The writer finishes the account of land distribution to the 12 tribes in chapters 18 and 19. It is interesting that this whole section concerning the inheritance on the west side of the Jordan running from chapter 14 to chapter 19 is bracketed by the fulfillment of the land promise to Caleb and Joshua. I […]

There may be some folks confused about the tribal designations used as the land is given to Israel. Chapter 16 begins by talking about the allotment to Joseph and then shifts to Ephraim and Manasseh. The tribe of Joseph was divided into 2 tribes, named after his two sons, because the tribe of Levi would […]

So here we go, into the abyss of detail regarding the distribution of land to the twelve tribes. You wish you had a plat map of the Promised Land as you read this, don’t you? You know all these places, right: Hazor-hadattah; Gederothaim; Nibshan? All familiar to us. Ha! So how do we engage these […]

We are about to enter a less-than-thrilling portion of Joshua: the description of the tribal land allotments. I suppose if you are a land surveyor, chapters 15-19 will keep you on the edge of your seat. However, for most of us, we have to plow through these chapters much like we do the genealogies of […]

As I read these three chapters, I noticed a couple of themes that stood out to me. The first is the connection between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Notice that in Joshua 10:8-9, God tells Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands, Not a man of them shall stand […]

Geography matters, especially when studying the bible.. The writer of Joshua provides a shocking interruption to the story of conquest in Chapter 8. If you have a set of maps in your bible, turn to what is probably the third map of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and their land allotment. After the defeat of […]

If you have ever attended our church, you are aware of the jar of “standing stones” on the communion table. This passage from Joshua 4 is where we get support for this practice. Joshua instructs the people to set up 12 stones, one for each tribe, on the promised land side of the Jordan for […]

Cheryl and I just returned from a visit with Amy and Caleb so I am combining my thoughts on my reading of chapters 2 and 3. In chapter 2, Joshua sends two spies to check out the land, especially Jericho, before the nation crosses the Jordan. Rahab is an incredibly interesting character, and even listed […]