Joshua 20

Joshua 20 - Cities of Refuge

Above image is from www.dawnbible.com/1990/9005cl-2.htm

We learn in Numbers 35, Deuteronomy 16 & 19 and Joshua 20 a number of characteristics of the cities of refuge:

• They were established by God before they were needed.
• They were available and accessible to all- Israelite and stranger alike.
• Their gates were always open.
• They were widely advertised. The Torah instructed that signposts be posted on all the crossroads pointing the way to these cities of refuge.
• All the cities of refuge were prominently located at high elevations so that they could be seen from great distances.
• Everyone was within a day's journey from at least one of them.
• "Whosoever" needed to flee to one of the cities was free to do so, whether or not he was an Israelite.
• The refugee was free to leave after the death of the high priest (Numbers 35:25).
• Refuge was for someone who had killed accidentally. If the trial showed him to have killed purposely, he was a murderer and must be put to death (Numbers 35:15-21).
• Coming to the gate of the city, he would tell his case to the elders. Gates of those cities were places of city government. The elders would hear the fugitive's story and give him a place of safety in the city.
• The avenger of blood (the goel hadam)—the relative of the slain one who inherited his property and had the right to kill his murderer—could not touch the fugitive while in the city of refuge.
• The accused would be brought to trial before the congregation—a court made up of representatives of the people.
• If judged a willful murderer, he would be turned over to the avenger of blood.
• If judged innocent of intent to kill, he was given safe asylum in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest.
• If he was found out of the city, the avenger of blood was allowed to kill him (Numbers 35:26-28).
• The offender was not isolated from contact with his loved ones and outside contacts. These environments were penal colonies that had all functions of a community, including productive work. Indeed, once the offender chose to flee to one of the cities, the court would order the inmate's wife, children and teacher to accommodate him.
• A similar right of refuge seems to have been recognized in Israel as attaching to the altar in the temple at Jerusalem.
  • 1 Kings 1:50: Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.
  • 1 Kings 2:28: Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.
• Deuteronomy 4:41-42: Then Moses set apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan River. Anyone who killed another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, could flee there to live in safety.
• Deuteronomy 19:4-7: “If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety. For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety. “If the distance to the nearest city of refuge is too far, an enraged avenger might be able to chase down and kill the person who caused the death. Then the slayer would die unfairly, since he had never shown hostility toward the person who died. That is why I am commanding you to set aside three cities of refuge.
• Numbers 35:6,13,15: “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. Designate six cities of refuge for yourselves, These cities are for the protection of Israelites, foreigners living among you, and traveling merchants. Anyone who accidentally kills someone may flee there for safety.

The court is obligated to straighten the roads to the cities of refuge, to repair them and broaden them. They must remove all impediments and obstacles. . . . Bridges should be built (over all natural barriers) so as not to delay one who is fleeing to [the city of refuge]. The width of a road to a city of refuge should not be less than thirty-two cubits. “Refuge, Refuge” was written at all crossroads, so that the murderers should recognize the way and turn there. (Mishneh Torah, Laws Regarding Murder and the Preservation of Life 8:5)

In those days there was no police force, so it was the duty of the first born son to avenge the untimely death of a family member. Since a relative of the deceased could not be counted on to be objective, the killer could flee to a City of Refuge to plead his case to the elders there. If they agreed that the death was accidental they were required to protect the killer from the avenger of blood (as the first born was called) by keeping him inside the city walls until the death of the current High Priest whereupon he was set free and was no longer subject to the death penalty. Cities of Refuge are a model of Christ. When we flee to Him we are protected from the one who wants to take our life (Satan). Once there, the death of our High Priest (Jesus) has set us free so we are no longer subject to death. Like most types, the type of the Cities of Refuge is incomplete. The Israelites had to get there before being caught or else they were fair game. Jesus meets us right where we are the moment we call. The elders of the city had to agree that the death was accidental and therefore the perpetrator was not guilty. Jesus protects us knowing that we are guilty. If the perpetrator wandered out of the city, he was fair game for the avenger. Once we ’re in Jesus we can’t wander away.

Although all the cities of refuge were to be in the land of Israel, they were not all in the same territory. There were the three in the land of Israel proper—the Holy Land. Three were in the territories east of the Jordan. There may be three cities of refuge established when the millennial Kingdom is here. This is based on the idea that Deuteronomy 19:7-9 talks about these cities and expanded borders for Israel. Since Israel's final borders have not been expanded yet, it is believed that with these final borders these three cities of refuge will also be established.

The Bible itself provides for servitude (involuntary, imposed by the court), as a reparative form of incarceration. Under certain circumstances, the court could order that a perpetrator of larceny or theft be "sold" for a period of time (not to exceed six years) in order to raise the funds necessary to make restitution. Yet such court-imposed servitude could not degenerate into cruel slave labor. The "bondsman" was entitled by law to good nutrition, proper clothing, productive work and food and shelter for his wife and children. Restitution, not punishment, was the goal.

God is frequently spoken of as a refuge in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament:

• Psalm 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
• Psalm 142:5: Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life.
• Hebrews 6:18-19: So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.
  • We have fled to Jesus Christ, and He is our eternal refuge. As our High Priest, He will never die (Hebrews 7:23-25); and we have eternal salvation. No avenger can touch us, because He has already died and arisen from the dead.

(1) The Lord said to Joshua,

(2) “Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.

(3) Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.

(4) “Upon reaching one of these cities, the one who caused the death will appear before the elders at the city gate and present his case. They must allow him to enter the city and give him a place to live among them.

(5) If the relatives of the victim come to avenge the killing, the leaders must not release the slayer to them, for he killed the other person unintentionally and without previous hostility.

(6) But the slayer must stay in that city and be tried by the local assembly, which will render a judgment. And he must continue to live in that city until the death of the high priest who was in office at the time of the accident. After that, he is free to return to his own home in the town from which he fled.”

(7) The following cities were designated as cities of refuge: *Kedesh of Galilee, in the hill country of Naphtali; **Shechem, in the hill country of Ephraim; and Kiriath-arba (that is, ***Hebron), in the hill country of Judah.

• *Kedesh: Means "a sanctuary" or "holy". It was the residence of Barak, (Judges 4:6) and there he and Deborah assembled the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali before the conflict
• **Shechem is in northern Israel. Shechem means "shoulder." The earliest mention made of it is when Abraham slept under its oaks and erected his first altar under their shade (Genesis 12:8) and one of the last Bible notices regarding it, is in connection with the woman of Samaria, when Jesus sat with her at "the well of Sychar," Also, in this city, known today as Nablus, lie the remains of Joseph.
• ***Hebron contains the traditional burial site of the biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs and is therefore considered the second-holiest city in Judaism after Jerusalem. King David reign from Hebron for about seven years. It is there that the elders of Israel came to him to make a covenant before Yahweh and anoint him king of Israel. In Hebrew, it means "fellowship" or "friendship."

(8) On the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho, the following cities were designated: *Bezer, in the wilderness plain of the tribe of Reuben; **Ramoth in Gilead, in the territory of the tribe of Gad; and ***Golan in Bashan, in the land of the tribe of Manasseh.

• *Bezer literally means "stronghold," or "rock."
• **Ramoth was situated somewhere near the banks of the brook Jabbok, where Jacob wrestled in prayer with the angel. It literally means" exaltation."
• ***Golan signifies "joy."

(9) These cities were set apart for all the Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the local assembly.

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

1. We Christians are to serve as living signposts, calling out “Refuge! Refuge!” and pointing the way to Jesus Christ, the true "refuge" for sinners.
2. It is interesting to look at the meaning of the names of the cities of refuge. "Kedesh" means holy. " Shechem" means shoulder. "Hebron" means fellowship. "Bezer" means fortification. "Ramoth" means height, or exaltation. "Golan" means exaltation. All of these names show us Jesus Christ, who is our refuge. He is our very present help in trouble. He is holy. He is a shoulder for us to lean upon. He is our very best friend. We can fellowship with Him, when no one wants us.  He builds a hedge around us, He is our fortification. He is our joy {exaltation}. The names of the cities of refuge are a description of Jesus Christ {our protector}.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.
• Sources and References are on line at: http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html

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:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.
• Sources and References are on line at: http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html

Joshua 18

   Five tribes now had been given their inheritance as Joshua, Eleazer and the twelve tribal leaders cast lots at Gilgal. Then, Joshua moved the camp to Shiloh, in the territory of Ephraim, where the Tabernacle remained for more than 300 years until David moved the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). The Tabernacle never got back to this first resting-place. Shiloh was centrally located and was more convenient for all the tribes.

(1) Now that the land was under Israelite control, the entire community of Israel gathered at *Shiloh
and set up the **Tabernacle.

• *Shiloh:
• Shiloh means "tranquility", "rest", "peace", "security."
• This appears to have been a considerable town about fifteen miles from Jerusalem, in the tribe of Ephraim, and nearly in the center of the whole land.
• The location of the city was important, and until the death of Eli the High Priest, Shiloh was the place
  of pilgrimage for the Children of Israel. Three times a year the faithful traveled to Shiloh to bring their festival offerings.
• Ancient Shiloh's city gates have been identified in the southern side of Tel Shiloh. The southern approach to the city was on a gradual rise, with easy access. In the other directions were steep, rocky cliffs, making the city easier to defend. On the Southern side of Tel Shiloh is a building of stones from several time periods. Rabbi Ashtori Hafarchi in his book Kaftor V'ferach tells of passing by and seeing a group of Jews
  kneeling and praying by a stone weeping and praying. Upon his inquiring, they answered him that this was the burial place of Eli the High Priest. Some hundred years later, the archeologist Dalman in his writings identified the same spot as Eli's burial location. In 1873, the explorer Wilson suggested the northern plateau of Tel Shiloh as the possible site of the Tabernacle. In aerial photographs it is clear that there is an area north of the Tel that was hewn for some specific purpose. According to Wilson's measurements, the plateau is 77 feet long. Therefore, this location fits that all three requirements for identifying the site as that of the Tabernacle, dimensions, direction
  and naturally defendable.
• The word "Shiloh" has always been understood in Rabbinic Judaism as referring to the Messiah because of Jacob's blessing of the tribe of Judah "until Shiloh comes" (Genesis 49:10).
• Shiloh was apparently destroyed by the Philistines about 1050 B.C. when the Ark of the Covenant was captured (1 Samuel 4-5). Later references to Shiloh point to the wickedness and idolatry in the city (Psalm 78:56-60, Jeremiah 7:12-15).
• **Tabernacle: Hebrew: Tent of Meeting. This was the first mention of the Tent of Meeting since the death of Moses. The very area the tent was erected is visible to this day. The evidence of its presence is obvious, even the holes bored in the rock where the posts of the courtyard perimeter curtain were set can be found.
• When the people of Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua, the Tabernacle was located at
  Gilgal (Joshua 4:19). Later it was moved to Shiloh (Joshua 18:1-10).
• While the Tabernacle remained in Shiloh, it was a place of pilgrimage (1 Samuel 1:3). Samuel was brought to Shiloh and was consecrated to God's service (1 Samuel 1:24).
• At some point during its long stay at Shiloh, the portable tent seems to have been enclosed within a standing structure that had "doors" (1 Samuel 3:15) a precursor to the Temple.
• Shiloh was still occupied in Jeremiah's time (Jeremiah 41:5).
• The Ark of the Covenant was sometimes separated from the Tabernacle or Temple. Josiah ordered it to be returned to the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 35:1-6) where it stayed until the time of the Babylonian captivity.
• 2 Maccabees 2:4-10, written around 100 BC, says that the prophet Jeremiah, "being warned by God" before the Babylonian invasion,
  took the Ark, the Tabernacle and the Altar of Incense, and buried them
  in a cave on Mount Nebo (Jordan), informing those of his followers who
  wished to find the place that it should remain unknown "until the time
  that God should gather His people again together, and receive them unto
  mercy."
• Judges 18: 31: So Micah’s carved image was worshiped by the tribe of Dan as long as the Tabernacle of God remained at Shiloh.
• Judges 21:19: Then they thought of the annual festival of the LORD held in Shiloh, south of Lebonah and north of Bethel, along the east side of the road that goes from Bethel to Shechem.
• 1 Samuel 1:3: Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli - Hophni and Phinehas.
• 1 Samuel 1:9: Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle.
• 1 Samuel 1:24: When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine.
• 1 Samuel 3:3: The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.
• 1 Samuel 3:15: Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said to him.
• 1 Samuel 4:4: So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God.
• 1 Samuel 5:1: After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.
• 1 Samuel 6:21-7:2: So they sent messengers to the people at Kiriath-jearim and told them, “The Philistines have returned the Ark of the LORD. Come here and get it!” So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time - twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them.
  
  • The City of Kiriath-jearim was initially inhabited by the Gibeonites who forged a bond of peace with the Israelites so that they would not be eradicated by the Israelites. When the boundaries of the tribes of Israel were set, Kiriath-jearim was on the border of Benjamin, Dan and Judah. When the Ark of God had been captured by the Philistines, the Philistines were struck by the devastating hand of God, causing them to relinquish their hold of the Ark. The Ark was first taken to Beth-shemesh, where too many of the Israelites there treated it casually, looking inside to confirm what was in there. After a substantial portion of Beth-shemesh died, the Ark was shipped northward to the nearest major city, Kiriath-jearim. The name Kiriath Jearim means "city of forests" and was once a city of Baal worship.
• 1 Chronicles 15:1-3: David now built several buildings for himself in the City of David. He also prepared a place for the Ark of God and set up a special tent for it. Then he commanded, “No one except the Levites may carry the Ark of God. The LORD has chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to serve him forever.” Then David summoned all Israel to Jerusalem to bring the Ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it.
• 1 Chronicles 17:1: When David was settled in his palace, he summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant is out there under a tent!”
• 1 Kings 14:1-4: At that time Jeroboam’s son Abijah became very sick. So Jeroboam told his wife, “Disguise yourself so that no one will recognize you as my wife. Then go to the prophet Ahijah at Shiloh - the man who told me I would become king. Take him a gift of ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and ask him what will happen to the boy.” So Jeroboam’s wife went to Ahijah’s home at Shiloh. He was an old man now and could no longer see.
• Jeroboam was the first king of the northern Israelite Kingdom of Israel after the revolt of the ten northern Israelite tribes.
• Jeremiah 7:12-14: “‘Go now to the place at Shiloh where I once put the Tabernacle that bore my name. See what I did there because of all the wickedness of my people, the Israelites. While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer. So just as I destroyed Shiloh, I will now destroy this Temple that bears my name, this Temple that you trust in for help, this place that I gave to you and your ancestors.
• Jeremiah 26:6: then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.’”
• Psalm 78:56-60: But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey his laws. They turned back and were as faithless as their parents. They were as undependable as a crooked bow. They angered God by building shrines to other gods; they made him jealous with their idols. When God heard them, he was very angry, and he completely rejected Israel. Then he abandoned his dwelling at Shiloh, the Tabernacle where he had lived among the people.
• 
• 

(2) But there remained seven tribes who had not yet been allotted their grants of land.

• We know the two and a half tribes on the eastern side of Jordan had received their inheritance. We, also, know that Ephraim and the other half of the tribe of Manasseh had received their inheritance on the west side  of Jordan, too. Judah received their inheritance, as well. This leaves just seven tribes to still inherit their land.

(3) Then Joshua asked them, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?

• They seemed to be content without any inheritance whatever. Most likely they had also become tired of war. Theirs had been a strenuous experience. It was difficult work to go forth and conquer, to occupy new territory and meet the enemies. They must likewise have come into
  possession of many things for their comfort, which were unknown to them in the wilderness; and with the natural and plentiful resources of the land they became self-indulgent and were at ease. They were used to the nomadic life style. Joshua's earnest appeal suggests such a state of the people.
• It is a tragedy that they did not possess the entire land because the failure to do so ultimately led to what we find in the Book of Judges, their corruption of their worship of God, their failure and thus the punishment of God and their being conquered by the other lands.
• Joshua's rebuke of the people for not having gone in to possess the land was well deserved. It would have required a drastic change in the life style of the people for them to have done so, and the natural inertia of people prevented this from happening. Besides that, the people would no longer dwell in a single camp, as previously, but each tribe would have to work for its own supplies and protection.
• It was not a question. It was a scolding. He called them indolent, lazy and relaxed. He was frustrated by their lack of action. He wanted to see to it that the task was completed because he was old (Joshua 13:1).
• When Israel was looking ahead to that time that they would finally enter Canaan and each tribe, clan and family received a piece of land for its own, they were anxious for it all to happen easily with no obligation to finish conquering it.
• When we reach the Book of Judges, we learn that they failed to fully possess the land.

(4) Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland.

• In the previous chapter, Joshua had just dealt with a delegation complaining about their inheritance. He may be thinking that he may face this with each and every tribe. Therefore, he will have the tribes who are about to receive the remaining land map out the land which remains.

(5) Let them divide the land into seven sections, excluding Judah’s territory in the south and Joseph’s territory in the north.

(6) And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, I will cast sacred lots in the presence of the LORD our God to assign land to each tribe.

• These 21 men, who went and described the land, were not picking out a piece of land for themselves. They were viewing the whole parcel of land. The seven pieces of land they mapped out, would be put into the jug together, and they would cast lots to see what tribe got which piece of land. The LORD, Himself, would oversee the casting of the lots. It would be fair from every standpoint. They believed that God caused the lots to fall a certain way, so the land would be divided His way.

(7) “The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land. Their role as priests of the LORD is their allotment. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won’t receive any more land, for they have already received their grant of land, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them on the east side of the Jordan River.”

• There is a time gap between Verse 7 and Verse 8. That is because in Verse 8 the "meeting with Joshua broke up" and the survey work had begun for these seven remaining tribes.

(8) As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua commanded them, “Go and explore the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will assign the land to the tribes by casting sacred lots here in the presence of the LORD at Shiloh.”

(9) The men did as they were told and mapped the entire territory into seven sections, listing the towns in each section. They made a written record and then returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh.

• This just shows that they carried out, in detail, the commandments of Joshua. They even wrote all of the descriptions down in a book. The location of each plot of land was pinpointed by the towns located in them.

(10) And there at Shiloh, Joshua *cast sacred lots in the presence of the LORD to determine which tribe should have each section.

• *cast sacred lots:
  
  • It appears that, the actual casting of the lots was done by Joshua, and the division of the land to the different tribes was not questioned, but accepted.
  • Proverbs 16:33 (NIV): The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.

(11) The first allotment of land went to the *clans of the tribe of **Benjamin. It lay between the territory assigned to the tribes of Judah and Joseph.

• *clans: Families (clans) were given cities and associated villages and they existed in a generally recognized area that could roughly be called the territory of Benjamin.
• **Benjamin:
• Benjamin was given a narrow strip of land that served as a buffer zone between Judah and Ephraim, the two tribes that would later dominate the land.
• Its situation, between the leading tribe of the Kingdom of Israel (Ephraim), and the leading tribe of the Kingdom of Judah (Judah), is seemingly prophesied in the Blessing of Moses, where it is described as dwelling between YHWH's shoulders:
  • Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV): About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” The Hebrew expression 'his shoulders' metaphorically means 'his mountain slopes'.
• Benjamin means "son of my right hand."
• Benjamin included Jerusalem which was on the border of Benjamin and Judah.
• It was a long time before Jerusalem was taken from the Jebusites (in David's day).
• Saul of Tarsus, our great Apostle Paul (Paul means "little"), was a Benjamite. Benjamin was the smallest of the tribes territorially.
• The site of the future temple would be located in the territory assigned to Benjamin.
• The tribe of Benjamin received a stretch of land in a depression, or "saddle", which stretched from Bethel south to Jerusalem. It merged with the boundary of Dan to the west, and the Jordan River to the east. It was a well watered land except for on the eastern ridge portion. The land was fertile, located on the central plateau which topped the Western Mountains of central Canaan. The eastern side plunged sharply into the Jordan Valley below. This portion of Benjamin was less hospitable.
• Despite its small size, only twenty-five miles in length and twelve in width, the tribe of Benjamin enjoyed a very strategic land. The Central Ridge Route, the main artery of north-south traffic through the Western Mountains, ran through Benjamin, as did important east-west routes, connecting Benjamin to the Transjordan in the east, and the coast in the west. Trade and caravans traveled continuously along these
  routes.
• 
• 
  Map from Teachinghearts.org

(12) The northern boundary of Benjamin’s land began at the Jordan River, went north of the slope of Jericho, then west through the hill country and the wilderness of Beth-aven.

(13) From there the boundary went south to Luz (that is, Bethel) and proceeded down to Ataroth-addar on the hill that lies south of Lower Beth-horon.

(14) The boundary then made a turn and swung south along the western edge of the hill facing Beth-horon, ending at the village of Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), a town belonging to the tribe of Judah. This was the western boundary.

(15) The southern boundary began at the outskirts of Kiriath-jearim. From that western point it ran to the spring at the waters of Nephtoah,

(16) and down to the base of the mountain beside the valley of Ben-Hinnom, at the northern end of the valley of Rephaim. From there it went down the valley of Hinnom, crossing south of the slope where the Jebusites lived, and continued down to En-rogel.

(17) From En-rogel the boundary proceeded in a northerly direction and came to *En-shemesh and on to Geliloth (which is across from the slopes of Adummim). Then it went down to the Stone of Bohan. (Bohan was Reuben’s son.)

• *En-shemesh means "The fountain of the sun", a proof of the idolatrous nature of the ancient inhabitants of this land." (Clarke)

(18) From there it passed along the north side of the slope overlooking the Jordan Valley. The border then went down into the valley,

(19) ran past the north slope of Beth-hoglah, and ended at the north bay of the Dead Sea, which is the southern end of the Jordan River. This was the southern boundary.

(20) The eastern boundary was the Jordan River. These were the boundaries of the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

(21-28) These were the towns given to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Kephar-ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns with their surrounding villages. Also Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath—fourteen towns with their surrounding villages. This was the homeland allocated to the clans of the tribe of Benjamin.

Benjamin's territory, as outlined here, took precedence over certain territories already assigned to Ephraim and Judah. Benjamin's lot fell into a steep, mountainous country; many of the cities they received were in high places, indicated by such names as Gibeon (hilly); Gibeath (a hill); Gaba (elevation); Ramah (the height); Mizpeh (watch-tower), etc.

Despite all of Israel's problems over the next half a millennium or so, they still had these tribal
territories. This lasted until after the time of King Solomon. The next king after Solomon caused a
split and two Jewish countries were formed. Those Israelites who were loyal to God moved south
to the new country of "Judah" - 2 Chronicles 11:16: From all the
tribes of Israel, those who sincerely wanted to worship the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites
to Jerusalem, where they could offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their ancestors.
There are no "lost 10 tribes!"

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

1. He rebuked them for their procrastination in possessing the land. We are rebuked for failing to possess the spiritual land of blessing that God has given us. We are exhorted to be more victorious in the spiritual battles in this land.
2. Life's major decisions should be made before the Lord. The Israelites surveyed the land and brought it before the Lord. These decisions would not only affect their position in the land, but much of their future history as well. Do you make your major decisions in life before the Lord? How often have we gone ahead without consulting the Lord?
3. Joshua asked in verse 3 why some of the tribes were putting off the job of possessing the land. Often we delay doing jobs that seem large, difficult, boring or disagreeable. But, to continue putting them off shows lack of discipline, poor stewardship of time and, sometimes, disobedience to God. Jobs we don't enjoy require concentration, teamwork, twice as much time, lots of encouragement and accountability. Remember this when you are tempted to procrastinate. A good planner will do the hard jobs first instead of putting them off.
4. The territory God wants for us is sometimes "pre-marked" by God as in the case of the tribes of Judah and Joseph that have already gotten their land. In some cases, God wants us to go survey or "mark out" (i.e., go determine) what is the purpose of our lives for God and then "report back for duty" - this is one of the great challenges of life! We usually don't know God's purpose for the rest our lives. Remember that God can't lead us unless we are willing to "move" and discover what is our "allotted territory".
5. It is not just the Jews who have an enemy they need to fight and overcome. The Christians are in a spiritual warfare against the devil and his helpers all the time. Jesus has defeated Satan, the same as God has defeated Israel's enemy here. In both cases, they have to fight the battle, even though it is already won. God gave them this land, and would be with them in battle. They just have to have enough faith to act upon it.
6. For the Christian, the establishment of a sanctuary and center at Shiloh testifies to how God fulfils his promises. God has given his people the blessing of his presence among them. They must respond in obedience by occupying the land and living according to the divine covenant. The fundamental importance of the sanctuary is illustrated by its central position among the tribes (in the central hill country) and by its position in the midst of the allotments of Joshua 13-21. Christians are also called upon to see the worship of God as central to their lives.
7. Many of the modern complacent churches believe that once a person receives Christ as personal Savior, he can just pull up a pew and just be interested observers. They think that by inheriting salvation they now sit back and enjoy the fruits, waiting only for the day they arrive in heaven. They pray and then go their merry ways. Nothing could be less Scriptural than that proposition. Instead, we are meant to equate our redemption and inheritance to that of Israel’s over Canaan; that’s one of the reasons that the Lord chose to preserve this episode for us. Along with our salvation and inheritance come duties and responsibilities. We have indeed come into a kind of spiritual rest due to our trust in God’s Son, but physically we still live in a hostile unconquered place. God stated over and over to Joshua that He had already accomplished victory over Israel’s Canaanite enemies before the army even went to battle; yet that did not somehow absolve Israel from participating in battle. God was not going to do a 100% supernatural Sodom and Gomorrah type of destruction upon Israel’s enemies; Israel would have to fight for a long time to achieve victory and then to hold on to its gains. The path would be very uneven and dangerous. It’s exactly the same for believers today. Why else would we need the "armor of God?"
8. There are many of God's people who are living substandard lives because they haven’t taken hold of the promises of God. We must recognize that when the Bible says they had not received their inheritance, what it actually means is that they had failed to drive out the enemy.
9. We need to keep moving. It’s all too easy to sit and rest, and rest too long.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.
• Sources and References are on line at: http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html

Joshua 17

Joshua 17 - The Inheritance of Manasseh

Above map from http://www.israel-a-history-of.com/old-testament-bible-maps.html

(1) The next allotment of land was given to the half-tribe of *Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph’s older son. Makir, the firstborn son of Manasseh, was the father of Gilead. Because his descendants were experienced soldiers, the regions of **Gilead and ***Bashan on the east side of the Jordan had already been given to them.

• This second land area was granted because Manasseh was Joseph's firstborn. Ephraim had received the blessing of the firstborn and his land had been granted first.
• Genesis 48:17-20: But Joseph was upset when he saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head. So Joseph lifted it to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. “No, my father,” he said. “This one is the firstborn. Put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused. “I know, my son; I know,” he replied. “Manasseh will also become a great people, but his younger brother will become even greater. And his descendants will become a multitude of nations.” So Jacob blessed the boys that day with this blessing: “The people of Israel will use your names when they give a blessing. They will say, ‘May God make you as prosperous as Ephraim and Manasseh.’” In this way, Jacob put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh
• Deuteronomy 21:15-17: “Suppose a man has two wives, but he loves one and not the other, and both have given him sons. And suppose the firstborn son is the son of the wife he does not love. When the man divides his inheritance, he may not give the larger inheritance to his younger son, the son of the wife he loves, as if he were the firstborn son. He must recognize the rights of his oldest son, the son of the wife he does not love, by giving him a double portion. He is the first son of his father’s virility, and the rights of the firstborn belong to him.
• *Manasseh means "forgetting". Half of the tribe of Manasseh had their inheritance on the east side of Jordan with Reuben and Gad. The rest of Manasseh is now named according to its families. Gideon (Judges 6:12-15) is perhaps the most famous descendant of Manasseh.
  
  • According to 2 Chronicles 15:9, members of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon "fled" to Judah during the reign of Asa of Judah. The territory of Manasseh was conquered by the Assyrians, and the tribe exiled; the manner of their exile lead to their further history being lost. However, several modern day groups claim descent, with varying levels of academic and rabbinical support.
    
    • 2 Chronicles 15:9: Then Asa called together all the people of Judah and Benjamin, along with the people of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had settled among them. For many from Israel had moved to Judah during Asa’s reign when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
  • In northeast India, the Kuki-Chin-Mizo Jews claim descent from Manasseh, and call themselves Bnei Menashe; in 2005 Shlomo Amar, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel, announced that
    he regarded this claim to be true, which under the Law of Return allows them to migrate to Israel, as long as they formally convert to Judaism in accordance with halachic standards.
  • Some evidence exists of a continuing identification in later centuries of individual Jews to the Lost Tribes. For example, in Luke 2:36 of the New Testament, an individual is identified with the tribe of Asher. In recent years many groups have claimed descent from these Lost Tribes, some of which have been upheld by Israel's rabbinic authorities.
  • The Samaritan community in Israel and the Palestinian territories numbers about 600. These people, who still keep their ancient traditions, live in what was the capital of Samaria - Nablus and the town of Holon. They claim to be authentic descendants of the Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh that were not exiled.
  • The Beta Israel are Ethiopian Jews. Some members of the Beta Israel as well as several Jewish scholars believe that they are descended from the lost Tribe of Dan, as opposed to the traditional story of their descent from the Queen of Sheba.
  • The Yousafzai are a large group of Pashtun tribes. Their name means "Sons of Joseph". There are a variety of cultural and ethnic similarities between Jews and Pashtuns.
  • The Bene Israel (Hebrew: "Sons of Israel") are a group of Jews who live in various Indian cities. Most Bene Israel have now emigrated to Israel.
  • According to some historical sources, a Jewish community has existed in Kaifeng, China from medieval times until the present day. In 2009, Chinese Jews from Kaifeng arrived in Israel as immigrants. According to historical records, a Jewish community with a synagogue built in 1163 existed at Kaifeng from at least the Southern Song Dynasty until the late nineteenth century. A stone monument in the city suggests that they were there since at least 231 BC.
  • Genetic testing is being conducted on representatives of the Lemba in Africa in an attempt to verify claims of descent from the "lost ten tribes". There is a definite link to Levite Hebrew ancestry, specifically Kohen.
• **Gilead means rugged or rocky region.
  
  • Deuteronomy 3:13,16: Then I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan—Og’s former kingdom—to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (This entire Argob region of Bashan used to be known as the land of the Rephaites. But I also gave part of Gilead to the tribes of Reuben and Gad. The area I gave them extended from the middle of the Arnon Gorge in the south to the Jabbok River on the Ammonite frontier.
• ***Bashan means fruitful and 59 times in scripture. It is an area east of the Jordan and in the northern part of the country known for its fertility and which was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh.
  
  • Numbers 21:33-35: Then they turned and marched up the road to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his people attacked them at Edrei. The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” And Israel killed King Og, his sons, and all his subjects; not a single survivor remained. Then Israel occupied their land.

(2) So the allotment on the west side of the Jordan was for the remaining families within the *clans of the tribe of Manasseh: Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These clans represent the male descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph.

• *clans: Numbers 26 lists the clans of Israel.
• God commands Joshua to divide the land as an "inheritance" for Israel. Repeatedly in Joshua 13-19, the land given to the tribes is called "inheritance." This is another clue for the Book of Joshua and the biblical theme of the land. Land is never just dirt - it is inheritance.
• The law of land inheritance in ancient Israel: Each of the 12 tribes (Levites are excluded) would own a specific region of the land, and all of the families in that tribe would own some portion of the land. The land would remain in the tribe and family. In fact, if the land were sold, it would revert back to the family in the Jubilee year every fifty years. (Leviticus 25:13, 23-24.) Since one's tribe is determined patrilineally, only males can inherit land. Thus, a father's land holdings would be passed down to his son or sons. A daughter would presumably marry and join the family of her husband, and their sons would inherent the land from their father. The law preserved family land holdings through male inheritance.

(3) However, *Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were **Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and ***Tirzah.

• *Zelophehad possibly means "first born".
• **Mahlah means "fat" or "infirmity", Noah means "movement", Milcah means "queen",
  Tirzah means "pleasing", Hoglah means "dancing" or "partridge".
• ***Tirzah (pronounced "tirtsah") is the name of Ben-Hur's sister in the movie Ben-Hur.

(4) These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.” So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the LORD had commanded.

• While it may not seem unusual to us, this was a pretty bold and audacious move by these sisters. Yet, the daughters of Zelophehad risked their reputations by approaching the leaders and asking for something revolutionary which Moses had promised them.
• Without a husband with inheritance, these women would have no inheritance. The decision that Moses rendered under the direction of God was that the women would inherit their father's inheritance on the condition that they married within their own tribe so as to keep property in their own tribe. In fact, the sisters married their own cousins, and thus fulfilled the law.
• They argue that their father's name (lineage) should not be cut off from his clan just because he had no son and that they should be permitted to inherit his land portion in order to avoid this potential injustice to their father's name (and property). The story presumes a culture that recognizes a connection between landholding and preservation of a male name in a family lineage.
• According to God's decree, the promised land is to be apportioned according to the "number of names" of members of the second generation counted in the census recorded in Numbers 26 26:5-56. Since only men were counted in the census, however, Zelophehad's daughters would be left without an inheritance.
• Numbers 27:1-11: One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Our father died in the wilderness,” they said. “He was not among Korah’s followers, who rebelled against the LORD; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons. Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.” So Moses brought their case before the LORD. And the LORD replied to Moses, And the LORD replied to Moses, “The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father. “And give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, then give his inheritance to his daughters. And if he has no daughter either, transfer his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. But if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. This is a legal requirement for the people of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.”
• Numbers 36:6-12: Then the heads of the clans of Gilead—descendants of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph—came to Moses and the family leaders of Israel with a petition. They said, “Sir, the LORD instructed you to divide the land by sacred lot among the people of Israel. You were told by the LORD to give the grant of land owned by our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. But if they marry men from another tribe, their grants of land will go with them to the tribe into which they marry. In this way, the total area of our tribal land will be reduced. Then when the Year of Jubilee comes, their portion of land will be added to that of the new tribe, causing it to be lost forever to our ancestral tribe.” So Moses gave the Israelites this command from the LORD: “The claim of the men of the tribe of Joseph is legitimate. This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: Let them marry anyone they like, as long as it is within their own ancestral tribe. None of the territorial land may pass from tribe to tribe, for all the land given to each tribe must remain within the tribe to which it was first allotted. The daughters throughout the tribes of Israel who are in line to inherit property must marry within their tribe, so that all the Israelites will keep their ancestral property. No grant of land may pass from one tribe to another; each tribe of Israel must keep its allotted portion of land.” The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses. Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah all married cousins on their father’s side. They married into the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. Thus, their inheritance of land remained within their ancestral tribe.
• This incident is significant, for it shows a concern for the rights of women at a time when most societies regarded them as mere property.
• Interestingly, I found that a father had a way around the law if he had sons but particularly loved a daughter. He would simply declare that he had a debt to that daughter which had to be paid back to her upon his death!
• The Samaritan ostraca (pottery pieces), uncovered by archeologists, and dated about 770 B.C. show tax payments in kind carry the names of districts such as Abiezer Helek, Shechem, Shemida, Noah, and Hoglah.
• There was a precedent for giving property to daughters:
• Job 42:15: In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers.

(5) As a result, Manasseh’s total allocation came to ten parcels of land, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan across the Jordan River,

(6) because the female descendants of Manasseh received a grant of land along with the male descendants. (The land of Gilead was given to the rest of the male descendants of Manasseh.)

(7) The boundary of the tribe of Manasseh extended from the border of Asher to Micmethath, near Shechem. Then the boundary went south from Micmethath to the settlement near the spring of Tappuah.

(8) The land surrounding Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but the town of Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh’s territory, belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.

(9) From the spring of Tappuah, the boundary of Manasseh followed the Kanah Ravine to the Mediterranean Sea. Several towns south of the ravine were inside Manasseh’s territory, but they actually belonged to the tribe of Ephraim.

(10) In general, however, the land south of the ravine belonged to Ephraim, and the land north of the ravine belonged to Manasseh. Manasseh’s boundary ran along the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. North of Manasseh was the territory of Asher, and to the east was the territory of Issachar.

(11) The following towns within the territory of Issachar and Asher, however, were given to Manasseh: *Beth-shan, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphoth-dor), **Endor, ***Taanach, and ****Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

• Note that several cities located in the tribes of Issachar and Asher were given to Manasseh. Apparently it was considered necessary for military purposes that these cities be held by a strong tribe.
• *Beth-shean: It was to the wall of this city that the bodies of Saul and his sons were fastened by the victorious Philistines following the battle on Mount Gilboa. Later, it was the border town of Galilee and the chief town of the Decapolis.
• **Endor (fountain or well of habitation): Assigned to Manasseh, it was never wrested from the Canaanites. The witch of Endor, of whom Saul inquired before his last battle (1 Samuel 28:3-7) was probably of this Canaanite stock, for the Hebrews had tried to do away with such practices.
• ***Taanach guards a pass over Mount Carmel. Israel defeated the king of this place; but Manasseh, the tribe to which it was assigned, was not able to occupy it. It was one of the Levitical cities (Joshua 21:25), and finally occupied by Isaachar. Taanach was the site of the battle between Deborah and Barak and the kings of Canaan in Judges 5:19.
• ****Megiddo fell to Israel in the latter half of the twelfth century B.C., roughly a century after the main conquest. Megiddo appears twelve times in scriptures and yet is most famous for the place to which it gives its name - Armageddon meaning hill of Megiddo. Megiddo itself means 'place of crowds' so that the name Armageddon means the hill of great crowds or the hill of great slaughter. Megiddo was located on the main road which linked Egypt and Syria. Megiddo has been excavated three times and is currently being excavated yet again. Excavations have unearthed 26 layers of ruins, indicating a long period of settlement. From the earliest historical records of the area (Thutmose III) to the future (Revelation 16), Megiddo assumes a prominent role. This is largely owing to its strategic location astride the Megiddo Pass (Wadi Ara) and inside the busy Jezreel Valley. The modern road follows the ancient one.

(12) But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these towns. They could not drive out the Canaanites who continued to live there.

(13) Later, however, when the Israelites became strong enough, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves. But they did not drive them out of the land.

• Their failure here is like the failure of the tribe of Ephraim in Joshua 16:10:
  They did not drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, however, so the people of Gezer live as slaves
  among the people of Ephraim to this day.

(14) The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the LORD has blessed us with so many people?”

• The descendants of Joseph registered a belligerent complaint with Joshua, claiming that their allotment was too small in light of their large population. Puffed up with pride, the children of Manasseh wanted more land, yet they failed to destroy the Canaanites from the land they already had.
• Joshua himself was a Josephite, but if his kinsfolk thought to intimidate him by a demand for more land, they certainly were frustrated. The great heart of the plain of Jezreel had already been assigned them, that being the richest part of Palestine, but they called it "one portion."
• The census of Numbers 26 shows that they were not greatly more numerous than the single tribe of Judah; and half of them had already been settled east of Jordan; the remainder could hardly have been any stronger than the Danites or the Issacharites. Some of the other tribes were actually more numerous.

(15) Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the *hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.”

• *hill country refers to Mt. Giboa and the surrounding hill country.
• Joshua challenged them first to clear the trees and settle in the forested hill country. But this is not what they wanted to hear.

(16) The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of *Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”

• They insisted that the hill country was not sufficient for them and that the Canaanites in the region possessed iron chariots, probably chariots of wood covered with iron.
• They saw only the chariots of iron, not the lush pastures and farmlands of the valley of Jezreel (Esdraelon), which was theirs by right of promise and which Joshua urged them to take. What a contrast was their lack of faith to the bold, intrepid spirit of Caleb (Numbers 13:30, Joshua 14:6-15). The only reason the Josephites did not drive out the Canaanites and thus possess their possessions was that they did not trust in God but preferred to compromise with neighbors who, however rich in warlike material, were sunk in sensuality and sloth.
• *Jezreel means “God sows”. It was mostly likely in this valley that the host of the Midianites was encamped, when attacked by Gideon (Judges 7:1,8). The great plain of Jezreel extends from Carmel on the west to the hills of Gilboa, little Hermon, and Tabor on the east, a distance of full sixteen miles; and its breadth between the rocky mass of southern Palestine and the bolder mountains of Galilee on the north, is about twelve miles. Its position as well as its open area make it the natural battle-field of Palestine. The Valley of Jezreel separates Samaria from Galilee.

(17) Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion.

(18) The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”

• This was land to which they had title, but they had not taken possession of it. They were much like many believers today, who would like to have what others had fought for, but are afraid of the conflict necessary to possess what they are entitled to.

Why didn’t Ephraim and Manasseh drive out the Canaanites as God had commanded?  (Coffman):

1. Indolence.
2. Love of ease.
3. Perhaps a mistaken humanity.
4. Disregard of the Divine command.
5. Lack of faith, trust in God.
6. Lack of zeal for God’s service.
7. Love of this present world.
8. Attraction to sensual heathen religious practices.
9. Self-aggrandizement (The act or practice of enhancing or exaggerating one's own importance, power, or reputation)

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

1. Lay hold on the promises of God as the women did at the beginning of the chapter.
2. Don't think ourselves to be so important that the blessings that we enjoy should be handed to us on a plate. If we allow our pride to get in the way, there will be no blessing at all. There may be the equivalent of woods to cut down and chariots to deal with until we are where God wants us.
3. Why don’t we drive the devil out of our lives as God has commanded?
4. What legacy are we leaving for the next generation? Money isn't the most important inheritance.
5. In Christ, we have obtained an inheritance. Not due to our courage, but to his...so that we might set our hope on Christ and live for the praise of his glory, so that with the eyes of our heart enlightened, we might know what is the hope to which we are called, what is the immeasurable power of God working in us - Ephesians 1:18.
   
   1. Romans 8:17: And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
   2. Ephesians 1:11-14: Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
   3. Colossians 1:12: always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
   4. Colossians 3:24: Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
   5. Hebrews 9:15: That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.
   6. 1 Peter 1:4-5: and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
6. There was an enemy still in the land after they were meant to have driven them out of the land. That enemy may have paid money but it was still an enemy. How many of us leave things in our life that create wealth (by that is meant over and above that which is necessary to maintain life and to do my duty as far as my family is concerned) and they stay there because their presence is justified by that which is given to the Lord's work. We are prepared to retain life styles and appease our consciences by giving of that gain to support others to do the work. Perhaps it is that God wants us to do the work and not to just supply so that others can do it.
7. How different is their attitude than Caleb’s attitude (Joshua 14:11-12)! They want “easy land” given to them, instead of taking God’s promises and going out and taking what God has given them. The principle applies just as strongly for us today; if we desire more of something, the first thing to do is to be a faithful as we can where we are.
8. The earthly Canaan is for us a double-type. We, like the children of Israel, are traversing a wilderness and "the Land" is the goal, the ultimate end, that we have before us. In Hebrews 2, that is "the future world" (Hebrews 2: 5). This point of view is developed very fully in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 where the inheritance is connected with the rest, God's rest, that we are moving onto. The other side of this double-type is that, once in the land of Canaan, the children of Israel had to fight in order to possess what God had given them. That is where the figure changes. The land is then a type of our present spiritual blessings in Christ, and there is conflict involved in really entering into the enjoyment of them. Joshua in the Old Testament (typically) and Colossians in the New, speak of the entry into these blessings. Ephesians, especially chapter 6, shows us how to stand the ground once it has been gained.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.
• Sources and References are on line at: http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html