observe a Jubilee year—a time when the land rested, debts were forgiven, and property returned to its original owner. This system ensured that no family would be permanently impoverished and that the cycles of debt and exploitation would be broken. It was a tangible reminder that the land ultimately belongs to God (Leviticus 25:23), and that people are called to steward it responsibly.

The Sabbatical year, observed every seventh year, allowed the land itself to rest. Farmers were instructed not to sow or reap as usual, trusting God to provide sustenance. This practice promoted environmental care, reinforced dependence on God, and encouraged generosity, as those in need could freely gather what grew naturally. When observed faithfully, these rhythms of rest and restoration helped maintain social equality, preventing wealth from consolidating in the hands of a few and ensuring that the poorest could survive and thrive.

The Jubilee also carried profound symbolic meaning. The Israelites had once been serfs in Egypt—oppressed, enslaved, and without rights. Now, as landowners in Canaan, they were called to treat one another with compassion and fairness. By returning the land to its original owners and forgiving debts, God reminded them that their privileges were gifts, not personal entitlements. They were to reflect God’s generosity in their dealings with one another.

Sadly, Israel often ignored these commands, exploiting the land and each other, and suffered the consequences. Their experience demonstrates that social injustice and environmental neglect disrupt the harmony God intends. The Sabbath and Jubilee principles offer timeless lessons: in God’s eyes, all humans are equal, and none should be oppressed by greed, accumulation, or exploitation.

For us today, the Sabbath can serve as a spiritual and practical countermeasure to modern consumerism. Taking time to rest, reflect, and share freely interrupts the cycles of overwork, accumulation, and debt that dominate many societies. Observing Sabbath principles cultivates generosity, gratitude, and dependence on God rather than material wealth. It is a reminder that we are caretakers, not owners, of the blessings we receive—and that our lives gain true meaning when we honor God and seek justice for all.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the wisdom of Your law and the principles of Sabbath and Jubilee. Teach us to live as faithful stewards of Your blessings, sharing generously with those in need. Help us resist the pull of greed and consumerism, and guide us to create communities of fairness, equality, and compassion. May we rest in Your provision, trust Your guidance, and honor Your kingdom in every area of our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Challenge of the Land: Stepping into God’s Inheritance

 Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 9 -  Tuesday

The Challenge of the Land: Stepping into God’s Inheritance

The Promised Land was a gift—a tangible expression of God’s faithfulness and covenant love. Yet receiving that gift did not mean that Israel’s journey was suddenly effortless. Joshua 13:1–7 reveals a crucial truth: even after years of conquest, “very much of the land remains to be possessed.” Joshua, now old, is reminded by God that unfinished territory still awaits Israel’s claim. The gift was real, but possessing it required perseverance, obedience, and continued dependence on God.

The challenges extended far beyond Joshua 13. Chapters 13–21 record the slow, careful distribution of tribal allotments—geographical boundaries, cities, and territories that each tribe was to settle. But each allotment came with obstacles. Some territories still housed strongholds of Canaanite resistance. Other areas required Israel to trust God to dislodge nations stronger than themselves. Certain tribes hesitated or failed to drive out the inhabitants completely, leading to later spiritual and social struggles (as hinted in Joshua 15:63; 16:10; 17:12–13). God had given the land, but Israel still had to step into it with faith and action.

Even within the Promised Land, the people faced the ongoing work of building homes, planting fields, organizing cities, and establishing worship centers. Possessing the promise was not passive—it stretched their courage, tested their unity, and deepened their reliance on God’s presence.

Christians today face a similar spiritual reality. Salvation is a gift, fully given through Jesus Christ. Yet living out this salvation involves growth, endurance, and partnership with God. Paul captures this balance in Philippians 2:12 when he urges believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” He is not suggesting we earn salvation, but that we cooperate with the grace already given, allowing God to shape our character day by day.

Hebrews 12:28 offers another parallel: we are receiving “a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” The kingdom is ours by promise, yet we must live faithfully within it, resisting sin, pursuing holiness, and holding fast to Christ amid pressures, temptations, and spiritual battles. Just like Israel, we often find that God’s promises come with challenges that refine us and strengthen our trust.

In our daily walk, “occupying the land” means claiming God’s promises through prayer, obedience, and perseverance. It means confronting habits, fears, or spiritual strongholds that linger in our lives. It means moving forward even when the territory ahead is unfamiliar or intimidating. Just as Israel gradually grew into their inheritance, so believers grow into the fullness of God’s calling.

But the assurance remains: the God who gave the land is the God who empowers us to possess it. His faithfulness, not our strength, secures the victory. Our part is to step forward in trust, believing that the One who begins His work in us will bring it to completion.

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Prayer

Lord God,
Thank You for the gift of salvation and the promises You freely give. Like Israel, we often find challenges standing between us and the fullness of Your blessings. Give us courage, faith, and perseverance to move forward, trusting You in every struggle. Help us work out our salvation with humility, knowing that You are the One who works in us both to will and to do Your good pleasure. Strengthen us to live faithfully in the kingdom we are receiving. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Land as a Gift: Living as Heirs of a Greater Promise

   Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 9 -  Monday

The Land as a Gift: Living as Heirs of a Greater Promise

The Promised Land stands at the heart of Israel’s story—a reminder that God not only delivers His people from bondage but also leads them into blessing. When God spoke to Moses in Exodus 3:8, He described Canaan as a “good and spacious land,” a place of abundance offered as a gift to a people who had known only the oppression of Egypt. This land was not a trophy for their merit; it was an expression of God’s covenant love.

Yet the relationship between God, Israel, and the land was unique. Leviticus 20:22 warns Israel that remaining in the land required obedience; sin would defile the land and jeopardize their place in it. Leviticus 25:23 makes this relationship even clearer: “The land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.” In other words, Israel were tenants, not ultimate owners. God remained the true Landlord, and Israel’s occupancy was a privilege grounded in covenant loyalty.

Numbers 13:27 highlights the fruitfulness of God’s gift—“a land flowing with milk and honey.” Yet possessing this land required faith. Deuteronomy 4:1 urges Israel to listen to God’s statutes so they might “go in and possess the land.” Later, Moses warned in Deuteronomy 4:25–26 that turning to idolatry would threaten their inheritance. Even in Deuteronomy 6:3, the promise of prosperity is linked with heeding God’s voice.

Psalm 24:1 then places everything in perspective: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” Israel never owned Canaan in an absolute sense. They were stewards of God’s land, called to reflect His character and live in covenant relationship with Him.

The contrast between Israel’s slavery in Egypt and their freedom in Canaan is profound. In Egypt they were property; in Canaan they became landholders—not because they earned it, but because God redeemed them. Their identity changed from oppressed laborers to heirs of divine promise.

For Christians today, especially in the light of 1 Peter 2:11 and Hebrews 11:9–13, the idea of living as strangers and sojourners carries deep spiritual meaning. Peter reminds believers that this world is not our ultimate home. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in tents because they trusted in a greater homeland—the “city whose designer and builder is God.” They embraced God’s promises even though they did not yet see the fullness of them.

Personally, this truth calls me to hold earthly things lightly. I am reminded that every blessing I enjoy is God’s gift, not my possession. Like the patriarchs, I journey forward in faith, knowing that my true inheritance is not tied to a geographical place but to God’s eternal kingdom. Living as a sojourner means refusing to anchor my identity in temporary things. It means walking with expectation, trusting that the God who guided Israel to Canaan is leading me toward the New Earth—a place more glorious than anything this world offers.

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Prayer

Father in Heaven,
Thank You for the reminder that every good thing comes from You. As You gave Israel the Promised Land, so You offer us an eternal inheritance through Christ. Teach us to live as faithful stewards and hopeful sojourners, fixing our eyes on the city You have prepared. Keep our hearts loyal, our steps steady, and our faith strong as we journey toward Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Eden and Canaan: Living as Heirs of God’s Promises

  Lessons of Faith from Joshua - Sabbath School Lesson 9 -  Sunday

Eden and Canaan: Living as Heirs of God’s Promises

The story of Eden and the story of Canaan frame the human experience—from the world we lost to the world God promises to restore. In Genesis 2:15, God placed Adam and Eve in the garden “to tend and keep it.” Eden was not merely a home; it was an environment where fellowship with God was unhindered and where labor was joyful, meaningful, and free from pain. But after the Fall (Genesis 3:17–24), the first human couple experienced a dramatic shift in their living space. The ground that had once readily yielded abundance would now resist them with “thorns and thistles.” Their work would be marked by toil, sweat, frustration, and limitation. Worst of all, they were driven out from the garden—exiled from the place where they walked with God.

This loss of Eden becomes a theological backdrop for the promise of Canaan. When God spoke to Abram in Genesis 13:14–15, He offered land once again—land that Abram would not fully possess in his lifetime, but which symbolized God’s intention to restore His people and bring them into a place of inheritance. Isaac heard the same promise in Genesis 26:3 and again in verse 24. Jacob received it in Genesis 28:13. The patriarchs embraced the promise even though they lived as strangers in tents. Hebrews 11 tells us that they welcomed the promises from afar because they believed God’s word more than their immediate circumstances.

To the patriarchs, the land was not simply real estate; it was a covenant sign. It was the assurance that God had not abandoned humanity to exile and wandering. Just as Eden was a gift, so Canaan would be a gift—granted by grace, not earned by human merit.

As Adventists, Hebrews 6:11–15 speaks directly to us: we are “heirs of the promises.” Like Abraham, we are called to patience, faithfulness, and endurance. Salvation is a gift just as the Promised Land was—freely given, rooted in God’s covenant love, and secured by Christ alone. Paul reminds us that we are saved “by grace…through faith” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Yet this grace calls us to a faith that perseveres. The gift is real, but we must cling to it. Jesus Himself taught that those who endure to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13). Our faithfulness does not earn salvation; it simply holds on to the gift so generously provided.

Living as heirs means we journey with purpose. We are not home yet, but we walk toward a restored Eden, a new earth where God dwells with His people. The patriarchs lived in tents because they knew Canaan pointed beyond itself. In the same way, we hold lightly to this world, trusting God to keep His promises and guide us toward His eternal kingdom.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the promise that what was lost in Eden will one day be restored. Teach us to walk in faith as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did. Help us cherish the gift of salvation, holding to it with patient endurance and joyful obedience. Strengthen our hearts to trust Your promises and to live each day as heirs of Your grace. Lead us toward the better land You have prepared for Your people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.