Joshua (Written)

Artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 13:15-33
An Inheritance by Jericho, Eastward

In Chapters 1-12, Israel’s entrance into Canaan and subduing of the land were detailed. Within those chapters, there were several logical divisions of what was taking place. As a whole, those chapters should be taken as the first major division of the historical aspect of the book.

The next major division began at verses 13:1-14. That defined the scope of the land to be inherited and the people groups who possessed the land prior to Israel on both sides of the Jordan.

This major section is to go from Chapter 13 through chapter 22. It is long, and the structure is often difficult. If we can just remember that this lengthy division of the land is all picturing the Lord’s distribution of His inheritance to His people, it will take away much of the tedium that we may otherwise feel.

Think of our position in Christ. We have received Christ’s completed work. We have been given the pledge of the Spirit, the guarantee of our salvation, and yet, we have actually not fully received the inheritance that has been granted.

Think of it as a will that cannot be revoked. A son is given his land inheritance. It has been guaranteed by the legal document, but he has to live out his life while waiting for the actual bestowal of it.

There is also a condition in the will that things will be added to the inheritance (rewards) or taken away from it (losses) based on how he lives his life while waiting for the inheritance.

Text Verse: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Our inheritance is absolutely guaranteed, and it cannot be revoked. However, the quality of the inheritance is up to the one who is receiving it to act in accordance with whatever instructions are given.

Israel has attained the promise, but how it handles the conditional portion is up to them. Look to how God has dealt with national Israel and you will more fully understand how God will deal with you as an individual. Keep thinking on these lines as we go through these pages.

The meticulous nature of defining each inheritance assures us that God is being equally meticulous in His dealings with us. The excitement of the first conquests of Joshua remains true for what we are now going through if we can just remember this.

The passage today may seem overloaded with names and information. There is certainly a ton of typology in what is presented, and delving into speculation on the minutiae would lead us away from the main theme. God is revealing His plan to us in a manner that reveals Christ. Keep that in mind.

This great truth continues to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Land of Reuben (verses 15-23)

In Joshua 13:8-14 that were looked at last week, an overall description of the land east of the Jordan was detailed. With that complete, the parceling out of that land to the two-and-one-half tribes will now take place.

Each step is methodically detailed to ensure that an accurate accounting of each inheritance is recorded. The land has already been briefly described in Number 32 –

“So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. ³⁴ And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, ³⁵ Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, ³⁶ Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. ³⁷ And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, ³⁸ Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.
³⁹ And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. ⁴¹ Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. ⁴² Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.” Numbers 32:33-42

As for the divisions being documented in Joshua, the tribes would be able to refer back to these writings if there was ever a dispute concerning the land. This parceling out of the land begins with…

¹⁵ And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families.

Reuben is the firstborn son of Israel, and his inheritance is detailed first. His name means See a Son. The words, “according to their families” mean that the overall parcel is given based on their tribal inheritance and from there it will be more precisely divided by those within Reuben in a fair and equitable manner.

It is Moses who granted this land with the stipulation that they would go with Israel into battle in order to subdue the land of Canaan. Once that was accomplished, the grant would be considered permanent. As for the overall area of Reuben…

¹⁶ Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba;

The Hebrew reads “border” instead of “territory.” The land is being defined by the southern border and moving north according to their cities. Further, the land is the southernmost portion of all the land east of the Jordan. It borders the land of Moab. This border was almost identically described in verse 13:9. The cities of this land include…

¹⁷ Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,

Just for reference, the names of these locations mean: Hesbon – Intelligence; Dibon – Pining; Bamoth Baal – High Places of Baal or Great High Place of Baal; Beth Baal Meon – House of the Master of the Hideout. As an interesting point of history, the famous Mesha Stele, or Moabite Stone, was found in Dibon.

¹⁸ Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath,

In sloppy fashion, the translation here and in the coming verses leaves out the conjunctions: v’yahtsah, u-qedemoth, u-mephaath – “And Jahaza, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath.” Jahaza is a variant spelling of Jahaz. It is where the battle between Israel and Sihon took place as is recorded in Numbers 21:23. It means Trodden Down.

Kedemoth means Ancient Times, Antiquity, or Beginnings. Mephaath is first seen here. It means something like Place of Radiance. Joshua 21 shows that all three of these will become Levitical cities.

¹⁹ Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley,

Again, each location is preceded by a conjunction which is left off by the translators. Kirjathaim means Twin Cities or Double Cities. Sibmah may mean Spice. The third city is tsereth ha’shakhar b’har ha’emeq, or “Zereth the Shahar in mountain the valley.” It is found only here in the Bible.

The meaning is hard to pin down. It may mean Splendor of the Dawn, but the word specialists at Abarim seem to stretch the meaning, saying it might point to an eclipse. They call it Distress at a Solar Eclipse or Darkness at Midday. They then say that “These events are obviously mimicked in the Biblical accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection.”

That would be incorrect. There was no eclipse at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. The moon is full at the Passover, so it is seen at night and is hidden during the day. Therefore, the moon cannot eclipse the sun at that time of month.

The most probable meaning is Splendor of the Dawn. As Zereth Shahar is believed by some to border the Dead Sea, the beautiful coloring of the landscape would be resplendent, and especially so at the dawn.

²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— 

Again, and to be precise, each location is preceded by the word “and.” Beth Peor means “House of Peor.” Peor comes from the verb paar, meaning “to open.” Thus, it is the House of the Opening. The next location is ashdoth ha’pisgah, or Ashdoth of the Pisgah, meaning Slopes of the Cleft. Beth Jeshimoth means House of the Desolations.

²¹ all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon,

This means all of the other cities that were in the realm of Sihon and which extended out over the open and flat plain, the mishor, that was mentioned in Joshua 13:9. This land is very suitable for grazing. All of this was the land of Sihon…

^{21 (con’t)} whom Moses had struck 

The battle was detailed in Numbers 21, and it has been referred to numerous times since. It next says…

^{21 (con’t)} with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba,

oto v’eth n’siye midyan eth evi, v’eth reqem, v’eth tsur, v’eth khur, v’eth reva – “with and with princes Midian, with Evi, and with Rekem, and with Zur, and with Hur, and with Reba.” This does not mean that they were killed in the same battle with Sihon, but in the same manner.

Rather, they had conspired against Israel by seducing them and so the Lord instructed Moses to take vengeance on them as is seen in Numbers 31. Here, they are called nasiy’ or “princes.” Literally, “exalted ones.” The word comes from nasa, to lift up. Hence, they were raised up to serve under Sihon.

Their names as best as can be determined mean – Evi – Desirous; Reqem – Many Colored; Tsur – Rock; Khur – White; Reva – Fourth. Of them, it next says…

^{21 (con’t)} who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country

n’siyke sikhon yosheve ha’arets – “consecrated Sihon dwellers the land.” Sihon had taken the land he possessed from Moab. Because they were dwelling in the Moabites territory when it was taken over, Midianite men were appointed as vassals under him over a portion of the territory.

Here, instead of prince, the word n’siyke is used. This speaks of a libation that is poured out or a molten image. Hence, it signifies something like pouring out authority or consecrating to serve in a particular position. Along with killing these vassals, it says…

²² The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor,

The slaying of Balaam and the five men just mentioned is recorded in Numbers 31:8. So infamous is Balaam, that he will be named two more times in Joshua and also in Nehemiah and Micah. In the New Testament Peter, Jude, and Revelation also discuss his deeds. He was…

^{22 (con’t)} the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.

The word used to describe Balaam is the verb qasam. It signifies to practice divination or act as a soothsayer. It is also used of the witch of En Dor where she acts as a conjuror.

The biblical narrative does not tell how he ended up among these vassals. At the end of the account in Numbers 24:25, it said that he “departed and returned to his place.” The meaning could be that he “turned to his place,” but never got there, instead stopping at the dwelling of these Midianites and dying there.

Or he could have returned to his home after giving advice to Midian about how to handle Israel. When they took his advice, he may have returned there to receive his wages and been killed. No matter what, he was found among these men and was slain by the sword.

²³ And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan.

The Hebrew is difficult, but it reads similarly to Numbers 34:6 and Joshua 15:12: vay’hi gebul bene Reuven ha’yarden u-gebul – “And was border sons Reuben the Jordan and his border.” The most likely meaning is that Reuben’s border is formed by the natural border of the Jordan.

The bank of the Jordan, or the Descender, is said to be the western border of the land given to Reuben. But this is only in the very northern extremity. Almost all of their western border lay on the eastern edge of the Dead Sea. Because of this, it can be seen that the Dead Sea is actually thought of as a final portion of the Jordan River.

^{23 (con’t)} This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

Reuben desired this land outside of Canaan and it was granted to him. Rather than agriculture, the land is mostly suitable for pasturing flocks. Of their history in the Bible, Cambridge notes, “In the chief struggle of the nation Reuben never took part. No judge, no prophet, no hero of the tribe is handed down to us.” Thus, the history of their tribe is almost one of obscurity.

There is an inheritance that is coming to us
And it has already been granted, the deal is done
We have received the promise because of Jesus
It is based on His work alone; that of God’s own Son 

There is no need to worry if we will enter glory
It is guaranteed because we believed what was told to us
We heard the word of faith, the gospel story
And we believed on the glorious name of Jesus

The inheritance is given to all who are sanctified
It has been granted because of what God has done
It has come through the blood of Jesus, He who died
And who rose again! In Him the victory is won

II. The Land of Gad (verses 24-28)

²⁴ Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families.

Gad is the seventh son of Israel, and his inheritance is the second to be detailed. His name means Fortune. Like Reuben, his parcel of land came from the direction of Moses. As for the overall area of Gad…

²⁵ Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead,

Jazer, or yatser, means Helpful or He Shall Help. The words “all the cities of Gilead” do not mean that they possessed all of that land. Rather, half of the Gilead is given to Manasseh as will be indicated in verse 13:31. And yet, no cities are mentioned in that half. Hence, “all the cities of Gilead” means that there were no inhabitable cities in the other half of the Gilead that went to Manasseh. Along with that…

^{25 (con’t)} and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah,

The Hebrew reads “and half land sons Ammon.” What this means is that it was originally Ammonite land that was taken by Sihon. When Israel defeated Sihon, it then became the property of Israel. The importance of this is that Israel was told by the Lord –

“And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.” Deuteronomy 2:19

This land will later be contested by Ammon in Judges 11. However, Israel’s right to it was firm because Ammon lost possession of it to Sihon and Sihon lost possession of it to Israel. The name Rabbah means Great or Populus. The description continues with…

²⁶ and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir,

Heshbon signifies an explanation of things or Intelligence. ramath ha’mitspeh or Ramath the Mizpah means something like Height of the Watchtower. This is the area where Jacob and Laban set up their heap of stones as a witness between them as was seen in Genesis 31.

Betonim is found only here in the Bible and it probably means Pistachios. Although it could come from beten, a womb, and thus mean Hollows. This would still fit with Pistachios which form two hollows when split open and the nut is removed. Mahanaim means Two Camps.

As for the last name, the Hebrew reads Lidbir. Most translations equate it to Debir which means Place of the Word. However, it may be the same as Lo Debar which is first seen in 2 Samuel 9:4. If this is so, then it literally means “No Word.” As such, the intended meaning could go from No Pasture to Nothing. It is used in a pun in Amos 6:13 –

“You who rejoice over Lo Debar,
Who say, ‘Have we not taken Karnaim for ourselves
By our own strength?’” Amos 6:13

In this, it means “You who rejoice over nothing.” The idea then is that of stupidity. Next…

²⁷ and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon,

Beth Haram is found only here in Scripture, but it is certainly the same place known as Beth Haran found in Numbers 32:36. It means Mountain House or House of the Lofty. Beth Nimrah means House of the Leopard or House of Clean Water.

Succoth means Tabernacles. The location received its name in Genesis 33:17 when Jacob built himself a house and made tabernacles for his livestock. Hence, it was thereafter called Succoth.

Zaphon means North, but also Concealed because the north is the hidden direction in the northern hemisphere.

^{27 (con’t)} with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward.

ha’yarden u-gebul ad qetseh yam kinereth ever ha’yarden mizrakhah: “the Jordan and border to extremity sea Chinnereth, side the Jordan eastward.” This defines the westernmost area of the land grant which is the eastern side of the Jordan River and reaching to the very southern tip of the Sea of Galilee.

²⁸ This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

Gad desired to join with Reuben in the land outside of Canaan and it was granted to them. Taken together, the land of Reuben and Gad cover all of the kingdom that belonged to Sihon.

The Spirit is the guarantee of the inheritance
Given by God because of faith in His Son
Will He take it back? Of this, there is no  chance
We have gone from death to life – the victory is won

 And so, let us live out our lives as we should
Anticipating the inheritance given to us
Living in holiness is right, that is understood
Living according to the glory of our Lord Jesus

Thank You, O God, for the promise that lies ahead
Help us to live in faith, and faithfully too
May we conform to all that Your word has said
And may our lives and our hearts be loyal, pure, and true

III. The Land of the Half Tribe of Manasseh (verses 29-32)

²⁹ Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families:

The wording is precise in this verse, but it is something that cannot be discerned from the English translation. The first occurrence of the word “tribe” is the word shevet. The second is the word mateh.

Both words are commonly translated as “tribes,” and they both signify a type of staff or rod. Further, both come from roots signifying to branch off.

Though very similar in intent, shevet looks to a political stem and branch, whereas mateh looks more to a genealogical one. For example, the first word, shevet, was seen eighteen times in Deuteronomy while mateh never was.

Likewise, shevet is used 33 times in Joshua while mateh is used 17 times, but only from Joshua 13-22.

So to understand what is being said, we can translate this verse as: “And gave Moses to half polity, Manasseh. And it was to half descended sons Manasseh according to their families.”

Manasseh is an adopted son of Israel, being the firstborn son of Joseph. Both sons of Joseph were to be given an inheritance along with the other sons of Israel. The land now to be detailed is the final parcel of land to be portioned out east of the Jordan.

The name Manasseh has a dual meaning of He Shall Forget and From a Debt. Like Reuben and Gad, this parcel of land came from the direction of Moses seen in Numbers 32 –

“And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. ⁴¹ Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. ⁴² Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.” Numbers 32:39-42

As for the overall area of this half of Manasseh…

³⁰ Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities;

Because Machir dispossessed the Amorites in this area, Moses bestowed this land to half the tribe as an inheritance. This parcel nicely lines up with the parcel belonging to the other half of Manasseh west of the Jordan so that the two comprise one enormous swath of land that covers both sides.

When looking at them on a map, it almost looks like two arms stretching out, one to the east and one to the west. The territory of this half tribe goes from Mahanaim on its south, which is on Gad’s northern border, and it covers all of the area of the Bashan as well as all the towns of Jair, or khavoth yair, meaning Villages of the Enlightener.

As a side note, Jair will be listed in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah in 1 Chronicles –

“Now afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was sixty years old; and she bore him Segub. ²² Segub begot Jair, who had twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead.” 1 Chronicles 2:21-22

Despite this, he is reckoned as being a son of Manasseh in Numbers 32:41 and again in the next verse. In 1 Chronicles 2:21, 22 it said that he is a descendant of Manasseh through Machir’s daughter, her son Segub, and then through Jair. Thus, Manasseh is reckoned as his great, great-grandfather.

The surprising part of his genealogy is his being reckoned as a son of Manasseh, rather than a son of Judah, and this despite Machir’s daughter having married Hezron, a grandson of Judah. This is because the reckoning of a person in Scripture is through the father.

However, this could be because Hezron was old when he married her and already had other children. He may not have wanted this son to interfere with the inheritance rights of his other children, so their son was reckoned through Manasseh.

As far as the number of villages making up Jair, it changes from time to time in Scripture. Depending on the account, it may be twenty-three villages, thirty, or even sixty. The reason for the difference is based upon the context of what is being said.

For example, Moses spoke of the sixty towns of Jair in Deuteronomy 3. When he did, it was referring to everything in a wider sense that was taken by both Jair and a man named Nobah. That included its daughter villages. In Numbers, it was referred to in its stricter sense, meaning only the cities captured by Jair.

An example for understanding would be to say that Charlie Brown owns 15 McDonald’s franchises in Sarasota. Those are Charlie’s McDonald’s. However, there are 25 total McDonald’s in Sarasota. One might say, I’m going to Charlie’s for lunch, while actually going to one that isn’t Charlie’s. The term is simply used for the whole. Later in Judges 10, it will say –

“After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. ⁴ Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. ⁵ And Jair died and was buried in Camon.” Judges 10:3-5

There is no contradiction. The sons of Jair were given thirty of the sixty towns in this area to rule, and they were called by the name of their father within the wider sense of the term mentioned above. Though a bit confusing, with a bit of research, it all makes complete sense.

As far as this land, it was the first recorded granting of land to any people of Israel, as noted in Numbers 32:42. That is rather interesting, especially when considering that it is also the first land the inhabitants were to be permanently dispossessed from. In 1 Chronicles 5, this is recorded –

“So the children of the half-tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land. Their numbers increased from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir, or Mount Hermon. ²⁴ These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers’ houses.
²⁵ And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. ²⁶ So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan to this day.” 1 Chronicles 5:23-26

The first of these tribes who are granted land were also the first to be dispossessed from it later in Israel’s history. The majority of the people of these tribes disappeared into obscurity. As far as their cities…

³¹ half of Gilead,

This is the half of the Gilead to the north of what Gad received. No cities are listed in this area…

^{31 (con’t)} and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, 

Ashtaroth is believed to signify Union of Instructions, and thus One Law. Edrei means something like Mighty. These…

^{31 (con’t)} were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.

This means that those who descend from Machir received land on both sides of the Jordan. As this is so, it is speculated that Machir was the only son of Manasseh. Machir means, Salesman. 1 Chronicles 7:14 says that Manasseh bore him by a concubine from Aram. The same place from which Machir’s son was named – because of the union between his father and mother, Manasseh and Manasseh’s Aramitiss concubine – became their possession. This may explain why he then named his own son Gilead.

Gilead means, Perpetual Fountain, or Heap of Booty. It is the border area between Syria and Canaan, and Machir may have called him Gilead to honor the union between the two people groups he came from. This also explains why it said in Numbers 32 that he went to Gilead and took it and dwelt there.

³² These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance

Rather than which, it is probably better translated as whom. In other words, rather than referring to the land, it is referring to the people: elleh asher nikhal mosheh – “These whom caused to inherit, Moses.” This then would correspond to the verses which opened each section of the passage –

And gave Moses to tribe (mateh) sons Reuben (13:15).
And gave Moses to tribe (mateh) Gad (13:24).
And gave Moses to half tribe (shevet) Manasseh, and it was to half tribe (mateh) sons Manasseh (13:29).
These whom caused to inherit, Moses (13:32).

This inheritance was granted by Moses…

^{32 (con’t)} in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.

b’arvoth moav me’ever l’yarden y’rikho mizrakhah – “in plains Moab from side to Jordan, Jericho, eastward.” These words refer to that action of Moses which explains the location of the inheritance as stated in Numbers 34. Putting the two side by side will show this –

The location of the inheritance:
“For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and the half-tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. ¹⁵ The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, across from Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.” Numbers 34:14, 15

The action of Moses:
“These whom caused to inherit, Moses, in plains Moab from side to Jordan, Jericho, eastward.”

The action was accomplished in the same place where the grant was made. Using the words of this verse and translating them in typology, it would say, “These whom caused to inherit, He Who Draws Out, in pledge From Father from side to Descender, Place of Fragrance, eastward.”

This would signify that in Christ’s fulfillment of the law, the pledge from the Father is given in Christ’s first Advent and in anticipation of the heavenly promise. Next…

³³ But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance;

Here it turns to the political entity: u’l’shevet ha’levi lo nathan mosheh nakhalah – “And to tribe [polity] the Levite, no gave inheritance.” The Levites, meaning the polity of Levites, were set apart for the service of the Lord. Hence, no inheritance is given to them out of the land grants. But this does not mean they did not possess an inheritance. Rather…

^{33 (con’t)} the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.

Yehovah elohe Yisrael hu nakhalatam ka’asher dibber lahem – “Yehovah, God Israel, HE, their inheritance according to which spoke to them.” The Levites, who include the priestly class, received from the land of the people the Lord’s portion, the tithe. Hence, He is their inheritance.

As we have previously seen, they picture Christ in the service of the law, administering it, mediating it, fulfilling it and finally bringing it to its end.

This finishes the land grant including the cities given to Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, all of which is east of the Jordan. The book is being very precise in what it is presenting. And think of it! This is only for an earthly inheritance of land that will be filled with a group of people that may or may not care at all about the Lord.

But He promised that they would receive it and so the account is meticulously detailing every bit of what is being given. If God is going into such detail over something like this and for a group of people that He has already labeled as stiff-necked, imagine how carefully he is recording the details of our inheritance.

Are we stiff-necked? He is recording that. Are we expending ourselves in His service? That is being recorded. Above all, are we living as people of faith in His presence? This is the key to everything else we do, and it is the main point upon which every reward or loss will be based.

It is faith that brought us to Jesus. It is faith that secured our salvation. And it is faith by which our deeds will be reckoned. So, in all you do, have faith. Be thankful. That is demonstrating faith. Pray and ask God for His guidance. That is demonstrating faith. Spend your time talking to the Lord. That too is demonstration of faith.

The closer you align your thoughts to the thought that God is always with you, the greater your faith will be. The inheritance awaits. Let us live in faith until the day we are brought into it and receive it in all its fulness. And may that day be soon.

Closing Verse: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:9, 10

Next Week: Joshua 14:1-5 To a different inheritance, they have the rights… (No Part to the Levites) (29^th Joshua sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

An Inheritance by Jericho, Eastward

And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben
An inheritance according to their families as we have seen
Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of
———-the River Arnon
And the city that is in the midst of the ravine

And all the plain by Medeba
Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain as well:
Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon
Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath – as the record does tell

Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar
On the mountain of the valley
Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth
And that’s not the final tally

All the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon
———-king of the Amorites
Who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck in one spree
With the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba
Who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country

The children of Israel
Also killed with the sword, without haw or hem
Balaam the son of Beor the soothsayer
Among those who were killed by them

And the border of the children of Reuben
Was the bank of the Jordan, yes it’s true
This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben
According to their families, the cities and their villages too

Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad
To the children of Gad according to their families was the score
Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead
And half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer

Which is before Rabbah
And from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim
And from Mahanaim to the border of Debir
And in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon
———-a lot of land it would seem

The rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon
With the Jordan as its border
As far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth
On the other side of the Jordan eastward, so was the order

This is the inheritance of the children of Gad, so the record
———-does tell
According to their families, the cities and their villages as well

Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh
It was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh
———-according to their families, it is so
Their territory was from Mahanaim
All Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, so the record
———-does show

And all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities
Half of Gilead, Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom
———–of Og in Bashan, as we know
Were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh
For half of the children of Machir according to
———-their families, it is so

These are the areas which Moses
Had distributed as an inheritance on that day
In the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan
By Jericho eastward, so the records say

But to the tribe of Levi
Moses had given no inheritance, it was so
The LORD God of Israel was their inheritance
As He had said to them, and as they came to know

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁵ And Moses had given to the tribe of the children of Reuben an inheritance according to their families. ¹⁶ Their territory was from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain by Medeba; ¹⁷ Heshbon and all its cities that are in the plain: Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, ¹⁸ Jahaza, Kedemoth, Mephaath, ¹⁹ Kirjathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the mountain of the valley, ²⁰ Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth— ²¹ all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses had struck with the princes of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, who were princes of Sihon dwelling in the country. ²² The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them. ²³ And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages.

²⁴ Moses also had given an inheritance to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad according to their families. ²⁵ Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites as far as Aroer, which is before Rabbah, ²⁶ and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir, ²⁷ and in the valley Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, with the Jordan as its border, as far as the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth, on the other side of the Jordan eastward. ²⁸ This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

²⁹ Moses also had given an inheritance to half the tribe of Manasseh; it was for half the tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families: ³⁰ Their territory was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair which are in Bashan, sixty cities; ³¹ half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, for half of the children of Machir according to their families.

³² These are the areas which Moses had distributed as an inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward. ³³ But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Joshua 13:1-14
Now Therefore, Divide This Land

Of the words of Joshua, Arthur Stanley, from his book Sinai and Palestine in Connection With Their History, dated 1883, says –

“There is one document in the Hebrew Scriptures to which probably no parallel exists in the topographical records of any other ancient nation. In the Book of Joshua we have what may without offence be termed the [Doomsday] Book of the conquest of Canaan. Ten chapters of that Book are devoted to a description of the country, in which not only are its general features and boundaries carefully laid down, but the names and situations of its towns and villages enumerated with a precision of geographical terms which encourages and almost compels a minute investigation.”

In other words, because of the precision of what is stated in the chapters detailing the land of Israel, it begs the naysayer of Scripture to prove it wrong. There isn’t just a smattering of detailed information, but an overwhelming amount of it.

And it is so comprehensive and precise that either the author knew exactly what he was writing so that anyone at any time could pinpoint the locations with a bit of effort, or it is a completely flawed description of the markings and borders he has laid out.

As time has marched on and things have been buried or removed, some locations may be harder to pinpoint, but there is enough of what is written that can be substantiated, even 3000+ years later, that the correctness of the other locations when they were written down is assured.

As we go through the verses today, we’ll see that many of these names were not only written down once, but several times. And they were not just written down by being copied one account from another. Rather, they were written down in a way that would ensure that any disputes about the details could be resolved by a review of the details of a secondary account.

Text Verse: “Then He said to them, ‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?’ ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:25-27

The reliability of Old Testament Scripture is put to the test even in the New Testament. Again and again, the word “Scripture” is cited by Jesus or the apostles when referring to the Old Testament. At other times, Jesus or an apostle will simply make a point from Scripture, such as –

“For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24: 38, 39

Jesus presents the flood as a literal occurrence. He speaks of Abel as a literal human. If there was an Abel, then there was an Adam who begot Abel. Jesus tells us that Moses (meaning the Torah, the five books of Moses) and the prophets speak of Him. The entire Bible, the word of God, calls forth with the words, “Test me! See if I am what I have presented.” If we do test it, we will be assured of its veracity.

As for the contents of our passage, Charles Ellicott makes a marvelous point about those who claim the books of Moses and Joshua were actually penned at a much later date. If that were so, there would be some real inconsistencies of thought. Using the law as his example, he says –

“We are also able to understand more clearly why so much stress was laid upon the necessity of adherence to the Book of the Law in Joshua’s commission (Joshua 1:6-8). The fact that these rules are not what human nature would be at all disposed to obey continuously and as a matter of set practice (have they ever been observed yet in any conquest recorded in history?) is worth noting, as a proof of the undesigned veracity of the story. It is a mark of thorough consistency between the law and the history of Israel. And if the authorship of Deuteronomy belonged to the late date which some claim for it, how could we account for the insertion of a law which was never kept, and could not be kept at the time when some suppose it was written? From the days of Solomon and thenceforward, the relation of the remnant of the conquered Canaanites to Israel was fixed. The Phœnicians and Philistines maintained a separate national existence to the last.”

His point is well stated. If these things were written much later, even as late as 300BC as so many claim, it would make no sense to include items which proved a total failure on Israel’s part. This might be the case in a fictional story, but it would never be the case in writings that claimed to be historical, accurate, and indeed holy.

Trust the word, even if you don’t always understand it. When the Bible says there was a city, a well, or an altar in a certain spot, you can bet that someone will go there, pull out his spade, and hear the tink of the metal hitting rock which is what he was looking for. It has happened innumerable times in history, and it continues to occur regularly today.

Archaeology is only one of a host of sciences that validates the pages of Scripture. Evolution schmevoltion. I don’t have enough faith to believe we evolved, and neither should you. There is not one bone on the planet that has yet proved that inane “theory,” which is – by the way – why it is still called a “theory.” Trust the word of God. It is, after all, God’s word.

And great things are always to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. This Is the Land That Yet Remains (verses 1-7)

¹ Now Joshua was old, advanced in years.

This is more a paraphrase. The Hebrew says: vihoshua zaqen ba ba’yamim – “And Joshua old, entering in the days.” Despite being a type of the Lord, Joshua was also a man, a historical figure, who led Israel, but who also aged and eventually died. However, the events of his life are used to convey truths about the work of the Lord and the ongoing story of redemptive history.

^{1 (con’t)} And the Lord said to him:

There are times in the narrative that the Lord obviously spoke to Joshua personally, such as during the battle of Ai when He instructed Joshua to act in the heat of battle. Whether this is the case now, or whether the Lord speaks to him through a prophet, priest, or some other way is not recorded. But the Lord does speak to him…

^{1 (con’t)}  “You are old, advanced in years,

atah zaqantah bata ba’yamim – “You old, entering in the days.” There are things to consider about these words. Joshua isn’t nearly as old as Moses was at the time of his death. It is likely that Joshua was around a hundred years old.

Moses was one hundred and twenty when he died and “his eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.” Despite being aged, he was not “old.” On the other hand, Joshua will die at the same age Joseph did, one hundred and ten (Joshua 24:29). Some years before that, he is already considered as “old.”

Therefore, being old is not so much dependent on the actual number of years a person lives, but the state of the person at any given time. In 1 Kings 1:15, it says that David was “very old,” and yet he was only about seventy when he died.

The state of Joshua demands that certain things must be done. The conquests he made have established a foothold in the land that is great enough so that it can be divided among the tribes. And yet, there are many people groups that have not yet been subdued in the land; some never will be.

Despite this, the instructions found in the law intended for the land to be solely the possession of Israel. Therefore, the division of the land, even before it is wholly subdued, now falls to Joshua…

^{1 (con’t)} and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.

v’ha’arets nisharah harbeh meod l’rishtah – “and the land left much, very, to possess.” Despite his great successes in the many conquests he led, a significant amount of land remained outside of the control of Israel. This is unlike the land east of the Jordan which was wholly subdued under Moses.

It is a marvelous parallel to the state of things for those who come to Christ. In Him, the inheritance is secured because of Christ’s fulfillment and ending of the law. And yet, there are battles to be won and enemies to be subdued after coming to Him.

There is no contradiction in this at all. It is exactly how the New Testament portrays the state of things. There is total victory and assured salvation in Christ, and yet there is a constant war being waged against those who are in Christ.

Anyone who doesn’t get this either feels he must earn his salvation (Christ’s victory was not total), which is impossible to do, or he feels he can lose his salvation (the struggles of life in Christ can overcome what He has done), which is likewise impossible.

As for the literal history of Israel’s unconquered land…

² This is the land that yet remains:

zot ha’arets ha’nishareth – “This the land, the remaining.” This clause introduces what will be said through verse 7. As such, this is a parenthetical thought which terminates with the words of verse 7 –

2: This is the land

2-6: Naming the land.

7: Now therefore, divide this land.

^2 (con’t) all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites,

kal g’liloth ha’p’lishtim v’kal ha’geshuri – “all circles the Philistines and all the Geshuri.” A new word is introduced here, gelilah. It comes from galal, meaning to roll. Thus, it is a region, like a circle, as if encircled by borders.

As for the people groups, the name Philistine comes from, palash, signifying to roll in the dust as an act of mourning. They are the Grievers. The name Geshur comes from an unused root meaning to join. Thus, it may mean Bridge.

Some think that these from Geshur are the same as those mentioned in Joshua 12:5, being in the northeast area of Canaan. Others think they may be the same people group, but a portion of them settled in the south. That seems more likely for two reasons.

The first is that the Geshuri is mentioned in 1 Samuel 27:8 and it is clearly in the southern area of Canaan. Also, it is because the region of these groups is next described. That region is…

³ from Sihor, which is east of Egypt,

min ha’sikhor asher al pene mitsraim – “from the Sikhor which upon face Egypt.” The Sikhor probably derives its name from shakhar, to be black. If so, it is a dark, turbid river. It is The Turbid. This is the same river known as the Wadi of Egypt in Joshua 15:4. Today, it is known as the Wadi el Arish that flows into the Mediterranean Sea from the Sinai Peninsula. The border goes…

^3 (con’t) as far as the border of Ekron northward

v’ad gebul eqron tsaphonah – “and unto border Ekron northward.” Ekron comes from aqar, to pluck up or uproot. But that is from the same as eqer, an offshoot or descendant. Hence, the name could mean either Offshoot or Uprooted. Zephaniah will make a play on the name later in Scripture, saying, “Ekron shall be Uprooted” (Zephaniah 2:4).

Ekron is the most northern of the five cities of the Philistines.

^3 (con’t) (which is counted as Canaanite);

la’kenaani tekhashev – “to the Canaanite reckoned.” The words could be referring to the previous clause when speaking of Ekron. However, it is more likely tied to the next clauses. This would mean that the named people groups are regarded as Canaanites, even if they are not specifically descendants of Canaan. In other words, they are subject to conquest. They are…

^3 (con’t) the five lords of the Philistines—

khameshet sarne p’lishtim – “five lords Philistines.” The word seren is introduced here. It signifies a lord, but also an axle. Hence, the word may indicate the lord is the central point upon which the city turns. These five lords, plus one people group, are…

^3 (con’t) the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites;

The names are all in the singular, not the plural. And the word “also” is not in the text. As for their names, Gaza (Azah) means Strong. Ashdod means Ravager. Ashkelon comes from shaqal, to weigh, as in weighing money. Hence it is the Market. Gath means Winepress. Ekron was named in the previous verse. These are the five groups of Philistines.

Along with them are named the Avites. Their name comes from avah, to bend or twist, but also a distortion or ruin, or even perversity or moral evil. They may be the Ruiners, but I would think the name could extend to Mischief-makers. They are included here because of what is said in Deuteronomy 2:23 –

“And the Avim, who dwelt in villages as far as Gaza—the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their place.”

Apparently, they continued to exist in limited number even if mostly destroyed and driven out. The details continue with…

⁴ from the south, all the land of the Canaanites,

The actual division of the verses is debated. Some place the words. “from the south” with the previous clause. Some place them with the words following. The Greek, instead of saying mi’teman, or “from the South,” says “from Teman,” which is the proper name of a location belonging to Edom.

No matter which, it immediately follows with the land of the Canaanites. That extends northward…

^4 (con’t) and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;

u-m’arah asher la’tsidonim ad apheqah ad gebul ha’emori – “and Mearah which to the Sidonians unto Aphek unto border the Amorite.” Mearah means Cave. It is a region with a cave near Lebanon. Several possible sites have been suggested.

Sidon comes from tsud, to hunt. Thus, it is Hunting Place. As it is on the coast, it means to hunt fish and thus Fishery. Aphek comes from aphaq, meaning to hold or to be strong, and so it means Fortress. And Amorite signifies Renown.

The idea here is all of the area of the Canaanites from Ekron north to Sidon and then eastward to Aphek which may be the northern area of Bashan, and which extends to the area of Mount Hermon. However, there are at least three different locations known as Aphek, and so this is a bit of guesswork.

⁵ the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath;

Depending on the root word, Gebal means either Boundary or Hill of God. Lebanon means White One or even Mountain of Snow. Baal Gad means Lord of Fortune with a secondary meaning of Lord of the Invasion. Hermon means Sacred. Hamath means Defense or Citadel.

Gebal is also known as Byblos and is a city on the Mediterranean north of Sidon (even north of Beirut), It is seen in 1 Kings 5:18 and Ezekiel 29:9. The borders mentioned go eastward and extend to Mount Hermon and even northward to Hamath, which was the northern location spied out by the twelve spies in Numbers 13. It was recorded as the northern border in Numbers 34.

⁶ all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—

The Brook Misrephoth, or Misrephoth Mayim, means Burning of Waters. It was seen in Joshua 11:8. This explains the people who live in those areas. It is inclusive of the Sidonians and Phoenicians. What is said about all these people and the named locations is, obviously, conditional.

These areas were never fully cleansed of the inhabitants, even if they were controlled by Israel such as during the time of David and Solomon. Therefore, what the Lord next says is only assured if Israel itself acted…

^6 (con’t) them I will drive out from before the children of Israel;

It is emphatic and it refers to all of the peoples and places mentioned since verse 2, “I will drive them out.” The Lord promises to do so, but Ellicott is right in how he presents it, saying, “…the promise of driving them out from before the children of Israel, supposes that the Israelites must use their own endeavours, must go up against them. If Israel, through sloth or cowardice, let them alone, they are not likely to be driven out. We must go forth in our Christian warfare, and then God will go before us.”

He is right about this in both that which is promised to Israel and our own situation as believers. It is as common as wind gusts in a hurricane for Christians to claim success in something, but then never put forward any effort in order to obtain what they have claimed.

But more directly, we are told about the spiritual warfare we are in; and yet, without the proper tools to wage that war, one cannot triumph. In Ephesians 6, Paul writes of truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, surety of salvation, and the employment of the word of God.

Each one of these things finds its basis in knowing the word and applying it to our lives. Israel may have known how to fight but failed to engage the battle. Or Israel may have faced a battle and not known how to fight. Are we any different in our spiritual walk? Not in the least.

What we are seeing in Joshua is a reflection of what we are called to in our own lives. This is something that was already perfectly stated in Number 33 –

“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵² then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; ⁵³ you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess. ⁵⁴ And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. ⁵⁵ But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. ⁵⁶ Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’” Numbers 33:51-56

The Lord will clear out the inhabitants if Israel will act in driving out the inhabitants. The Lord will go before us in our spiritual battles if we are simply willing to follow and be set for the battles we are to face. As for Joshua, the Lord continues, saying…

^6 (con’t) only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.

This is more an explanation than a translation. It reads: raq hapileha l’yisrael b’nakhalah ka’asher tsivitikha – “only, cause it to fall to Israel in inheritance according to which I commanded you.” The inheritance will fall by lot, but only because Joshua will cause the lots to fall. With that, the parenthetical thought in verses 2-6 is complete and the closing thought of the section is provided…

⁷ Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

The meaning is “all of the land just named,” not just that which is subdued. In other words, the land is to be divided and those areas not yet subdued were to be handled by the tribe who received the particular allotment. That is exactingly seen in Joshua 17.

The main kings and fortifications had been subdued. The structure of the societies within Canaan had been sufficiently destroyed so that those remaining would find it difficult to organize against Israel. And so, the land was now to be parceled up and granted to those who had not received an inheritance east of the Jordan.

For example, Judah and Simeon will receive their allotment in Joshua 15 and 19, but then it will say this in Judges 1:3 –

“So Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.”

These tribes were willing to put forth the effort, “and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand” (Judges 1:4). Other tribes failed to obey, and they never did drive out the inhabitants. That will be seen in just a few verses.

It is time to get about dividing the land
It is ready to be inhabited, so get it done
Enough battles have been fought to understand
That the rest of the battles you face will be won

I will drive out the rest if you will just get started
And you cannot fail if you will get up and get going
Do not be afraid, dismayed, or downhearted
Be confident in My word; great things I will be showing

If you sit idly about, you cannot expect a victory
But if you head out confident in the truth of My word
Then you shall prevail; test Me in this and you will see
Just have trust and faith in what you have heard

II. Nevertheless (verses 8-14)

There is a ton of repetition from previous sermons in these verses set before us. It even closely mirrors much of what was said in Joshua 12:1-6. It may seem tedious and redundant. “Haven’t we just heard this?”

This will continue throughout the allotment to each individual tribe. But the specificity is necessary. There is not only typology for us to consider, but it is also a set of actual inheritances that had to be precisely detailed for a group of people that actually existed.

Just as we have extremely precise descriptions in the legal recordings of our land deeds, Israel also needed to maintain such records. Thus, we need to be patient as we go through these allotments, understanding that there was a need for precision in order to ensure harmony within and among the tribes of Israel.

⁸ With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance,

As an explanatory paraphrase, the NKJV adds in words that are not in the text. It says:  imo ha’reuveni v’ha’gadi laqehu nakhalatam – “With him the Reubenite and the Gadite took their inheritance.” The words here need to be taken with the last words of verse 7.

There it referred to Manasseh. As such, the “With him” is referring to Manasseh. One half of him was divided east of the Jordan while the other half was west of the Jordan.

^8 (con’t) which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord had given them:

The Hebrew reads more precisely: “which had given to them Moses, in side the Jordan eastward, according to which had given to them Moses, servant Yehovah.” In other words, the land had been given to them by Moses, meaning the two- and one-half tribes, and then it had been divided by Moses among them.

It wasn’t just that they all had been given the expanse of land and could settle wherever they wanted, but that they had been given the expanse of land which was then carefully – even meticulously – described and apportioned out. In other words, these tribes together had received their inheritance and then each tribe individually had received its inheritance. The entire expanse was…

⁹ from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon;

The land described in verses 9 and 10 is the southern area of the land grant east of the Jordan. It comprises the kingdom of Sihon, king of the Amorites.

As a reminder, Aroer means Stripped, Bare, or Naked. Arnon means Roaring Stream. The type of ravine is a nakhal, signifying a wadi. The word comes from the verb nakhal signifying “to take possession.”

The noting of the city which is in the midst of the ravine is most probably speaking of Aroer, the same city just mentioned. It is both on the bank of the ravine and within the ravine. Hence, it is a double city. If this is correct, then Isaiah refers to this double city –

“The cities of Aroer are forsaken; They will be for flocks Which lie down, and no one will make them afraid.” Isaiah 17:2

Next, ha’mishor, or “the plain,” is a word that signifies a level place. Thus, it figuratively speaks of uprightness. It is “the place of uprightness.” Medeba means something like Waters of Rest. And Dibon means Pining. Also included are…

¹⁰ all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon;

Sihon means something like Tempestuous or Warrior. Heshbon means Intelligence. Ammon means A People. Everything that belonged to the kingdom of Sihon was subdued and the inhabitants were completely destroyed, even right up to the border of the land. Also included in this large tract was…

¹¹ Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah;

The land described in verses 11 and 12 is the northern area of the land grant east of the Jordan. It comprises the kingdom of Og in the Bashan. With this in mind, Gilead means Perpetual Fountain.

The Gushurite possessed a small area in the northeast corner of Bashan. It was adjoined to the area of Argob (Deuteronomy 3:14), and to the kingdom of Aram (Syria) as seen in 2 Samuel 15:8. As we saw earlier, Geshur means Bridge.

The Maachthite dwelt on the southwest area of Mount Hermon where the Jordan finds its source. Maacah means Oppression. Also, Bashan is prefixed by an article, the Bashan. It means The Place of Fertile Soil. Salcah means Walking. With these borders defined, it next says this is…

¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei,

As we saw in the last chapter, Og comes from uggah, which is a round baked cake. That comes from ug, to bake. His reign was from both of these cities, probably having a palace in each. Ashtaroth is believed to signify Union of Instructions, and thus One Law. Edrei means something like Mighty.

^{12 (con’t)} who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.

The wording is rather precise: hu nishar mi’yeter ha’rephaim va’yakem mosheh va’yorishem – “He remained from remnant the Rephaim. And struck them Moses and dispossessed them.” It is two separate thoughts. Og alone remained of the Rephaim. Moses both destroyed Og and those he reigned over.

If you compare the corresponding verses in Chapters 12 and 13, you can see the similarities and the differences –

“The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵ and reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.” Joshua 12:4, 5

“Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.” Joshua 13:11, 12

Though it is essentially the same thing being said, it is purposefully restructured as if to ensure that what is said in one place is fully understood by saying it again a bit differently in another place. Therefore, if one was to be twisted or incorrectly analyzed, the other would provide support to correct the error.

The same is true with the previous verses concerning Sihon and his territory. There are some larger differences in the description of his kingdom, but together they form a full picture for the tribes to ensure that the scope of the entire land, as well as that of the individual parcels, is perfectly understood.

With that, a curious negative note is entered into the account…

¹³ Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

The word translated as “Nevertheless” is simply “And.” Also, the names are in the singular in the first clause and they are stated by their principal name in the second clause – “And the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurite and the Maacahthite. And Geshur and Maakath dwell in the midst of Israel until this day.”

The curiosity of saying this comes from the fact that these two people groups were not a part of the kingdom of Og. Rather, they dwelt on his border as noted in verse 12:5. However, the matter is resolved by the fact that they were located within the borders specified by the Lord as belonging to Israel. Other such notes of failure will be seen as the Bible continues.

¹⁴ Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance;

This is explicitly stated now while referring to the land east of the Jordan to explain why Levi is not included in any land inheritance there. This is repeated in the allotment to Manasseh on the east side in verse 13:33 and concerning all other allotments west of the Jordan in verse 14:4.

It will then be addressed as the main subject of Chapter 21. The narrative is being extremely precise in dealing with the Levites, as in the book of Numbers does in particular, but elsewhere in Scripture as well.

*^14 (fin) the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

The translation is rather poor. It was copied from the KJV which got much of it wrong. It is emphatic and reads: ishe Yehovah elohe Yisrael hu nakhalato ka’asher diber lo – “Fire offerings of Yehovah, God of Israel, IT his inheritance as He said to him.”

First, not all offerings are sacrifices. Second, there is an emphasis on the fact that the offerings are Levi’s inheritance. As they belong to the Lord, and so the Lord is then Levi’s inheritance –

“Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God promised him.” Deuteronomy 10:9

Also, the words appear as if the Lord was speaking directly to Levi, “as He said to him.” The Levites are uniquely set apart as the Lord’s, and it was by the word of the Lord that this came about.

As for the typology of what is presented in these verses, it has been explained, and in some cases, re-explained several times. Since we just went through much of it at the beginning of chapter 12, there is no point in going through it all again.

It is true that there are minor differences that could be evaluated for typology, but the overall message of the presentation shouts out details that we know refer to Jesus. He is the focal point of all that is given.

And yet, we cannot ignore the fact that these details were also minutely provided to ensure Israel would have exact guidelines and particulars to avoid any land conflict later in their own history. Hence, the reiteration of the details will allow for those who might argue to reference another account to overcome any disputes that might arise.

As for our own surety of what is presented, remember what was said by Arthur Stanley and Charles Ellicott as we opened today. What the Bible presents calls out to be tested and verified. And for thousands of years, this is exactly what people have done.

They have tried to prove it is in error and they have failed. They have found supposed contradictions and then these were proven wrong. They have tested it for accuracy, and it has passed at the turn of every page.

It is certain that not everything in the Bible has been proven true, but it is also certain that nothing in the Bible has been proven false. There is a great difference between the two. The latter removes any reason to ever read it again. The former challenges us to continue seeking out what it says, knowing that it has been proven right. This allows us to be confident that it will continue to be right in everything else that is still unknown.

Trust the word of God. It is a faithful friend that will never let you down. And above all, trust Jesus who is the focal point of the entire word. I can tell you with one hundred percent confidence that He will never (No, never ever!) let you down.

Closing Verse: “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14, 15

Next Week: Joshua 13:15-33 It is where we are set to go, so we are headed toward… (An Inheritance by Jericho, Eastward) (28^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Now Therefore, Divide This Land

Now Joshua was old, advanced in years
And the LORD said to him, yes, Joshua He addressed
“You are old, advanced in years
And there remains very much land yet to be possessed

This is the land that yet remains:
All the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurite
From Sihor, which is east of Egypt
As far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted
———-as Canaanite)

The five lords of the Philistines—
The Gazites, the Ashdodites
The Ashkelonites, the Gittites
And the Ekronites; also the Avites – so many “-ites”

From the south
All the land of the Canaanites
And Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek
To the border of the Amorites

The land of the Gebalites
And all Lebanon, toward the sunrise
From Baal Gad below Mount Hermon
As far as the entrance to Hamath, where Hamath lies

All the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon
As far as the Brook Misrephoth, so the record does tell
And all the Sidonians
Them I will drive out from before the children of Israel

Only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, so you shall do
As I have commanded you

Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance, divide it this way
To the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh

With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites
Received their inheritance, measured out by cord
Which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward
As had given them, Moses, the servant of the Lord

From Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon
And the town that is in the midst of the ravine
And all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon
All the land that is there seen

All the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites
Who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border
———-of the children of Ammon
Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites
All Mount Hermon

And all Bashan as far as Salcah
All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth
———-and Edrei too
Who remained of the remnant of the giants
For Moses had defeated and cast out these, their land he did accrue

Nevertheless the children of Israel
Did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites
———-so they did not obey
But the Geshurites and the Maachathites
Dwell among the Israelites until this day

Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance
The sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel
Made by fire are their inheritance
As He said to them – as He did tell

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. ² This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites, ³ from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites; ⁴ from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; ⁵ the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath; ⁶ all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. ⁷ Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

⁸ With the other half-tribe the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses had given them, beyond the Jordan eastward, as Moses the servant of the Lord had given them: ⁹ from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon; ¹⁰ all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the children of Ammon; ¹¹ Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salcah; ¹² all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for Moses had defeated and cast out these.

¹³ Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

¹⁴ Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

 

 

Joshua 12:7-24
An Inheritance Seaward

At times, the typology in the book of Joshua can be rather hard to pin down. The more names of people and locations there are, the more difficult it can become to decipher the typology. And there are a lot of parts of Joshua that heap on the names.

As you saw last week, and as we will see again this week, that is certainly the case with chapter 12. I will be honest, I am not even going to attempt to try to give you the meaning of every name given.

I will give enough info to demonstrate what this account is telling us about the work of Christ, but I am not going to start making unfounded conclusions just to tickle your ears. It is easy to make anything say anything. That does not interest me at all.

However, I do believe every word that is given, including every name, has a purpose. By contrast, Jamieson-Faucet-Brown comes to a different conclusion. For example, from their commentary on verse 7 –

“Baal-gad … even unto … Halak—(See on [188]Jos 11:17). A list of thirty-one chief towns is here given; and, as the whole land contained a superficial extent of only fifteen miles in length by fifty in breadth, it is evident that these capital cities belonged to petty and insignificant kingdoms. With a few exceptions, they were not the scenes of any important events recorded in the sacred history, and therefore do not require a particular notice.” JFB

Text Verse: “Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
⁶ Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5, 6

It should be noted that the distance concerning the length of Israel that was given by Jamieson-Faucet-Brown is about one hundred and fifteen miles, not fifteen. Also, to say that these locations “do not require a particular notice” when that is exactly why God has included them in His word is a bit troubling to me.

There may not be a lot of commentary that can be derived from these names, but they are there for a reason and so they should be given particular notice. Many of the names will be mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, so it is good to understand how these locations fit into the overall layout of the land.

And more, like all things in Scripture, the names are given to alert us to other truths that God has tucked away in the word. Despite that, it is complicated to sit down and derive everything one can about such a passage. Rather, it is the kind of thing that someone might do after pondering the passage over months or years.

I have a bit more than 10 hours on any given Monday to research the contents of a passage for a sermon. It can be tiring, even mentally debilitating, but it is also amazingly joyous to do. Today’s passage is not unimportant, except in how we may treat it. Let us not have that attitude toward God’s word.

Let us do our best to draw out what the word is telling us. I hope and pray what is presented here today accomplishes that end, even if it does not fully answer the meaning of what every name given is intended to reveal.

Great things such as marvelous hidden types and pictures of Christ are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Possession According to Their Divisions (verses 7, 8)

⁷ And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered

The narrative details all of the kings conquered in the campaign to take Canaan. The words of this verse are in accord with what has already been recorded in chapters 10 and 11 –

“So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. ⁴¹ And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon. ⁴² All these kings and their land Joshua took at one time, because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel.” Joshua 10:40-42

&

“Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands, ¹⁷ from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them.” Joshua 11:16, 17

Those are the areas and even specific locations taken by Joshua. The kings who were taken are to be named now. They are those…

^7 (con’t) on this side of the Jordan, on the west,

More literally, it reads: b’ever ha’yarden yamah – “in side the Jordan, seaward.” It is on a particular side of the Jordan and that is the westward, or seaward, side, as it is looking toward the Mediterranean Sea. The word yam signifies both “sea” and “west.” The extent of the area goes…

^7 (con’t) from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir,

It is the same locations noted in Joshua 11:17, but they are listed from north to south here instead of south to north: mibaal gad b’biqat ha’l’vanon v’ad ha’har he’khalaq ha’oleh seirah – “from Baal Gad in valley the Lebanon and unto the mount, the Smooth, the ascender Seir.”

As was noted then, the name Baal Gad means “Lord of Fortune” with a secondary meaning of “Lord of the Invasion.” This is because Gad (Fortune) comes from gadad meaning to cut or invade. Baal simply means “master.” Hence it is one with authority.

Lebanon means White One or even Mountain of Snow. However, it is derived from lavan, meaning white. This is identical to lavan, or brick, because bricks turn white when fired. That word carries the connotation of works because bricks imply the work of man as opposed to stone which is fashioned by God.

The type of valley here, biqat, comes from baqa, meaning to cleave, rend, or rip open. Hence, it is a valley that is a split between mountains. That is the northern demarcation. It then goes to the south, to the mount, the Smooth.” This is the second and last time this is mentioned. As seen in chapter 11, the name comes from khalaq, meaning “smooth.” For example, it was used in Genesis 27:11, saying –

“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned [khalaq] man.’”

The word is used figuratively in Proverbs and Ezekiel when speaking in a flattering manner because of the smooth tongue that is so employed.

This mount is described next as “the ascender Seir.” As was noted, Seir means hairy, coming from sa’iyr, hairy. For example, it was used in Genesis 27:11, saying –

“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy [sa’iyr] man, and I am a smooth-skinned man.’”

By analogy, it also speaks of a he-goat because the he-goat is a hairy animal. That is the animal used as a sin offering, such as on the Day of Atonement and elsewhere. These borders then are named in order to define all of the area…

^7 (con’t) which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions,

The words are similar to those of Joshua 11:23, with a few differences. Also, they are actually their own clause in the Hebrew: v’yitenah Yehoshua l’shivte Yisrael yerushah k’makh’l’qotam – “and gave Joshua to tribes Israel inheritance according to their divisions.”

This anticipates the actual description of the division of the land coming up in Joshua 13. The kings are disinherited in order for Israel to then inherit the land. The rule of these kings is next noted by the various topographical indicators, saying…

⁸ in the mountain country,

As in Joshua 11, the land is next divided into seven divisions. Six are by location. The seventh division is for the six named people groups. This is the first division: ba’har – “in the mountain.” It means in the mountainous areas.

^8 (con’t) in the lowlands,

The second division: u-ba’sh’phelah – and in the Shephelah, meaning the transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in south-central Israel stretching about 6 to 9 miles in length. The word comes from shaphel, to become low or abased. It is the lowland.

^8 (con’t) in the Jordan plain,

The third division: u-ba’aravah – “and in the Aravah.” This is the plain that extends about one hundred miles south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba forming a border between Israel and Jordan. The word comes from arav, to grow dark or become evening.

This is because of the darkness of the terrain. However, that is identical to arav, meaning to take or give in pledge.

^8 (con’t) in the slopes,

The fourth division: u-ba’ashedoth – “and in the slopes.” The word ashedah comes from eshed, meaning a foundation, bottom, or lower part. That comes from a root signifying to pour. As such, some translations say “springs.” But this is more likely the slopes of the mountains. Cities built on them would be fortified and thus ideally located.

^8 (con’t) in the wilderness,

The fifth division: u-ba’midbar – “and in the wilderness.” It signifies an area that is very dry and barren and thus sparsely inhabited. In Scripture, the wilderness is equated to a place of testing and trial. This would predominantly be in the areas of Judah and Benjamin. It is an area noted in the New Testament, such as in Matthew 3:1 and elsewhere.

^8 (con’t) and in the South—

The sixth division: u-ba’negev – “and in the Negev.” Negev means “south,” but it is also the designation of a specific location and is thus a proper noun – “the South.” It comes from an unused root meaning to be parched, and the Negev is a very parched land. All of this is the land of…

^8 (con’t) the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

The seventh division, which is naming the people groups rather than a location: Each of these names is stated in the singular, not the plural. The names mean: Hittite – Terror, Terrible, Fearsome; Amorite – Talkers (active) or Renown (passive); Canaanite – Humiliated, Humbled, or even Subdued; Perizzite – Villager or Dweller in an Open Country; Hivite – Villagers, or maybe more specifically, Tent Villagers; Jebusite – Treading Down (active) or Trodden Underfoot (passive).

With the borders defined, the areas identified, and the people groups named, the listing next details the kings of the individual cities that were disinherited…

There is a land to be subdued, ruled by many kings
But just one Leader will defeat them all
Because of His victories, my heart sings
Yes, the enemies have all seen their downfall

Our Leader gained the victory because He is great
None can stand against Him; not now, not ever
What was their land, now belongs to His estate
And He offers it to “whosoever”

If you will believe in Him, accepting His victory
You too can share in the inheritance of the saints
By faith alone it comes, works would be contradictory
So be sure to cast off the law’s restraints

II. Thirty-one Kings (verses 9-24)

⁹ the king of Jericho, one;

The listing is generally given in the order of the battles. The first location was Jericho, meaning Place of Fragrance. It has a secondary meaning of Place of the Moon.

^9 (con’t) the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

melekh ha’ay asher mi’tsad beit el ekhad – “king the Ai which from side Bethel, one.” The Ai means The Ruins. It is said to be located from the side of Bethel, meaning House of God.

¹⁰ the king of Jerusalem, one;  the king of Hebron, one;

Of these kings, Albert Barnes notes, “Those enumerated in Joshua 12:10-18 either belonged to the league of the southern Canaanites (Joshua 10:1 ff), the power of which was broken in the battle of Beth-horon, or were at any rate conquered in the campaign following that battle.”

The name Jerusalem has many possible meanings. For simplicity, it is Foundation of Peace. Hebron means Alliance.

¹¹ the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

Jarmuth means Elevation. Lachish means Obstinate.

¹² the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

Eglon means Heifer-like. Gezer means Part or Portion.

¹³ the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

Debir means Place of the Word. Geder is found only here in Scripture. It comes from gadar, meaning to wall up or around. Hence, it means Wall.

¹⁴ the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

Hormah is a name given in Numbers 21:3. It means Anathema. Arad is mentioned in Numbers 21:1, in the same account as Hormah. Arad comes from either an unused root meaning to sequester, and thus a fugitive, or from a root which signifies untamed, such as the wild donkey. Either way, the result is the same – it carries the sense of One who is Unrestrained.

To understand the significance of these locations, a review of the Numbers 21 sermon would be a good thing to do in your free time.

¹⁵ the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

Libnah means Whiteness. However, that comes from lavan, a verb meaning to make whiter or make bricks because bricks whiten when they are made. Adullam is first seen here. It means Refuge or The Justice of the People.

¹⁶ the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

Makkedah means Place of Shepherds. Bethel means House of God.

¹⁷ the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

Tapuakh is introduced here and will be seen six times. It comes from naphakh, signifying to breathe or blow. It means Love Apple, being identical to tapuakh found in Proverbs 25:11 and several times in the Song of Solomon. Its name is derived from its fragrance. Khepher means either Well (from dig) or Shame. It could be a combination of the two – Well of Shame.

¹⁸ the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

melekh aphek ekhad melekh la’sharon ekhad – “King Aphek, one; king to the Sharon, one.” The words “to the Sharon” would indicate the district of Sharon. Aphek is first seen here. It comes from aphaq, meaning to contain, refrain, or be strong. Hence, it is Fortress. Sharon is also introduced here. It signifies Great Plain, but also Body Armor.

¹⁹ the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

Of the rest of the verses, Albert Barnes notes, “Those mentioned in Joshua 12:19-24 were in like manner connected with the northern confederates (Joshua 11:1 ff), who were defeated at the Waters of Merom.” Madon means Contention or Strife.

Khatsor has various meanings based on its root that signifies “to begin to cluster or gather.” It may mean Village, Trumpet, Leek, Enclosure, etc.

²⁰ the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

Shimron Meron was mentioned in Joshua 11:1 simply as Shimron. Shimron means Watching or Vigilant Guardian. The word Meron comes from a word signifying well fed or fat. Hence, this would mean Vigilance and Prosperity. Achshaph signifies Fascination or Bewitched.

²¹ the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

Both locations are introduced here. The meaning of Taanakh is completely uncertain. Some think it is derived from an Egyptian word; others from an Arabic word. There is no corresponding root word found in Scripture. Megiddo comes from gadad, to penetrate or cut. Hence it signifies Invading or Intruding.

²² the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;

melekh qedesh ekhad melekh yaq’noam la’karmel ekhad – “king Kadesh one; king Jokneam to the Carmel, one.” Kedesh means Sanctuary or Sacred Place, coming from qodesh, meaning holy.

Jokneam is first found here and then only twice more in Joshua. It means either People will be Lamented or Let the People Acquire. It is said to be “to the Carmel,” meaning in the district of Carmel. That means Plantation or Orchard.

²³ the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one;

The “heights of Dor” is literally “the sieves of Dor.” The meaning is that as a sieve is raised, it pours out. Hence it can signify heights or borders of an area. Dor means To Dwell, but it is identical to the word translated as generation, as in the time period of one’s dwelling.

^{23 (con’t)} the king of the people of Gilgal, one;

melekh goyim l’gilgal ekhad – “king nations to Gilgal, one.” This is not the Gilgal where Joshua and Israel encamped. There is a lot of speculation where this was or what the real meaning of the words is. Gilgal means Rolling Away, a Wheel, or Circle of Stones. Metaphorically, it means Liberty.

²⁴ the king of Tirzah, one—

Tirtsah means Delight or Pleasantness.

*^24 (fin) all the kings, thirty-one.

This is the total number of kings subdued on the west side of the Jordan River. Bullinger uses Hebrew gematria to define the meaning of the number. The number comes from the letters aleph/1 and lamed/30. It is the number of El or God. Hence, he defines it as Deity.

Combining them with the two from the east side, and the total number of kings is thirty-three. The number is derived from 3, signifying “that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire,” and 11, which “is the number that marks disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.” Hence, 3 and 11 are two seemingly contradictory numbers.

Thirty-one kings met their end in the war
Because God Himself fought for us
This is the victory of which He swore
And it has come about through the giving of Jesus

Thirty-one kings; all have met their end
And the inheritance is now offered to us
To our helpless state He did attend
God heard our voice and sent the Lord Jesus

Great is God to His people Israel
And we have come to know what He has done for us
Of His great deeds, we shall all the world tell
Because we now have come to know the Lord Jesus

III. Pictures of Christ

There are obviously a lot of names of both people and places in this section. Hence, to fit everything in typology correctly may be beyond what is possible, but I will give my best analysis. We have to look at things from the perspective that the book of Joshua is given to highlight the victories of the Lord.

The first half of the chapter was a picture of those who had come to Christ prior to national Israel’s salvation. Hence, it would logically follow that this is picturing the same for Israel as a nation now. That is seen with the words “in side the Jordan seaward.” It is that area west of the Jordan.

The sea is the place furthest west. In Revelation 4, we see the throne of God and before Him is a sea of glass. Hence, John would have been east of both the sea and the throne. I note this so you can get the sense. The Biblical idea is that man approaches God from the east and always anticipates Him as he moves west. This is seen, for example, in the layout of the tabernacle and the temple.

With this understanding, the borders of the land here in Joshua 12 are defined as those on the north and the south. The meaning would be the same as was previously given in the Joshua 11 sermon. Therefore, the words “from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon” would typologically mean “from Lord of the Invasion in the cleaving of the works.”

In other words, Christ came as a Man aware of the consequences of sin. He accomplished all that was necessary under the law to bring man to God. It is His works that make it possible. All other works are insufficient to accomplish the purpose.

The words “as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir,” look to the sinless Jesus who came in the appearance of sinful man. Mount Halak is the smooth mountain, representing a sinless nature. Hair in Scripture speaks of awareness, especially awareness of sin.

Jesus came knowing no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), pictured by the smooth mountain. But He came in the likeness of sinful man (Hebrews 2:17), pictured by the hairy mountain, in order to accomplish His work. Hence, these borders define His nature and the scope of his work.

This is highlighted by the words of verse 7 noting Joshua gave this land to the tribes of Israel. Simply change Joshua (The Lord is Salvation) in the earthly sense to Jesus (the Lord who is “Salvation”) in the spiritual sense.

From there, the six types of land divisions were named. In chapter 11, these six divisions are each referring to Christ. They are the mountain, the lowland,  the Aravah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the South (negev).

He is 1) the gatherer of God’s people; 2) the One who abased Himself in order to bring the humbled to God; 3) the One through whom the pledge, meaning the Holy Spirit, is given; 4) the Foundation upon which all else is built (1 Corinthians 3:11); 5) the One who was tested and tried and yet who prevailed; and 6) the Giver of water (life through the word) in the otherwise parched world.

The seventh division, that of the six people groups, anticipates Christ’s victory over those who each group represents. They are the same listing of people mentioned in Joshua 3:10, 9:1, & 11:3.

With that noted, the account then turned to the defeat of the thirty-one kings, naming their locations. As the kings are unnamed but the locations are named, it would indicate the land which is inherited by Israel.

It is certain that each location tells its own story, and every location is a part of the whole. However, were I to attempt to define each, I would have to make things up as I went – something I refuse to do. This is especially so when the meaning of one of the locations, Taanach, is wholly unknown. The names that can be found for it in various references are simply best guesses.

I will give you the best meaning I can from my studies in one quick list:

Place of Fragrance
The Ruins (from side of Bethel)
Foundation of Peace
Alliance
Elevation
Obstinate
Heifer-like
Portion
Place of the Word
Wall
Anathema
Untamed
Whiteness (works)
Refuge (or Justice of the People)
Place of Shepherds
House of God
Love Apple
Well (or Shame)
Fortress
To the Great Plain (or Body Armor)
Contention
To Begin to Cluster or Gather
Vigilance and Prosperity
Fascination
?
Invading
Sacred Place
Let the People Acquire (in) Orchard
Generation in the Sieves (heights) of Generation
Nations of Liberty
Delight

Some of the meanings are obvious. We know from previous sermons in Deuteronomy and Joshua that Jericho, the Place of Fragrance, anticipates Christ’s restoration of us to paradise, meaning access to heaven. Ai, the Ruins, represented Christ’s victory over the law.

Jerusalem, or Foundation of Peace, seems obvious as anticipating the peace offered through Jesus. That can be more fully seen in New Testament references, such as Galatians 4 and Hebrews 12. We might be able to equate Sharon (Body Armor) with Paul’s words concerning putting on the whole armor of God which is given by Christ. And so on.

But there is a point where we can make anything say anything. I don’t desire to do that. We can be satisfied that God knows exactly why each location is listed and that each has its own typological anticipation of Christ.

Someone may be able to do a more thorough job on a listing than me, and that would be great. But I would recommend anyone making such a list to provide the references for each name and how they came to their conclusions. Otherwise, such a list would be pick and choose. We should not go there.

As for the final words of the chapter, Bullinger approached the meaning of the number 31 in a different manner than he normally does by defining it based on gematria. That is a valid science, but it can be easily manipulated as well.

His conclusion of the meaning of 31 beautifully matches the domain conquered by Joshua. As he anticipates Christ Jesus, and as Christ is El, God, Canaan anticipates the victory of God in Christ over all His foes and the granting of the full inheritance to His people.

Finally, and because there are those of the inheritance on both sides of the Jordan, the total number of defeated kings, 33, would presumably have meaning as well. As I noted, the number is derived from 3, signifying “that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire,” and 11, which “is the number which marks disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.”

Together, these two seemingly contradictory numbers would appear to look to the state of the world, even during the millennium after Israel has come to Christ, as still lacking its final restoration. Hence, the need for a new heaven and a new earth as promised in Revelation.

This can be seen in the words of Hebrews 2 –

“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. ⁶ But one testified in a certain place, saying:
‘What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
⁷ You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
⁸ You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. ⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:5-9

What Christ has done is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire, and yet, there will remain a mark of disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration on this earth until it finds its final and forever renewal.

There is no reason to dismiss this as either speculation or stretching the meaning to fit a hoped-for outcome. The definitions provided by Bullinger beautifully match the state of things in the world as they are and as they will be until the final consummation of the redemptive scenario laid out in Scripture.

The chapter has concluded logically with what has come before it in the winning of the battles, the marking out of the territory, and how all of it anticipates the victories of the Lord on behalf of His people.

It is also a chapter of assurance for each of us in our own battles. Consider that God was so attentive to the needs of Israel that He watched over them and gave them victory after victory. As these victories anticipate the victories of Christ Jesus to secure our salvation and that of Israel as a nation, then we can be assured that He is watching over us just as closely when we belong to Him.

It would be contradictory and perverse to think that God saved us through all of the trials and troubles that Christ faced, for Him to then say, “Ok, you’re on your own in this life.” Rather, in reading Joshua, and indeed all of Scripture, we can be even more assured that God has the best plan for us in the lives we lead.

So hold on to that thought and be reassured by it. When we are in Christ, we are God’s children. As He is the perfect Father, we can know that He is perfectly attentive to us from moment to moment. Thank God for Jesus Christ who made this possible.

Closing Verse: “He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,
⁴⁵ That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.” Psalm 105:44, 45

Next Week: Joshua 13:1-14 Getting one’s inheritance sure is grand… (Now Therefore, Divide This Land) (27^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

An Inheritance Seaward

And these are the kings of the country
Which conquered Joshua and the children of Israel
On this side of the Jordan, on the west
From Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon, as the record does tell

As far as Mount Halak
And the ascent to Seir without any noted revisions
Which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession
According to their divisions

In the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain
In the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South, yes those sites
The Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites
The Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

The king of Jericho, one
The king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one
The king of Jerusalem, one
The king of Hebron, one – isn’t this fun!

The king of Jarmuth, one
The king of Lachish, one
The king of Eglon, one
The king of Gezer, one – we’ll make it rhyme with the word pun

The king of Debir, one
The king of Geder, one
The king of Hormah, one
The king of Arad, one – we’ll be done before the setting of the sun

The king of Libnah, one
The king of Adullam, one
The king of Makkedah, one
The king of Bethel, one – a few more before the list is done

The king of Tappuah, one
The king of Hepher, one
The king of Aphek, one
The king of Lasharon, one – this is a ton of fun!

The king of Madon, one
The king of Hazor, one
The king of Shimron Meron, one
The king of Achshaph, one – one is more than none

The king of Taanach, one
The king of Megiddo, one
The king of Kedesh, one
The king of Jokneam in Carmel, one – his city got overrun

The king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one
The king of the people of Gilgal, one
The king of Tirzah, one
All the kings, thirty-one – and now we’re done

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

⁷ And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered on this side of the Jordan, on the west, from Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon as far as Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, which Joshua gave to the tribes of Israel as a possession according to their divisions, ⁸ in the mountain country, in the lowlands, in the Jordan plain, in the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the South—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: ⁹ the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one; ¹⁰ the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; ¹¹ the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; ¹² the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; ¹³ the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; ¹⁴ the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; ¹⁵ the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; ¹⁶ the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; ¹⁷ the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; ¹⁸ the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one; ¹⁹ the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; ²⁰ the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; ²¹ the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; ²² the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; ²³ the king of Dor in the heights of Dor, one; the king of the people of Gilgal, one; ²⁴ the king of Tirzah, one—all the kings, thirty-one.

 

Artwork by Doug Kallerson

Joshua 12:1-6
An Inheritance Toward the Rising of the Sun

The thing about going through the Bible verse by verse as we have been doing is that you learn as you go. In Numbers 32, I assumed that the tribes mentioned in our verses today pictured unsaved people because their inheritance was outside of Canaan.

After going through all of the verses in Numbers 32 through Joshua 11, I cannot agree with that conclusion now. Even then, I was unsure and mentioned my uncertainty in the introduction to the second Numbers 32 sermon. I just couldn’t put my finger on what was being presented.

Now, it is more apparent that there was a logical order of events in Numbers 21 that more accurately describes what the people of these tribes typologically anticipate. As a result, the typology concerning the meaning of these tribes when elsewhere mentioned would not have been correct as well.

These people have an inheritance. Just because it is not in Canaan does not mean that they have not been saved. The crossing of the Jordan in Joshua 3 and 4 clearly pointed to Israel’s national salvation. But there are those of Israel who are already saved. They have already received the inheritance offered by God in Christ.

As I say, we learn as we go, and we will not stop learning until we get to the end.

Text Verse: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ¹³ till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13

I would rather be wrong and correct the errors as I go than to never figure out the typology of what is being said. This is often a very difficult trek. But God communicates with purpose and intent in His word.

As such, we need to contemplate His meaning and figure out what He is saying. God is working through history, typology, prophecy, and moral lessons in order to get us to understand what He is doing in the world through Christ.

If we keep that in mind, as we continue through the word, we will be able to self-correct our previously incorrect thoughts. It bothers me that I may have drawn some incorrect conclusions in that Numbers sermon, but if the thoughts are corrected now, then we are on the right path. In the end, the Lord knows. We just need to keep on thinking and praying for discernment to determine what He is telling us.

For now, we have six verses to look over. An inheritance is noted east of the Jordan. What is this telling us? We will endeavor to sort out the many names of people and locations as we go. Great things are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Sihon King of the Amorites (verses 1-3)

Joshua 12 contains two main sections that comprise the sum total of the victories in the wars for the land possessed by Israel: verses 1-6 detail the victories east of the Jordan; verses 7-24 detail the victories west of the Jordan.

These are notably divided further. The first set of conquests says, “whom the children of Israel defeated” for those victories east of the Jordan (verse 1). This is further explained as “These Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel had conquered” in verse 6. The second set of conquests says, “which Joshua and the children of Israel conquered” (verse 7).

Recording these, at this point in the narrative serves at least two main purposes. The first provides a conclusion of the wars waged. The second provides a basis for the next main section of the book, where the land is divided among the tribes. That will commence in Joshua 13:8. With that noted, the verses begin with…

These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated,

The words begin with a conjunction to connect it directly to the preceding section – “And these, kings the land who struck sons Israel.” As such, we can more naturally see the flow between the ending of chapter 11 and the words here –

So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war. … “And these, kings the land who struck sons Israel…”

Seeing this, the narrative continues with…

^1 (con’t) and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun,

More literally, it reads, “and possessed (pl.) their land in side the Jordan rising (eastward) the sun.” It is detailing the land won in battle prior to entry into Canaan. The battles are more fully detailed in Numbers 21. They are then recounted by Moses in Deuteronomy 2 & 3.

Also, the division of those lands is carefully detailed in Numbers 32, and it is recounted in Deuteronomy 3. As the Jordan is a picture of Christ, the Descender, the designation “in side the Jordan” is telling us that this land pictures events prior to Israel’s national salvation that were detailed earlier in Joshua. This is based on it being “toward the rising of the sun,” as will be explained later. This land is…

^1 (con’t) from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon,

mi’nakhal arnon ad har khermon – “from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon.” The nakhal is a torrent or wadi. It is derived from the verb nakhal signifying “to take possession.” The name Arnon comes from ranan, signifying to give a jubilant, ringing cry, and thus rejoicing. Therefore, this is the Roaring Stream. Also…

^1 (con’t) and all the eastern Jordan plain:

v’kal ha’aravah mizrakhah – “and all the Aravah, eastward.” The word translated as “eastward” is the same word just translated as rising in an earlier clause. It comes from zarakh, signifying to rise or come forth as in the dawning of the day. As such, it is eastward.

The Aravah is the plain that extends about one hundred miles, south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba, forming a border between Israel and Jordan. The word comes from arav, to grow dark or become evening. This is because of the darkness of the terrain. However, that is identical to arav, meaning to take or given in pledge. This is the land east of the Jordan…

² One king was Sihon king of the Amorites,

The Hebrew reads more simply, and it is singular: sikhon melekh ha’emori – “Sihon king the Amorite.” The name Sihon comes from a root that signifies “to sweep away,” or “to strike down.” Thus, his name may signify anything from “Tempestuous” to “Warrior.”

He is defined further as melekh ha’emori, or “king the Amorite.” Amorite comes from amar, meaning to utter or say.  Therefore, the name signifies being spoken of, and thus “Renowned.” It is he…

^2 (con’t) who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites,

From here, the clauses in the translation are laid out much differently from the Hebrew. The rest of the verse reads, “the dweller in Heshbon, ruling from Aroer which upon lip Wadi Arnon and midst the wadi, and half the Gilead, and to Jabbok – the wadi – border sons Ammon.”

It is defining the extent of his rule. First, it notes that he is the dweller in Heshbon. Heshbon comes from khashav. It signifies to consider, calculate, or devise. Therefore, it signifies an explanation of things, or “Intelligence.”

Aroer means “Stripped,” “Bare,” or “Naked.” It is on the “lip” or edge of the Wadi Arnon and its border extended to the middle of the wadi as is normally the case where a river is divided between two kingdoms. But more specifically, the city itself extended into the wadi. This is seen in Joshua 13:9 –

“from Aroer which is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the town that is in the midst of the ravine, and all the plain of Medeba as far as Dibon.”

This city is also called Ar of Moab, such as in Numbers 21:28. It belonged to Moab, but Sihon’s rule extended as far as that location. The careful designation of this city is given because there are two other locations known as Aroer. One is found in Joshua 13:25 and the other is found in 1 Samuel 30:28. Along with this city, the rule of Sihon included half of the Gilead.

Gilead means Perpetual Fountain. When Gilead is referred to, it is more of a great area that extends to both the north and south of the Jabbok River. Here it is identified with the area south of the Jabbok and extending to Wadi Aroer. Jabbok, or yaboq, means, “Pouring out.”

That is on the border of the sons of Ammon. Ammon comes from the word am, or “people.” The sense is that they are the people called “A People,” and thus inbred, having their source in the union of Lot and his younger daughter. The area Sihon possessed continues to be described next, saying…

³ and the eastern Jordan plain from the Sea of Chinneroth as far as the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea),

The clauses are a bit jumbled. It reads, “and the Aravah to Sea Kinereth eastward and to Sea the Aravah (Sea of Salt) eastward.” It is describing the western border of the land. It is the plain known as the Aravah that extends along the Jordan River on its east bank, and which goes from the Sea of Galilee all the way south to the Dead Sea.

The name Kinereth comes from kinor, meaning a type of harp. The reason for the name is the shape of the sea, which looks like a harp when viewed from above.  The harp is an instrument used for praising, prophesying, and making a joyful noise.

As for the explanatory words “Sea of Salt,” salt is a sign of incorruptibility. In the case of a covenant, it is a sign of the incorruptible nature of a covenant. This western border that goes to the south continues to…

^3 (con’t) the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.

derek beith hay’shimoth u-mi’teman takhat ashdoth ha’pisgah – “way House the Yeshimoth and from south under slopes the Pisgah.” The word beith means “house,” ha is the definite article and yeshimoth means, “Desolations.” Thus, it is “House of the Desolations.”

Pisgah, or ha’pisgah, meaning “the Pisgah,” signifies a cleft. It is a high area where there is a cleft in the mountain. As such, it reads “Slopes of the Cleft.”

The land is before us, but it is possessed by a foe
He must be removed before we can enter in
How will it be done? How can we make it so?
It is a great battle we face. How will we win?

The foe stands against us
We cannot defeat him on our own
What we need is the strength of the Lord Jesus
This is what the word has shown

Through His deeds we can this foe defeat
And through what He has done, the battle we can win
Through Jesus this great foe we can unseat
And in this, we can then enter in

II. Og King of Bashan (verses 4-6)

⁴ The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory,

u-gebul og melekh ha’bashan – “And territory Og, king the Bashan.” As noted, the battle against Og is also recorded in Numbers 21. His name comes from uggah, which is a round baked cake. That comes from ug, to bake.

The location, Bashan, is prefixed by an article. It signifies something like “The place of fertile soil.” He is next described…

^4 (con’t) who was of the remnant of the giants,

The word “giants” is an explanation of their size, not a meaning of their name: mi’yeter ha’rephaim – “from remnant the Rephaim.” The name Rephaim is a hard one to pin down. It comes from a word meaning to sink down or relax. This is similar to the Nephilim. That comes from naphal, meaning to fall.

However, Rephaim could also come from a word meaning “to heal.” If so, then it indicates that their size came from being invigorated in some way, probably through special inbreeding.

The root, rapha, also means ghosts or departed spirits, but that isn’t the intent here. They are a group of exceptionally large people who lived in the area at the time. It is he…

^4 (con’t) who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

ha’yoshev b’ashtaroth u’b’edrei – “the dweller in Ashtaroth and in Edrei.” The name Ashtaroth, was seen in Deuteronomy 1 and again in Joshua 9. It is believed to signify Union of Instructions, and thus One Law. Edrei means something like “Mighty.” The meaning is that he dwelt in and ruled from both cities, probably having a palace in each of them. The narrative continues by next noting…

⁵ and reigned over Mount Hermon,

The Hebrew says, “in Mount Hermon.” However, the meaning is “over,” not that he reigned from there. Hermon means Sacred.

^5 (con’t) over Salcah,

Again, it says, “and in Salcah.” Salcah means Walking.

^5 (con’t) over all Bashan,

And again, it reads, “and in all the Bashan.” That is then next further explained…

^5 (con’t) as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites,

The names are singular: “to border the Geshurite and the Maachathite.” The name Geshur comes from an unused root meaning to join. Thus, it may mean “Bridge.” They may have been located at a spot that forded, or bridged, the Jordan. Maakah comes from a verb that means to press or squeeze. Thus the name signifies “Oppression.”

Geshur was a small area in the northeast corner of Bashan. It was adjoined to the area of Argob (Deuteronomy 3:14), and to the kingdom of Aram (Syria) as is seen in 2 Samuel 15:8. It is where Absalom fled after murdering his brother Amnon (2 Samuel 13:37).

The Maachthite dwelt on the southwest area of Mount Hermon where the Jordan finds its source. This can be inferred from Deuteronomy 3:14. Next, his kingdom continues with…

^5 (con’t) and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

This would be the northern half of the Gilead with his southern border being the northern border of Sihon. The two kingdoms together form a large swath of land that comprises parts of Jordan and Syria today. It extends from the area of the Dead Sea all the way up to the area of Mount Hermon.

With that noted, the first major section of Chapter 12 ends with the words of verse 6, saying…

⁶ These Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel had conquered;

More literally, it reads: “Moses, servant Yehovah, and sons Israel struck them.” The battles are carefully recorded in Numbers 21. There, it notes that these kings were the aggressors. They came out against Israel for battle even though Israel had only asked permission to go through Sihon’s land.

After Sihon was defeated, Og then came out against them. His land, therefore, became a possession of Israel. Once it was subdued, certain tribes wanted it because it is a fertile land, well suited to pasturing flocks. As such…

*^6 (fin) and Moses the servant of the Lord had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

More literally: “and gave it, Moses, servant Yehovah, inheritance to the Reubenite and to the Gadite, and to the half-tribe the Manasseh.” This is the land east of the Jordan that is allotted as an inheritance to these tribes. Reuben means See a Son. Gad means Fortune. Manasseh has a dual meaning of to Forget and From a debt. It is the kings of these areas that have been disinherited so that those of Israel can receive their inheritance.

Another foe stands against us
Together they are united as one
But they cannot prevail against the Lord Jesus
Through Him, this battle is already won

There is an inheritance waiting for us
And it is for sure that we will possess it
Because we have on our side the Lord Jesus
Never to the enemy shall we submit

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
Because through faith in His work, the battle is won
Our hearts are filled with joy and our voices raised
We are victors in Christ because of what He has done

III. Pictures of Christ

There are many names in this short passage, both of locations and of people. It is to be remembered that these things occurred before the death of Moses. Hence, despite picturing the Lord, it is still at a time when Israel has not yet collectively come to Jesus.

Despite this, salvation for individuals is available as is clearly revealed in the verses that immediately preceded the accounts in Numbers 21 which began with a few verses concerning trusting in the Lord rather than self for the victory (Numbers 21:1-3).

It then detailed the account of Israel complaining against the Lord and speaking against God and against Moses. Because of that, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and many died. However, when they acknowledged their sin, the Lord told Moses to fashion a fiery serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone bitten could look at the bronze serpent and live.

It is a clear picture of those of Israel being saved by looking to the cross of Christ (verses 4-9). The chapter then contained poetic lines indicating how the Spirit is received (verses 10-20). Finally, we saw the battle where the two foes were defeated, Sihon and Og (verses 21-35).

After their defeat, chapter 34 gave the details of how this land was granted to the Reubenite, the Gadite, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

It is necessary to detail their inheritance again in Joshua to fully settle the matter of why they received the inheritance and also exactly what land each tribe will receive.

Because this happened while Moses was the leader of Israel, I couldn’t see what these people were picturing while still in Numbers. I gave an opinion and am now sure it was incorrect.

These Israelites describe either those saved in Israel prior to Israel’s national salvation or those saved prior to the coming of Christ by faith in the Messiah.

An argument can be made for both options, but it is certainly the first. This is referring to those who have received an inheritance in Israel. This will be seen more clearly in Joshua 13.

These two- and one-half tribes received their possession first, and it is on the side of the Jordan (the Descender – Jesus) eastward. East in the Bible signifies before; west is after. Although the word qedem, or east, is not used, it is implied with the word mizrakh, or eastward.

The root of that word, zarakh, to arise, is used in Malachi 4 to describe those who look to the rising of Christ and His effect on them –

“’For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘That will leave them neither root nor branch.
² But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise [zarakh]
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
³ You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,’
Says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 4:1-3

With this understood, I should note that many of these locations are in a variety of passages from Numbers, Deuteronomy, and even Joshua. In order to be consistent, I went back to the sermons where the names were mentioned to obtain the same meaning for the typology as was used before.

By doing this, we have a consistent analysis of the words that are all lumped together into one short passage. Their land is first described as “from Wadi Arnon to Mount Hermon.” Using the root meaning of the words, this can be paraphrased as “from the inheritance of rejoicing to the Sacred Mountain.” It is surely a picture of salvation and inheritance of the heavenly promise –

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, … In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:3 & 11, 12

In Ephesians, Paul is writing to Gentiles, but his words include any who are saved in this dispensation, Jews or Gentiles. Hence, it is before the salvation of national Israel, even if it includes some from Israel.

Next, it says, “and all the Aravah, eastward.” This is paraphrased as “and all the pledge, eastward.” Hence, it is speaking of the pledge of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:14) prior to national Israel’s salvation.

After that, it named the first foe, “Sihon king the Amorite.” In type, this would read “Warrior king of the Renowned.” In Numbers 21, I suggested that he anticipates the Antichrist.” There is no reason to amend that, and yet, it is true that there are already antichrists in the world –

“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” 1 John 2:18

Those who come to Christ prevail over this spirit of antichrist that exists in the world. He was next described as “the dweller in Heshbon, ruling from Aroer which upon lip Wadi Arnon and midst the wadi, and half the Gilead, and to Jabbok – the wadi – border sons Ammon.”

Taking the meaning of the words, it says, “the dweller in Intelligence, ruling from Stripped upon the edge of inheritance Rejoicing and midst inheritance, and half the Perpetual Fountain, and to Pouring Out – the inheritance – border sons A People.”

When one inherits the kingdom, he inherits the whole kingdom. In this case, this is one of two foes to be defeated and thus it speaks of the first half of the battle. Hence, half of the Perpetual Fountain. The words, though confusing, speak of the various aspects of what Christ offers. For example, Paul says of intelligence in 1 Corinthians 1 –

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 1 Corinthians 1:18, 19 (NIV)

Of being stripped, Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 14, using the term “laid bare” –

“But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, ²⁵ as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, ‘God is really among you!’” 1 Corinthians 14:24, 25 (NIV)

The point is that this foe, described by these terms, will be defeated in order to provide the inheritance of the pledge of the Spirit, the reception of the Spirit, the pouring out of the Spirit, and so on. That description continues with, “and the Aravah to Sea Kinereth eastward and to Sea the Aravah (Sea of Salt) eastward.”

Once again, translating the words reads: “and the pledge to Sea of the Harp eastward and to Sea the Pledge (Sea of Covenant) eastward.” Again, it points to the work of Jesus. The pledge is the Spirit. The harp anticipates Him as the source of prophecy. Harps, at times, accompany prophesying. And the salt anticipates His incorruptible nature (Acts 2:27) and thus the incorruptible nature of His covenant.

The direction eastward indicates that this is east of the Jordan, the Descender, and thus it is an inheritance granted before the nation itself receives its inheritance.

The final clause of the verses concerning Sihon say, “way House the Yeshimoth and from south under slopes the Pisgah.” Translated, it would say “way House the Desolations and from south under the slopes of the Cleft.”

As it is on the way to the House of Desolations (another word for death), it means that the house is outside of the inheritance. Under the Cleft anticipates passing through Christ into the inheritance. With that, the verses turn to the land of Og.

In the Numbers 21 sermon, I noted him as a type of the False Prophet of Revelation. Having said that, and just like the antichrist, John says –

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1

Therefore, even if there is one final False Prophet, there is the spirit of the false prophet that has existed all along. Those who come to Christ overcome this.

Like in Numbers 21, Og is said to be king of the Bashan, or Place of fertile soil. His name comes from uggah, which is a round baked cake. That comes from ug, to bake. The picture we see is one set in opposition to Israel. The uggah, or baked cake, is seen seven times in the Bible. It is that which nourishes and sustains life.

Thus Og, who is king over the fertile place of soil, anticipates this spirit of false prophecy that denies the people of God the truth and nourishment of the word. He is noted here as “from the remnant of the Rephaim.” Rephaim signifies to sink down or relax.

Charlie’s best guess as to why he is called Rephaim here is that he anticipates those who find the ease of lies of the false prophets appealing. Peter alludes to this type of simple appeal –

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.” 2 Peter 2:1, 2

Here he is called “the dweller in Ashtaroth and in Edrei,” or Unity of Instructions and Mighty. The unity of instruction is against the gospel, and it is a powerful foe. His reign, until it is taken from him is said to be “in Mount Hermon and in Salcah and in all the Bashan.” Translated, it would say “In Sacred Mount, and in Walking, and in all the Place of fertile soil.”

Until he is eliminated, access to the Lord is restricted, one’s walk is opposed to the Lord, and the truth and nourishment of the word is unavailable. In his defeat through coming to Jesus, the inheritance is granted to everyone who believes.

It then notes that Og’s domain went “to border the Geshurite and the Maachathite.” The names mean To Join (as in a bridge) and Oppression. As they are outside of the inheritance, I would assume it signifies those who are not joined to the inheritance and who are under the oppression of the law.

Next, Og’s rule was “half the Gilead border Sihon king Heshbon,” or half the Perpetual Fountain border Intelligence. As this is the other half of the Perpetual Fountain, and as he was defeated, the inheritance encompasses the entire Perpetual Fountain – the giving of the Spirit through Christ.

The final verse referred to Moses the servant of the Lord and it noted the land the children of Israel conquered. However, the typology of Moses is clear. The typological meaning refers to Jesus’ fulfillment of the law (Moses) and those of Israel who accept His work.

With that, the final words of the section say that Moses gave it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Their possession, though not in Canaan, is clearly a picture of a possession in Christ.

It’s not that these people are types of those who aren’t saved, as I once thought, but rather, it is that they picture those who are saved prior to the national salvation of Israel. The second set of twelve stones set up in Joshua 4 are a clear representation of those who form the church, both Jew and Gentile.

In the end, the point of it all is Christ Jesus. His work extends out to all, both Jew and Gentile, and to both Israel and the church. It is the same saving message to both. God has done it all through Him. All we need to do as individuals is to accept this, and all Israel needs to do as a nation is to accept it as well.

Time is marching on, and we have choices to make. I hope and pray that each person who hears this word will consider that and make the right choice, by faith, in calling out to God through Jesus. He is the only hope in this fallen and quickly failing world. Receive God’s goodness as it is offered through Him and be sure to do so today.

Closing Verse: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ¹² that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:11, 12

Next Week: Joshua 12:7-24 This is the nation’s legacy and its reward… (An Inheritance Seaward) (26^th Joshua Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

An Inheritance Toward the Rising of the Sun

These are the kings of the land
Whom the children of Israel defeated; over whom they won
And whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan
Toward the rising of the sun

From the River Arnon to Mount Hermon
And all the eastern Jordan plain as it is known:

One king was Sihon king of the Amorites
Who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead
From Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon
From the middle of that river, not north or south even a tad

Even as far as the River Jabbok
Which is the border of the Ammonites, so they agree
And the eastern Jordan plain from the Sea of Chinneroth
As far as the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea)

The road to Beth Jeshimoth as the map denotes
And southward below the Pisgah slopes

The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory
Who was of the remnant of the giants, yes it’s true
Who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei
And reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all Bashan too

As far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites
———-so it is known
And over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

These Moses the servant of the LORD
And the children of Israel had conquered on that day
And Moses the servant of the LORD had given it as a possession
To the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel defeated, and whose land they possessed on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the eastern Jordan plain: ² One king was Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled half of Gilead, from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of that river, even as far as the River Jabbok, which is the border of the Ammonites, ³ and the eastern Jordan plain from the Sea of Chinneroth as far as the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), the road to Beth Jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah. ⁴ The other king was Og king of Bashan and his territory, who was of the remnant of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei, ⁵ and reigned over Mount Hermon, over Salcah, over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and over half of Gilead to the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

⁶ These Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel had conquered; and Moses the servant of the Lord had given it as a possession to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

 

 

 

Amazing artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 11:16-23
And Joshua Took All the Land

God made an offer to the people of the world through the giving of His Son. That is grace. This offer extends forgiveness for every sin ever committed. That, on the other hand, is mercy. Grace cannot be earned. If it could be, then it wouldn’t be grace.

However, mercy can be granted based on a set condition or stipulation. For example, if you are sentenced to death, the judge may say, “If you pay this particular amount, the death sentence will be commuted.” There is nothing wrong with this. The one who holds the power determines what the rules and conditions are.

In the giving of His Son, grace was extended to us. In the acceptance of that offer through an act of faith, mercy is then granted. God is the offended party, and He has set the parameters for us to accept or refuse. Similarly, the Lord set the parameters for when Israel entered Canaan.

That is stated clearly and unambiguously in the Law of Moses. In his commentary of Joshua 11:19, John Gill states the following without agreeing or disagreeing with what the Jews say –

“There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel,… Though, according to the Jews, Joshua, upon his first landing in Canaan, sent letters and messages to all the inhabitants of the land, offering them peace on certain terms; particularly that he sent three messages, or proposed three things to them; that those who had a mind to flee might flee; that those who were desirous of making peace might make it; and they that were for war, let them fight; all were for the last, and so perished.” Gill

That sounds like an offering of both grace and mercy. It was undeserved and it extended to any who met the terms set forth. But does it match with the preconditions already laid out in the law? Do you remember what the law says?

Text Verse: “When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, ² and when  the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly   destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. ³ Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. ⁴ For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.” Deuteronomy 7:1-4

There is nothing in the law to even hint at the claim of the Jews that John Gill cited. It is contrary to the law, and it is not found in Joshua. Further, it is contrary to the very nature of God in Christ who is typologically seen in the verses today.

The only reason for the Jews to make up something so ridiculous is that they either thought it would make them look less unfriendly and antagonistic, or that they believe God will pardon their sins without the means of pardon available to them under the law.

As John Gill lived in the 1700s, the first option seems unlikely at best. The Jews had nothing to lose in regard to people’s impression of them over such an issue. Those who believed in the word at that time accepted that God ordained the things Israel did. Those who didn’t believe in the word wouldn’t care one iota. Only in the return of the Jews to Israel would such a commentary possibly be entertained.

On the other hand, the Jews knew they were not right with God, at least according to their Scriptures. And so, to grant grace and mercy to those of Canaan would then alleviate their own guilty consciences. This is yet another reason why I don’t recommend spending a lot of time in Jewish commentaries on the Bible.

Their thoughts are skewed because they have rejected Christ. In their rejection of Christ, who is clearly seen throughout Scripture, there will never be an understanding of what God is intending to show them and us. The less extra-biblical material you look at in regard to the word, the better off you will be.

Yes, there are good commentaries and lots of exceptional helps out there, but they must be based on Scripture and in the proper context to be of any value. Be wise and discerning in how spend time studying the Bible.

Today, we will see why the citation above is totally wrong. God does offer grace and mercy, but it is based on His unchanging nature. Let us be sure of this. When He says that Jesus is the only way for us to be reconciled to Him, we need to accept that as absolute truth from God who does not lie.

Great truths such as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. That He Might Utterly Destroy Them (verses 16-23)

¹⁶ Thus Joshua took all this land:

In these words, an accounting for everything taken during the Canaan campaign is made. Many translations say, “took all that land,” as if it is referring to the battles of the previous verses. Rather, it is more likely referring to what is said next. And so, “all this land” is looking ahead to the description which is detailed in the rest of the words of this verse.

These words are generally in the singular, i.e. “mountain” and “valley.” But the meaning extends to “mountains” and “valleys.” It is a broad description of the conquering of Canaan. The credit is given to Joshua as the leader of the nation. His conquests will be noted in a sevenfold division of the land. It is he who took…

^{16 (con’t)} the mountain country,

The first division: ha’har – Literally, “the mountain,” but meaning the hill country. There is debate as to the exact meaning of these seven statements, but it appears to be describing the south first and then moving northward. As such, this would probably be referring to Canaan from that perspective and speak of the mountain country of Judea.

This is seen in Numbers 13:17 where the same term is used –

“Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains [ha’har, the mountain].”

It is even described as the hill country in the New Testament –

“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah.” Luke 1:39

Similarly, it will be seen later in Joshua that Hebron which is in Judea will be considered as the hill country –

“So they appointed Kedesh in Galilee, in the mountains of Naphtali, Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and Kirjath Arba (which is Hebron) in the mountains [b’har – ‘in mountain’] of Judah.” Joshua 20:7

Next, it says…

^{16 (con’t)} all the South,

The second division: v’eth kal ha’negev – “and all the Negev.” The word Negev means “south,” but it is also designating a specific location and is thus a proper noun – “the South.” It comes from an unused root meaning to be parched, and the Negev is a very parched land. This would be in accord with the words of Joshua 10:40 –

“So Joshua conquered all the land: the mountain country and the South [negev] and the lowland and the wilderness slopes, and all their kings; he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded.”

From there, it again goes back to what was stated in chapter 10 –

^{16 (con’t)} all the land of Goshen,

The third division: v’eth kal erets ha’goshen – “and all land the Goshen.” This was a part of what was recorded in the previous chapter –

“And Joshua conquered them from Kadesh Barnea as far as Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even as far as Gibeon.” Joshua 10:41

In this verse, the word Goshen is prefixed by an article – “the Goshen.” Thus, it is referring to a district. The name will be used only one more time in Joshua 15:51. There, it will be referring only to a city and not the greater area now being described. As a reminder, Goshen means Drawing Near or Approaching.

^{16 (con’t)} the lowland,

The fourth division: v’eth ha’sh’phelah – “and the Shephelah.” The Shephelah is a transitional region of soft-sloping rolling hills in South-Central Israel stretching 6 to 9 miles in length. The word comes from shaphel, to become low or abased. Thus, in comparison to the mountainous area, it the abased, the lowland. Next…

^{16 (con’t)} and the Jordan plain

The fifth division: v’eth ha’aravah – “and the Arabah.” This is the plain that extends about one hundred miles south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba forming a border between Israel and Jordan. The word comes from arav, to grow dark or become evening. This would be because of the darkness of the terrain. However, that is identical to arav, meaning to take or give in pledge. Next…

^{16 (con’t)} —the mountains of Israel

The sixth division: v’eth har Yisrael – “And mountain Israel.” Although debated, this is probably referring to the mountainous region of the area north of Jerusalem and extending past Galilee northward. This would have been the area taken during the events earlier in chapter 11. Also…

^{16 (con’t)} and its lowlands,

The seventh division: u-sh’phelatoh – “and his lowland.” This would be the lowland area of Israel north of the land of Judah and would include the coastal plain area. With this division given, more specific detail is provided concerning the area to the north…

¹⁷ from Mount Halak

min ha’har he’khalaq – “from the mountain, the Khalaq.” This is a mountain mentioned only here and in chapter 12. The name comes from khalaq, meaning “smooth.” For example, it was used in Genesis 27:11, saying –

“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned [khalaq] man.’”

The word is used figuratively in Proverbs and Ezekiel for speaking in a flattering manner because the smooth tongue is so employed.

^{17 (con’t)} and the ascent to Seir,

ha’oleh seir – “the ascender Seir.” Seir means hairy, coming from sa’iyr, hairy. Refer again to Genesis 27:11 –

“And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, ‘Look, Esau my brother is a hairy [sa’iyr] man, and I am a smooth-skinned man.’”

The Bible gives the he-goat as an analogy because it is hairy. It is the animal used as a sin offering, such as on the Day of Atonement and elsewhere.

The mountain, Halak, is defining the southern border of Canaan as originally described by the Lord. Because it is neither the southernmost point in Canaan, and being mentioned only twice in Joshua, we can speculate that we are given these locations for typological reasons. Also, consider that both names so far, Halak and Seir, are derived from words found in one verse of Genesis. For now, the narrative continues with…

^{17 (con’t)} even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon

v’ad baal gad b’biqat ha’l’vanon – “and unto Baal Gad in valley the Lebanon.” The name Baal Gad means “Lord of Fortune” with a secondary meaning of “Lord of the Invasion.” This is because Gad (Fortune) comes from gadad meaning to cut or invade. Baal simply means “master.” Hence it is one with authority.

Lebanon means White One or even Mountain of Snow. However, it is derived from lavan, meaning white. This is identical to lavan, or brick, because bricks turn white when fired. That word carries the connotation of works because bricks are fashioned by man as opposed to stone which is fashioned by God.

The type of valley here, biqat, comes from baqa, meaning to cleave, rend, or rip open. Hence, it is a valley that is a split between mountains. Baal Gad in this valley of Lebanon is next said to be…

^{17 (con’t)} below Mount Hermon.

takhat har khermon – “Under Mount Hermon.” Hermon means Sacred. This location is given as the northern border of Israel. Hence, the words of this verse are essentially saying, “Everything between the southern border and the northern border was taken by Joshua.”

This cannot be taken in the absolute sense as Israel never drove out all the native inhabitants of the land. It is giving the scope of the victories attained by Joshua within the borders and concerning those armies they faced in battle. Of them…

^{17 (con’t)} He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them.

It is still referring to Joshua using singular verbs. More precisely, it reads, “And all their kings captured, and struck them down, and killed them.” Every battle that he engaged in, he was victorious. Upon achieving victory, the king’s execution followed. Thus, it is a note of total victory. Of these many battles, it next says…

¹⁸ Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

The Hebrew reads, “Days many made Joshua with all the kings, the these, war.” The total campaign for Canaan lasted between six and seven years. Israel left Mount Sinai on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year after the exodus (Numbers 10:11). Moses then says in Deuteronomy 2 –

“And the time we took to come from Kadesh Barnea until we crossed over the Valley of the Zered was thirty-eight years, until all the generation of the men of war was consumed from the midst of the camp, just as the Lord had sworn to them.” Deuteronomy 2:14

We have seen that entry into Canaan was the beginning of the forty-first year since leaving Egypt (Joshua 4:19). In Numbers 13, the spies were sent out to look over Canaan. Next, go forward to Joshua 14:10 where Caleb says –

“And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.”

Therefore, it took between six and seven years to get to this point. Caleb was forty years old in the second year after leaving Egypt. Being 85 at the end of the campaign means he was 39 when departing Egypt, 79 when entering Canaan, and another six to seven years of fighting to subdue Canaan.

¹⁹ There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel,

The preposition is el, unto: lo hayetah ir asher hishlimah el bene Yisrael – “no was city which acquiesced unto sons Israel.” The reason I would use this rather than “made peace,” is that it is a single word that more fully expresses the matter. It is the same word, shalam, used twice in chapter 10 and again here in relation to the inhabitants of Gibeon…

^{19 (con’t)} except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.

This was the people group who were the subject of the treaty made in chapter 9 and who Joshua defended in chapter 10. Hivite means Tent Villager, but it is identical to khavah or “Life,” the name of Adam’s wife, Eve.

As we have previously seen, Abarim notes that the verb form khavah “means to lay out in order to live collectively, and describes investing one’s personal sovereignty into a living collective like a symbiont. It’s mostly translated as to prostrate, which is to submit oneself wholly and bodily to a collective or to the leader of that collective.” That is what the Gibeonites are doing, submitting themselves to a collective.

The name Gibeon, or Giv’on, comes from gavia, meaning a cup or a bowl. When upside down, it looks like a hill. As such, it means Hill Town or Hilly. Remember, it is closely associated with the New Testament word Gabbatha.

^{19 (con’t)} All the others they took in battle.

It is speaking not of the act of battle, but of the entire campaign: ha’kol laq’hu ba’milkhamah – “The all they took in the war.” Every city that Israel faced was defeated. Only Gibeon acquiesced to the power and fear of Israel, joining them through the cutting of a covenant.

²⁰ For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts,

It is singular – heart: ki me’et Yehovah hayetah l’khazeq eth livam – “For from Yehovah was to strengthen their heart.” The meaning is that the actions and directions of the Lord caused the people to strengthen their collective heart. The Lord didn’t actively change it, but by His designs the people made their own unified heart strong against Him. And there was a purpose in this…

^{20 (con’t)} that they should come against Israel in battle,

liqrat ha’milkhamah eth Yisrael – “to meet the war with Israel.” Instead of acquiescing to Israel as Gibeon had done, these nations knew they were to be either be anathematized or brought into subjugation. Thus, they needed to stand and fight. With their heart strengthened, the latter was their united choice.

^{20 (con’t)} that He might utterly destroy them,

l’maan hakharimam – “To end purpose anathematize them.” The Lord was leading them to strengthen their heart against them so that they would be wholly destroyed through the act of anathematizement. They would corrupt Israel through their wicked practices, so they needed to be eliminated.

^{20 (con’t)} and that they might receive no mercy,

l’bilti heyoth lahem teckhinah – “to no be to them supplication Giver.” This is a new word in Scripture, tekhinah. It is almost always used in the sense of supplication for favor. As such, the words here are complicated. I would suggest that rather than saying, “that they might receive no mercy,” as if the action is from the Lord, it is instead saying that the object of supplication (the Lord) is not available to them. That is because their heart was hardened against Him. As a result…

^{20 (con’t)} but that He might destroy them,

ki l’maan hashmidam – “for to end purpose destroy them.” This is the point of how the Lord acted and directed events to occur. The people were corrupt, they would corrupt Israel, and they needed to be exterminated.

Had Joshua sent in offers of peace, as ridiculously claimed by the Jews in the opening comments of the sermon, these words could not be included in the passage. Nor would the words in the law have been given previously, which are next referred to…

^{20 (con’t)} as the Lord had commanded Moses.

ka’asher tsivah Yehovah eth Mosheh – “for which commanded Yehovah Moses.” The commands to Moses were explicit and they were repeated several times in various ways, such as in our text verse today. The Lord commanded Moses, and Moses repeated the commands to the people.

No treaties were to be made, no voice of supplication was to be heeded, and none of the inhabitants were to be allowed to live. The Lord, through his actions and instructions, led the inhabitants to bring these things upon themselves while Israel brought destruction upon them.

²¹ And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains:

The word “mountain” is singular all three times in this verse. Thus, it is referring to the hill country each time. Anakim comes from anaq, meaning “neck.” Therefore, the Anakim are a clan of people known for their unusually long or thick necks or the adornments on their necks. These people were driven out…

^{21 (con’t)} from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel;

Hebron means Alliance. Debir means Place of the Word. Anab means Grape or Fruit, coming from a root that means “to bear fruit.” Judah means Praise. Israel means He Strives with God. The Anakim were cut off from these places by Joshua. And more…

^{21 (con’t)} Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.

They were not merely cut off, as if driven out, but they were destroyed entirely. This group is emphasized out of all of those destroyed because it was the word concerning them that brought about Israel’s time of punishment in the first place. When the spies returned from Canaan in Numbers 13, they said –

“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” ³² And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. ³³ There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Numbers 13:31-33

Only Joshua and Caleb stood against the word of the other ten spies. Now, the text specifically notes that Joshua led Israel in the defeat of them. And more, in Joshua 15, it will be Caleb who personally destroys the Anakim of Hebron. It next says…

²² None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel;

The verb is singular, and thus it is referring to Joshua: “None left (sg.) Anakim in land sons Israel.” Joshua, as the leader, ensured that in all of the land where Israel dwelt, no Anakim was left alive. As such…

^{22 (con’t)} they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.

Gaza, or Azzah, means Strong. Gath means Winepress. Ashdod means Ravager. These are the only areas where these men of giant stature remained. Eventually, they and the other giants would even be wiped out from there.

²³ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses;

In complete obedience to the law as spoken by the Lord, and as conveyed by Moses, so Joshua did. The land was subdued, and the inheritance was secured for Israel…

^{23 (con’t)} and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes.

This anticipates the division of the land in Joshua 13. We are given a brief summary of events now which will be more fully explained later in Joshua. The point here is to highlight Joshua’s obedience to the law and his ability to perform as the law directed.

As an informative note, a new word, makhaloqeth, is introduced here. It means “divisions,” coming from khalaq, to divide or share. Most of its 42 uses will be in the books of 1 & 2 Chronicles. With that, the verse and the chapter end with…

*^{23 (fin)} Then the land rested from war.

There is another new word to close us out today, shaqat. It signifies to be quiet or undisturbed. It comes from a primitive root signifying to repose. Hence, one can think of idleness or being undisturbed. Rather than Israel, it is the land itself that is spoken of in this manner. With the enemy subdued, there is a sense of calm and idleness of the land which then leaves the people to relax and enjoy themselves.

Who is it that will receive mercy from the Lord?
And who is it that will be cut off forever
The answer is carefully recorded in His word
Any can know, both the simple and the clever

Those who humble themselves before Him, they shall stand
But those who are filled with pride shall be cast away
Better to humble yourself under His great hand
Than to arrogantly trust in your own deeds and turn away

Jesus has paid the price to reconcile us to God
So, let us trust in the marvelous thing He has done
Then, on heavenly streets we shall trod
And revel in the glorious victory of God’s own Son

II. Pictures of Christ

Joshua is the great type of Jesus, fighting the Lord’s battles while leading His people toward the time of anticipated repose that the He offers them. The opening statement of this section corresponds to the final words of it –

v.16 And took Joshua all the land, the this.
v.23 And took Joshua all the land…And the land rested from war.

It is like bookends to highlight what is in the intervening verses. The land is emblematic of the world to which Christ has come, retaking the authority over it from Satan. Within the verses, the word mountain is used five times. Hence, it would be good to repeat the words of Abarim quoted in chapter 10 –

“The noun הר (har) is the Bible’s common word for mountain or hill. Intuition dictates that the root of the word for mountain probably has to do with being elevated, but that’s not correct. In Hebrew thought, a mountain is not something that’s high but rather a lot of something gathered. And so, a mountain became synonymous for a large but centralized group of people (Jeremiah 51:25), or even gods (Isaiah 14:13).” Abarim

As such, there is a focus on the centralized nature of peoples. In the first verse, there was also noted the seven divisions of the land. The first division was actually that of the mountainous country. That was followed by the Negev, or parched land. It is a land devoid of water. Water carries various connotations in the Bible, but here, it would refer to life, particularly life obtained through the word.

The third division was the land of the Goshen, meaning Drawing Near or Approaching. The next was the Shephelah, meaning low or abased. After that was the Aravah or plain. This word ultimately comes from the idea of giving or taking in pledge. From there was mentioned the mountain of Israel, or He strives with God. That was accompanied by the final division of “his lowland.” We could equate that to “his abasement.”

I would suggest that these seven divisions are each referring to Christ. He is 1) the Gatherer of God’s people; 2) the Giver of water (life through the word) in the otherwise parched world; 3) the One through whom man may draw near to God; 4) the One who abased Himself in order to bring the humbled to God; 5) the One through whom the pledge, meaning the Holy Spirit, is given; 6) the One who gathers God’s people by striving with (for) God in order to accomplish His purposes; and 7) who in His striving did so in His abasement. Each speaks of His incarnation in order to retake the right to the world.

Verse 17 then referred to the scope of the events – from Mount Halak, or Mount the Smooth, and the ascent to Seir, meaning Hairy. Hair in Scripture speaks of awareness, especially awareness of sin.

Jesus came knowing no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), pictured by the smooth mountain. But He arose in the likeness of sinful man (Hebrews 2:17), pictured by the hairy mountain, in order to accomplish His work. His ministry extended, as it says, “unto Baal Gad in valley the Lebanon.” Translated through typology, this would be “unto Lord of the Invasion in the cleaving of the works.”

In other words, Christ came as an aware Man and accomplished all that was necessary under the law to bring man to God. It is His works that make it possible. All other works are insufficient to accomplish the purpose.

This was said to be “under Mount Hermon.” Hermon has been a consistent picture of heaven when it is presented. The picture is that Christ accomplished His work on the earth under the Sacred place (heaven), not in it.

From there, it said he captured all their kings, struck them down, and killed them. That is well explained by Paul in Colossians 2:15 where it says that Christ “disarmed principalities and powers” and that “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” in His cross.

The length of Joshua’s conquest was “many days.” Christ came, He lived many days on the earth, and He warred against the powers that stood against man. Despite the cross being the final victory over all those powers, there is no contradiction in this. One leads to the other. Joshua’s campaign suitably reflects the life and work of Christ.

Verse 19 noted that not a city acquiesced unto the sons of Israel. A city is a place of man’s creation. It is thus a place of rebellion against God because it reflects his own civilization and culture. It is independent of God, trusting in its own resources and fortifications to maintain and sustain itself. Understanding this, it then said, “except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon.”

As we saw, Hivite is identical to khavah, or life. The verb form gives the sense of submitting oneself to a collective. Also, Gibeon, or Giv’on, comes from gavia, meaning a cup or a bowl. When upside down, it looks like a hill. As noted, it is closely associated with the New Testament word Gabbatha.

Jesus submitted Himself to the Roman authority in order to establish the New Covenant in His blood. The Gibeonites submitted themselves to Joshua in order to enter into the covenant relationship that had been established with Israel.

The entire thought speaks of total exclusivity. There is uniting with Christ and there is all else. The false religions and false religious expressions of the world all stand in enmity with Jesus. All will be destroyed. Only those who submit to His collective and become united to the commonwealth of Israel will be spared.

With that, the rather difficult words of verse 20 spoke of the fact that it was from the Lord to strengthen their heart. Any religion based on man’s devising will, by default, strengthen the heart of those who follow it. It is a natural consequence of it.

Only those who will humble themselves and submit to the gospel are of any redeemable value to Him. The others are strengthened to come against Israel (God’s commonwealth) in battle. They are against God in Christ. Israel is for God in Christ – plain and simple theology.

That is where the importance of the words “to no be to them supplication Giver” arises. Anyone, in any religion outside of faith in Christ, has no avenue available for them to have their supplications heard and responded to because they do not have the Object of supplications, meaning the Lord, available to them.

As such, there is only one avenue available to them, destruction. Again, plain and simple theology. This is because it is, as the verse says, “as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Man is under law, be it Adam or Moses. God gave the law of Moses to redeem man, but it is clearly a law that must be fulfilled vicariously by Christ. Hence, faith in Christ’s fulfillment of the law through His work, including His death, is the only avenue for man to be reconciled to Him.

With that, the seemingly unrelated words concerning the Anakim were given. The reason they seem unrelated is because they are the only people groups singled out. Their name comes from anaq, or neck. But that requires more explanation.

Anaq signifies being fitted out with supplies, and thus furnished liberally, just as a necklace is made up of many pieces. It is thus used figurately as a sign of pride as in Psalm 73:6 when referring to the wicked where it says, “Therefore pride serves as their necklace.”

Man can either humble himself before God in Christ, or he stands at enmity with God. There are no other options. That is well reflected in the proverb –

“A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Proverbs 29:23

With that, it said that these Anakim were destroyed from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel. The picture when considering the meaning of their names is that the proud will be destroyed from any place that is in accord with God’s purposes – Alliance with Him, where his Word is, in the place where Fruit bears, where His Praise exists, and where those who Strive with Him find their place.

The Anakim (the proud) and their cities (their place of rebellion against God) were destroyed by Joshua and they remained only in an area outside of where Israel dwelt. The idea is that anything outside of the scope of true faith in Christ is eliminated and cut off. It has no part in what God offers.

Finally, verse 23 referred to the total victory of Joshua over the land and giving it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions. It speaks of what Jesus will do for His redeemed. That will be in a land that is at peace from war. The enmity will cease, and man will be in harmony with God once again.

This is already realized for all who have come to Christ in the sense that the victory is won. Someday that will be actualized for all of His people. But the fact that it is seen here in Joshua gives us the hope-filled assurance that it will, in fact, come to pass.

God has a plan, and He is slowly and methodically working it out in Christ. It is being typologically shown in these Joshua sermons, one step at a time, so that we can see how. In the end, even if any of the typology presented is wrong, the overall picture is perfectly clear.

The victory is found in Jesus, and He has granted it to any and all who fall under the collective commonwealth of Israel. For Israel the people, it is those who have come to Christ through His finished work of the law and who have been circumcised in the heart by Him. For those of the Gentiles, it is those who have come to Christ through His cross, giving up on any other avenue of reconciliation with God.

The same salvation, in the same manner, is offered to Jews and Gentiles through simple faith in Jesus. All others will not be a part of what God is doing for humanity as He reconciles us to Himself. The theology in that regard is plain and simple. It is either Jesus or nothing with God. Nothing, by default, means total and permanent separation from Him. Consider your place, give up on self, and come to God through the finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ. Do it today!

Closing Verse: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13, 14

Next Week: Luke 1:27 (The Virgin’s Name Was Mary) (Christmas 2022 Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

And Joshua Took All the Land

Thus Joshua took all this land:
The mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen
———-so he did do
The lowland, and the Jordan plain
The mountains of Israel and its lowlands too

From Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir
Even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below
———-Mount Hermon
He captured all their kings
And struck them down and killed them as is now known

Joshua made war a long time with all those kings
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel
Except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon
All the others they took in battle, sending them to the Pit to dwell

For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts
That they should come against Israel in battle, you see
That He might utterly destroy them
And that they might receive no mercy

But that He might destroy them, so the situation demanded
As the LORD had to Moses commanded

And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim
From the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab
———-showing no pities
From all the mountains of Judah, and from all the
———-mountains of Israel
Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities

None of the Anakim were left in the land
Of the children of Israel
They remained only in Gaza
In Gath, and in Ashdod as well

So Joshua took the whole land
According to all that the LORD had said to Moses
———-so he did do
And Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel
According to their divisions by their tribes too

Then the land rested from war
That’s the end of this chapter, and there ain’t no more

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

¹⁶ Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands, ¹⁷ from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them. ¹⁸ Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. ¹⁹ There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle. ²⁰ For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

²¹ And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. ²² None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.

²³ So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.