So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” -Joshua 18:3 Joshua was a man of action. When war had ended, the next step was division of the land. By chapter 18, seven tribes still lacked their allotted portion. In his words, “How long will you wait…?” He was ready to get the job done. Two extremes often... Read more

3 Now Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. 4 They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command. 5 Manasseh’s share consisted... Read more

“So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.” -Joshua 16:4 As Joshua divided the land for each tribe of Israel, chapter 16 highlights an unusual honor. Joseph, the son of Jacob, had two sons who each received their own portion. Why this double blessing? The history of this blessing harkens back to Joseph’s life 400 years earlier. At the age 0f seventeen, his jealous brothers sold him to traders and told their dad he was eaten by... Read more

“In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron.” -Joshua 15:13 Only two men over the age of twenty when they left Egypt would live to see the promised land. Both are mentioned in the same verse in Joshua 15:13. Joshua and Caleb were the two who trusted in God after the report of overpowering enemies years earlier. Years later, these two men would live to... Read more

10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself... Read more

“But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.” -Joshua 13:33 Some would say the tribe of Levi got a bad deal. After 40 years in the wilderness, they were the one tribe not given a land of inheritance for themselves. Why not? Verse 33 notes, “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just... Read more

“Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the Israelites conquered them. And Moses the servant of the Lord gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession.” -Joshua 12:6 God keeps his promises. He may move at a pace we would not prefer, but he does finish what he begins. When Israel finished its battles against its enemies, they were able to move in and develop their new communities. This might not... Read more

“So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.” -Joshua 11:23 People who read the Old Testament often ask why there is so much talk about war and death. However, Joshua 11 highlights one important aspect of war in the Bible–God does not desire war to last, but to end. God had a plan to... Read more

12 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon,     and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still,     and the moon stopped,     till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never... Read more

“14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. 15 Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.” -Joshua 9:14-15 God had commanded the Israelites to not make alliances with the surrounding nations. The Gibeonites realized their weakness to Israel’s army and plotted to trick Israel. How? By acting as if they were a nation from a faraway land that served no threat... Read more