1. Allotment for Ephraim and Manasseh
In this passage, the Lord allots land for the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh - here, land is provided for that subset of Manasseh not on the east side of the Jordan. It is noted that Zelophehad, a descendant of Makir son of Manasseh, only had daughters - and no sons; yet his daughters are given an inheritance, fulfilling the promises of the Lord through Moses in Numbers 27 and 36. It is also noted that Ephraim and Manasseh feared the Perizzites and Rephaites, as they possessed iron chariots.
Reviewing the history of warfare - in particular, the evolution of weaponry - provides a sound basis for Israel's fear of the iron chariots that belonged to the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Iron chariots assuredly belong to the class of transformational weapons that includes the longbow, the Gatling gun and the cruise missile. While the Israelites were woefully inadequate in terms of technological nous, the Lord used this shortcoming to compel them to depend on Him for their military successes.
2. Division of the Rest of the Land
In this passage, Joshua chastises the remaining seven tribes for not dividing up the rest of the Promised Land and taking possession of their inheritance. He has each of these tribes select three men to survey the land; based on the results of these surveys, the land will be divided into seven parts, and lots will be cast for each part. The lots are to be cast at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, as Shiloh is the site of the Tent of Meeting.
Again, it is (depressingly) simple to understand why the remaining seven tribes failed to obey the Lord and claim their inheritance. Going forth and slaying all of the inhabitants of the Promised Land must have been a frightening, stomach-churning proposition for the Israelites. Someday I hope to ask God why the Canaanites were beyond redemption and obtain an answer of some sort from Him...
3. Allotment for Benjamin
In this passage, the first lot is cast at Shiloh, and it comes up for Benjamin. They receive land between Judah and Ephraim; their inheritance happens to include important cities such as Jerusalem, Jericho and Bethel.
Clearly the Lord had designed to bless the tribe of Benjamin in abundance, which reminds me of the favor that Jacob showed Benjamin - as one of the sons of his beloved wife Rachel. The territory that Benjamin inherited was rather compact, yet - according to Deuteronomy 33:12 - one could say that it was closest to God's heart. It should be noted that Benjamin plays a rather significant role in the New Testament, as the apostle Paul was a Benjamite.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Joshua 13-15
1. Land Still to Be Taken
In this passage, the Lord tells Joshua that the Israelites have not fully obeyed His commands; in particular, they have not conquered the land of the Philistines to the south, and they have not conquered the land of the Sidonians to the north. Now the Lord does promise Joshua that He will drive the Sidonians from their land.
I can understand why the Israelites failed to fully obey the Lord's command for them to completely destroy the inhabitants of the Promised Land. If I were an Israelite at that time, my stomach would have churned at the prospect of having to slay pregnant women, infants, and the elderly. Why the Lord determined that the inhabitants of the Promised Land were beyond redemption is an issue that Christians continue to wrestle with.
2. Division of the Land East of the Jordan
In this passage, the land east of the Jordan is divided among the half-tribe of Manasseh, the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad. Manasseh received a fairly large portion of land that included the former kingdom of Og in Bashan. As for the land that formerly belonged to Sihon king of Heshbon, it was divided between Reuben and Gad. It is noted that Levi did not receive an inheritance.
I wonder if the decision by these tribes to separate themselves from the rest of the Israelites caused friction within Israel. Did the members of these tribes feel a strong bond with the other tribes, or did enmity occasionally bubble to the surface?
3. Division of the Land West of the Jordan
In this passage, it is noted that the Levites were allowed to live in towns; they were also given pasturelands for their flocks and herds. Also, the inheritance of the other nine-and-a-half tribes was determined by casting lots.
4. Hebron Given to Caleb
In this passage, it is noted that Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, asked Joshua for the land that the Lord had promised him for his faithfulness 45 years before the writing of this book. Joshua then gave Caleb Hebron as his inheritance.
I definitely enjoyed reading the account of Caleb's acquisition of Hebron - for the obvious reasons. Even though he was 85, he was still raring to drive the Anakites from Hebron and fully claim his inheritance. It is amazing that he still possessed a fighting spirit in his old age - and that he trusted the Lord to carry out the promise that He made 45 years ago.
5. Allotment for Judah
This passage meticulously describes the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. It contains a complete list of the towns that they received - which happened to be in the Negev, the western foothills, the hill country and the desert. It is also noted that Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem, and so they co-existed at that time. In addition, it is noted that Caleb gave his daughter Acsah in marriage to Othniel son of Kenaz, his brother - since Othniel had captured Kiriath Sepher.
The account of Caleb in this passage was rather humbling, as it appears - based on the note in the sidebar in my NIV Study Bible - that the land that he gave to Acsah and Othniel lacked a source of water. I suppose that we are all forgetful and overlook key details every now and then...
In this passage, the Lord tells Joshua that the Israelites have not fully obeyed His commands; in particular, they have not conquered the land of the Philistines to the south, and they have not conquered the land of the Sidonians to the north. Now the Lord does promise Joshua that He will drive the Sidonians from their land.
I can understand why the Israelites failed to fully obey the Lord's command for them to completely destroy the inhabitants of the Promised Land. If I were an Israelite at that time, my stomach would have churned at the prospect of having to slay pregnant women, infants, and the elderly. Why the Lord determined that the inhabitants of the Promised Land were beyond redemption is an issue that Christians continue to wrestle with.
2. Division of the Land East of the Jordan
In this passage, the land east of the Jordan is divided among the half-tribe of Manasseh, the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad. Manasseh received a fairly large portion of land that included the former kingdom of Og in Bashan. As for the land that formerly belonged to Sihon king of Heshbon, it was divided between Reuben and Gad. It is noted that Levi did not receive an inheritance.
I wonder if the decision by these tribes to separate themselves from the rest of the Israelites caused friction within Israel. Did the members of these tribes feel a strong bond with the other tribes, or did enmity occasionally bubble to the surface?
3. Division of the Land West of the Jordan
In this passage, it is noted that the Levites were allowed to live in towns; they were also given pasturelands for their flocks and herds. Also, the inheritance of the other nine-and-a-half tribes was determined by casting lots.
4. Hebron Given to Caleb
In this passage, it is noted that Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, asked Joshua for the land that the Lord had promised him for his faithfulness 45 years before the writing of this book. Joshua then gave Caleb Hebron as his inheritance.
I definitely enjoyed reading the account of Caleb's acquisition of Hebron - for the obvious reasons. Even though he was 85, he was still raring to drive the Anakites from Hebron and fully claim his inheritance. It is amazing that he still possessed a fighting spirit in his old age - and that he trusted the Lord to carry out the promise that He made 45 years ago.
5. Allotment for Judah
This passage meticulously describes the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. It contains a complete list of the towns that they received - which happened to be in the Negev, the western foothills, the hill country and the desert. It is also noted that Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites from Jerusalem, and so they co-existed at that time. In addition, it is noted that Caleb gave his daughter Acsah in marriage to Othniel son of Kenaz, his brother - since Othniel had captured Kiriath Sepher.
The account of Caleb in this passage was rather humbling, as it appears - based on the note in the sidebar in my NIV Study Bible - that the land that he gave to Acsah and Othniel lacked a source of water. I suppose that we are all forgetful and overlook key details every now and then...