Joshua
chapters 15 through 17 continue to detail the inheritance and
division of land given to each tribe and clan in the nation of
Israel. “The
allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the
territory of Edom to the desert of Zin in the extreme south.”
This outline of the territory given to Judah is justifiably precise.
In land and in life, knowing our boundaries can help us avoid
entanglements. The adage “Good fences make for good neighbors”
is true. But this is more important in creating patterns and habits
in our life to avoid compromising positions. The surest way to avoid
temptation is to plan ahead to create boundaries that are
non-negotiable. In the description, the text notes, “From
Hebron, Caleb drove out the three Anakites“.
The thing that stands out about his life is, he never faltered in
believing God’s promise. The section ends with this note, “Judah
could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to
this day the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah“.
Next
we read, “So
Manasseh and Ephraim, the decedents of Joseph, received their
inheritance“.
After the specifics of the region are given, this section also ends
with partial obedience. “They
did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the
Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do
forced labor.”
This seemingly innocent act might be described as compassion, but
most likely it was driven by the desire for free labor. As God
promised, it will later lead them to turning their hearts away from
God and into immorality. One of the reasons we need to have regular
fellowship with other believers is to help create accountability in
our lives. We all have blind spots, but developing close friendships
with people mature in their faith can challenge us. According to
Proverbs
27:17, “As
iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another“.
Amid
all of the allotment of land, the promise to the daughters of
Zelophehad is fulfilled. In Numbers chapter 27, these daughters
claim their inheritance since their father had no sons. They now
claim boldly, “As
the Lord commanded Moses, give us our inheritance among our
brothers“.
This is not an act of selfishness, but rather an act of faith.
Remember they believed God’s promise before the Israelites even
entered the land. Our Heavenly Father desires for us to call on Him
and ask in faith. “Ask
and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and the
door shall be open to you
(Matthew 7:7). Chapter 17 ends with the tribe of Joseph asking for
more land even though they had not fully occupied the land they were
given. They want to exchange the land that is occupied for the “easy
land”. But Joshua encourages them, “You
will have not only one allotment, but the forest and the hill country
as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the
Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can
drive them out“.
So often we limit God because we see no human solution. Remember
Jesus’ response to the disciples when they doubted; “With
men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”
(Matthew 19:26). Don’t limit God in your life; He is able!