A Mosaic Call to Fearlessness: Part 2

In the first installment of this three-part series, we reflected upon Deuteronomy 3:1-22, in which the Lord reminds Joshua that He is fighting their battles for them. And this resonates with us because we love kings that lead from the front. We love Leonidas. We love Theoden. We love Aragorn. We love kings like Gustavus Adolphus, a protestant who died to keep other protestants free from catholic rule. We love King David. We love them because they lead from the front and fight for their people.

The fact that the Lord God fights our battles puts within us fearlessness. This fearlessness is born out of knowing and trusting the Lord leads us into blessings. For example, it is a blessing to wake up and walk with the Lord in faithfulness. It is a blessing to fight with Him in battle instead of wandering in the wilderness.

But as we look at Deuteronomy 3, there is a second blessing that we might miss if we fear the world instead of God: the fruitfulness from fighting for the Lord. An American businessman once said that winners do what needs to be done, and they do it until the job gets done, and then they get to sit back and enjoy the fruit of their labor. And while the job of being faithful to the Lord is never completely done until He calls us home to glory, because of His grace, at times we can experience and enjoy the fruitfulness that comes from a life lived under the hand of God. And in Deuteronomy 3, there are three aspects of the fruitfulness that we receive from the hand of God.

In verses 7–10, we see a partial description of the land that was taken. The men and their families were beginning to enjoy the spoils of war and the richness of the land; Og’s plateau that was lush, and the soil was rich. As for the rest of the land, it was mostly rich pastureland. According to McConville, Bashan was renowned in the ancient world for wealth and fertility. The cattle there were known to be well-marbled creatures. And the land also had a river and an impressive oak forest.

Now, I want to be careful here, because I wholeheartedly reject the prosperity gospel. I don't think that it is guaranteed that following Jesus equates with riches and ease. But I do believe that where faithful Christianity thrives, people and institutions are positively impacted in almost every way, even economically. It doesn't make everyone wealthy, but Christianity is like a rising tide that raises all ships.

But without a doubt, the fruitfulness of following the Lord is that disaster does not feel as hopeless as it does for those who are not faithful. Consider the joy and cheerfulness of the English martyr Latimer who said, “Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle in England as I trust shall never be put out.” Those are the words of man being burned at the stake! What is going on there? God produced the fruit of joy in the heart of that faithful man. 

Second, in Deuteronomy 3, we see the blessing of a home finally realized. We see the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh take possession of the land allotted for them—it’s their home. And you could imagine what a blessing this would be. The fruitfulness of their obedience as a generation was quickly being realized. Their parents’ generation was so close. But they chose fear of man instead of fear of the Lord, so they missed out on the fruitfulness of this land. 

All the details and descriptions of the various landmarks are a testament that God is delivering to them what He promised. The Lord is a promise keeping God, but what does this mean for us? Well, in Christ, we are all headed for the New Jerusalem above. We are headed for blessing in that heavenly house, a blessing prepared for us by Jesus Himself. One day, that home will be full and finally realized for all the Elect of God.

Third, we see in this passage that noteworthy fruitfulness is recognized (vv. 14-15). In team sports, we win championships as a team, but there's usually an MVP. Verse 14 describes a descendant of Joseph from the tribe of Manasseh who is particularly noteworthy in the fight to take possession of the land for his tribe. God saw fit both in Numbers and in Deuteronomy to make note of Jair’s contribution as an individual.

And in verse 15, we see a noteworthy clan within the tribe of Manasseh who were given the area known as Gilead. Machir was a grandson of Joseph and his descendants are collectively called by his name. What a dream come true for Joseph. He didn’t live to see it,but how fitting is it that the man who led Israel to survive a famine in a foreign land now has descendants leading the charge into the land of Promise.

Maybe our team wins, and we receive notoriety. Maybe our business is successful, but we don’t get singled out by anyone for our contribution. Maybe the best we can do is be a role player. But if our best effort is that of a captain or stand-out performer, don’t we owe that to others? We certainly owe that to God. As Paul tells us in Colossians, “We work heartily unto the Lord, and not man.”

Our role in fruitfulness is diligence to the task in front of us. But only God can make things grow. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to fearlessly put our hand to the plow and put one foot in front of the other by faith. So be as faithful and as obedient as you know how to be and let the fruitfulness be as God wills it.

Nate Xanders is the pastor of Christ the King Church (PCA) in Louisville, TN and serves as an editor for Reforming Men.