Joshua

Joshua Chapter 14

• Joshua 14:1 And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
• 2 By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
• 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them.
• 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim: therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.

Since the Levites did not receive a portion of land as the other tribes, they did receive cities dispersed throughout all the tribes so that they could minister the spiritual needs of the other tribes. It was a special calling.

The tribe of Joseph was divided into two tribes so that made the number of the tribes still remain at 12 in the inherited the land we now call Israel.

Ephraim and Manasseh were the two tribes from Joseph. Half of the tribe of Manasseh remained on the east side of the Jordan while the other half went to the west side of the Jordan. Reuben and Gad also stayed on the east side of the Jordan.

The Levites were allowed cities and suburbs for their cattle so they did have families and places to live, they just didn't inherit large portions of land like the other tribes. Their inheritance was the Lord and their service for the Lord.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, any individual who receives Him and the salvation He provides can also have the Lord as his (her) inheritance. Through faith we receive Jesus as savior, the Holy Spirit within us, eternal life and are part of His coming kingdom. We still wait for Jesus to come and set up that visible literal kingdom. We are to preach the gospel of the kingdom which now comes within us when we receive Christ as savior but one day we shall be part of His literal kingdom.

By the way, we wait for Him to set this up. We can't do it ahead of time. Many have tried and have made a mess of the gospel by trying to force people into Christianity. True faith in Christ cannot be forced. We don't accept another religion or change religions, we believe in Christ and repent of sins to become born again by the spirit of God. It is a change within, not a religion. It is like the wind. We can see the results of the wind but we can't see the wind.

The gospel changes us from a sinner to one who is living for the Lord. Old things have passed away and all things become new. One day there will be a new heaven and a new earth but right now, we can be made a new creature by trusting in Christ to save us from sin and grant us eternal life.

• John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
• 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
• 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
• 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
• 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
• 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

The difference between coming to Jesus the Christ for salvation and just accepting a new religion is that one has a real living spirit from God within them. It is something only God can do. It can't be forced upon anyone.

• Joshua 14:5 As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did, and they divided the land.
• 6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
• 7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

We remember Caleb and Joshua as the two men among the twelve that Moses sent to spy out the land of Canaan before they ventured into the land. They saw the land was full of giants which caused fear to rise up in 10 of the spies. Caleb and Joshua remained full of faith and believed that by the hand of God they could defeat the giants. Most of us would probably feel afraid and have no confidence at that point but Caleb and Joshua's confidence was not in themselves but in the Lord. They did not forget the parting of the Red Sea and many miracles God did for them so far.
Because of the unbelief of the 10 spies, they spread their fear to all the other children of Israel. Unbelief caused all over the age of 20 to never inherit the land of Canaan except Caleb and Joshua.

Faith in God can move mountains. When our faith in God's power lines up with His will, nothing is impossible. The reason our faith should line up with His will is because we are human and can be tempted to covet and ask for things that really would be harmful in the long run. I would rather ask in the will of God than just ask to receive because of my own wants.

Caleb though is reminding Joshua of the past in order to lead up to the request he is about to ask. He is reminding Joshua that Moses promised that he would inherit the land his feet had trodden because he wholly followed the Lord.

• Joshua 14:8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
• 9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.
• 10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

Caleb is now 85 and Joshua is probably about the same age so we can see they are getting on in years but God allows them to enjoy their inheritance for a while. Compared to the ages of those that lived before the flood though, 85 is quite young.

• Joshua 14:11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

I can believe this. By living right and obeying God, they remained strong and did not get weak and sickly.

• Joshua 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
• 13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
• 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
• 15 And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.

The giants called Anakim were what scared the children of Israel into fearing to go conquer the land 40 years previously so it is fitting that Caleb of the tribe of Judah was allowed to have their portion in that area. Caleb was rewarded for his faithfulness. Now they all had rest from war. DC

 Joshua Index