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Joshua Chapter 18 (ESV)

Allotment of the Remaining Land

¹ Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.

² There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. ³ So Joshua said to the people of Israel, “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? ⁴ Provide three men from each tribe, and I will send them out that they may set out and go up and down the land. They shall write a description of it with a view to their inheritances, and then come to me. ⁵ They shall divide it into seven portions. Judah shall continue in his territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall continue in their territory on the north. ⁶ And you shall describe the land in seven divisions and bring the description here to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. ⁷ The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

⁸ So the men arose and went, and Joshua charged those who went to write the description of the land, saying, “Go up and down in the land and write a description and return to me. And I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.” ⁹ So the men went and passed up and down in the land and wrote in a book a description of it by towns in seven divisions. Then they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh, ¹⁰ and Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord. And there Joshua apportioned the land to the people of Israel, to each his portion.

REFLECTION:

• Read this passage slowly understanding the progress of the takeover of the Promised Land by the Israelites.
• Joshua has led the people of a series of successful conquest. Each tribe was then responsible to conquer and colonize its designated territory.
• Five tribes have been settled on land on either side of the Jordan River. Joshua in this passage rebuked the remaining tribes for their procrastination in failing to act as they had been instructed (v3).
• What in your life have you begun but never finished? What will it take to get you going?

PRAYER:

Gracious and Almighty Heavenly Father, I give all praise and glory to You. Even if my heart praises You a thousand times and my mouth thanks You ten thousand times, it still cannot express the depth of my gratitude to You. You are the eternal and everlasting God, the Alpha and the Omega. You not only created the beautiful universe, giving us the precious breath of life, but You also gave us Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Through Him, You accomplished a priceless and boundless salvation, reconciling us to You and making us Your children, destined for eternal life in Your glory. You also guide us in our earthly lives, causing our lives to be like lilies of the field that grow out of the soil, enduring storms and continually blossoming into pure and fragrant flowers, manifesting Your heavenly glory to attract all people to come to You. Heavenly Father, there is nothing impossible for You. I pray that You walk with me every day, leading me to follow my Lord Jesus Christ and live a holy life, so that my life may increasingly emit the fragrance of Christ. You are the author and perfecter of my faith, and I firmly believe that You have begun a good work in my heart, and You will continue to complete Your work, enabling me to fulfill Your good purposes. Amen!

 
HYMN:

He Who Began a Good Work in You – youtu.be/LCCQwpn0L5c