So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. – Joshua 21:43

Today's Scripture Reading (February 25, 2022): Joshua 21

It is a philosophical question. "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" The quote is often misattributed to Anglo-Irish philosopher George Berkely (1685-1753). While there is little doubt that Berkely dealt with the substance of the question in his writings, it appears that he never actually asked the question. The heart of the question is, does something have to be perceived to be real? Of course, one could argue that just because humans were not present when the tree fell does not mean that no one was there. Surely an animal heard the tree fall, or a bird felt the tree move toward the ground and immediately flew away. Because they perceived the event, maybe the incident is made real.

Logically, the answer to the philosophical question is fairly obvious; it is not perception that makes a noise; it is a change in the structure of the wood that results in the sound. It is the friction of the tree as it bumps into another object on its journey that creates the waves that can be heard. It is the sudden thud as the tree hits the immovable ground that reverberates through the forest, waking any living being in the vicinity with its crash. The Laws of Physics insist that, of course, a tree that falls in the forest makes a sound, even if we aren't there to hear it.

But let me posit another question. Is a gift truly given if no one is willing to receive it? Is perception still necessary, or is this the same as the tree in the forest? And while I believe that a tree in the forest makes a sound even if there is no one there to hear it, I think that a gift is not given unless there is someone there to receive it. In other words, if you give me something, but I don't receive your gift, then, in reality, you never gave it.

Joshua states clearly that "the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors." But I don't believe that is true, not really, and definitely not during the era of Joshua. Oh, God made the land available, but Israel refused to receive it for generations. They left vast stretches of the land unconquered, and cities existed intact over which the tribes of Israel did not rule. Joshua presents a rosier picture than the one that actually existed at the end of his life in Canaan. There is no doubt that Joshua wanted his statement to be true, but desire never makes anything a reality. And in this case, Israel had not received that gift that God had given.

None of this, of course, is God's fault. God had done all that he could do. Now it was up to Israel to receive the gift, making it a reality. But until that happened, the gift had never really been given.

God has made so much available to us in our lives. Yet, often we seem to lack the faith to receive his gift. But that does not mean that God has not answered our prayers, just that we are the ones of little faith who need to work on receiving what God has made available to us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 22