Possess Your Possession, Joshua 15-17

 

So this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families. The border of…  Joshua 15:1.

Each tribe is Divinely allotted territory with very specific borders; suited to fit their size and need.   

We see border, border, border, nineteen times between here and verse twelve, describing the borders of Judah.

Thirty-one times when we add Ephraim and Manasseh into the mix by the end of chapter seventeen.

Thirty-six if we include the word boundary.

Sixty if we include all nine and a half tribes west of the Jordan, between here and chapter nineteen.

When God says something once, it’s important; twice, scoot to the edge of your seat and pay attention, it’s really important; three times, stand up, draw close, take notes, it’s vital.

Since He’s made it a point to spotlight, borders, with such detail, we’d be remiss to not pause and listen for His message.

So, what’s the message?

In the beginning, borders were few. God’s first words to man were to “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:28-29.

There was only one border they were not to cross. Don’t eat from that one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, don’t even touch it. Cross that line, and you will surely die.

They crossed.

The Spirit of God, that gave them life and clothed them from the inside out, left them.

They were instantaneously dead, spiritually. Their covering was gone; so, for the first time ever they felt exposed, vulnerable, naked, ashamed, and afraid.

That death, was passed on to all of us.

Due to their sin, more borders were made, their world got smaller. They were evicted from the Garden of Eden; the beautiful paradise God had made just for them. Rather than being rulers of the earth, they became its slave. It demanded the sweat of their brow before yielding its fruit.

By the time Joshua and crew hit the Promise Land, they were restricted to very specific borders.

You and I have them too. If you don’t believe it just walk into the kitchen, make yourself a sandwich, grab a glass of milk and kick back on the couch…in someone else’s house.  

So, Judah is given detailed borders, outlining their territory. Joshua 15:1-12.

Then, Joshua 15:13-19, gives us an update on Caleb. He drove out the giants on his mountain, and then offered a reward for anyone who’d take out the city of Debir.

The reward, was his daughter Achsah, as wife. (It wasn’t so uncommon back then.)

Caleb’s brother’s son, Othniel, jumped at the chance and took Debir; and thus, was given Achsah, as wife.

Did you catch the connection? They were cousins. (That too, wasn’t so uncommon back then.)

Notice however, not once do we see the word border, when the text is about Caleb. He knew what was promised and respectfully, humbly, strongly, boldly, took it.  

After Caleb’s, interjection, we go back to listing city after city after city, of the inheritance of Judah.

There’s over a hundred cities listed in all the Promise Land inheritance.

We won’t read them all.

You’re welcome.

Drop down to the end of chapter fifteen and see a sad verse that foreshadows that which is to come.

As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day. Joshua 15:63.

Why couldn’t they drive them out? Didn’t God already give it to them?

Hold that thought. We’ll come back to it after we add some more folks to the equation.

 Now, chapter sixteen is more of the same border business but switches from Judah to Joseph; (Ephraim and West Manasseh).

Until we get to verse ten which reads:

And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers. Joshua 16:10.

Are you noticing a pattern?

Judah could not drive them out. Ephraim did not drive them out. Caleb is the only one who drove them out.  

Let’s see if it continues.

Chapter seventeen switches to the west half of Manasseh.

But before we start in with the exciting list of borders, we take a look at a request from one man’s daughters. Joshua 17:3-4.

Zelophehad had no sons. The girls went to Moses and said, this isn’t fair, just because we’re girls, we get no land. So, Moses went to God, and He said, the girls are right; give them an inheritance, just like the guys. Numbers 27:6-7.

God is not prejudice and respects all people, women, children, red, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.  

The borders for Manasseh (west) are detailed from Joshua 17:7-11.

Then Joshua 17:12-13 repeats the ill-fated pattern:

Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. ¹³ And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

 

Last Thursday, our eight-year-old grandson, Luke, couldn’t come over for his usual after school visit.  

On Friday I asked him why he couldn’t come over.

He said, “Because I was naughty on Wednesday, and wouldn’t get in the car when it was time to go home, because I wanted to stay.”

He was capable. He was welcome. We had the desire and power to pick him up and bring him over; but he couldn’t because of the consequence of his actions. Because of something he’d done, he couldn’t come over and we couldn’t deliver him.

The tribes of Judah and Joseph, not driving out the enemy had more to do with themselves than the enemy.

Even when they grew strong, (verse 13 above) they refused to drive them out.

The rest of the chapter their true colors show.

The tribe of Joseph complains that they don’t have enough land (the land Divinely allotted.) You only gave us one lot. What’s up with that?

They don’t only complain, they brag. We are a great people. The Lord has blessed us.  Joshua 17:14. Don’t you know who we are? We’re royalty. We’re ancestors of Joseph. He was ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharoah. We are awesome.

Joshua told them, if you’re so awesome, grab an axe, and clear the land. Joshua 17:15.

They respond something like: You can’t be serious. I never. We can’t do that. They have iron chariots and stuff. Joshua 17:15.

Joshua calls their bluff and sets the record straight. You are many and powerful; you have not one lot. They already have more than one lot and it includes more land than any other tribe. They were just being too proud and lazy to be good stewards and possess their possessions. Joshua 17:17-18.

Five times in our text today we saw the word “drive” as in, “they did not drive them out.” However, only once did we see the word, “drove” as in “drove them out.” That was in reference to Caleb.

 

We’ve all been allotted this life, with specific gifts and borders. We must steward what we’re given. Occupy the area we’re in, with boldness and grace.

God refers to this time in the following book, Judges 2:20-23.

Judges 2:20-23.  Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²² so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.” ²³ Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

 

Like grandson Luke, because of something they’d done, the bad attitude of their heart, they did not, could not, would not, be delivered.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, help us to possess the land You’ve given us, like Caleb. With boldness and conviction and uncompromising; wholly following hard after You.

Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be pleasing unto You.

We love You, forever.