We shall continue with the study of the Book of Joshua this week.
For devotional purposes, the reading of the territories may appear to be a bit boring, but it is helpful to read passages like this with the help of a map of the Bible relevant to the time of Joshua. You may come to notice that the territories allotted to Judah and Benjamin were the most extensive among the tribes described in chapters 13-19:
(1) The account of Caleb is being repeated in Judges 1:9-15. Please also read that passage to get a better understanding of the events.
(2) In taking the land so allotted, apart from the help of the Lord, what help did Judah get in taking part of the land?
(3) Why was the event surrounding Caleb being repeated so many times in the Bible? What significance might it have?
(4) What might be the reason for Caleb, instead of conquering Kiriath Sepher himself, giving an opportunity for someone to capture it with the reward being the marrying of his daughter?
(5) What kind of a wife did his daughter, Acsah, prove to be?
(6) What is the main message to you today that you can apply to your life?
As we read about the process of allotment of land to individual tribes, we understand that God has ensured that it would be a fair process, and the allotment would be commensurate with the population size of each tribe (Num. 26:54). And as we read of the details of the boundaries of the land allotted to Judah, our focus would naturally be on this particular tribe. However, Judges 1 helpfully clarifies that, as much as the land so allotted would be meant for Judah, this was never meant to be an individualistic event. The tribe of Simeon and the tribe of Judah joined together in some of their campaigns (1:17).
Judges 1 also clarifies that it was not just Caleb who took the city of Hebron; it was the tribe of Judah that “advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron…and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai” (Judges 1:10). Caleb might be the leader in the campaign and a good part of Hebron might end up being his land, but he was representing the entire tribe of Judah.
This is part of the reason why I enjoy reading the Book of Joshua and the events surrounding the division of the Promised Land. There was more unity and harmony and less division and individualism. And, as much as Joshua was the true leader, time and again the division of the land was performed before the high priests and other tribal leaders. Even more important is the fact that the division was performed before the Tent of the Meeting and according to what the Lord commanded Moses.
I pray that our churches can learn from these Israelites — yes, these Israelites whom we love to criticize. At least, during this crucial period of the beginning of their nation, they learned to fight against their common enemies with one heart, as one nation and according to the command of the Lord, and learned to put aside individualism and individual interests. No, they were not perfect, but they were far more perfect than at any other time in their history and far more united than many of our churches today.
(1) Probably, we do not find the reading of the names of all these towns very relevant to us. However, imagine yourself being a modern-day descendant of the tribe of Judah:
a. What might the mentioning of your town mean to you?
b. How might the awareness that this is part of God’s Promised Land mean to you?
c. Given the current political and spiritual situation in Israel, how would you view this promise of God?
(2) What relevant thoughts might the above reflections have on you as a Christian?
(3) What is your “Promised Land”?
(4) How has the possession of your “Promised Land” come about?
(5) This allotment to Judah ends on a sour note in v. 63. What further insight does Judges 1:19 provide concerning their failure?
(6) What are the spiritual implications of their failures?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
As Christians looking at the land of Israel from the outside, we often struggle with whether or not we should support Israel in claiming and maintaining their land in the Middle East based on the territories marked out by Moses and Joshua according to the divine revelation of the Lord. We struggle with whether the “promise” would still be valid, as they, as a nation, have turned away from Him, and even crucified the Holy One. We struggle with whether God would necessarily renege on His promise even though they have not been faithful. We also struggle with the realization that the people that they have displaced, the Palestinians, include many Christians in their midst. We certainly bemoan the fact that Israel is hostile toward Christians, especially missionaries who seek to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, within their land.
As we struggle with these thoughts, we are reminded by the Apostle Paul who loved his own people more than his own life (Rom. 9:3), that “if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again” and one day, “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:23, 26).
So, whatever stand we might take with regards to the land issue, we should join Paul in interceding on their behalf, that they might soon “look on…the one they have pierced” (Zech. 12:10) so that they may truly take possession of their eternal Promised Land — the heavenly one that were longed by their forefathers, including Abraham. (Heb. 11:16)
(1) As we read the allotment to the descendants of Joseph, take a moment to reflect on how the life of Joseph differed from those of his brothers. If you had to choose a word to describe Joseph, what might that be?
(2) While Judah was chosen over Joseph in the Messianic lineage, how did God reward Joseph for his faithfulness to Him?
(3) It does appear that the blessings of a godly person do get passed on to future generations. What then might be your legacy to your future generations?
(4) Again, as a footnote, this allotment to Ephraim also ends on a sour note. How does this footnote differ from the last one in 15:63 for Judah?
(5) Does such a difference matter? Why or why not?
(6) What might be the warning it gives to us today?
(7) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
In our younger years, we seldom think of the impact of what we do and who we are might have on future generations. Our entire focus is on our present and our own future. As we become parents, our focus naturally shifts to our children and their well-being. In trying to provide the best for them, we do think of their future as well — future as in their career and their ability to prosper financially. As Christians, we also care if they would commit their lives to Jesus and be useful to His kingdom.
But not all children of godly Christian parents turn out to be committed followers of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, we cannot help but ask “why?”
In the reading of the allotment of land to the descendants of Joseph, we witnessed that the devout and faithful life of Joseph had not only preserved the entire family of his father, but had brought blessings to his own children in that his descendants were counted as two tribes — Manasseh and Ephraim. Yes, these were material blessings, but if God rewarded Joseph’s descendants with material blessings because of his faithfulness, how much more would He bestow spiritual blessings on our descendants because of our faithfulness to Him.
I was listening to a well-known Christian leader lamenting about how one of his friends, a faithful minister of the gospel, appeared to have neglected his family because of his devotion to his ministry, resulting in one of his sons turning to drugs and crime, and who “only” returned to the Lord in his adult years. I could not help but see the matter quite differently.
In my experience, often it is the children themselves who have chosen a path of rebellion in spite of the godly example of their parents (and not because of their negligence). The story told by this Christian leader was just one of the many examples of how faithful God is to those who, in spite of their godly life, have children who have strayed away from their faith. Their children may not follow Christ in their rebellious teen years, but the godly example and the unceasing intercession of their parents would eventually cause them to return to Christ. I truly believe, it is only a matter of time. The conversion of St. Augustine is another case in point.
This passage highlights the allotment to the daughters of Zelophehad. What do you think is the reason for the biblical author to mention this event in particular?
(1) It
appears that the designation of daughters as “sons” who would then be able to
inherit family property had parallels in Ancient Near East cities during the
Late Bronze Age (Hess, Joshua, 258), and Joshua and the Israeli leaders
certainly affirmed this right: “So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with
the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.” (Jos.
17:4) What does this tell us about
“women’s rights” in this respect even in the time of Joshua? (Num. 27:8-11)
(2) However, if the
right of these daughters was there in the first place, why then did they
have to go to the high priest, Joshua and the leaders to ask for it,
saying, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our
brothers”? (17:4) (Num. 27:1-7)
(3) What lesson should we learn from this event?
(4) As we read this passage of allotment, we get a sense that sometimes the demarcation lines might not be very neat among tribes, and we know that even during the allotment, the size of some tribes did play a part in the determination of land so allotted in order to be fair (Num. 26:54):
a. If you were an Israelite of the time, how should you look upon the allotment of the land and its fairness?
b. How should one look at his tribal loyalty or distinctiveness as part of the People of God?
c. Have you ever complained to God about not being fair to you?
(5) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
As we continue to reflect on Israel’s effort to drive away the enemies from their Promised Land, we cannot help but think of the same failures in our lives as Christians in driving out some of the toughest temptations in our lives. I invite you to meditate on the lyrics of the following hymn which, I am sure, will speak to our struggles in this respect:
1
O Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
my Master and my friend.
I shall not fear the battle
if Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
if Thou wilt be my guide.2
O let me feel Thee near me!
the world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
But Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
and shield my soul from sin.3
O let me hear Thee speaking
in accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will.
O speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.4
O Jesus, Thou hast promised
to all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
there shall Thy servant be.
And Jesus, I have promised
to serve Thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my Master and my Friend.
John E. Bode (1816-1874)
(1) Why did the people of Joseph complain?
(2) Was their complaint justified? Why or why not?
(3) What was Joshua’s immediate reply?
(4) Was the excuse of the people of Joseph lame or valid? Why?
(5) How does it speak to their spiritual condition and their mentality?
(6) What word would you use to most appropriately describe their attitude?
(7) Why was Joshua so tough on them?
(8) What
have you learned in avoiding the same mistake in the following areas?
a. Life in general
b. Your relationship with God
(9) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
In chapter 17 of Joshua, we read of one of the rare complaints
lodged by the people of Joseph. The
pretense was that of being too numerous a people with too small a portion of
land allotment. Such pretense was
challenged by Joshua. He did not
necessarily dispute the fact that they were a numerous people, but he did point
out the following:
(1) Their land was not restricted to the hill country, but extended to the forested hill.
(2) All they had to do was to clear the forest.
(3) They should also drive the Canaanites away from the plain, because they could.
As far as we can tell, the people of Joseph did not drive away the Canaanites from the plain, but they did carry out extensive deforestation in the land so allotted to them, as attested by archaeological findings (Hess, Joshua, TOTC, 261).
In other words, they had opted for an easier way out and it should serve as a warning to us as Christians.
Joshua was not being harsh on the people of Joseph. As they themselves attested, they were truly blessed by the Lord with a large number of descendants — Manasseh and Ephraim’s combined population outnumbered that of Judah (Num. 26). In other words, they should be able to muster enough manpower to drive out the Canaanites. If they felt inadequate they could have asked for help from Joshua and the other tribes. And according to Joshua, they certainly could do so by themselves, even though their enemies had iron chariots. In other words, it was a matter of a lack of faith and trust in the Lord, and an unwillingness to deal with their enemies. In the end, they chose the easier way out — they would rather clear the forests and allow the Canaanites to remain on the plain.
I wonder how much our spiritual life resembles the condition of the people of Joseph. God has promised us joy and peace in Him if we are willing to leave our comfort zone and trust in His strength to combat our enemies within. Instead, we are happy to co-exist with our enemies — our sinful habits and worldly pursuits — and choose instead to consume our energy to clear the forests — in doing many good works and even serving in the church. But history has shown us that Israel’s co-habitation with their enemies had finally led to their spiritual demise — it led them into idol worship, and they ended up in exile — losing everything that they had toiled and labored for.
Dealing with our sins and leading a life of purity and godliness is certainly hard work, but if we think we can substitute it with Christian service, even sacrificial service, we are just fooling ourselves. Our sins will catch up with us; it is a matter of time.
It appears that as some of the tribes (in fact, five tribes) began to conquer and move into parts of the Promised Land, Joshua had moved their headquarters from Gilgal to Shiloh together with the Ark of the Covenant (where it remained until the time of Eli in 1 Sam. 1):
(1) Why did Joshua put the blame for not occupying the remaining Promised Land on the people of Israel?
(2) What were they “waiting” for?
(3) What reasons might have contributed to their “waiting”?
(4) How did the survey of the remaining land (which had already been conquered but not occupied) differ from the spying of the land (by the 12 spies)?
(5) As much as the remaining land would be allotted to the remaining seven tribes, do you get a sense that they were to take possession by themselves, or with the help of the five tribes who had already possessed a good part of their land?
(6) How was the ultimate decision concerning specific allotment of land made? (See v. 10) What was its significance?
(7) As we continue to read more of the process of allotment to each tribe (and thus each family), reflect on the following thought of the psalmist (David’s inheritance was passed on to him as part of the tribe of Judah):
“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup, you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (Ps. 16:5-6)
How did David look at his assigned “lot”? Was he talking about land only?
Can you say the same about your assigned “lot” from the Lord? Why or why not?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
Normally, waiting is a virtue, because waiting often means patience. However, Joshua chastised the remaining seven tribes by saying, “How long will you wait before you began to take possession of that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?”.
Joshua’s point was that the country had already been “brought under control”, meaning that the kings and rulers of the land had been overcome and their strength had been significantly weakened, and whoever remained in those cities could not resist the direct takeover by the Israelites. The five tribes — Judah, Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben and Gad — had been given their land and they had proceeded to possess them, but the other seven tribes did not make any attempt to get theirs. They appeared to be comfortably settled in the region around Shiloh.
Joshua has not pointed out the reasons for their waiting, but it is not too hard to surmise what their reluctance might have been. Some of the commentators suggest that it is due to the fact that:
(1) This generation had been nomads all their life, they did not really see the urgency to possess land which would mean a drastic change to their way of life.
(2) Residing close to Shiloh meant being close to the Tent of Meeting, to Joshua and to the remaining tribes; this afforded a great sense of security and a sense of community as well.
(3) As much as the country was brought under their control, many Canaanites had returned to those cities conquered by Joshua and the Israelites. To get rid of them required quite a bit effort and potential loss of their own lives.
As a result, they were content to continue their nomadic lives, in relative comfort and ease. However, they had completely overlooked one very important aspect of their exodus from Egypt, and that was being God’s Chosen People. Possession of the Promised Land was not only for their own benefit, but also for the sake of the name of the Lord, so that “all the peoples of the earth might know that the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God” (Jos. 4:24). In other words, their waiting had meant that they had lost their sense of mission as the people of God. I wonder if God might be asking us the same question today, “How long will you wait?”.
(1) How did Joshua allot the land to the Simeonites? (19:9)
(2) Was it also made “in the presence of the Lord”?
(3) What was his basis for taking away land from the tribe of Judah which was allotted to them with God’s permission earlier?
(4) How did the people of Judah react to it?
(5) What can you learn from them?
(6) Caleb and Joshua were the two faithful spies and both were rewarded with the land they asked for. While Caleb was the first to claim his land, Joshua was the last to claim his. How does this speak to the kind of leader Joshua exemplified?
(7) Although we know that Joshua was the successor of Moses and in exercising the leadership of dividing the land, he was the spokesman for the Lord, yet the Bible repeatedly puts Eleazar the priest ahead of Joshua (14:1 and 19:51). What might be its message?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how might you apply it to your life?
Joshua could have asked for his portion of land much earlier. He was one of the two faithful spies who followed the Lord wholeheartedly. Caleb had already been given his portion together with his tribe, Judah. Joshua’s tribe, Ephraim, had also been given their share. Yet, Joshua’s focus was on having everyone, not just some tribes, get their promised share of the land. This process had obviously taken many years, and now when he was truly old and advanced in years, he finally got his assigned share of the land after everyone else. This deference of enjoying his inheritance was not his alone, but his entire family’s obviously.
Joshua was such an example to all those who serve the Lord in that his primary focus was the carrying out of the mission given by God. Because of his singular focus and commitment, his comfort, ease and so-called entitlement were all put aside until the day when his mission was accomplished. There was no complaint, there was no second thought, and there was no giving up.