This Land Is Our Land! (Joshua 13-17)

The battle of Gibeon is the last in the Book of Joshua for which a detailed account is given (the others are Jericho and Ai). Hereafter, only bare-bones summaries are given. The dominant mood now, especially in this section, is that Israel almost effortlessly took every city, king, and people it encountered, by God’s power, and that it annihilated every living thing in these cities. Now that Israel had faced its greatest crises—disobedience and defeat at Ai and treaty entanglement with a forbidden people, the Gibeonites—God gave the Canaanites and their cities into the Israelites’ hands. Joshua and his army did take control of the whole land by destroying the key cities with their kings and people. Once this was accomplished and there was rest in the land, Joshua was able to assign each tribe its inheritance; and within each inheritance, the tribes had to gain mastery over the remaining inhabitants who were still there. Even after the death of Joshua and his officers, there was additional land to be taken.

Thirty-three kings are named in Joshua 12, beginning with Sihon and Og whose lands were east of Jordan and had been conquered under the leadership of Moses. The sixteen kings defeated in the southern campaign are listed in Joshua 12:9–16 and the fifteen northern kings in verses 17–24.

Now we turn to the actual assigning of the land to the tribes (chaps. 13–21) to discover the spiritual truths we need to learn and apply as we claim our own spiritual inheritance in Jesus Christ.

I. The 2–½ tribes east of the Jordan (Josh. 13:1–33).

A. Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh.

The boundaries are given for Reuben in the south, and the half tribe of Manasseh in the north, with Gad sandwiched between.

They had asked for this land outside the boundaries of Canaan because it was especially suited to the raising of cattle. The fact that these two and a half tribes would not be living within God’s appointed land didn’t seem to worry them. Moses graciously agreed to their choice and let them settle across the Jordan.

B. These tribes became a sort of “buffer zone”

We’ll learn that while their choice may have been good for their cattle, it created serious problems for their children.

Their location made them extremely vulnerable both to military attack and ungodly influence; and both of these liabilities eventually brought about their downfall

Lesson #1. Don’t become a “borderline believer.” Enter into the inheritance God appoints for you and rejoice in it. “He will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves” (Ps. 47:4, NKJV). The will of God is the expression of the love of God and is always the best for us.

C. The tribe of Reuben had taken its territory from Moab.

When Balaam saw that God was turning his curses into blessings, he advised Balak to be friendly to the Jews and invite them to one of the Moabite religious feasts. This resulted in some of the Jewish men taking Moabite women for themselves and thus violating the Law of God. What Satan couldn’t accomplish as a lion, cursing Israel, he accomplished as a serpent, deceiving Israel and leading the men into wicked compromise.

We are reminded that the Levites were given no inheritance in the land, because the Lord was their inheritance. The priests received certain portions from the sacrifices as their due, and both the priests and Levites shared in the special tithes and offerings that the people were commanded to bring. God didn’t want tribal responsibilities to distract the priests and Levites; He wanted them to devote themselves fully to serving Him. Also, He wanted them to be “salt and light” in the land as they lived among the people and taught them the Law.

II. The 2 ½ tribes west of the Jordan (Josh. 14:1–17:18).

A. The next tribes to be settled were Judah in the south (14:6–15:63), Ephraim across the middle of the land (16:1–10), and the other half of Manasseh in the north (17:1–18).

Since Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah and had been one of the two faithful spies, he received his inheritance first. Joshua, the other faithful spy, was the last to receive his inheritance.

Caleb reminded his friend Joshua of the promise Moses had made to them forty-five years before, that they would survive the years of wandering and receive their inheritance in the land. This promise gave Joshua and Caleb joy and courage as they endured years of wandering and waiting.

Lesson #2. Be encouraged in your pilgrim journey! You have already received your inheritance in Christ and can claim “every spiritual blessing” (Eph. 1:3, NKJV). Since you have a glorious inheritance before you (1 Peter 1:3–6), keep looking up! The best is yet to come!

B. Caleb wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. (Joshua 14:14)

Caleb was eighty-five years old, but he didn’t look for an easy task, suited to an “old man.” He asked Joshua for mountains to climb and giants to conquer! His strength was in the Lord, and he knew that God would never fail him.

The secret of Caleb’s life is found in a phrase that’s repeated six times in Scripture: “he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel”. Caleb was an overcomer because he had faith in the Lord.

Lesson #3. We are never too old to make new conquests of faith in the power of the Lord. Like Caleb, we can capture mountains and conquer giants if we wholly follow the Lord. No matter how old we become, we must never retire from trusting and serving the Lord.

C. Caleb provides for the next generation.

Some of Caleb’s daring faith rubbed off on his son-in-law Othniel, who later became a judge in the land.

Caleb’s faith also touched his daughter, for she had the faith to ask her father for a field and then for springs of water to irrigate the land. Caleb’s example of faith was more valuable to his family than the property he claimed for them.

Lesson #4. The older generation must provide for the next generation, not only materially but most of all spiritually. “Senior saints” must be examples of believers and encourage the younger generation to trust the Lord and wholly follow Him.

D. The inheritance of the rest of the tribe of Judah.

Ephraim and Manasseh were the sons of Joseph, whom Jacob “adopted” and especially blessed. Since the tribe of Levi wasn’t given any territory, these two tribes made up the difference so that there were still twelve tribes in Israel. The birth order was “Manasseh and Ephraim”, but Jacob reversed it. God rejects our first birth and gives us a second birth. He accepted Abel and rejected Cain; He rejected Ishmael and accepted Isaac, Abraham’s second-born son; He rejected Esau and accepted Jacob.

Joshua had a problem Ephraim and Manasseh, who complained because the Lord didn’t give them enough room! You can detect their pride as they told Joshua what a “great people” they were. After all, didn’t Jacob personally adopt and especially bless them? And hadn’t they multiplied in a great way? And wasn’t Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim? (Num. 13:8) They were a special people who deserved special treatment.

Lesson #5. God wants to give all His people their inheritance. “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2, NKJV). In Jesus Christ, all believers are one and are heirs of God (Gal. 3:26–29). Nothing from your first birth should hinder you from claiming all that you have in Jesus Christ.

Lesson #6. It’s not your boasting but your believing that gives you the victory and gains you new territory. Sometimes those who talk the most accomplish the least.