Josué 13

Josué 13

Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Paul J Bucknell - Biblical Foundations for Freedom LAND ALLOTMENTS (Joshua 13-21) Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission Click charts to enlarge Charts from Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission JOSHUA A BOOK ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE and REST HOW TO POSSESS YOUR POSSESSIONS CONQUEST OF THE PROMISED LAND DIVISION OF THE PROMISED LAND CLOSE OF JOSHUA'S LIFE ACTION ALLOCATION APPEAL Josh 1:1-5:15 Josh 6:1-12:24 Joshua 13:1-21:45 Josh 22:1-24:33 WARLORDS IN CANAAN LANDLORDS IN CANAAN ENTERING CANAAN CONQUERING CANAAN DIVIDING CANAAN SECURING THE LAND SETTLING THE LAND Preparation Conquest Possession Consecration ca. 1 Month ca 7 Years ca. 18 Years See also more detailed Chart by Charles R Swindoll Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed. A.M. 2560, B.C. 1444, An, Ex, Is, 47 Joshua: Jos 14:10 23:1,2 24:29 Ge 18:11 1Ki 1:1 Lu 1:7 to be possessed: Heb. to possess it, De 31:3 Joshua 13 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See map of The Tribal Allotments of Israe Related Passages: Joshua 11:23+ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war. EXAMPLES OF VERY MUCH OF THE LAND REMAINS TO BE POSSESSED: Joshua 15:63 Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day. Joshua 16:10 But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers. Joshua 17:12-13 But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities (Josh 17:11), because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. 13 It came about when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. NOT TOO OLD TO HEAR FROM THE LORD From the overview charts and table above note that Joshua 1–12 describe the conquest of the Promised Land and Joshua 13–19 (main section in 14-19) describe the division of Canaan among the tribes of Israel. Irving Jensen gives an introduction to chapters 13-19 - This section of Joshua concerning the business of allotment may appear on the surface to be bare and uninteresting. The multitude of geographical terms contributes to the difficulty of its study. Two basic approaches to this problem will help the Bible student immeasurably. First, he must recognize that whatever is included in the biblical text—easy or difficult, colorful or mild, exhortation or history—is divinely intended for the reader’s edification. In its context, small or large, it has something to say about man or God. For example, one should see in the long listing of geographical names of allotment the blessed truth that God’s promise of Canaan-rest to His people was a promise to the individual families as well as to Israel as a whole. Each family was to have its own home address, as it were. As William Blaikie has said, “On every one of the places … faith may see inscribed, as in letters from heaven, the sweet word REST.” The second approach which will make the study of this passage fruitful is the searching for the large underlying truths undergirding the numerous details, identifying the timeless universal principles involved. In the following pages of this commentary, attention is directed not so much to the details as to those large substratum truths. The reader is urged to look for other similar truths. While there is no record of any pageantry or colorful ceremony attending the drawing of lots for the land assignments for each tribe, the importance of such allotments cannot be overstated. This was the climactic moment in Israel’s young life, when for the first time she could claim a land as her own, given by God. In the days of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—the land was too large for total claim. When by propagation Israel grew to the size of a formidable nation, the people were dwelling in bondage in a foreign land, Egypt. The wilderness years were spent on the way to the land. The seven years of fighting after crossing the Jordan were used to conquer the land. Now the hour had come to claim the land, build homes, and live with God in peace. The day of land allotment must have been a happy day indeed! (Joshua- Everyman's Bible Commentary: Rest-Land Won) David Howard emphasizes the importance of the details in Joshua 13-19 to the tribes of Israel and to us today as we look back at these chapters. He asks "What is the importance of the mind-numbing detail of these lists? Why is it significant that there are certain patterns to them? There are several answers to these questions. First and foremost, as we have indicated, these lists are the heart of the book in that they "prove" to the Israelites and to the book's readers that God was being true to his promises. On one level, it was not enough simply to assert that God gave Israel the land, to state that he fulfilled his promises, and to ask the readers to take the author's word for it. For such promises as these, given so many centuries earlier, such simple assertions would have been profoundly anticlimactic. A deep sense of satisfaction would come if the reader could actually trace the fulfillment of these promises, city by city, hill by hill, wadi by wadi, border by border. It is akin to a good book that a person becomes engrossed in, which he or she is reluctant to have come to an end. The reader wants every word and detail to count. So too here." (Joshua: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture Volume 5 The New American Commentary) Donald Campbell - Someone has said, “Most of this long section reads like a real estate deed.” And that is precisely what is found in these lengthy narrations—legal descriptions (after the manner of that ancient day) of the areas allocated to the 12 tribes. Title deeds are important documents so these should not be regarded as insignificant or superfluous....This was a climactic moment in the life of the young nation. After centuries in Egyptian bondage, decades in the barren wilderness, years of hard fighting in Canaan, the hour had arrived when the Israelites could at last settle down to build homes, cultivate the soil, raise families, and live in peace in their own land. The days of land allotment were a happy time for Israel. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament) HCSB has an instructional note - Although some of the initial descriptions of the allotments consider regions, most of the divisions of the tribal territories in these chapters appear in two forms of literature: boundary descriptions and town lists. The boundary descriptions normally identify themselves by using the term "border" and verbs such as "turn," "ascend," "descend," "curve" and other terms linking one town or natural feature with another along the line of the border. In defining the lands, God further extended His relationship into the particulars of the blessing of the land that He had given the Israelites. Town lists also appear in many tribal allotments as towns that belong to a tribe. Sometimes they are subdivided into regions of the tribe. This is true of the lengthiest town list in the allotment—that of Judah in Joshua 15:20-63. Such lists are common in administrative texts in the same period. These similarities suggest that this document had the importance and legal force of a treaty. As new towns were founded, they were added to the document throughout Israel's history. This procedure would retain the same boundaries but update the population centers in those tribal areas for as long as Israel possessed them. This was the literary embodiment of the physical witness that made up God's ongoing covenantal gift of the promised land to His people. Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him - It is good to be old and still hear from the LORD! The apportioning, as well as the subjugation, of the land had been included in the commission to Joshua (Joshua 1:6). "Joshua the aged soldier now became an administrator." (Campbell) Allotting the land would obviously be less stimulating than conquering the land, but both were part of God's marching orders to Joshua. THOUGHT - It is notable that Joshua (ca 100) and Caleb (85) were both old but neither retired to plant grape vineyards and drink wine! The were spiritual men and their example should be followed by every spiritual man who is a follower of Christ! One is reminded of the words of the greater Joshua, Jesus in John 17:4 "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (cf Jn 4:34+)." The point being that Jesus accomplished God's work for Him. Joshua would now accomplish God's work for him (Joshua 1:6+). And by extension beloved you and I need to accomplish God's work He has given to each of us! (see Eph 2:10+, cf Mt 25:21, 23, Lk 19:17+). How are you doing? Are you redeeming the time, investing your life/time in eternity (Mt 6:20-21+) or are you wasting your life, toying with temporal "trinkets" and trivialities (like golf balls, fishing lures, etc), things that will pass away when this world pass away? (1Jn 2:17+). DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE! IT IS YOUR "ONCE IN A LIFETIME" OPPORTUNITY! You are old and advanced in years - Even Yahweh thinks Joshua is old! Now that is really OLD! The table above makes an estimate that it took Israel 18 years to possess their possessions (but it was still incomplete even after Joshua's death as we learn in Judges 1:1-36+). If Joshua was 110 when he died (Josh 24:29), at this time he would be about 92 years old. I am 75 and consider that "old" but Joshua was really old! The KJV translates "advanced in years" as "stricken in years," which is certainly how my joints often feel! Rod Mattoon - God was saying there was still unfinished business that needed to be taken care of. Is there any unfinished business that needs to be taken care of in your life? Are there any wrongs that need to be made right; someone that needs to be witnessed to; or the making of a will? The statement made in this verse reveals that age doesn't excuse us from serving God. We are to never spiritually retire. At his great age, Joshua still had more to do! Christians who stop praying, witnessing, Bible reading, and serving the Lord become cranky, critical, gripy, discouraged, depressed, and defeated. Keep going forward for Christ till you breathe your last breath! This verse also reveals that we are not to rest upon past achievements. Joshua had many victories, but there was more that needed to be done. It's better to rub out than to rust out. You may have been a Christian for years, but there is still more that needs to be done for God. There is land spiritually speaking that we need to conquer and possess. It is one thing to break down the walls of Jericho, it is another matter to enter and possess the city. It is one thing to fight a great, decisive battle with temptation. It is another matter to go on to maturity or perfection, and add to our faith knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. (see more from Mattoon below) (Treasures From Joshua)