What do you think of when you hear the word ‘inheritance’? You might think of money, land, furniture, or some valuable object that someone would leave to you. Sometimes we inherit things that are not so pleasant to us. A new administration in the government usually inherits a few problems from the former administration. Sometimes people complain about the personality traits they feel they inherited from their ancestors. ‘Inheritance’ can mean many things.
Now it is time for the ‘real estate’ to be divided among the tribes. This was an important time for the people for this was the fulfilling of God’s promise to His people. And there are lessons for us to learn today from these texts.
We shouldn’t waste time, God reminded Joshua that he was old, Joshua 13:1. Some people don’t know what to do with that word ‘old,’ some fear it some resent it, some redefine it and some overcome it.
But sometimes we make a mistake with it, anyone who is beset by infirmities of age is allowed to function when he or she shouldn’t and anyone who is strong and still capable of great service is put out to pasture. The one thing that matters in life when one comes to the time of old age is one’s faithfulness to the Lord.
When my dad turned 68, I went to visit him one afternoon and he said he felt like an old 68. I then made the remark that the closer I get to the 60’s age bracket, the younger it seems. But, whether you look at another birth year as young or old doesn’t matter.
After telling Joshua he is very old, God reminds him that there are still very large areas of land to be taken over, Joshua 13:1. The land that remained were all the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites, Joshua 13:2 / 1 Samuel 27:8 / Joshua 12:5 / Joshua 13:13. It was a vast area stretching from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite though held by the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron, Joshua 13:3.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Sihor, Joshua 13:3.
‘Sihor is derived from a root signifying ‘to be black,’ and is suitable enough as an appellative of the Nile, Isaiah 23:3. Here it most probably stands for ‘the river of Egypt’, Numbers 34:3, the modern ‘Wady el Arish’.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Ekron, Joshua 13:3.
‘Ekron, ‘Akir’, lay on the northern boundary of Judah, Joshua 15:11, and was actually conquered by the men of that tribe, Judges 1:18, though assigned in the allotment of the land to Dan, Joshua 19:43. It seems to have fallen again into the hands of the Philistines in the days of the Judges, 1 Samuel 5:10, was reconquered by Samuel, 1 Samuel 7:14, but figures in subsequent times as a Philistine city only, 1 Samuel 17:52 / 2 Kings 1:2 / 2 Kings 1:16.’
Butler, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Sidon, Joshua 13:4.
‘Sidon may represent the inhabitants of the Phoenician coast and of the Lebanon mountains.’
There was also the territory of the Avvites on the south, Deuteronomy 2:23, and all the land of the Canaanites, Joshua 13:4, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek, Joshua 12:18 / 1 Kings 20:26 / 2 Kings 13:17, and the border of the Amorites, Joshua 13:3-4. There was land in the area of Byblos and all Lebanon to the east, Joshua 11:17, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath, Joshua 13:5. Note the KJV uses the place ‘Giblites’, instead of Byblos, Joshua 13:5.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the Giblites.
‘This people dwelt beyond the precincts of the land of Canaan, on the east of Tyre and Sidon, Ezekiel 27:9 / Psalms 83:7, their capital was named Gebal.’
God Himself says He will drive out all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, Joshua 13:6 / Joshua 11:7, that is, all the Sidonians, Joshua 13:6 / Joshua 1:6-7. Joshua is reminded to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as God has instructed him, and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh, Joshua 13:7.
The other half of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, Joshua 13:8. This land extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, Joshua 12:2, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon, and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites, Joshua 13:9-10.
This included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur, Joshua 12:5, and Maakah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salekah—that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei, Joshua 13:11-12. We are told Og was the last of the Rephaites and Moses had defeated them and taken over their land, Joshua 13:12. Notice the Israelites didn’t drive out the people of Geshur and Maakah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day, Joshua 13:13.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The peoples the Israelites did not annihilate, and their land that they did not possess, were in the northern part of this area, Joshua 12:5. Gilead, Joshua 13:11, included land on both sides of the Jabbok River east of the Jordan.’
The tribe of Levi received no inheritance because the food offerings were presented to God and God Himself was their inheritance, Joshua 13:14 / Joshua 13:33 / Deuteronomy 18:1-5.
Moses gave the tribe of Reuben according to their clans, Joshua 13:15 . Joshua 13:23. The land they were given was from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon, Jahaz, which was given to the Levites, 1 Chronicles 6:78, Kedemoth, Deuteronomy 2:26, Mephaath, which was given to the Levies, Joshua 21:37, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Isaiah 16:8-9 / Jeremiah 48:32, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley, Beth Peor, Numbers 25:3, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth—all the towns on the plateau and the entire realm of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled at Heshbon, Joshua 13:16-21.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Bamoth-Baal, Joshua 13:17.
‘The high places of Baal, probably so called from altars erected on hills for the impure worship of this Canaanitish Priapus.’
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Kiriathaim, Joshua 13:19
‘This city, according to Eusebius, was nine miles distant from Medeba, towards the east. It passed from the Emim to the Moabites, from the Moabites to the Amorites, and from the Amorites to the Israelites, Genesis 14:6 / Deuteronomy 2:20. Calmet supposes the Reubenites possessed it till the time they were carried away by the Assyrians and then the Moabites appear to have taken possession of it anew, as he collects from Jeremiah 48:1, and Ezekiel 25:9.’
Moses had defeated Sihon and the Midianite chiefs, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba, who were princes who allied with Sihon and lived in that country, Joshua 13:21 / Numbers 31:1. In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination, Joshua 13:22 / Numbers 31:8 / Joshua 13:22. The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan, Joshua 13:23.
Moses gave the tribe of Gad according to their clans, Joshua 13:24 / Joshua 13:28. The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah, which was one of the cities of refuge, Joshua 20:8 / Deuteronomy 4:47, and Betonim, and from Mahanaim, Genesis 32:2, to the territory of Debir, 2 Samuel 9:4 / 2 Samuel 17:27, and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Sukkoth, Genesis 33:17, and Zaphon with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon, Joshua 13:25-27. We are told that the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Galilee, Joshua 13:27.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Rabbah, Joshua 13:25.
‘Rabbah was a border fortress, the principal stronghold of the Ammonites, Numbers 21:24, and the residence of their king. It was attacked and taken by Joab, 2 Samuel 11-12 / 1 Chronicles 20:1, but appears in later times again as an Ammonitish city, Jeremiah 49:3 / Ezekiel 25:5 / Amos 1:13-15.’
Moses gave the tribe of the half-tribe of Manasseh according to their clans, Joshua 13:29. The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan, all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns, half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei which we are told was the royal cities of Og in Bashan, Joshua 13:30-31.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the settlements of Jair, Joshua 13:30.
‘These were sixty cities; they are mentioned afterwards, and in 1 Chronicles 2:21, they are the same with the Havoth-Jair mentioned, Numbers 32:41. Jair was son of Segub, grandson of Esron or Hezron, and great-grandson of Machir by his grandmother’s side, who married Hezron of the tribe of Judah. See his genealogy, 1 Chronicles 2:21-24.’
This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh, for half of the sons of Makir, according to their clans, Joshua 30:31. This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho, Joshua 13:32 / Numbers 32:33. Once again we are reminded that the tribe of Levi was given no inheritance because God Himself was their inheritance, Joshua 13:33 / Joshua 13:14 / Deuteronomy 18:1-5.
Campbell, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The two and one-half tribes chose, as Lot did, on the basis of appearance, Genesis 13:10-11, and their inheritance was ultimately lost to them, 1 Chronicles 5:26. On the other hand the Levites, requesting no portion, were given an inheritance of abiding spiritual significance.’
God reminded Joshua that there was still much to be done, there was still land to be conquered and the land needed to be divided among the tribes, after all, this was their inheritance, and this was what God was giving them. Christians today, need to be reminded of that same thing today because we too, have an inheritance coming, 1 Peter 1:4 / Hebrews 9:15 / Colossians 1:12 / Ephesians 1:11.
The time is drawing closer for the dividing out of the inheritance, Ephesians 5:16 / John 9:4, but we get caught up in our little fusses and fights and feuds. We forget about the task at hand, I guess we really never have died to ourselves, Luke 14:26 / Galatians 2:20. Don’t waste opportunities, the tribes received their inheritance.