Joshua 13 - 22

JOSHUA 13-22

Through chapter 12, we have studied the first stage of conquest - now is complete.  The backbone of Canaanite control has been broken, it is time to divide up the land among the tribes and give them the task of cleaning the remaining traces of Canaanite influence from their respective parcels. 

Two and ½ tribes who had earlier asked to settle east of the Jordan are assigned the territories they requested.  The other tribes with the exception of the Levites, receive their new inheritances west of Jordan as determined by lot. 

CHAPTER 13: The assignments are reviewed, but in verse ONE it makes a statement of the obvious…JOSHUA IS OLD! (over 100)  Actually he has been old!  “and yet there is a lot of areas still to be occupied.  The Lord said, “I am ready to drive these people out from before the nation of Israel so include all this territory when you divide the land.”  So now, Joshua’s assignment is not to win battles but to make the assignments!  “If you have accomplished all that you planned for your life, you have not planned enough.”  The Lord sometimes shifts our vision, our goals, our direction!  Be prepared, be ready, be listening, and have a heart acceptance of changes in direction that the Lord may bring into your life!

CHAPTER 14:  The parcels are allotted to the 9 ½ tribes – (verse 1-2) “decided by throwing dice before the Lord, and He caused them to turn up in the ways He wanted!”  (verse 14) “and there was no resistance as the Israelis resettled the land.”

Caleb as vigorous at age 85 as he was at 40, requests the mountain of Hebron knowing it represents a Canaanite stronghold and will require further fighting to subdue!  Caleb chooses another challenge to conquer in his old age!  “The most rewarding things in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.”  Caleb stated in 14:10-12 “I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent us on that journey, I can still travel and fight as well as I could then!  ….Anakim are living there and there are great walled cities, but if the Lord is with me, I shall drive them out of the land.”

Caleb…just as we should today…KNEW there were battles ahead, but he walked on in the knowledge of the promises of the Lord, remembering his past experiences with the Lord, the past victories won, and he knew that victories would come as long as the Lord was with him.  HOW LONG IS THE LORD WITH YOU?

There are many modern-day cures for insomnia, but here is one you may not have thought of.  Pull out the deed to your property and read the legal description of what belongs to you.  Perhaps it sounds something like this “All that tract of land lying and being in Land Lot 21 of the 5^th District of Cherokee County, being Lot 25, Block B, Unit One, beginning at a point located 217.37 feet easterly, thence running south 11.4 feet along the western boundary.” 

That is dull stuff, right?  Not if you are the owner!  It is vitally important to you because it describes the borders of what you possess.  AND UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU POSSESS, YOU CANNOT ENJOY IT FULLY! The deed to your spiritual inheritance is found in Ephesians 1:3-14.  Have you read it lately?  And the book of Joshua gives us a picture of what we possess in this journey of life if we will be obedient and take the steps that the Lord directs in our lives.  More importantly, are you enjoying what you possess?  Savor all that you have and ARE because you are “beloved” in Christ. 

CHAPTER 15-19…Details are given of the distribution of the parcels.  Women asked (v.18-19) for springs and more benefits and they received them.  “The woman got off her donkey to speak to Caleb about this…What is it?  What can I do for you? He asked and she replied…Give me another present!  For the land you gave me is a desert. Give us some springs, too!  Then he gave her the upper and lower springs.” 

DO YOU ASK FOR WHAT YOU THINK YOU NEED?  “Ask, and you shall receive……” (Matthew 7:7)

Benjamin’s prophetic parcel:  The hand of God is evident in the parcel of land allocated to Benjamin 18:11-28.  Not only did it serve as a buffer zone between two powerful potentially rival tribes (Joseph and Judah) but the tract included the city of Jerusalem that would ultimately house the temple of God, in fulfillment of Moses’ prophetic blessing upon the tribe of Benjamin (Deut. 33:12)

CHAPTER 20: The seven additional tribes now receive their hard earned inheritances.  With the tabernacle in place in Shiloh, cities of refuge designated on both sides of the Jordan and 48 cities set aside for the Levites, the task of dividing up the land is complete. There is the designation of the Cities of Refuge.  It is a place of refuge for the innocent…unintentional killing…must stay in that city until her has been tried by the judges and found innocent…death of high priest and he can return home.  For foreigners as well…run to that place for a trial, and not be killed in revenge. 

CHAPTER 21:  It is time once again to pause and reflect.  God has indeed kept His word, giving to Israel “all the land He had promised to their ancestors, and they went in and conquered and lived there, “not failing to perform “every good thing the Lord had promised them.”  21:43-45

It has been well said that the person who stays out of church because there are too many hypocrites inside is doing the right thing – one more wouldn’t improve the situation!

Hypocrisy results when your WALK doesn’t correspond with your TALK…when your PERFORMANCE falls short of your PROMISES.  Outsiders are forced to conclude you are living a lie when you claim to have faith in God but your life is devoid of works of faith (James 2:14)

Satan’s definition of hypocrite:  One who acts differently than he feels!

The Lord’s definition of hypocrite:  One who acts differently than he IS!

What about the PROMISES you make to others…your spouse, your children, your boss, your minister?  (Matt.5:37)Have you been lax in making your word your honor?  Have you been careful to perform all that you promised to do? 

God provides in 21:43-45 – all that He promised to do on behalf of His people, He was faithful to complete.  Is there someone in your life who is still waiting for you to fulfill your promise to them?  “One thing you can give and still keep is your word!” 

CHAPTER 22:  The 2 ½ tribes were blessed by Joshua and he sent them home.  They had kept their word and stuck close in the battles.  [Who are the 2 ½ tribes in your life?...kept their word, stuck close by?]  As they were leaving, they built an altar and the Israelites immediately assumed that this was not good…they believed that the altar was built to add to or replace the altar at the temple.  As Phinehas and 10 ambassadors confronted them, they learned the heart motive.  It was to be “The Altar of Witness…”it is a witness between us and them that Jehovah is our God, too.”  (between the generations to follow). 

We must never assume that we have someone’s MOTIVES figured out!!!  We must seek God’s wisdom! To discern the Truth!  And regardless of what their motives, we only need to discern what the LORD has for us to obey and “examine ourselves” to check our own motives.