Claiming Christ's Dominion

These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land. 

(Joshua 14:1)

As Israel came into the Promised Land, God was giving them the land that he had promised them. Therefore, their conquest of the land was carried out with the confidence that this is God's land, and he has given it to us.

As we come to the New Testament Era, in a similar way, Christ declares his authority and ownership of the land and calls us to the ministry of conquest.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

(Matthew 28:18)

Christ's land is much larger than just the Promised Land because his dominion extends to all earth at all times. The extent of his land though gives us confidence in missions that wherever we go and whomever we encounter, that we have the authority and the right to proclaim the gospel to them and to call them to be reconciled to Christ. The New Testament makes clear that the weapons of our conquest are different than those in the book of Joshua, but the promise, authority, and confidence that Christ gives us build on that Old Testament picture. Let us obey in confidence.