JOSHUA LESSON 14
We will begin this lesson in Joshua 13:1 "Now Joshua was old
[and] stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old
[and] stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be
possessed."
We know that Joshua had been without a spot on his life all
during the wilderness wanderings. He was thrust into the shoes of one
of the greatest men in history {Moses}. He did not pale to him,
however. He knew the task before him, and did it just as Moses had
commanded him to do. The crossing of the Jordan River was just as
dramatic as the crossing of the Red Sea, but has had much less fame.
This is so interesting, to me, that God would say there is still much
to do. This is very much like Christianity. The battle never stops. It
seems, too, that we all must work, until Jesus comes, or until our
life on earth is over. There is no retirement.
Joshua 13:2 "This [is] the land that yet remaineth: all the
borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,"
These Philistines were powerful opponents. Some of the area of
Lebanon was taken, and some was not. The Geshurites were the
aboriginal inhabitants and were, also, known as the Avites.
Joshua 13:3 "From Sihor, which [is] before Egypt, even unto the
borders of Ekron northward, [which] is counted to the Canaanite: five
lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the
Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:"
The "Sihor" is a name given the Nile in Scripture. In this case,
I believe it means something else. The word "Sihor" means black, dark,
or turbid. It was, probably, a lake or a pool. Some believe this is
speaking of the brook of Egypt. Ekron is a city about 11 miles north
of Gath. The fly god was worshipped here. The others listed are the
tribal nations classified as Philistines.
Joshua 13:4 "From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and
Mearah that [is] beside the Sidonians unto Aphek, to the borders of
the Amorites:"
This is south of the Philistine tribes, not the southern most
part of the promised land. All of Canaan, up to Philistine territory,
is meant here. Mearah was, probably, a prominent cave, perhaps, the
cave of Tyre. Aphek was supposed to be a place of rare beauty on the
northwest slopes of Lebanon. Aphek is 23 miles north of Beirut.
Joshua 13:5 "And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon,
toward the sunrising, from Baal-gad under mount Hermon unto the
entering into Hamath."
The Giblites were inhabitants of Gebal, which was known, also,
by Byblus. It was Phoenician. The Israelites never really inhabited
this area, even though it was a part that was to have been conquered.
Hamath was included in that.
Joshua 13:6 "All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon
unto Misrephoth-maim, [and] all the Sidonians, them will I drive out
from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto
the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee."
Sidon remained independent. This is speaking of the part of the
land of the Sidonians, that was included in the promised land. Israel
did defeat them, and incorporated that into Israel. The hill country
of Lebanon was the border on this side.
Joshua 13:7 "Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance
unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,"
All of the land mentioned on the west side of the Jordan is to
belong to the nine and a half tribes of Israel. The other two and a
half tribes inherited their land on the eastern side of Jordan.
Manasseh had a half tribe on either side of Jordan.
Joshua 13:8 "With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have
received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan
eastward, [even] as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;"
Reuben and Gad were herdsmen, and they liked the pastureland on
the east of the Jordan River. They were not mistreated by giving them
this land. They had specifically requested it. Moses got permission
from God for them to have it.
Joshua 13:9 "From Aroer, that [is] upon the bank of the river
Arnon, and the city that [is] in the midst of the river, and all the
plain of Medeba unto Dibon;"
This is land on the eastern side of Jordan. Aroer was on the
river. Arnon was in the extreme south of the territory of Reuben.
Dibon became a city of Gad.
Joshua 13:10 "And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites,
which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;"
Sihon and Og were defeated by Moses, and all of their land was
taken.
Joshua 13:11 "And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and
Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;"
This is a repetition of chapter 12 verse 5. The Geshurites, we
remember were on the northeast corner of Bashan. The Maachathites were
the inhabitants of a small kingdom near Palestine.
Joshua 13:12 "All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in
Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for
these did Moses smite, and cast them out."
Og had been a very powerful king, who led an army of giants.
Moses and the children of Israel fought them, and killed nearly all of
them.
Joshua 13:13 "Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not
the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the
Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day."
Even up until the time of David, there were still some of them
around. II Samuel 13:37 "But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the
son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And [David] mourned for his son every
day."
Joshua 13:14 "Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none
inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire
[are] their inheritance, as he said unto them."
The Levitical tribe was not to inherit land. They lived of the
altar of God in the tabernacle. They did inherit cities to live in.
They did not go to war, and they did not inherit land.
Joshua 13:15 "And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of
Reuben [inheritance] according to their families."
Now, they will explicitly show what land each tribe received.
Moses gave Reuben's tribe their inheritance, before Moses died. They
received land according to how many were in their families. This land
would be theirs for all generations to come.
Joshua 13:16 "And their coast was from Aroer, that [is] on the
bank of the river Arnon, and the city that [is] in the midst of the
river, and all the plain by Medeba;" Joshua 13:17 "Heshbon, and all
her cities that [are] in the plain; Dibon, and Bamoth-baal, and Beth-
baal-meon," Joshua 13:18 "And Jahaza, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,"
Joshua 13:19 "And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zareth-shahar in the
mount of the valley," Joshua 13:20 "And Beth-peor, and Ashdoth-pisgah,
and Beth-jeshimoth," Joshua 13:21 "And all the cities of the plain,
and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in
Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem,
and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, [which were] dukes of Sihon, dwelling in
the country."
We find that all of the above were given to Reuben's descendents
for a possession. There were many cities not even mentioned. Some of
them were burned with fire and some were kept as cities for the
Reubenites. Each of the dukes were destroyed along with Sihon. They
had ruled their people, and had made a treaty with Sihon. They were
subordinate kings to Sihon.
Joshua 13:22 "Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did
the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain
by them."
A "soothsayer" is the same as a diviner, or someone who tells the
future. We remember, the incident with Balaam and the ass. Balaam
pretended to be on the side of the Israelites, but got the Moabite
women to entice them into idolatry and adultery. He was killed,
because of his evil heart.
Joshua 13:23 "And the border of the children of Reuben was
Jordan, and the border [thereof]. This [was] the inheritance of the
children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages
thereof."
The western side of their inheritance was the Jordan River. All
of the list above was divided among Reuben's descendents.
Joshua 13:24 "And Moses gave [inheritance] unto the tribe of Gad,
[even] unto the children of Gad according to their families." Joshua
13:25 "And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and
half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that [is] before
Rabbah;" Joshua 13:26 "And from Heshbon unto Ramath-mizpeh, and
Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;" Joshua 13:27
" And in the valley, Beth-aram, and Beth-nimrah, and Succoth, and
Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and
[his] border, [even] unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the
other side Jordan eastward." Joshua 13:28 "This [is] the inheritance
of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their
villages."
Each tribe had their land divided up among their families. Gad's
inheritance joined Reuben's on one side. It extended to the sea of
Galilee {Chinnereth} and to Jordan on one side. On the other side, it
joined the inheritance of the half tribe of Manasseh, near the Sea of
Galilee. They inherited many cities and villages along with the land.
Joshua 13:29 "And Moses gave [inheritance] unto the half tribe
of Manasseh: and [this] was [the possession] of the half tribe of the
children of Manasseh by their families." Joshua 13:30 "And their coast
was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan,
and all the towns of Jair, which [are] in Bashan, threescore cities:"
Threescore, is sixty cities they inherited. The inheritance of
the half tribe of Manasseh lay north of the inheritance of Gad.
Joshua 13:31 "And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities
of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, [were pertaining] unto the children of
Machir the son of Manasseh, [even] to the one half of the children of
Machir by their families." Joshua 13:32 "These [are the countries]
which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on
the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward."
The main thing we must see in all of this, is that God gave each
one by inheritance the land they needed to take care of their families
properly. All of this was on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The
land taken from Og and Sihon, became the land of Reuben, Gad and the
half tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 13:33 "But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not [any]
inheritance: the LORD God of Israel [was] their inheritance, as he
said unto them."
The tribe of Levi did not inherit land, because they had been
chosen to minister to the LORD. Their inheritance was the cities they
dwelt in, and they shared the offerings with the altar of God. They
were not to go to war, nor were they to raise a cash crop. Their work
was in the tabernacle, or in the temple.
Joshua 14 Questions
1. What did the LORD tell Joshua in the first verse?
2. What was just as dramatic a miracle, as the crossing of the Red
Sea?
3. How does the statement, God made in the first verse, remind the
author of Christianity?
4. These ______________ were powerful opponents.
5. The Geshurites were the ______________ inhabitants, known as the
Avites.
6. The word "Sihor", in verse 3, means what?
7. What was it, probably?
8. What strange false god was worshipped at Ekron?
9. Mearah was, probably, a prominent ________.
10. What rare quality was at Aphek?
11. How far out of Beirut is Aphek?
12. Who were the Giblites?
13. What was another name it was known by?
14. Where is the land of the nine and one half tribes located?
15. Who got land on the other side of Jordan?
16. Why did they inherit their land on the east side of Jordan?
17. Dibon became a city of _______.
18. Who were the two great kings defeated, whose land had been on the
east of Jordan?
19. Who were the remnant of the giants?
20. Which tribes were not destroyed, but lived among the Israelites?
21. Quote 2 Samuel chapter 13 verse 37.
22. What was the Levitical tribe to live of?
23. They did not go to ________, and they did not inherit ______.
24. How much land did each tribe receive?
25. Who were destroyed along with Sihon?
26. What is a soothsayer?
27. What terrible thing did Balaam do to the Israelites?
28. Which tribe's inheritance was between the other two?
29. How many cities did the half tribe of Manasseh receive?
30. What is the main message in this for us?
Home