Chronological Bible Study – Mar. 26
What I Noticed Today (Joshua 12-15)
Joshua 12
Joshua 12 is a listing of all the cities and lands conquered by Moses east of the Jordan, and then the cities and lands conquered by Joshua west of the Jordan. The sixteen kings of the southern region are listed first (vv. 9-16), followed by the 15 kings in the northern region (vv. 17-24).
Joshua 13
In Joshua 13, Joshua is described as getting on in years with much of the land the Lord promised still to be claimed.
- The Lord describes the land yet to be conquered beginning in the south and moving north
- The Lord reassures Joshua that He will drive the people out, but wants the land divided and given to the people as an inheritance.
In verses 8-33, specific direction for how the land on the east side of the Jordan was divided and given to each tribe as an inheritance is provided:
- On the east side of the Jordan River the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh received their inheritance.
- The tribe of Levi received no specific land as an inheritance but received 48 towns and cities throughout the land of the Israelites.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- In chapter 11, God reassured Joshua before the battle and gave him instructions, God delivered the enemy into Joshua’s hands, and Joshua did everything that God required after the battle.
- There are times when enemies will band together against God’s people. But what they fail to realize is that in reality, they are fighting against God Himself, not just God’s people. God is with us before, during, and after the battle. We are never alone!
Joshua 14-16 describes the division of the land according to lot as God had directed.
Joshua 14
In verses 1-5, the instructions for the inheritance of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan River are repeated.
In verses 6-12, Caleb approached Joshua and asked Joshua to give his tribe the hill country promised him by Moses when he spied out the land 45 years earlier.
- It is interesting that Caleb came to Joshua asking for permission to take the hill country (Hebron) where the Anakim lived.
- These Anakim are the giants of the land that scared the spies 40 years earlier into not going into the Promised Land (Genesis 23:2).
- Caleb, now 85 years old is still strong and willing to fight to fulfill God’s promise made to him 45 years earlier.
- In Joshua 14:12, Caleb continues to rely on God knowing that God will be with him and drive the Anakim out.
Note: In Joshua 15:14, Caleb does indeed drive out the Anakim.
In verses 13-15, Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron and the hill country he had been promised.
Joshua 15
In verses 1-12, the inheritance for the tribe of Judah is described. Judah’s land was sandwiched between the northern tip of the Dead Sea in the south and ran west to the Mediterranean Sea. The border on the north zigzagged across natural formations from the bay of the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
In verses 13-19, Caleb’s inheritance is repeated from Joshua 14:6-15 with the addition of specific places to be given to his children.
In verses 20-63, the towns of Judah are listed in four major geographic sections:
- 29 towns plus their villages in the south.
- 42 towns plus their villages in the western foothills.
- 38 towns plus their villages in the central hill country.
- Six towns plus their villages in the Judean wilderness that slope down to the Dead Sea.
Note: 29 towns are in the south, but 36 towns are listed. The difference is seven of these towns were later given to Simeon’s tribe (see Joshua 19:1-7: Moladah, Hazar-Shual, Beersheba, Ezem, Eltolad, Hormah, and Ziklag).
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.