Today, I am reading and commenting on Joshua 12-14.

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Today’s passage begins by summarizing the territory which the Israelites took control of before the death of Joshua.  It lays out the boundaries of the land which they controlled east of the Jordan River.  Then it lists the land which was given as an inheritance to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh.  Repeatedly, the writer mentions that the Levites did not receive an allocation of land, except for some cities and their surrounding pastureland.  Interestingly, it mentions that the people of Joseph became two tribes alongside talking about the Levites not receiving an allotment of land.  This highlights to me the twelve and one tribal relationship of the nation of Israel, which foreshadows Jesus with His twelve Apostles.  Or, perhaps, Jesus chose twelve in order to recap this twelve and one relationship.  The passage lists the cities which the Israelites defeated under Joshua’s leadership.  It also makes a point that some of the land had not been conquered, but that unconquered land was part of what was divided up among the tribes.  As I am writing this it strikes me that there is a message there for us…perhaps about recognizing the areas in our life where sin still rules as areas where God will exert His authority as we more closely follow His will.  I am unhappy with the wording of that, but think there is something to it.

Today’s passage ends with Caleb claiming his inheritance (well, sort of because I know there is more about him actually taking control of it in later chapters).  Caleb begins his claim by reminding Joshua that he, alongside Joshua, was one of the spies who gave a faithful report of the land to Moses and the Israelites.  He recounts that he gave that report because he wholly followed the Lord his God.  Caleb proclaims that he “wholly followed the Lord my God.”  Moses had told Caleb that he would live to claim land because he had “wholly followed the Lord my God.”  Both Caleb and Moses declared that the Lord was their own God.  They made personal declarations that God was their God.  So, we too must recognize that God is our God.  We must personally take God as our God.  He is not just the God of our ancestors, or of our people, or of the group of which we are part.  We each must say “the Lord my God.”

Finally, I want to take note of Caleb’s age when he claimed his inheritance.  Caleb says that he was eighty-five years old when he came to Joshua to claim the land which Moses had promised to him.  At eighty-five, he still had the strength to carry out the mission which God had given him.  So, none of us should say that we are too old to accomplish the mission which God has given us.  If God has given us a mission, He will give us the strength to accomplish it.  This does not mean that everyone is called to take up a new mission at eighty-five.  After all, Joshua and Caleb were the same age (at least, that is the impression we are given), yet earlier in this passage God told Joshua, “you are old and advanced in years.”  The implication being that it was time for Joshua to turn over leadership to the next generation.  So, these two men of the same age were given different messages.  One was told it was time to retire.  The other was told it was time to claim his inheritance.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.