Joshua 13

WEEK   21                                         Joshua 13    

MONDAY  Reflections

There is still much to do, but you're old. Can you imagine God telling you this? What this reminds me of is that many times there is more that needs to be done, but we will not be around to see it completed. The work of change, especially changing a people or a culture cannot be done in just one generation. There comes a time when we have to leave the work to others.

 

The year I am writing this I have had a dear saint step down from the church board. He was turning 90 and felt he needed to be available to take care of his wife. I appreciated his decision and I hope he felt that he was leaving the church in good hands. It would have been very sad to have seen him try to stay just because he thought the work was not done because the work of the church is never done. Only when Christ returns will the work of the church truly be complete. 

 

Joshua was being prepared to hand the work over to others. The tribes will be expected to take more land as they continue to grow. However, I am reminded there comes a time not just to let go, but to charge others to finish the work. It isn't a time to feel shame, it's just a time of change.

Jos 13:1-33
(1)  Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.
(2)  This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
(3)  From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
(4)  From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:
(5)  And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.
(6)  All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.
(7)  Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
(8)  With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them;
(9)  From Aroer, that is upon the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;
(10)  And all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;
(11)  And Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;
(12)  All the kingdom of Og in Bashan, which reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants: for these did Moses smite, and cast them out.
(13)  Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites, nor the Maachathites: but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.
(14)  Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.
(15)  And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.
(16)  And their coast was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the river Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;
(17)  Heshbon, and all her cities that are in the plain; Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,
(18)  And Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,
(19)  And Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar in the mount of the valley,
(20)  And Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,
(21)  And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.
(22)  Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.
(23)  And the border of the children of Reuben was Jordan, and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben after their families, the cities and the villages thereof.
(24)  And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families.
(25)  And their coast was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah;
(26)  And from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;
(27)  And in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the sea of Chinnereth on the other side Jordan eastward.
(28)  This is the inheritance of the children of Gad after their families, the cities, and their villages.
(29)  And Moses gave inheritance unto the half tribe of Manasseh: and this was the possession of the half tribe of the children of Manasseh by their families.
(30)  And their coast was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities:
(31)  And half Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to the one half of the children of Machir by their families.
(32)  These are the countries which Moses did distribute for inheritance in the plains of Moab, on the other side Jordan, by Jericho, eastward.
(33)  But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.

Photo by Swaraj Tiwari on Unsplash