Joshua 18

Joshua had successfully completed the first half of his divine commission: He had conquered the enemy and was in control of the land and the cities (1:1–5). Now he had to fulfill the second part of that commission and divide the land so that each tribe could claim their inheritance and enjoy what God had given them (v. 6). (See Num. 34–35.)

The word inheritance is found over fifty times in these nine chapters and is a very important word. The Jews inherited their land. They didn’t win their land as spoils of battle or purchase their land as in a business transaction. The Lord, who was the sole owner, leased the land to them. “The land must not be sold permanently,” the Lord had instructed them, “because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants” (Lev. 25: niv). Imagine having God for your landlord!

The “rent” God required was simply Israel’s obedience to His law. As long as the Jewish people honored the Lord with their worship and obedience, He would bless them, make their land productive, and keep their nation at peace with their neighbors. When Israel agreed to the blessings and curses at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Josh. 8:30–35), they accepted the conditions of what is called “The Palestinian Covenant.” Their ownership of the land was purely the gracious act of God, but their possession and enjoyment of the land depended on their submission and obedience to the Lord. (See Lev. 26 and Deut. 27–30 for the details of the Palestinian Covenant.)

The Promised Land was a gift of God’s love, and if the Israelites loved the Lord, they would want to obey Him and please Him in the way they used His land (Deut. 4:37–39). Unfortunately, they eventually defied the Lord, disobeyed the law, and defiled the land, and God had to chasten them in the land of Babylon.

There were four main stages in the distribution of the land, and in each of these stages, you will find spiritual lessons for God’s people today who want to enjoy their spiritual inheritance in Christ. As you study these chapters, I suggest you consult a map of the Holy Land that shows the boundaries of the twelve tribes and the cities that are involved.

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 until David moved the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6). The Lord must have directed Joshua to make this move or he would not have done it (Deut. 12:5–7). Shiloh was centrally located and was more convenient for all the tribes.

Seven tribes still had to have their inheritance marked out for them, and apparently they were slow to respond to the challenge. Unlike Caleb and the daughters of Zelophehad, these tribes didn’t have faith and spiritual zeal. These tribes had helped fight battles and defeat the enemy, but now they hesitated to claim their inheritance and enjoy the land God had given them. “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession” (Prov. 12: nkjv).

At this point, Joshua and the leaders inaugurated a new system for allocating the land. After each of the seven tribes appointed three men, all twenty-one men went through the remaining territories and listed the cities and the landmarks, describing each part of the land. They brought this information back to Joshua, who then assigned the various portions to the remaining seven tribes by casting lots before the Lord.

Since Benjamin was the full brother to Joseph, his territory was assigned adjacent to Ephraim and Manasseh (Josh. 18:11–28). Simeon shared his inheritance with Judah (19:1–9; see Gen. 49:7) and eventually inhabited the cities assigned in Joshua 15:21ff. The children of Joseph wanted more territory, but weren’t willing to fight for it by faith, but the people of Judah had so much land that they shared it with Simeon. What a contrast!

The area north of Manasseh was assigned to Zebulun (19:10–16), Issachar (vv. 17–23), Asher (vv. 24–31), and Naphtali (vv. 32–39). Zebulun and Naphtali later became “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Matt. 4:15–16), where our Lord ministered when He was here on earth. The “sea of Chinneroth” (see Josh. 12:3; 13:27) is the Sea of Galilee. The Hebrew word chinnereth means “harp,” and the Sea of Galilee is shaped like a harp.

The last tribe to receive its assignment was the tribe of Dan (19:40–48), which immediately went to work and expanded its territory. Dan and Benjamin formed a “belt” across the land, connecting the Dead Sea with the Mediterranean.

Being the leader that he was, Joshua waited until the very last to claim his own inheritance, and the Lord gave him the city of Timnath-Serah (vv. 49–50). Like his friend Caleb, Joshua preferred living in the mountainous region of the land.