As Joshua approaches the end of his life, he offers one final challenge to the children of Israel in Joshua 24:14 “So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.” The Lord has brought them into this land and subdued all of their enemies. They have enjoyed the peace and now face a decision. Will they follow Yahweh? Joshua repeats himself in Joshua 24:23 He said, “Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel.” Joshua’s question to them can be asked of every generation. He said in Joshua 24:15 “choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve” and for those of us that believe God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, for those of us called Christians, our answer ought to be as Joshua’s was “but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.” 

When They Heard the Words

Joshua 22:30–34
Israel faces internal division as the clans West of Jordan imagine treachery on the part of the clans East of the Jordan, at least until they listen and hear the explanation in

Joshua 22:30 Phinehas the priest, the leaders of the congregation, and the heads of the clans of Israel who were with him heard the words that the descendants of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh spoke, and they were satisfied.

Even though they had been fighting together to take the land for five years or more, at the first rumor of misconduct, the heads of the clans of Israel had been ready to destroy the land East of Jordan but neither group had inquired of the Lord before they acted. Now, after the conflict, they think to bless God in

Joshua 22:33–34 The report satisfied the Israelites; they blessed God, and they did not speak of going up for battle against them to destroy the land in which the descendants of Reuben and Gad were living.

 

Observe Carefully All That is Written

Joshua 23:1–7
Israel has rest from their external enemies and they had peace with each other in

Joshua 23:1 And it happened, after a long time, after Yahweh had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and after Joshua was old and well-advanced in years,

After the warfare, after, at eighty-five, Joshua had gone to live in his city. We don’t know exactly how long after, but he lived another twenty-five years after this so maybe after a generation had grown up he summons all the leaders in

Joshua 23:2 Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders, heads, judges, and officials, and he said to them, “I am old and well-advanced in years,

and he reminds them of all the good things God has done in bringing them into this land in Joshua 23:3 and the inheritance they now have in Joshua 23:4 and God’s continued and future promise to them in Joshua 23:5. Then he reminds them to follow God and him only in

Joshua 23:6 Be very strong to observe carefully all that is written in the scroll of the law of Moses so as not to turn aside from it, to the right or left,

If Indeed You Turn Back

Joshua 23:8–16

They Presented Themselves Before God

Joshua 24:1–7

I Gave to You a Land That You Have Not Labored

Joshua 24:8–13 

Choose Yourselves Today Whom You Want to Serve

Joshua 24:14–24
As Joshua, now in his last years, admonishes the people of Israel, he says to them twice, remove the foreign Gods. He says “revere Yahweh” and “remove the gods” in

Joshua 24:14 “So now, revere Yahweh and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; remove the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve Yahweh.”

but this is no demand. They are not required to serve Yahweh, they are free to choose and as Joshua declares his allegiance to Yahweh, he presents them with that choice in

Joshua 24:15 But if it is bad in your eyes to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you want to serve, whether it is the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve Yahweh.”

and the people all respond that they will not forsake Yahweh in Joshua 23:16. Then Joshua challenges them saying “you cannot serve Yahweh” in Joshua 23:17. Joshua must have seen the people turning away already and he issues a strong caution in

Joshua 24:20 If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster to you; he will destroy you after he has done good to you.”

but the people respond that they will not forsake him in

Joshua 24:21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve Yahweh.”

so Joshua says to them again “remove the foreign gods” in

Joshua 24:23 He said, “Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst, and incline your hearts to Yahweh the God of Israel.”

Some believe that serving God is a passive act that only requires that they stop doing evil, but it is much more than that, it is an active proposition that requires doing good. Living for God means loving God, inclining your heart to him, listening to his voice and following his ways, not just for a moment in time, but for all of your life.

This Stone Will Be a Witness Against Us, For It Has Heard All The Words

Joshua 24:25–33

Study Verses

• Joshua 22:30–34 When They Heard the Words
• Joshua 23:1–7 Observe Carefully All That is Written
• Joshua 24:14–24 Choose Yourselves Today Whom You Want to Serve

Today’s Reading

• Joshua 22:30-34
• Joshua 23:1-16
• Joshua 24:1-33

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All of the work of allocating the land is done. God’s call to Moses has been completed. God’s call to Joshua has been fulfilled. And in Joshua 21:44 “Yahweh gave them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their ancestors, and nobody from all their enemies withstood them”. And in Joshua 21:45 “And nothing failed from all the good things that Yahweh promised to the house of Israel; everything came to pass”. Joshua releases Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and blesses them saying in Joshua 22:4 “turn and go to your tents to the land of your possession”. And now they must fight the greatest battle of all, living in faith and trust in God. As they cross the Jordan, they recognize their separation from the rest of the nation and in Joshua 22:24 “because of anxiety”, build an altar that was like the altar of sacrifice to the Lord as a memorial. Their fear is immediately manifested in the reaction in Joshua 22:16 “Thus says all the congregation of Yahweh: ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel by turning away today from following Yahweh, by building for yourselves an altar to rebel today against Yahweh?” It is now all the congregation West of Jordan against those East of Jordan, the very rift they feared.

To The Descendants of Gershon Thirteen Cities and Their Pasturelands

Joshua 21:27–33

To The Remaining Families of the Levites Twelve Cities.

Joshua 21:34–40 

Yahweh Gave Them Rest On Every Side

Joshua 21:41–45
All of the allotments have been made, the cities of refuge have been named, the “cities of the Levites” given in

Joshua 21:41 All the cities of the Levites among the property of the Israelites were forty-eight cities and their pasturelands.

and this marks the end of this time of God’s call for Moses and God’s promise to deliver the children of Israel from oppression and bring them into “a good and wide land” in

Exodus 3:8 And I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from this land to a good and wide land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

and it is the end of the call of Joshua who was to deliver the land, their inheritance in

Joshua 1:6 Be strong and courageous, for you will give the people this land as an inheritance that I swore to their ancestors to give them.

God has delivered and they now have possession in

Joshua 21:43 And Yahweh gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled in it.

and they enjoy a time of peace, “rest on every side” in

Joshua 21:44 Yahweh gave them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their ancestors, and nobody from all their enemies withstood them, for Yahweh had given all their enemies into their hand.

and in this time, God has fulfilled all that he has spoken to them in

Joshua 21:45 And nothing failed from all the good things that Yahweh promised to the house of Israel; everything came to pass.

 

Turn And Go To The Land of Your Possession

Joshua 22:1–6
Joshua releases the two and a half tribes that had taken their inheritance on the East side of the Jordan. They have fulfilled their obligation to help as all Israel together took possession of their land in

Joshua 22:2–3 and he said to them, “You have observed all that Moses Yahweh’s servant commanded you, and you have listened to my voice in all that I have commanded you; 3 you have not forsaken your kinsmen these many days, up to this day, and you have observed the obligation of the command of Yahweh your God”.

Now, Joshua says “turn and go to your tents to the land of your possession” in Joshua 22:4 but he also reminds them that they now must “hold fast” and live for the Lord in

Joshua 22:5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and law that Moses Yahweh’s servant commanded you, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

The Whole Congregation of The Israelites Gathered For Battle

Joshua 22:7–14 

What Is This Treachery

Joshua 22:15–29
All of Israel on the West side of Jordan has heard about this altar built by those on the East side of Jordan and even though they had fought side by side for at least five years prior, they are ready to go to war, a civil war, with their brothers. How could this happen? How could their relationship turn so quickly from comrade to enemy? But here they are, and note the tribes from West of the Jordan come saying “all the congregation of Yahweh” as if those East of the Jordan are not part of the Lord’s people in

Joshua 22:16 “Thus says all the congregation of Yahweh: ‘What is this treachery that you have committed against the God of Israel by turning away today from following Yahweh, by building for yourselves an altar to rebel today against Yahweh?

and listen to their rant about “the sin of Peor” “compare Num 25; Deut 4:3”¹ and “The incident with Achan … (see Joshu 22:20)”¹ which was based on their fear that in

Joshua 22:18 “If you rebel today against Yahweh, tomorrow he will be angry with all of the congregation of Israel”

But this is all blown out of proportion, in fact, there isn’t any rebellion. It is all misunderstanding based on rumor and gossip. It is only when the heads of the clans of Israel listened to the explanation from the descendants of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh that they understood in

Joshua 22:27 instead, it is a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us for performing the serving of Yahweh in his presence with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and fellowship offerings; so that your children may not say in the future to our children, “You have no portion in Yahweh.” ’

These leaders had acted out of fear, their own uncertainty about the future as they took this action to build a second altar to the Lord in

Joshua 22:24 But in fact, we have done this because of anxiety, because of a reason, saying, ‘In the future your children may say to our children, ‘What is the relationship between you and Yahweh the God of Israel?’

When we react to the actions of others and ascribe imagined motives based on our own fear of what might happen, we have created a division that separates us.

Study Verses

• Joshua 21:41–45 Yahweh Gave Them Rest On Every Side
• Joshua 22:1–6 Turn And Go To The Land of Your Possession
• Joshua 22:15–29 What Is This Treachery

Today’s Reading

• Joshua 21:27-45
• Joshua 22:1-29

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References

• 1. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jos 22:17). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

The lands have been given, an inheritance to Israel, by tribe and family but there is still the shift they must make from the time of sojourning and war to the time of peaceful possession that was before them. Moses had instructed them to establish cities of refuge but God had not prescribed which cities, he only said in Numbers 35:11 “you will select for yourselves cities for your cities of refuge”. So the people did select cities across their land, “Bezer (Bozrah) … and Ramoth … and Golan (Dt 4:43; Jos 20:8)”² and “Kedesh … Shechem … Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) (Joshua 20:7)”². And, the Levites still had no inheritance, yet needed a place to carry out their duties to the Lord in Shiloh where the ark of the covenant resided, but also their duties to the people. Again, God had not prescribed where the Levites would live, he only said in Numbers 35:2 “Command the Israelites that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pastureland all around the cities”. And they did give the Levites place across the land, even in their most prominent cities.

The Sixth Allotment Fell For the Children of Naphtali

Joshua 19:32–39

The Seventh Lot Fell For the Tribe of the Descendants of Dan

Joshua 19:40–48 

Appoint For Yourselves Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:1–9
God understands the emotions he created us with. He also understood that these people were separated from him, they didn’t have the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has given us as believers. They had reason and learning and emotion, the state of fallen man. This is why this idea is so prominent throughout the old testament, “observe diligently all that is written” in Joshua 1:8 or it might be written “observe to do according to all that I have commanded them” in 2 Kings 21:8. But emotion can overwhelm reason and there are few things in life felt so deeply as the loss of a loved one, whether intentionally or accidentally. So, the Lord spoke to Moses to establish cities of refuge in Numbers 35:9-15. And, the killer, the person accused or the person guilty, will stay in one of those cities until trial in

Joshua 20:6 The killer will stay in that city until he stands before the congregation for the trial, until the death of the one who is the high priest in those days. Then the killer will return to his city and to his house, to the city from which he fled.’ ”

This is much as it is with us today where a trial is before a jury of our peers, for them it was before the congregation. And it was this way to prevent anger and emotion from doing further wrong. These decisions were to be made with witnesses and with thoughtful consideration for all parties involved. 

By Command of Yahweh, The Israelites Gave The Levites Cities and Pasturelands

Joshua 21:1–12
The tribes and families of Israel have all received their inheritance, their allotment of land. And all know that the Levite’s were not part of that inheritance. But the Levites also had families, they also had need of natural provision to be able to fulfill their role as keepers of the temple of God. So, they come and ask for what they need in

Joshua 21:3 So, by command of Yahweh, the Israelites gave the Levites these cities and their pasturelands from their inheritance.

The families of the Levite’s were given cities, a place to live, a place to keep their goods, their clothes and personal belongings. And, they were given pasturelands for their flocks. 

To The Descendants of Aaron The Priest They Gave Hebron The City of Refuge

Joshua 21:13–26
Some of these cities were well known to Israel and Hebron was one. In Joshua’s day, it was “Fortified, 2 Chronicles 11:10” ¹ and had been the capital city for “Hoham, … (who) confederated with other kings of the Canaanites against Joshua, Josh. 10:3–39” ¹. But long before that, it was the place where Sarah died and Abraham purchased a burial place for her “Called Kirjath-arba, Gen. 23:2” ¹ and Hebron is the place “where Abraham and Isaac dwelled as aliens” in Genesis 35:27 ¹.

Hebron was also the city that had been given to Caleb at his request and as his reward for his faithfulness. So these cities were shared in a way that we might not easily understand. However, in Caleb’s request, he asked for the “hill country” and was given Hebron, meaning he would take the fortified city and the region around it in

Joshua 14:12–13 So now give me this hill country that Yahweh spoke of on that day, for you heard on that day that the Anakites were there, with great and fortified cities. Perhaps Yahweh is with me, and I will drive them out just as Yahweh promised.” 13 And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.

Now, in describing the area given to the Levites, it simply says in

Joshua 21:12 But the field of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his property.

and then in

Joshua 21:13 “To the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the killer, and its pasturelands”

Study Verses

• Joshua 20:1–9 Appoint For Yourselves Cities of Refuge
• Joshua 21:1–12 By Command of Yahweh, The Israelites Gave The Levites Cities and Pasturelands
• Joshua 21:13–26 To The Descendants of Aaron The Priest They Gave Hebron The City of Refuge

Today’s Reading

• Joshua 19:32-48
• Joshua 20:1-9
• Joshua 21:1-36

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References

• 1. Swanson, J., & Nave, O. (1994). New Nave’s Topical Bible. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.
• 2. Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Cities of Refuge. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 466). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

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

Joshua 19:24–31 

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

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As the allotments are being made, some are honored for their place as warriors as Caleb and Makir were. Even in his old age, in Joshua 15:14–15 “Caleb drove out from there three of Anak’s sons” to clear the land and fulfill the promise the Lord had made to, in Joshua 13:6 “drive them out from before the Israelites”. But other groups are not successful and we find phrases like this ” (they) … live among Israel to this day”. While some are falling short, others are seizing their inheritance as these daughters did in Joshua 17:4 They came … saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give an inheritance to us among our kinsmen.” and they received their allotment. And there is the daughter of Caleb who married the conqueror of Dabir and was given land beside, but she asked for more, water for her land and it was given to her. What is in front of you that you could ask for? What is in front of you that you could seize?

The Allotment For the Tribe of Judah

Joshua 15:1–10 

Caleb Among the Descendants of Judah

Joshua 15:11–19
As the land was being given by lot, the lot of Judah falls in Southern Israel, a large section from the Dead Sea on the East to the Mediterranean on the west. South as far as Israel would go and North, almost to Jerusalem. But this was not empty land and the descendants of Judah came to Joshua, and Caleb who was one of them, was given Hebron. In fact, Caleb asks for it and says “give me this hill country … I will drive them out” in Joshua 14:12. The “them” Caleb is talking about are in

Joshua 15:14–15 Caleb drove out from there three of Anak’s sons, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. 15 And from there he went up against the inhabitants of Debir (the former name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher).

But Caleb was not a young man so he makes an offer of his daughter as wife of whoever takes this city in

Joshua 15:16 And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him my daughter Acsah as a wife.”

Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, takes the city which is some ten miles from Hebron. As his prize, he takes a wife who has been given land by her father, the “Negev”. We may not immediately recognize this landscape but “On a general level, the Negeb is an extension of the Arabian-Saharan subtropic desert zone and shows geographic continuity with Sinai.”¹ It was hot, dry, and Othniel and Acsah would need water to flourish there. So Acsah asks for more from her father in

Joshua 15:19 And she said to him, “Give to me a gift; you have given me the land of the Negev, and you must give to me a spring of water.” And he gave to her the upper and lower spring.

Just as Caleb was happy to give to his daughter and new son-in-law, so our Father is happy to give to us and it is good for us to ask for what we want and need to flourish.

The Inheritance of the Tribe of Judah

Joshua 15:20–63

Descendants of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, Received Their Inheritance

Joshua 16:1–10 

The Allotment Was Made for the Tribe of Manasseh

Joshua 17:1–6
There are some that are called out for their service and given a special allotment, as Caleb was, so was Makir “because he was a warrior” in

Joshua 17:1 Then the allotment was made for the tribe of Manasseh, because he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Makir, the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a warrior.

Allotments were given to all the people of each tribe, well, all the male descendants in

Joshua 17:2 An allotment was made for the remaining descendants of Manasseh, according to their families: For the children of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida—these were the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph according to their families.

There was though, one family that had no sons, only daughters. God does not extinguish this heritage, this is a family line of the righteous and there is no curse that prevented the birth of sons so these women spoke up for their inheritance in

Joshua 17:3–4 But Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 4 They came before Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give an inheritance to us among our kinsmen.” Therefore, according to the command of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the kinsmen of their father.

And we learn something more about this process here, the land was given in parcels based on families and their size. “ten shares fell to Manasseh” in Joshua 17:5 and one of them was to the daughters of Zelophehad. 

The Descendants of Manasseh Were Not Able to Take Possession

Joshua 17:7–13
Manasseh has received their allotment as Judah has and as other tribes have. And in the description of their land are the names of the cities, but also the surrounding villages and “the inhabitants” are noted because in

Joshua 17:12 But the descendants of Manasseh were not able to take possession of these towns; the Canaanites were determined to live in this land.

And we might understand after forty years in the wilderness and five years of hard warfare from the North to the South, they wanted homes and families and their promised possession so they settled where they could and in

Joshua 17:13 And it happened, when the Israelites grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but never drove them out completely.

but this was not just a problem for Manasseh, it also happened with the Reubenites and the Gadites in

Joshua 13:13 But the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites; Geshur and Maacah live among Israel to this day.

and even though Caleb conquered in Hebron and Debir, his tribesmen were not so successful and in

Joshua 15:63 But the descendants of Judah were unable to drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live with the descendants of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.

And those of Ephraim also failed to clear the land of the Canaanites in

Joshua 16:10 But they did not drive out the Canananites who were dwelling in Gezer, and so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, but they became forced laborers.

and this, even though God had promised to “drive them out from before the Israelites” in Joshua 13:6.

Study Verses

• Joshua 15:11–19 Caleb Among the Descendants of Judah
• Joshua 17:1–6 The Allotment Was Made for the Tribe of Manasseh
• Joshua 17:7–13 The Descendants of Manasseh Were Not Able to Take Possession

Today’s Reading

• Joshua 15:1-63
• Joshua 16:1-10
• Joshua 17:1-13

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References

• 1. Rosen, S. A. (1992). Bronze Age. In D. N. Freedman (Ed.), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. 4, p. 1061). New York: Doubleday.