Friday, March 23, 2012

Joshua 19



Above map from "Tribe of Judah - Wikipedia":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribe_of_Judah



Above map from www.teachinghearts.org/dre17hpropjoshua.html

(1) The second allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of *Simeon. Their homeland was surrounded by Judah’s territory.

  • *Simeon
    • Simeon means "hearing" and Judah means "praise" - linking the two together.
    • Because Judah's inheritance was so large, Simeon was given a possession within Judah's borders.
    • It was not long before Simeon lost its individuality as a tribe, for its territory was swallowed up eventually into that of Judah.
    • Simeon is not even listed in Moses’ blessings to the tribes in Deuteronomy 33.
    • Genesis 49:5-7: “Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence. May I never join in their meetings; may I never be a party to their plans. For in their anger they murdered men, and they crippled oxen just for sport. A curse on their anger, for it is fierce; a curse on their wrath, for it is cruel. I will scatter them among the descendants of Jacob; I will disperse them throughout Israel.
    • Numbers 1:22 lists the descendants of Simeon at 59,300 strong prior to the Exodus. After the Israelites "began to indulge in sexual immorality with Midianite women", God's "anger burned against them". A plague broke out in the camp. After the plague, Moses is instructed to take another census of the tribes of Israel. Numbers 26:14 gives the number of the clans within the tribe of Simeon. In this list, they are only 22,200 men strong. They had lost two-thirds of their men in the wilderness. In that same time period Manasseh increased 63.7%! Judah had 76,500 in the Numbers census and was the largest tribe.
    • In the days of Hezekiah, the Bible states, Simeonites attacked the Hamites and Meunites in the area. Scripture indicates they "completely destroyed" their enemies. Later, a band of 500 Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, invaded the hill country of Seir. They are credited with killing the remaining Amalekites in the region.
    • The tribe was among those exiled by Nebuchadnezzar. In this respect, Jacob's prophecy of Simeon being scattered was fulfilled. However, as stated in Revelation, the tribe of Simeon will take its place amongst the 12 tribes of Israel in the New Jerusalem.
    • In 1 Chronicles 4:24-43, some from the Tribe of Simeon cross over the Jordan River and set up housekeeping over on Mount Seir. That occurs during Hezekiah's reign (715-686 B.C.). So, they never disappear as one of the Tribes of Israel.
      • 1 Chronicles 4:24-43: Some of Ham’s descendants had been living in that region. But during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah, these leaders of Simeon invaded the region and completely destroyed the homes of the descendants of Ham and of the Meunites. No trace of them remains today. They killed everyone who lived there and took the land for themselves, because they wanted its good pastureland for their flocks. Five hundred of these invaders from the tribe of Simeon went to Mount Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel—all sons of Ishi. They destroyed the few Amalekites who had survived, and they have lived there ever since.

(2) Simeon’s homeland included *Beersheba, Sheba, Moladah,

  • *Beersheba (well of the seven or well of the oath) was the chief city of the Negev and was located midway between the Mediterranean Sea and the southern end of the Dead Sea and was considered the southern extremity of the Promised Land. It was part of the idiomatic phrase, “from Dan to Beersheba” which described the Promised Land.
    • Genesis 21:30-34: Abraham replied, “Please accept these seven lambs to show your agreement that I dug this well.” Then he named the place Beersheba (which means “well of the oath”), because that was where they had sworn the oath. After making their covenant at Beersheba, Abimelech left with Phicol, the commander of his army, and they returned home to the land of the Philistines. Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he worshiped the Lord, the Eternal God. And Abraham lived as a foreigner in Philistine country for a long time.

(3-4) Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, *Hormah,

  • *Hormah means "complete destruction."
    • Judges 1:17: Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed the town. So the town was named Hormah.

(5) *Ziklag, **Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah,

  • *Ziklag became David’s base for raids against nomadic tribes in the Negev. Many of Saul’s followers defected and joined David at Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12:1).
  • **Beth Marcaboth means "house of chariots."

(6-9) Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen towns with their surrounding villages. It also included Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan—four towns with their villages, including all the surrounding villages as far south as Baalath-beer (also known as Ramah of the Negev). This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Simeon. Their allocation of land came from part of what had been given to Judah because Judah’s territory was too large for them. So the tribe of Simeon received an allocation within the territory of Judah.

  • The group of seventeen cities allotted to this tribe mainly rest in the western Negev. The tribe settled land in the southwest of Canaan. The tribe of Judah encompassed their allotment, with Jerusalem to the northeast.

(10) The third allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of *Zebulun. The boundary of Zebulun’s homeland
started at Sarid.

  • *Zebulun means "dwelling." The area of Zebulun's possession was north of Manasseh.
  • The inheritance of Zebulun and Naphtali is called “the Galilee of the Gentiles” in Matthew 4. Throughout Israel’s history, Zebulun and Naphtali were always being attacked by the enemies of Israel—the Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks, Persians and Romans came from the
    north.
  • Many of the landmarks and cities mentioned have yet to be identified. If one attempts to interpret Biblical geography based on what is known today, at times the picture painted can be a murky and muddy one which seems to make no sense.
  • Jewish Antiquities, Book 5, Chapter 1 by Josephus: "The tribe of Zebulun's lot included the land which lay as far as the Lake of Genesaret, and that which belonged to Carmel and the sea."
    • Lake of Genesaret is the Sea of Galilee.
  • Judges 1:30: The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun.
    • Many scholars feel it was laziness and unfaithfulness which prevented the Israelites from driving out the Canaanites. They became complacent, and allowed local inhabitants to dwell among them. As a result, many Israelites fell into pagan religious practices, forsaking the God of their fathers.
  • Isaiah prophesied that the land of Zebulun and Naphtali would see a great light (Isaiah 9:1-2 and Matthew 4:13–16). Indeed, those who were in bondage and under attack were those who saw a great light because where did Jesus base His ministry? Where did He spend virtually all of His time except when He traveled to Jerusalem? Galilee.
    • Isaiah 9:1-2: Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
  • Map from www.workersforjesus.com/josh18-20.htm

(11-14) From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam. In the other direction, the boundary went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth-tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued east to *Gath-hepher, Eth-kazin, and Rimmon and turned toward Neah.

  • *Gath-hepher is the birthplace of the prophet Jonah (2 Kings 14:25) about three miles northeast of Nazareth.

(14-15) The northern boundary of Zebulun passed Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtah-el. The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and *Bethlehem—twelve towns with their surrounding villages.

  • *Bethlehem: Not the one near Jerusalem which was known as Bethlehem-ephrata. This one was 7 miles northwest of Nazareth.

(16-17) The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Zebulun included these towns and their surrounding villages.

(17) The fourth allotment of land went to the clans of the
tribe of *Issachar.

  • *Issachar means "there is reward."
  • The Jordan River formed the tribe's eastern boundary. Though the plain was indeed fertile, well watered, and ideal for agriculture, Issachar enjoyed little success in occupying the land. Their allotment was one of the most agriculturally desirable. However, it was also one of the most precarious. The Jezreel Valley was ideal for an agricultural people. It possessed fertile, flat plains which were well suited for cattle. Canaanite strongholds throughout the area prevented Issachar from gaining primary control of the Valley. The ancient city of Megiddo, one of five Canaanite strongholds in the region, rested within the tribal boundaries of Issachar. The Canaanites held out, and these strongholds remained threats to the Israelites until the time of David and Solomon. Megiddo has been a site of bloodshed for thousands of years, and was vital in controlling the Jezreel Valley. Mount Moreh is located in the Jezreel Valley. It stands almost in the center of the tribe's allotment as looked at on a map.
  • Map is from www.workersforjesus.com/josh18-20.htm

(18) Its boundaries included the following towns: *Jezreel, Kesulloth, **Shunem,

  • *Jezreel means "God scatters." King Ahab had a palace in Jezreel and here Queen Jezebel was killed.
  • **Shunem was the occasional abode of the prophet Elisha and the place where he restored the son of a pious woman to life (2 Kings 4:8). It was the place where the Philistines were encamped when the Israelites were totally routed at Gilboa, and Saul and his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchi-shua were killed (1 Samuel 28:4; 31:1).

(19-22) Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. The boundary also touched *Tabor, Shahazumah, and **Beth-shemesh, ending at the Jordan River—sixteen towns with their surrounding villages.

  • *Mount Tabor was a very significant mountain in antiquity. It is quite likely that the tribes of Zebulun, Naphtali and Issachar shared a place of worship on Mount Tabor. These tribes cooperated with each other and are mentioned in conjunction throughout the Old Testament.
  • **Beth-Shemesh means "house of the sun-god."

(23) The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Issachar included these towns and their surrounding villages.

(24) The fifth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of *Asher.

  • *Asher means "happy."
  • The Phoenician empire stretched approximately two hundred miles along the Mediterranean. The tribe of Asher, consequently, was limited in settlement to those cities further inland.
  • In the Song of Deborah found in Judges 5, Asher was one of only two tribes, the other being Dan, associated with the sea and seafaring. This was unique to these two tribes, as the remainder of the tribes of Israel centered around pastoral life.
  • The land of Asher was known for its olive orchards. Asher produced such large amounts of oil that it became exceedingly wealthy. A big reason for Asher's wealth, coupled with its natural production of olive oil, was its proximity to the markets of Phoenicia. The tribe of Asher became a leader in the olive oil trade in Canaan. Rabbinical Literature, as pointed out by the Jewish Encyclopedia, supports this notion. It is believed that in times of scarcity and during the Rabbinical year, Asher supplied all of Israel with oil.
  • It was a fertile land, especially in the interior of Lower Galilee. However, the land was dissected by roadways. These roadways were used by invading foreign armies making the tribe of Asher very vulnerable.
  • Luke 2:36-38: Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
  • Map is from www.israel-a-history-of.com/tribe-of-asher.html

(25-26) Its boundaries included these towns: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. The boundary on the west touched *Carmel and Shihor-libnath,

  • *Carmel (the vineyard of God). The borders of Asher's territory are hard to define with any certainty. Many of the towns mentioned north of Carmel have yet to be identified.

(27-28) then it turned east toward *Beth-dagon, and ran as far as Zebulun in the valley of Iphtah-el, going north to Beth-emek and Neiel. It then continued north to Cabul, Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, and as far as Greater **Sidon.

  • *Beth-dagon: "House of Dagon". Dagon is particularly the god of the Philistines with temples at Beth-dagon in the tribe of Asher (Joshua 19.27), in Gaza (Judges 16.23, which tells soon after how the temple is destroyed by Samson as his last act). Another temple, in Ashdod was mentioned in 1 Samuel 5.2–7 and again as late as 1 Maccabees 10.83;11.4. King Saul's head was displayed in a temple of Dagon in 1 Chronicles 10:8-10. There was also a second place known as Beth-Dagon in Judah (Joshua 15.41). Josephus (Antiquities 12.8.1; War 1.2.3) mentions a place named Dagon above Jericho.
  • **Sidon was the flourishing metropolis of the Phoenicians. Though included in the inheritance of Asher, this town was never possessed by them ( Judges 1:31). Sidon was later replaced by Tyre as Phoencia’s capital.

(29) Then the boundary turned toward Ramah and the fortress of *Tyre, where it turned toward Hosah and came to the Mediterranean Sea. The territory also included Mehebel, Aczib,

  • *Tyre is not included.

(30-32) Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob—twenty-two towns with their surrounding villages. The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Asher
included these towns and their surrounding villages. The sixth allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of *Naphtali.

  • *Naphtali means "my wrestlings." Naphtali was north of Zebulon and east of Asher (verse 34), so that its territory was in the far north of the land, as was Asher, including a number of fortified cities.
  • Of the 12 tribes of Israel, none received land more beautiful than this tribe. Their land has been called the "Garden of Palestine". Their inheritance fell in the region of Galilee. Centered around the shores of the Sea of Galilee, this tribe possessed the most fertile and productive region in all of Canaan. Shepherds and farmers alike found the soil and vegetation of this area extremely fertile and able to support large flocks and herds. The area is well watered by multiple sources; principally the Jordan River, the springs of Mt. Herman and the Sea of Galilee. Mount Herman is just 39 miles northeast of where the Jordan River runs into the Sea of Galilee. In antiquity, the mountains of Galilee bore the name the Mountains of Naphtali.
  • Map is from www.israel-a-history-of.com/naphtali.html

(33-36) Its boundary ran from Heleph, from the oak at Zaanannim, and extended across to Adami-nekeb, Jabneel, and as far as Lakkum, ending at the Jordan River. The western boundary ran past Aznoth-tabor, then to Hukkok, and touched the border of Zebulun in the south, the border of Asher on the west, and the Jordan River on the east. The fortified towns included in this territory were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, *Hazor,

  • *Hazor:
    • Hazor was the chief of the Canaanite kingdoms in the time before Joshua. It was the largest and one of the most important Canaanite city-states. Documents unearthed at Mari, and dating to 1850 B.C., make mention of Hazor being a major commercial center. Egyptian documents also make mention of Hazor, starting around 2000 B.C. Hazor reached its zenith in the time of the Amarna Letters, around 1300 B.C. Archaeology has shown that the Upper and Lower cities of Hazor were destroyed in a violent conflagration shortly before 1200 B.C. Many Biblical scholars take this to represent the destruction imposed on Hazor by Joshua. Indeed, this evidence corroborates the Bible's description of the Battle at the Waters of Merom.
    • 1 Kings 9:15: This is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s Temple, the royal palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and the cities of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer.
    • 2 Kings 15:29: During Pekah’s reign, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria attacked Israel again, and he captured the towns of Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also conquered the regions of Gilead, Galilee, and all of Naphtali, and he took the people to Assyria as captives.

(37-38) Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, Yiron, *Migdal-el, Horem, **Beth-anath, and ***Beth-shemesh—nineteen towns with their surrounding villages.

  • *Migdal-el means "tower of God."
  • **Beth Anath means "house of [the goddess] Anath."
  • ***Beth Shemesh means "house of the sun-god."

(39-40) The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Naphtali included these towns and their surrounding villages. The seventh allotment of land went to the clans of the tribe of *Dan.

  • *Dan means "judge."
  • The inheritance of Dan was near to the sea-coast, west of Ephraim and Benjamin, and north of Judah. But later, in Judges 18:1, we learn that Dan had not possessed what he was entitled to, so that, after sending spies to the north of the land, who found the Sidonians living in peace without fortifications or armaments, six hundred men from Dan journeyed there and attacked the inhabitants, killing them and burning their city Laish (Judg.18:27-29), then rebuilding the city for themselves, calling it Dan. Thus the tribe of Dan is thereafter referred to as at the extreme north of the land. Laish is the same as Leshem, noted in verse 47, this verse referring to the conquest of Judges 18. Though the area described in verses 41-46 was Dan's proper inheritance, it seems that they retained little possession of this.
  • Dan was the first to introduce idolatry publicly in their tribe (Judges18:30-31).
    • Judges 18:30-31: Then they set up the carved image, and they appointed Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, as their priest. This family continued as priests for the tribe of Dan until the Exile. So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.
  • Their choosing a place God had not assigned showed their sinful character. The tribe of Dan does not appear among the sealed ones in Revelation 7:4-8.
  • In the "future distribution" of the land as described in Ezekiel Chapter 48, the tribe of Dan does get a share of land.
  • They left the region which God had assigned to them and went north because it was easier—or so they thought. In reality, they fell into idolatry, made a golden calf eventually, and were attacked constantly. Thus, by trying to avoid struggle where they were, they eventually found themselves in an infinitely worse situation They were under attack to a greater degree and had a tough time throughout history because they didn’t stay in the place the Lord had planted them in. And oh, how often we have found the same to be true in our lives when we have taken the bait of the greener pastures.
  • Dan’s territory is focused on the coastal plain which today is in the environs of Greater Tel Aviv. This allotment was small, but the land was extremely fertile.
  • Further description is found in Joshua 21:6,32. In this passage, Joshua is listing the Levitical cities within the tribe of Naphtali. These cities were given to the Gershonites, the sons of Gershon.

(41) The land allocated as their homeland included the following towns: *Zorah, **Eshtaol, ***Ir-shemesh,

  • *Zorah was the home of Manoah, Samson’s father.
  • **Eshtaol: Samson was buried in Eshtaol.
  • ***Ir Shemesh means "city of the sun."

(42) Shaalabbin, *Aijalon, Ithlah,

  • *Aijalon: The area surrounding Aijalon was the site of the famous battle between Joshua and the five Amorite kings during which the sun stood still (10:12-14). Aijalon was the burial place of Elon, one of the Judges of Israel from the tribe of Zebulun.

(43) Elon, *Timnah, **Ekron,

  • *Timnah: Samson married a Philistine woman at Timnah to whom he told his riddle of the lion and the honey (Judges 14:1-20).
  • **Ekron was the northernmost of the five cities of the Philistines located near the Mediterranean Sea about thirty-five miles west of Jerusalem. 1 Samuel 6:17 mentions the five cities of the Philistines: Ashdod (coastal), Gaza (coastal), Ashkelon (coastal), Gath (inland) and Ekron (inland).
    • Amos 1:6–8: This is what the LORD says: “The people of Gaza have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They sent whole villages into exile, selling them as slaves to Edom. So I will send down fire on the walls of Gaza, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. I will slaughter the people of Ashdod and destroy the king of Ashkelon. Then I will turn to attack Ekron, and the few Philistines still left will be killed,” says the Sovereign LORD.

(44-46) Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, Me-jarkon, Rakkon, and the territory across from Joppa.

  • Joppa: Today known as Jaffa. Joppa was an ancient seaport city on the Mediterranean Sea which was located about thirty-five miles northwest of Jerusalem. Joppa is where Peter had his vision.

(47) But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land, so they attacked the town of* Laish. They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the town Dan after their ancestor.

  • * Laish: A town at the foot of Mt. Lebanon in the North.
  • Dan forsook their God-given inheritance and sought an inheritance to the north of their own choice. See Judges 18:1-31 for the details including their immediate idol worship.
  • What happened here is that Dan didn't call on God's power to drive out the people of the land they were allotted. Instead, they looked to their own strength and wit. They found a sleepy little community, Lechem, far away from any of its allies, they took them by surprise and they slaughtered them. But the Danites didn't see that God had given them this victory. Instead they looked to themselves as the victors. And then they were tempted to say, "who needs God when we've done such a fine job on our own?" So they set up carved images and worshipped them, and they were still worshiping them on the "until the Exile" (Judges 18:30-31).
  • Judges 1:34: As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites
    forced them back into the hill country and would not let them come down
    into the plains.
  • “From Dan to Beersheba” was an expression meaning from the
    northern most to the southern most cities in Israel.

  • Map is from www.israel-a-history-of.com/tribe-of-dan.html

(48-50) The homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Dan included these towns and their surrounding villages. After all the land was divided among the tribes, the
Israelites gave a piece of land to Joshua as his allocation. For the LORD had said he could have any town he wanted. He chose *Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim. He rebuilt the town and lived there.

  • *Timnath Serah is about 17 miles southwest of Shechem

    • Joshua 24:29-30: After this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
  • Only after all the tribes had received their allotments did Joshua ask for his. What a selfless spirit he possessed, and how his behavior contrasts with many political leaders who use their positions and influence to enrich themselves and their families. With deep appreciation for his godly leadership the sons of Israel granted Joshua his modest request, and he built up the town and settled there. In one of the final pictures of this stalwart leader, Joshua is seen as a builder (in addition to his being a general and an
    administrator    .
  • Timnath-serah literally means “abundant portion” because abundance is always found when we lay down our rights. It’s the hard stuff that brings abundance. It’s when you have to roll up your sleeves and put your hand to the plow, it’s when you get involved and engaged that you find abundant life. The abundant life is found in walking in the Spirit, seeking Him and His direction, taking on the territory you’ve been assigned, and not giving up. Joshua claimed Timnath-serah as his own.
  • Joshua put himself last as to be above the suspicion that he was saving something special for himself.
  • This history of Israel is a history of failure. (For example, Dan failed to take the land promised to him, and instead he took an "easier" piece of land.)
    The le exception in four chapters is the leader Joshua. Despite all of the failures of the tribes of Israel in this section, Joshua, in his old age (probably close to 100), was still trusting in God and used God's strength to take the piece of land that was carved out for him.
  • Tinmath means "of the sun". It is reported that Joshua had a sun on his tomb showing that during his leading of Israel, the sun had stood still.
  • Caleb and Joshua were the two faithful spies who believed God was able to give Israel the land (Num 14:6-9, 30). The receiving of their inheritances frames the story of the dividing of the land among the nine and a half tribes, with Caleb's at the beginning [14:6-15] and Joshua's at the end.

(51) These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders allocated as grants of land to the tribes of Israel by casting sacred lots in the presence of the LORD at the entrance of the Tabernacle at Shiloh. So the division of the land was completed.

An end has been made of dividing the country. The next chapters deal with the allocation of cities to the Levites.

All Israel accepted the land distribution as reflecting God’s will.

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

  1. Notice the failure of most of the tribes to fully take their inheritances - as a failure of faith that God would do what He promised He would do. They relied on their own abilities. As a result, they received only a partial reward. May we not make the same mistake!
  2. Don't be like the Danites who didn't call on God for their need, but instead, they looked to their own strength and got out of His will ending in their unbelief. That's the danger of taking things into our own hands! Don't look for an alternative plan to God's plan for you.
  3. We too have an inheritance in heaven, we too must fight an enemy, we too can fail to fully occupy the territory He's allotted to us.
  4. Joshua claims no special privilege for himself-he is the embodiment of servant leadership. He allows everybody else to have the best land, and he is willing to take what's left. Think about the way people high up in leadership commonly demand a corner office and their own parking space. But Joshua is willing to wait and trust God to meet his needs, taking his portion as a gift from his people.
  5. So why don't we read of more success of the Israelites? After all, this land was mostly empty as most of the inhabitants were killed in the wars over the last seven years. Why don't we read in Joshua and the next few books of the bible of the Israelites "wiping out" the remaining inhabitants of the land and living the type of life God desires for them? That is the type of life he wants for us - a close personal relationship with God and trusting Him to give us victories over the enemies and issues we have to face in our life.
  6. Caleb and Joshua are living examples of God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promises made more than forty years earlier.
  7. Joshua received what was promised to him by God, but in remarkable humility, he receives his portion last. This is the kind of humble service and concern for others that makes Joshua such a wonderful picture of Jesus Christ and what a true leader is supposed to be like - Remember George Washington's refusal to be crowned king.

NOTES:

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