From the early chapters of Genesis, God has been promising a land of their own to His people, the Jews. He also promised to remove their enemies (who would be in the land) from before them and to cause the fear of them to make their enemies to flee before them.
Reading these types of passages in the Hebrew Bible, one could get the idea that conquering this land would be straightforward, but when God promised the land to them, they had a part in possessing it.
They had to battle. They had to crush idols and kill every idolatrous thing in their path–even items of great value. They had to rely on God for their support.
It is the same for us. The promised land and God’s people taking possession of the promised land is a picture of the abundant life God promises to all of His children.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Jesus is promising the abundant life to us, but we have a part in it.
We must take possession of the land God is giving us. We must walk in the paths He has laid for us. We must not trust in riches or the treasures of pagans. We must not trust in the chariots or horses of our fallen enemies. We must trust only in God–Maker of Heaven and Earth.
Rooted and Grounded 