Author: Calleen Hough

My Inheritance

An inheritance in something you get whether you want it or not, deserve it or not, and in one sense, you could say that it is an entitlement, something you have coming to you. An inheritance is a possession, property that is owned by one person and transferred to another. When my dad died four years ago, he had several properties in Oklahoma that my brothers and sister and I inherited. All of us lived in Southern California at the time, so it was very difficult for us to take possession of the properties. My dad died suddenly and did not have time to put his affairs in order and there was no will to state how the land was to be distributed. As a result, the properties are still tied up and none of us has received any money from our inheritance.

In Joshua 16:4 it says, “so the children of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, took their inheritance.” This means that they actually went in and took possession of it, they began to occupy the land that belonged to them.

One of the cities the children of Joseph inherited was Beth-el, formerly known as the city of Luz. When Jacob was sick and close to death, he told Joseph about his encounter with God at Luz. “And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared to unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me” (Gen 48:3).

Jacob’s encounter with God takes place in a dream while he is traveling from Beer-sheba to Haran to escape his brother Esau after he has tricked him out of his inheritance, the blessing that was first given to Abraham, passed on to his father Jacob, and then belonged to him. It was the blessing of Abraham that entitled the children of Jacob to inherit the land of Israel. In his dream, God says to Jacob, “And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all the places wither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land: for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (Gen 28:15).

My dad lived in Oklahoma when he was a child. His family moved to California when he was around eight years old as a result of the loss of their farm due to a family crisis. My grandparents became sharecroppers, which meant they no longer owned the land, but were able to continue farming.

The situation of the Israelites in Egypt was similar to my dad’s family in that their basic needs were always met, but they could never seem to get far enough ahead to return to their homeland and start over. It wasn’t until my dad was nearly 70 that he decided to sell everything and return to the place that his ancestors had called home.

Something that we inherit that we may not realize is our family culture. Now you may be thinking that a culture cannot be inherited because it is not something you possess, but in a way culture is more tangible than you think. Culture can exist in a building, in clothes, and in the haircut a person chooses. Elvis Presley, a famous singer in the 50’s and 60’s had a hairstyle that was copied by thousands of young men that wanted to present a particular image of themselves. The Beatles wore a type of clothing that when copied by their followers, ushered in a whole new way of life for young people in the United States. It was known as the hippie age.

Gilead, the descendant of Manasseh, Joseph’s first born son, was known as a man of war, therefore, he inherited a portion of land that was suitable for a warrior. It was kind of like giving a set of tools to a carpenter. Gilead’s inheritance matched his identity, his way of life, and his destiny.

One of the reasons I believe my dad returned to Oklahoma and purchased land before he died was so that he could relink his children to their ancestry, the heritage that he tried to pass along to us. My dad was a Native American. His father came from the Chickasaw tribe. The Chickasaw fought against the U.S. government and refused to be registered when a law was passed that required all Indians to be registered so that they could be treated as U.S. citizens. My dad refused to pay taxes and went to great lengths to remain anonymous in  eyes of the U.S. government. The interesting thing about it was that my dad was a veteran and was very proud that he served in the military. It didn’t always make sense, but my dad used to say to us, you’re a Hough, and a Hough…whatever lesson he was trying to teach us was always put in the context of our family name, as if our whole identity was wrapped up in the family we came from.

Not every child wants to follow in his parent’s footsteps. The desire for independence and the ability to make choices for oneself is a natural human tendency. Even though the Promised Land had been conquered, it was not all being occupied by the Israelites. “And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are you slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?” (Joshua 18:3).

In my case, the reason why I haven’t moved to Oklahoma and began to occupy any of the properties that belong to me and my siblings is because I don’t want to be an Oklahoman. I have lived in Southern California almost all my life. I feel I belong here and my current lifestyle, which includes spending a lot of time at the beach, will not be able to be maintained if I move to Oklahoma. I definitely think it matters where you live and I like where I am living right now.

One of the problems we had shortly after my dad died was people occupying his properties that didn’t belong there. As soon as word got out that he had died, most of his tenants stopped paying rent. Some of his properties got trashed and abandoned  leaving them open to vandalism. Because none of us kids were willing to occupy my dad’s land, it was determined that it would have to be sold.

My Hero

Sometimes victories come quickly, perhaps overnight, life suddenly changes. Other times, the battle rages on for years, maybe even decades with no end in sight. What I think God wants us to realize is that he is in control and his timing is perfect. He does not make things easy because he wants us to trust him.

Joshua 12:24 – 13:1 puts the Israelites’ conquests into a proper perspective. Although 31 kings had already been conquered, Joshua tells them, “there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Joshua 13:1). It was a good news, bad news scenario of sorts because the acknowledgement of what had already been accomplished would help to strengthen the people’s resolve to keep fighting until all their enemies were defeated.

I think Caleb is one of the unsung heroes of the Bible that has not received the recognition due him because of the vast amount of attention given to Joshua. Caleb was the representative of the tribe of Judah that was sent to spy out the Promised Land when the Israelites first reached its borders after their Exodus from Egypt. Caleb’s attitude differed from the majority of the men that spent 40 days looking over the lay of the land. Caleb was not intimidated by the strong men, large cities, or high walls he saw. His advice to the people was, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Num 13:30).

Even though Caleb’s entry into the Promised Land was delayed 40 years, his positive attitude was not diminished. When it came time to distribute their inheritance, Caleb proclaimed:

Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land…and now low I am this day fourscore and five years (85) old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me…Now therefore give me this mountain whereof the LORD spoke in that day. (Joshua 14:7, 10-12)

Hebron, the mountain Caleb is referring to, is the place Abraham first dwelt after God promised to give him all the land north, south, east, and west of Canaan. You could say Caleb’s occupation of Hebron brought things full-circle, God’s faithfulness was now evident to everyone. The cave Abraham purchased as a burial place for Sarah was located in Hebron. Isaac and Esau lived in Hebron and Jacob returned there after spending 20 years in Haran with his uncle Laban, so the family’s history was closely tied to this location.

Hebron was also pivotal later in the establishment of God’s kingdom. The first seven years of David’s reign were in the land of Hebron. His inauguration in Hebron may well have been a peak moment in Israel’s history. It says in 1 Chronicles 12:30, “All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.”

The explanation given for Caleb receiving Hebron as his inheritance is “because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel” (Joshua 14:14). One of the definitions of the word translated followed is stayed behind (310). This may make sense to followers of Jesus Christ because he once walked on the earth, but for Caleb, who followed someone he had never seen, this was a remarkable accomplishment.

Although Caleb’s conquest of Hebron was an important victory for the tribe of Judah, it did not completely secure the area that they were meant to inherit. In particular, the city that would eventually become their capital, Jerusalem was compromised. “As for the Jebusites the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day” (Joshua 15:63).

Eventually, David would gain control of Jerusalem and build his palace there, but even his military strength was not enough to drive out the people that were a continual stumbling block to the Israelites. David’s own life was compromised when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and his daughter Tamar was raped by her half-brother Amnon. So, the question that comes to my mind is, why could they not drive them out? If God was on their side, why did the Israelites not get the victory over these people as they did over the inhabitants of Jericho?

It does not say in the Bible why they could not drive them out, it just says that the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Judah. When Jesus was on the earth, one of the things he did was to cast out demons and he gave his disciples the ability to do it also. On one occasion, a man brought his son to Jesus’ disciples and asked them to cast out the demon that possessed him. It talks about this in Luke 9:40. “And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.” Jesus’ response may provide some insight into why his disciples power was limited. “And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, now long shall I be with you and suffer you?…And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father” (Luke 9:41-42). What Jesus is saying is that they were not really Believers, they were unconverted.

The concept of being born again is one that has never really been understood. It only makes sense to those that have experienced it. When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells inside the person. It is what some people refer to as having Jesus in your heart. The Holy Spirit is the source of a Believer’s power. It is his presence inside of us that makes it possible for us to do miraculous things. The key to receiving the Holy Spirit is belief. “Jesus said to him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

Be not afraid

And the LORD said unto Joshua, be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire. (Joshua 11:6)

The word translated hough in this passage, âqar (aw – kar´) means to pluck up by the roots. Aqar also means to hamstring or figuratively, to exterminate, so the idea here is to render something useless. When I was a child, my dad taught me that in order to ensure that a weed would not grow back, you had to pull up the root along with the rest of the plant or you would be continually weeding your garden. Even though it took a little extra time, it would be better to get all of it the first time, then to have to month after month come back and weed the garden.

One of the reasons the inhabitants of the Promised Land had to be destroyed utterly or exterminated “was to be a security against idolatry and demoralization on the part of Israel” (2763). The Canaanites were a corrupt people, beyond redemption in regards to their immoral behavior Their decision to come against Israel in battle was really their undoing, it led them to judgment and punishment for their sins.

I don’t necessarily like being the instrument God uses to root out sin in other people’s lives, but I understand that God’s divine protection and assurance of victory makes the battle worthwhile. Like Joshua, I do not have to be afraid because the outcome has already been determined and will be in my favor.

The longest day of my life

Turning points are sometimes marked by unique or unusual events that cause them to stand out in our minds many years after the transition is complete. The turning point in the development of the nation of Israel may have come when they defeated five of their most formidable enemies in a single day.

The day the Israelites killed the five kings of the Amorites was not just a day like any other day. On that day “the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day” (Joshua 10:13). You could say the day the Israelites avenged themselves was the longest day ever. It says in Joshua 10:14 “there was no day like that day before it or after it.”

The longest day of my life was the day I overdosed on sleeping pills. After being rushed to the hospital and having my stomach pumped, I was told that I would not be allowed to fall asleep that night. I was placed in a bed that had bright lights shining directly into my face. The nursing staff checked on me frequently and made sure I understood that I was not to close my eyes.

What I didn’t know until later was that I was in a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit because my heart was beating erratically and all of my bodily functions had shut down. In a way, you could say I was already as good as dead and for sure my life was hanging in the balance. There was a good chance I would not make it through the night.

I can’t say I was fighting for my life because the desire to live was still not in me, but I do believe the Lord was fighting for me. In the unseen spiritual realm, there are battles going on all the time. That night, I know there was a struggle between the Lord and Satan and Satan was defeated once and for all, he would no longer have control of my life.

I feel so stupid

It’s hard to admit it when you’ve been tricked because you feel like a fool. My immediate reaction is to think, how could I have been so stupid? The problem with being tricked is you usually don’t realize it until it is too late or after experiencing the pain of having been taken advantage of.

Trickery is an intentional effort to deceive someone or to keep something hidden (6195). The Gibeonites tricked the Israelites into believing they were from a distant land so that a political agreement could be made that would prevent the Israelites from exterminating them along with the other inhabitants of the Promised Land. The word Joshua used to describe the Gibeonites action is râmâh (raw – maw´) which figuratively means to delude or betray (7411).

When I was 19, I worked in an office building in downtown San Diego. One day, when I arrived at work, there was a man standing next to the curb outside my building. As I entered, he followed me into the elevator and quickly pushed the button for a floor beneath the level we were on. When we started going up to the floor I worked on, the man became upset and told me he needed to get to the bottom floor quickly because there was a man injured in the stairwell. He pleaded with me to come and help and eventually convinced me that helping the injured man was much more important than me getting to work on time.

When we entered the bottom of the stairwell, the man pulled out a knife and forced me into a small closet beneath the stairs where he raped me while holding the knife to my throat. Afterwards, he told me there was a man waiting outside to kill me if I told anyone about what he had done. I was to wait five minutes to give him enough time to get away without being seen and then go to my office and act as if nothing had happened.

It’s hard to say which makes me more angry about what the man did to me that day, tricking me into going into the stairwell with him or raping me after I agreed to help him take care of the injured man.

I confess

I’m not sure exactly what it is about confessing something I’ve done wrong that makes me feel better, but I know that inside of each person there is some sort of mechanism, a switch if you will, that seems to get flipped when we confess our sin to God. It might be one of the great mysteries of life or maybe I’m just stupid, but I don’t understand why forgiveness has the power to change a person, why in many ways forgiveness is the key to true life.

The Hebrew word that is translated as confession in Joshua 7:19, tôwdâh (to – dah´) means an extension of the hand as in adoration, like a choir of worshippers (8426). If you’ve ever been in in  church where the people raise their hands during worship, then you have an accurate picture of what confession looks like.

In a sense, confession means to become a worshipper of God. When Joshua says to Achan, “My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him” (Joshua 7:19), he is basically saying, you need to get right with God and become a true follower or worshipper of him. Achan’s response “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel” (Joshua 7:20) indicates that he knows he is subject to God’s commandments and must be punished for his wrong doing.

The Greek word that is translated as confession in Romans 10:10 sheds a little more light on the act of confession. Homologeo (hom – ol – og – eh´ – o) means “to speak the same thing” or to agree with something (3670). The idea here is an acknowledgement of the truth, to say yes, I believe that is true. Paul puts it this way, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).

One of the ways salvation is described is “the present experience of God’s power to deliver from the bondage of sin” (4991). So when I confess, I actually experience God’s power, it is like a momentary jolt that makes me aware that God’s working in my life.

The wall fell down flat

I am not a super big fan of the show Seinfeld, but there is one episode that stands out as a brilliant idea someone must have had or maybe even a real life experience that was incorporated into the show. The character George Costanza, a notorious loser that is typically unemployed and unable to get a date, decides to do the opposite of what he usually does in order to turn his life around.

Doing the opposite of what we are used to may not sound that difficult, but anyone that has actually tried to understands that going against our nature, fighting against the impulses that usually govern our behavior is probably the most challenging thing a person can attempt to do. It’s not that the thing itself is hard to do, it’s that doing what comes naturally is so easy, because after all, I am who I am, right?

Well, if you want to be like George Costanza, a goofball that is constantly getting into trouble, that’s fine, but what if you don’t really like getting into trouble?

I would say my least favorite characteristic is I fall in love with every man that gazes into my eyes. You might be thinking, what’s wrong with that? You are a romantic, so what? I don’t mind being a romantic and actually enjoy being in love, but romantic love doesn’t last very long. I could fall in and out of love every week if I didn’t fight against the urge to be swept off my feet by Prince Charming.

To me, falling in love with every man I meet is like the wall surrounding Jericho, it’s keeping me from enjoying the milk and honey of the Promised Land. The wall must come down for me to truly experience the victory and perpetual rest that God has planned for me.

God’s instructions to Joshua made no sense at all from a military standpoint. There was no element of surprise, no show of strength, in fact the only thing they did that resembled a strategy was “the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets” (Joshua 6:9).

I can only imagine how Joshua must have felt when the LORD told him the details of his plan:

And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout and the wall of the city shall fall down flat. (Joshua 6:5)

Probably about the same as I felt when the LORD told me I needed to break up with my 6’4″, gorgeous, quarterback boyfriend. My heart sank. You want me to tell him what? That I’m a Christian and God is the most important person in my life right now…he’s going to think I’ve lost my mind! When he called a few weeks later and told me he wanted me to meet his mother, that he wanted our relationship to be more serious, I was shocked. I didn’t think he would want to marry me because I was a Christian.

Roll away the stone

An experience of powerlessness can have a lasting effect. The years the Israelites spent as slaves in Egypt left them with a sense of reproach or disgrace. The Hebrew word translated reproach in Joshua 5:9, cherpâh (kher – paw′) is derived from the word châraph (khaw – raf′) which means “to pull off, to expose (as by stripping)” (2778).

There are several aspects of being raped that can leave the victim with a sense of shame or disgrace, but the one thing that makes the victim feel powerless more than anything else is being forced to take her clothes off. A sense of reproach or shame is being forced upon her so that the perpetrator can feel in control and dominant in the situation.

I think it’s interesting that when God addresses the Israelites’ reproach, he says, “This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you” (Joshua 5:9). It almost sounds like the reproach is a large stone that has been attached to the Israelites’ backs. The mental image of rolling something off of them definitely gives the impression of a weight or burden being removed and freedom of movement being restored.

One of Jesus’ well know miracles is raising Lazarus from the dead. In the account recorded in John chapter 11, Jesus says to Martha, Lazarus’ sister, ” I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). Before he restores Lazarus’ life, Jesus commands that the stone covering the tomb be moved out of the way. Since Jesus was able to raise Lazarus from the dead, he could have brought his body out of the grave without the stone being moved, but the point I think Jesus was trying to make was that the grave would have to be spoiled for Lazarus to be truly free from the power the grave had over his body.

The desire I had that caused me to attempt suicide did not go away because I survived. A few weeks later when I was examined by a psychologist, I was asked if I thought I would try again. I answered yes. Many years later I was put on suicide watch by my doctor after finding out that my husband was having an affair. It wasn’t until I made a conscious decision a few years ago to abstain from all sexual activity that I was finally set free from the reproach that I had been carrying with me since I was raped at the age of 14.

A New Beginning

A movie that has always fascinated me is The Wizard of Oz. It took several years of watching the movie for me to realize that the characters Dorothy met in Oz were the same people she lived with on her aunt and uncle’s farm. Probably the most famous line in the movie is “there’s no place like home.” Dorothy’s efforts to get back home make it seem as if the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is her only hope and the power she needs is his to dispense. When the good witch tells her that she controls her own destiny, Dorothy is reluctant to believe it.

Inside every person is the potential to be courageous. Depending on what gauge you’re using, courageous can be anything from quitting your job to start your own business to saving someone’s life by rescuing them from a burning building. Sometimes it takes courage to just get up in the morning and face the day ahead of you.

One of the hardest things for me to do since I was divorced 13 years ago has been to settle down. I can relate to the Israelites time of wandering in the wilderness. Even though my journey consisted of only nine moves in nine years, I had no idea where home was or if I would ever unpack the few boxes that contained reminders of the life I had left behind.

For me, rest finally came when I was able to accept that my life would never be the same. As scary as it was to realize I could never go back, it was even scarier to think about moving forward. What finally convinced me that I could do it was the belief that God would be with me, I did not have to face the future alone.

The LORD commanded Joshua to not be afraid, to not break down or be terrified as he led the Israelites into the Promised Land. The LORD encouraged Joshua to move forward with these words. “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).

The knowledge that God is with us can make a real difference in our lives, but more than that, it can make a difference in the lives of our enemies. When Joshua sent two men to secretly spy out the land of Jericho, it says in Joshua 2:1 “they went, and came into a harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.”

Rahab the harlot became a Believer as a result of the miraculous things she witnessed the LORD doing to deliver his people from Egypt. In her personal testimony she states, “I know that the LORD hath given you the land” (Joshua 2:9).

Most people recognize miraculous when they see it. I think it is safe to say that anytime God does something miraculous, he is drawing attention to himself and to his people. Part of the reason it gets people’s attention is because it is out of the ordinary, it doesn’t happen very often, or it has never happened before.

The one thing that is completely unique about Jesus is his virgin birth, no one else ever has or ever will be conceived in the same way Jesus was.

When something miraculous happens, word gets out, people talk about it, sometimes in spite of our efforts to keep it a secret. The Israelites had a reputation in Jericho. The people there knew who the Israelites were and where they had come from.

For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. (Joshua 2:10)

God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites changed the disposition of the people of Jericho towards them. The people of Jericho feared the Israelites because they knew that having the God of heaven and earth on their side meant the Israelites were assured victory.

Rahab’s decision to switch sides and protect the two spies that came into her home is not that difficult to understand. What did she have to lose? Her reputation as a harlot was obviously known to the spies and her knowledge of Jehovah was probably good enough for her to figure out that she would not be welcomed with open arms by God’s holy people. Her desire to become one of God’s people was so strong that she was willing to risk rejection and whatever consequences might come as a result of her sinful behavior in order to save alive her father, her mother, her brothers and sisters, and in fact she was able to secure the deliverance from death of every family member who sought refuge in her home on the day the Israelites attacked Jericho.

The day that I decided to kill myself by overdosing on sleeping pills, I had given up all hope of a different kind of life for me and my family. I believed my life was beyond repair. The words I spoke to God the night of my suicide attempt revealed that my deepest desire was for my life to be over, to never feel pain again.

Thankfully. Good understood and knew what I really needed, forgiveness and a fresh start. Although my reputation was not erased that night, I was given a chance to establish a new reputation and become a member of God’s family.

Uncertainty can be a cause of great anxiety, the more uncertainty, the more intense the anxiety can get. Even the best thing that happens in our lives involves uncertainty if it is happening for the first time or only comes along once in a lifetime.

When I gave my life to the Lord, I had no idea what would be coming next. All the problems and hang-ups were still there, but I believed my life was going to be different, very different from that point forward.

The crossing of the Jordan river was a significant transition point for the Israelites because it marked their entry into the Promised Land. The Israelites had spent 430 years in Egypt, 40 years in the desert, and now were about to enter a land occupied by a strong and fierce people. I’m sure there was a lot of anxiety among the people of Israel, but God gave them a symbol of his divine presence and authority, the ark of the covenant, to encourage them as they entered uncharted territory.

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. (Joshua 3-4)

When the Israelites passed over into the Promised Land, they did not wade, swim, or float across the Jordan river, they walked on dry ground. “The waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant” (Joshua 4:7). A sign was established as a memorial of the event. Twelve large stones were carried from the river bed and erected as an altar in Gilgal as a testimony to God’s ability to establish his own order in the world.

The ark of the covenant was a lighthouse or safe haven of sorts that enabled the Israelites to do things that would have otherwise been impossible. It was not the ark itself that made it possible; it was the presence of God that enabled miraculous things to happen.

In my situation, God gave me a church as a safe haven, a lighthouse to help me weather the storm after I tried to kill myself. Trinity Baptist became my home and the people there like family members that nursed me back to health, but what kept me coming back each week until I found the answers I was looking for was the presence of God which I felt strongly each time I walked through the door. The face of the pastor, Dr. Winterton, seemed to glow with a joy and happiness I had never seen before. I knew I could trust the words he spoke because they resonated in my heart and told me the way I must go if I wanted to live forever with God in Heaven.