The most striking thing for me about the way the land was divided is that this was not an autocratic decision handed down by Joshua to each tribe. It was a very representative process handled through public meetings where in Joshua 19:51 “Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes, distributed by allotment to the Israelites, at Shiloh before Yahweh at the entrance of the tent of meeting”. These allotments were based on family sizes and sometimes were contended for by family leaders as in Joshua 17:14 The descendants of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us one allotment”. God only set the boundaries that the nation of Israel would occupy, it was up to representatives of the tribes to identify the cities and villages and natural boundaries that would become the internal borders between tribes and families. Once the regions were defined, the lot fell as the Lord’s choice of a tribe to each area and allotment of cities and villages fell to family groups so that each family had their own land.
Why Have You Given Us One Allotment
Joshua 17:14–18
It seems in every endeavor, no matter how fairly you may approach it, no matter carefully you execute it, even if you have God’s blessing, there is someone that is not satisfied. Here, the descendants of Joseph lodge a complaint in
Joshua 17:14 The descendants of Joseph spoke with Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us one allotment and one share as an inheritance? We are many people, which Yahweh has blessed.”
and, of course, they are many because God is on their side! Joshua doesn’t take the bait, Joshua doesn’t recheck the allotments or see if he can squeeze someone else to make room for them. Instead, he turns it back to them and says, in
Joshua 17:18 “the hill country will be yours. Even though it is a forest, you will clear it, and it will be yours to its farthest borders. You will drive out the Canaanites, even though they have iron chariots and are strong.”
Joshua spoke back to the house of Joseph and their allies “Ephraim and Manasseh” in Joshua 17:17 and gave them what was already in their power to take. They only needed to believe God and exercise themselves to clear the forest and “drive out the Canaanites” in Joshua 17:18.
How Long Will You Be Slack About Going
Joshua 18:1–10
In every major work, there are points where some intervention is required. This whole process was taking too long, there wasn’t any clear road map to completing the work so Joshua establishes one in
Joshua 18:4–5 Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them so that they may begin to go through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance, and let them come to me. 5 They will divide it among themselves into seven portions; Judah will maintain its border from the south, and the house of Joseph will maintain its border from the north.
Joshua gives these men clear boundaries and describes the result he wants, “seven portions” with boundaries, cities, a clear description written in a book for him to use as he casts lots for those that will come to own that territory. The Lord had told Joshua to divide the land but didn’t tell him how to do it. With Moses, the Lord had been very particular about the ark and the altar and the construction of the tents, but here, it is up to Joshua. And this is a great lesson, as a leader, you don’t need to do everything. In fact, it is good for people to own the work. It is good for people to be involved in decisions that will affect their lives. So these men did go and found cities and villages and dividing lines and, much as we might think about counties and states or provinces, each tribe would have their own territory with permanent boundaries and families within the tribes would also have their place.
The Allotment of the Tribe of Benjamin Came Up
Joshua 18:11–28
The Portion for Judah Was Too Large for Them
Joshua 19:1–9
The Third Allotment Came Up for Zebulun
Joshua 19:10–16
The Fourth Allotment Fell for Issachar
Joshua 19:17–23
The Fifth Allotment Fell for Asher
These Are the Inheritances
Joshua 19:49–51
Joshua has finished the work as God had given it to him, giving the inheritance to the children of Israel in
Joshua 19:49 They finished assigning the land according to its borders, and the Israelites gave an inheritance from among them to Joshua son of Nun.
Joshua was rewarded with the city he desired for himself yet there is no mention of family or children. But his life was about one thing, a life of service to deliver the land, the inheritance not of Joshua, but of Israel. We may read this as being all Joshua, yet it is the Lord that is leading and Joshua is not alone in making decisions, he stands together with Eleazar the priest and “the heads of the families of the tribes”. Notice that this is not the heads of the tribes, not twelve men, but the heads of the families, a host of leaders each standing to receive their rightful share, an inheritance for their family and this was not done behind closed doors, but “at the entrance of the tent of meeting”, publicly for all to see and know what was happening as the lots were cast in
Joshua 19:51 These are the inheritances that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the families of the tribes, distributed by allotment to the Israelites, at Shiloh before Yahweh at the entrance of the tent of meeting. And they finished dividing the land.
Study Verses
- Joshua 17:14–18 Why Have You Given Us One Allotment
- Joshua 18:1–10 How Long Will You Be Slack About Going
- Joshua 19:49–51 These Are the Inheritances
Today’s Reading
- Joshua 17:14-18
- Joshua 18:1-28
- Joshua 19:1-51