Burunche’s Blog

Joshua 22:1 – 34 “Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manassehand said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”

So, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEVER BE THEIRS! This was the task Moses and Joshua assigned to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half – tribe of Manasseh when they asked for land on the east side of the Jordan. In those days, there were vast grazing lands on the east side of the Jordan, and after the Israelites had conquered King Og and King Sihon, these tribes asked for those lands because they had huge herds of livestock. Moses gave them those lands but demanded that they should settle their families, their flocks, and herds and then the fighting men should accompany the rest of the Israelites across the Jordan and help conquer Canaan.

Joshua 1:12 – 15 “But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

Notice that when the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half – tribe of Manasseh actually preceded the rest of the people as a guard against possible attack as soon as they crossed the Jordan. The families of these tribes were already safely ensconced in their cities, so those families were not at risk.

Throughout all the campaigns in Canaan, the fighting men of these tribes were constantly involved. It’s likely that this conquest took as many as seven or more years, during which time these men served faithfully. Now it was time for the fighting men of Reuben, Gad, and the half – tribe of Manasseh to return home; however, they were not returning empty – handed. “When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.” Who were these fellow Israelites? It is likely that when the fighting men left their families behind, they left a contingent to guard their newly – won lands. Had these men accompanied the rest of the Israelites, they too could have gotten great wealth. This is why Joshua is ordering those returning to the east of the Jordan to share generously. Hundreds of years later, King David issued a similar order when he insisted that those who remained behind with the luggage should share equally with those who had gone into battle.

“Families don’t do this sort of thing! Oh no, my brothers!” said David as he broke up the argument. “You can’t act this way with what God gave us! God kept us safe. He handed over the raiders who attacked us. Who would ever listen to this kind of talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights—equal shares. Share and share alike!” From that day on, David made that the rule in Israel—and it still is.” 1 Samuel 30:24 The Message

APPLICATION: One of the challenges of being a missionary is that you are constantly having to re – invent yourself. Those tasks that you did a few years ago must be taken up by others if any organization is to develop. Twenty – nine years ago, I was the only doctor in a small clinic; eventually I also became the first surgeon and the first laboratory technician. At times, I was also the chief midwife, handling all the difficult deliveries. At times during my career, I have served as both Medical Superintendent and Administrator out of sheer necessity. Sometimes I have also handled most of the official correspondence for the hospital. At this point, we have entire departments to handle the duties I used to shoulder alone. My husband has had similar experiences. At one point, my husband handled all the preaching for a local church for a year until they were able to secure another pastor. When we were first in Saboba, my husband headed the maintenance section; now there are several workers.

There is a saying painted on buses and tro – tros’s here that reads, “No condition is permanent.” Changes and transformations are a part of life. There is another saying we encountered when we were first being trained to learn languages, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape.”

I wonder how the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the men from the half – tribe of Manasseh must have felt the morning that Joshua told them they could go home. Were they happy? Relieved? Worried about what they would find when they crossed the Jordan? After all, many of these men had probably left young families. Now they were returning to wives and half – grown children whose memories of them might be quite dim.

These men were returning with great wealth, easily enough to share with those left behind. And these men were returning to take up lives of peace. No longer would they have to wake up each morning, wondering where the next battle would be fought, how many giants there might be, and how rough the terrain would be. Now these men would be able to rest, although they would still have to be on guard for raiding parties. But these were serious fighting men who knew how to protect themselves and their families. All those battles in Canaan had taught them how to wage war when necessary, skills they could pass on to their sons.

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and those from the half – tribe of Manasseh now faced the challenge of raising families and livestock while maintaining the worship of the One True Living God who had sustained them during all those years of fighting. Were there ever times when these men longed to be back in battle where the choices were far simpler? About the time that their kids were asking “Why?” for the hundredth time, battle might have looked pretty good! Did any of these men suffer from PTSD? If they heard any sudden loud noises, did they begin looking for attackers? Did they have nightmares? We don’t know. What we do know is that these men made it home to their families with God’s blessing.

Have you been serving in a difficult situation? Are there times when you long for rest? Take heart! If God has called you there, God will keep you there until He chooses to move you somewhere else. All of us face the challenge of perpetually reinventing ourselves; the day we stop is the day we die spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. But remember this: God is still on the throne! God sees your efforts! And if you are fulfilling God’s perfect will for your life, one day you will hear the most wonderful words anyone has ever imagined. “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matthew 25:21

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us! Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. Help us to be good and faithful servants, knowing that You are a loving and faithful master and that one day we will share Your joy. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 21:1 – 43 “Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.” So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

The first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh. The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan. The descendants of Merari, according to their clans, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. So, the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them): They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession. So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa,  Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.

 And from the tribe of Benjamin, they gave them Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns. The total number of towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands. The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim: In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

Also, from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—four towns. From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.  All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given: from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns; from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon, Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns. The total number of towns of the Gershonite clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given: from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah,  Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands—four towns; from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands—four towns in all. The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.

The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns. So, the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

One last time, Joshua went through the ordeal of casting lots for land ownership. This time, the land went to the Levites. God had already ordered Moses to allot a certain amount of land in each portion of Israel so that the Levites would be able to sustain themselves and so that all the Levites wouldn’t cluster in one place. And once more, Joshua had to give very specific descriptions of the villages with their lands that would be allotted to the Levites. One allotment that I have always felt was unfair is the city of Hebron. Remember that 85 year – old Caleb went down to Hebron and demolished the giants who were living there. Before Caleb knew what was happening, Hebron got designated as one of the cities of refuge. While that designation wasn’t too bad, now Joshua was allotting the town of Hebron to the priests, although Caleb and his descendants still owned the fields and villages around the city. At that point, Caleb really couldn’t protest, even though he might have wanted to.

APPLICATION: The two verses that are most important for those of us reading this passage are these: “The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.”

 Who doesn’t want God’s promises to be completely fulfilled? Who doesn’t want rest on every side? We might be tempted to wonder if those statements weren’t merely an extension of the conquest stories. But perhaps at this point, God really had given the Israelites victory and rest. Certainly, if anyone failed, it was not God but rather the Israelites.

Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission, was fond of saying that “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” Certainly, Joshua had done his very best to try to conquer Canaan and to make fair allotments of the land to the tribes and to the Levites. At this point, Joshua was drawing to the end of his career and was probably relieved to have this final land distribution over and done with. Despite the fact that Joshua could have claimed a large chunk of land for himself, the only town he claimed was Timnath Serah in the land belonging to the Tribe of Ephraim. As far as we know, Joshua was the author of the book bearing his name, so these verses would have stood as part of his final comments to the Israelites.

Was Joshua a perfect leader? No. There are no perfect leaders; there are only imperfect people trying to do the best job they can under trying circumstances. But Joshua was a man who loved God and who continued to seek God’s guidance all his life. Next to the towering figure of Moses, Joshua measures up well.

It’s a fascinating thing that it takes one kind of individual to pioneer a work and another kind to help it continue. Moses was perfect for leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Joshua was equally suited for leading the Israelites into Canaan. Two different men, two different sets of talents, but one holy calling: leading God’s people.

No matter what work we pursue, if we are fulfilling God’s will for our lives, we are always fulfilling a holy calling. May God help us to realize how precious that calling really is!

PRAYER; Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to value the calling that You have given us as a holy one. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 20:1 – 9 “Then the Lord said to Joshua: “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.”

Cities of refuge! Why were these cities so important? In those days, the law of lex talionis, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” generally prevailed throughout the Middle East. If someone was killed, it was imperative that a member of the family, “the avenger of blood,” should hunt down the person and kill him. But what if there was an accident? For example, two men might be cutting down trees, and the axe head from one man’s axe might fly off, striking the second man in the head and killing him. What happens to the innocent man who had no intent to harm his friend? At that point, the innocent man who was grieving the tragic loss of his friend would have to hide himself someplace if he were to avoid being killed by the avenger of blood. Then, as now, accidents could easily happen. The cities of refuge were intended for those innocently involved in such an accident.

Notice that those fleeing to cities of refuge were still made to stand trial before the city elders. Even if such people were found to be blameless, they would still have to remain within the city of refuge until the current high priest died. Why base a return to a home town on the life of the high priest? By indicating that the length of stay in the city of refuge was dependent on the remaining number of years the high priest would live, this law removed the burden of the decision about the length of stay from the city elders. Since the city elders obviously had no control over the high priest’s life, this law clearly placed the amount of time the fugitive would spend in a city of refuge squarely on God. Even the most argumentative Israelite would hesitate to argue with God.

APPLICATION: Accidents can happen! As a child growing up on a midwestern farm, I had farm safety drilled into my head by my parents from an early age. Working with livestock and machinery affords unlimited opportunities for terrible things to occur. In my home area, one farmer and his son died tragically because they were pushing a portable grain elevator across the farm yard when it came into contact with a high – tension wire. Both men were electrocuted. A few months ago, several young men in our northern Ghanaian village drowned in the River Oti when they mis – judged the depth of the water and attempted to land at the wrong spot, stepping out of their canoe into a deep hole.  

The fundamental ideas behind the cities of refuge were two – fold: the ideas that accidents happen and that those surviving might be completely innocent of any malicious intent. If you return to the description of the cities of refuge given in Deuteronomy 19:1 – 13, you will see that anyone who was actually found guilty of murder would be handed over by the city elders and not given extended shelter.

One interesting question is this: suppose someone was innocently involved in a death and served their time at the city of refuge. Now the high priest has died, and that person is free to return to their home city. How will such a person be received when they return to their home town? One can only hope for that individual that having fulfilled his debt to society, his former friends and relations would receive him kindly.

How proficient are we at forgiving those who have injured or killed our loved ones? The summer I was 7, my father nearly died in a head – on collision caused by a drunk driver. While the drunk driver escaped unscathed, my father came so close to dying that he literally was at the gates of heaven, seeing his dead grandparents when my mother’s prayers called him back to life. At the time, I failed to take notice; however, now I realize that my mother never uttered a word of complaint or criticism about this man who had so nearly deprived her of her husband and the father of her children. Rather than become bitter, my mother focused all her efforts on supporting my father and helping him get well. Eventually, he made a complete recovery.

Years later, as a general surgery resident, I found myself at the bedside of an eleven year – old boy who had suffered brain damage as a result of a drunk driver. The boy’s father was full of bitterness and could speak of little else apart from planning his revenge on this man. I found myself telling this father that he needed to forgive the man who had done this before he could expect his son to be healed. I felt at the time that this insight was from the Lord. Unforgiveness blocks far more blessings than we can possibly realize.

Have you locked up someone emotionally and refused to forgive them? Sad to say, the person you are hurting most is yourself. As long as you focus on the degree of hurt and refuse to forgive, you are like someone in spiritual and emotional handcuffs. Forgiveness is the key to freedom. It’s your choice. What will you do now?

PRAYER: Father God, many of us are treasuring hurts, not realizing that by doing so, we are only damaging ourselves. Help us to freely forgive those who have hurt us in any way, realizing that through Jesus Christ you have already forgiven us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 19:1 – 51 “The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.  It included: Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susah, 6 Beth Lebaoth and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages; Ain, Rimmon, Ether and Ashan—four towns and their villages— and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans. The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah’s portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.

The third lot came up for Zebulun according to its clans: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid.  Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam.  It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, according to its clans.

The fourth lot came out for Issachar according to its clans. Their territory included: Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah and Beth Pazzez. The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, according to its clans.

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher according to its clans. Their territory included: Helkath, Hali, Beten, Akshaph, Allammelek, Amad and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Kabul on the left. It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Akzib, Ummah, Aphek and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its clans.

The sixth lot came out for Naphtali according to its clans: Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west and the Jordan on the east. The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, according to its clans.

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according to its clans. The territory of their inheritance included: Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa. (When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.) These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, according to its clans.

When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.” These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And so they finished dividing the land.”

WOW! Just reading these lists of place names, villages, big trees, special rocks and streams is enough to make your brain go numb. Why was it so important for Joshua to include such specific lists in this book? Land disputes are as old as time. Proverbs 22:28 warns against moving ancient landmarks: “Do not move an ancient boundary stone which your fathers have placed.” Joshua had been with the Israelites ever since they left Egypt. Joshua knew full well just how argumentative the Israelites could be. If there were no absolutely clear record of the land boundaries, inevitably, somebody would be out there trying to change them, moving boundary stones and trying to claim that this was REALLY what Joshua had intended.

Ever notice something? Joshua didn’t get his inheritance until after everybody else had already been given theirs. By this point, Joshua might have been in his eighties or nineties; certainly, he was a senior citizen. Joshua could have claimed a large chunk of land; instead, he only claimed one town, Timnath Serah. Joshua “built up the town and settled there.” What a relief! By this point, Joshua might have been living in tents for 60 years, never knowing where God would have him move next. Finally, Joshua was able to settle in one place. Joshua had fulfilled God’s calling on his life, and now it was up to the Israelites to get things done for themselves.

APPLICATION: Sometimes we wonder if God really cares for us or even notices what is happening in our lives. While these lists in Joshua make for tedious reading, we should be grateful for what they represent. These lists should remind us that God knows all the most intimate details of our lives and is more abreast of what is going on with us than we are ourselves. When Joshua was casting lots for the various tribes to collect land, God was already guiding the process. God knew everyone in those tribes, their faults, their talents, their abilities. God was in every one of the details when those lands were assigned.

Next to Moses, nobody had suffered through more with the Israelites than had Joshua. Joshua came out of Egypt with Moses as a young man. Joshua was one of the two faithful spies who tried to get the Israelites to enter Canaan, only for the other ten spies to terrorize the people with accounts of giants. When Moses ascended Mount Sinai, Joshua was there. When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting, Joshua accompanied him and remained there. After Moses died, Joshua was the one tasked with leading a bunch of whining, feuding Israelites across the Jordan River and into battle. Little wonder if after all these years, Joshua just wanted to settle down in Timnath Serah and have some peace.

Do you feel as if God has abandoned you and doesn’t really care about your life? Nothing could be further from the truth! The same God who guided Joshua to divide up that land, drawing minutely specific boundaries with trees, streams, towns, and even large rocks, is the same God who cares for you today. God has not changed, but have you? When was the last time that you sat quietly and asked God to show you His Will for your life? When was the last time that you sat down quietly, period? These days with electronic media, silence is a scarce commodity. Many of us are so distracted by cell phones, television, etc., that we don’t know how to be quiet. Living in a noisy environment for most of our waking hours, we become uncomfortable when the noise stops.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, so many of us live in noisy environments where it is nearly impossible to hear Your Voice. Help us to learn to be still and to KNOW that You truly are God. Help us to trust that You love us and know more about us than we do about ourselves. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 18:1 – 25 “The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

So, Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north. After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.”

As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

 The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the wilderness of Beth Aven.  From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon. From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side. The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel. It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah.  It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Dead Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary. The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides. The tribe of Benjamin, according to its clans, had the following towns: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah,  Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba— twelve towns and their villages. Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,  Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages. This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.”

POOR JOSHUA! There must have been times when he felt as if he was running a day nursery! The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh saw how good the land was on the east side of the Jordan and claimed that for their inheritance. The fighting men from those tribes then crossed with the rest of the Israelites and helped subdue part of Canaan. The Tribe of Judah, probably led by fearless Caleb, went out and claimed their inheritance. The Levites didn’t come in for one chunk of land because each of the other tribes was to designate a certain amount for the Levites in their midst. Ephraim and Manasseh had already received their allotment. But now there were seven tribes still sitting, waiting for someone to tell them what to do and probably hoping that someone else would go out and conquer territory for them.

It’s likely that Joshua went into the Tent of Meeting to get instructions from the Lord, and the Lord told him what to do. Each of the seven tribes was to select three men as part of a survey team. Why would there be three men? So that at any one time, there would be a majority opinion. These twenty – one men would then go out and assess the land, writing a description of it. When these men returned, Joshua would divide the land into seven parts and then cast lots to determine which tribe would get which piece of land. Joshua was trusting that God would guide the lots so that each tribe would get the land that He (God) wanted them to have.

Why would Joshua cast lots? Joshua was in the unenviable position of having to make decisions for people too cowardly to go out and take land on their own. At the same time, the method Joshua chose for land distribution was really the only means of ensuring that the distribution would be impartial. If Joshua had attempted to divide up the land by himself, he would have faced slanderous attacks that he was playing favorites, or that he had been bought off by someone. By casting lots, Joshua was leaving everything to God.

APPLICATION: Reading the descriptions of the various tribal lands can make your head swim! Unless you are an archaeologist or a very serious Bible scholar, these descriptions might be meaningless. But one thing to notice is the details. The boundaries are laid out with scrupulous care, even to the mentioning of particular landmarks and villages. A second thing to notice is that Joshua didn’t worry about which tribes were more numerous once he began casting lots. Joshua did the best job he could to divide things up equally; if someone wasn’t happy, they should have taken action sooner.

Become a leader at any level and you will immediately face the same challenges that Joshua faced. For years, I headed a mission hospital that grew from a handful of workers to a staff of more than 200. I observed that heading an institution felt very similar to being the head of a large family with lots of children, each one of whom thought that he or she should have been born an only child! Give person A the slightest advantage over person B, and person B will be in your office, demanding the same advantage. And whatever you do, don’t play favorites! Anyone feeling that they are highly favored will immediately begin to lord it over others and may become unmanageable, uncorrectable, and unteachable.

Ever notice something? While Moses had Joshua as his assistant, there is no record of Joshua having anyone as his assistant. Moses led a group of people through the desert; however, Joshua had to divide up land. Had anyone been acting as Joshua’s assistant, there would have been charges of favoritism, even if they weren’t true. There were probably days when Joshua wished heartily for someone else to share his problems, but that couldn’t happen.

Are you in the lonely position of leadership? Remember this: When no man could serve as Joshua’s assistant, God was still there to guide him and advise him and listen to his problems. The same God who helped Joshua is still available for you today. Why not pray and take your problems to Him?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Please let all those in leadership turn to You for comfort, for guidance, and for reassurance. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 17:1 – 17 “Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph’s firstborn son, namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh and father of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because Machir was a man of war. So this allotment was for the rest of the descendants of Manasseh—the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph.

But Zelophehad son of Hepher (the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh) had no sons but only daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders, and said, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.”

So, Joshua gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers, in keeping with the command of the LORD. Thus ten shares fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan beyond the Jordan, 6because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons. And the land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

Now the border of Manasseh went from Asher to Michmethath near Shechem, then southward to include the inhabitants of En-tappuah. The region of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh, but Tappuah itself, on the border of Manasseh, belonged to Ephraim. From there the border continued southward to the Brook of Kanah. There were cities belonging to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh, but the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Sea. Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s was to the north, having the Sea as its border and adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh was assigned Beth-shean, Ibleam, Dor (that is, Naphath), Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, each with their surrounding settlements.

But the descendants of Manasseh were unable to occupy these cities, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in this land. However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they put the Canaanites to forced labor; but they failed to drive them out completely.

Then the sons of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one portion as an inheritance? We have many people, because the LORD has blessed us abundantly.” Joshua answered them, “If you have so many people that the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go to the forest and clear for yourself an area in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim.”

“The hill country is not enough for us,” they replied, “and all the Canaanites who live in the valley have iron chariots, both in Beth-shean with its towns and in the valley of Jezreel. So Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You have many people and great strength. You shall not have just one allotment, because the hill country will be yours as well. It is a forest; clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours. Although the Canaanites have iron chariots, and although they are strong, you can drive them out.”

The daughters of Zelophehad are my kind of ladies! These five ladies had no brothers; however, they had already gone to Moses and demanded that they be given an inheritance along with their cousins so that their father’s name would not be wiped out in Israel. Joshua gave these ladies an inheritance among their father’s brothers. My hunch is that these ladies made sure to claim their inheritance and to keep it!

Contrast that with the tribe of Ephraim and the half – tribe of Manasseh. You remember the Ephraimites; they could have conquered Gezer, one of the most strategic locations in their inheritance. But the Ephraimites and the men of Manasseh were long on whining and short on courage. When these men encountered Canaanites with iron chariots, they retreated and whined about it to Joshua. By this point, Joshua must have been fed up! Certainly, Joshua’s answer is brief and to the point: Go up to the hills, clear out the forest, and go ahead and drive out the Canaanites, iron chariots and all!

APPLICATION: Many times, we want to settle for something easy rather than persist and win out over difficult situations. Physiotherapists know that someone with severe injuries who are willing to work may gain back more function than someone with a small injury who refuses to do the necessary exercise.

We have a friend B. who was already facing a number of health challenges when she became seriously ill several months ago. B. wound up in a nursing home where she suffered a great deal of neglect; blessedly, she developed enough health problems to require hospitalization. When hospital workers discovered the poor care our friend had suffered in the nursing home, they helped until she was admitted to a rehabilitation facility. But then a new problem developed; Medicare would only pay for a certain amount of supervised physiotherapy. Now our friend bravely goes to the Physiotherapy Department every morning and exercises by herself. Any time I am tempted to complain, I just think about our friend B. I am confident that one day B. is going to walk out of that rehab facility, even though she arrived on a stretcher.

God has far bigger plans and dreams for us than we do for ourselves. Read God’s original promises of land to the Israelites and you realize that they were supposed to occupy far more land than they eventually did. Sometimes we are tempted to behave like the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and hope someone will give us something without our having to work hard for it. Let’s remember the daughters of Zelophehad, who were gutsy enough to claim the inheritance God had promised their father. Is God calling you to do something scary? Pray and then go for it!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for Your wonderful promises. Help us to trust that if You are calling us to do something amazing, You will also give us the strength and courage to accomplish it. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 16: 1 – 10 “The allotment for the descendants of Joseph extended from the Jordan at Jericho to the waters of Jericho on the east, through the wilderness that goes up from Jericho into the hill country of Bethel. It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz)a and proceeded to the border of the Archites in Ataroth. Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon, then to Gezer, and ended at the Sea.

So Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph, received their inheritance. This was the territory of the descendants of Ephraim by their clans:

The border of their inheritance went from Ataroth-addar in the east to Upper Beth-horon and out toward the Sea. From Michmethath on the north it turned eastward toward Taanath-shiloh and passed by it to Janoah on the east. From Janoah it went down to Ataroth and Naarah, and then reached Jericho and came out at the Jordan. From Tappuah the border went westward to the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Sea.

This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, along with all the cities and villages set apart for the descendants of Ephraim within the inheritance of Manasseh. But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. So, the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day, but they are forced laborers.”

One more time, a tribe is given a large amount of land, this time relatively fertile, only to fail to drive out some of the inhabitants. In Mrs. Charles Cowman’s devotional Springs in the Valley for March 3, 2022, she quotes Robert Louis Stevenson as having said, “No man is of any use until he has dared everything.” Well, the Ephraimites and the half tribe of Manasseh who were to claim land west of the Jordan chose to control their risk and allow the residents of Gezer to remain. According to Wikipedia, Gezer was a major Canaanite city.

 “ Its importance was due in part to the strategic position it held at the crossroads of the ancient coastal trade route linking Egypt with Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia, and the road to Jerusalem and Jericho, both important trade routes.” Controlling Gezer meant that the Ephraimites would control all the trade that moved along those various routes. But why didn’t the Ephraimites just go ahead and kill the people of Gezer? Allegedly, the Ephraimites feared the people of Gezer. “Israel did not fully control Gezer until the time of King Solomon. Pharaoh King of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. Solomon rebuilt Gezer. (1 Kings 9:16) “(Ray Vander Laan, https://www.thattheworldmayknow.com/gezer-in-the-bible)

It seems ironic that it took the pagan king of Egypt to wipe out the inhabitants of Gezer. What happened? Perhaps the citizens of Gezer had a very powerful fetish of some kind and the Ephraimites feared that fetish more than they respected the One True Living God. Perhaps the Ephraimites entered into an unwise covenant with the inhabitants of Gezer before they realized who they really were. And perhaps the Ephraimite young people began to intermarry with the Gezerites, leaving their elders with the unenviable option of murdering their own children and grandchildren. All we know is that once more a group settled for less than God’s very best and ultimately paid for it. Ephraim became part of the Northern Kingdom that strayed away from God soon after the death of King Solomon. The sad story of the moral deterioration of Ephraim began when the tribes broke away from King Solomon’s son Rehoboam to follow King Jeroboam. In a bid to lure the Israelites away from Jerusalem, Jeroboam established a huge worship center in Dan in the northeast corner of Israel, about as far away from Jerusalem as possible, and then told the Israelites that it was “too much trouble” for them to travel all that way to Jerusalem to worship. Things continued to go downhill spiritually from there.

APPLICATION: “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25 RESTORATION!!! There are many of us for whom this verse from the prophet Joel have brought much comfort. Perhaps we have made foolish choices or have compromised with evil as did the Ephraimites. Now years have gone by and we have had ample time to bitterly regret our mistakes. But God is a Restorer.

 One of the most thrilling testimonies I have ever heard came from a former member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang. This man’s mother was a prayer warrior; for years, she continued to pray for her son while he descended further and further into violence, alcoholism and drug abuse. One night the Holy Spirit moved in this man’s heart and he fled the Hell’s Angels. He hid in a phone booth and called his mother, who called an Assemblies of God pastor in the area where this man was living. The pastor swooped in and took off with the man just as the Hell’s Angels were coming down the road. That man’s life totally changed that night. Later, when I moved to Charleston, S.C., I actually attended church with the man’s mother whose prayers had been answered so well. This wonderful lady confirmed all the details I had previously heard when her son spoke at another church.

What should the Ephraimites have done? Rather than compromising, they should have trusted God and conquered Gezer. Who knows how different the history of the Ephraimites might have been had they gone ahead instead of compromising? Even if the Ephraimites had not succeeded in the beginning, God could still have helped them to conquer eventually.

What can we do if we feel that we have made a mess of our lives? First, understand that God already knows what has happened; you can’t shock or surprise God. Second, pray and ask God to help you. God always listens and He will always help.

PRAYER: Father God, help us! We have made mistakes and now we don’t see any way out of our messes. But You are almighty and already know what we need. Help us to trust You and to expect You to guide us and to protect us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 15:20 – 63 “This is the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Judah. These were the southernmost cities of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the border of Edom: Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, Baalah, Iim, Ezem, Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—twenty-nine cities in all, along with their villages.

These were in the foothills: Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En-gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim)—fourteen cities, along with their villages. Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal-gad, Dilan, Mizpeh, Joktheel, Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, Cabbon, Lahmas, Chitlish, Gederoth, Beth-dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen cities, along with their villages. Libnah, Ether, Ashan, Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, along with their villages.

Ekron, with its towns and villages; from Ekron to the sea, all the cities near Ashdod, along with their villages; Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.

These were in the hill country: Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath-sannah (that is, Debir), Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven cities, along with their villages. Arab, Dumah, Eshan, Janim, Beth-tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine cities, along with their villages. Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten cities, along with their villages. Halhul, Beth-zur, Gedor, Maarath, Beth-anoth, and Eltekon—six cities, along with their villages. Kiriath-baal (that is, Kiriath-jearim), and Rabbah—two cities, along with their villages.

These were in the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities, along with their villages.

But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.”

108 cities with their villages! This was the potential inheritance for the Tribe of Judah. Without going into all the details, you can readily see that the Tribe of Judah received more land than any other tribe. But much of this land was wilderness, desert, or semi – desert. And much of it was already occupied by tribes that had no intention of being conquered. For example, the Philistines occupied the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, Ashdod, and Gath. Nobody ever really conquered the Philistines until the armies   One of the telling remarks was verse 63: “But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the descendants of Judah.”As a city built on a hill, Jerusalem was easily defended. It was not until King David came that a Judean conquered Jerusalem. The story is told in 2 Samuel 5:6 – 9 “⁶ The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.” David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces inward.” Once David had conquered Jerusalem, he went on to defeat the Philistines; however, the Philistines remained a distinct cultural group until they were conquered by the Babylonians in 604 B.C. (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/ancient-dna-reveal-philistine-origins) T

Despite the fact that the Tribe of Judah had been allotted so much land, they failed to conquer much of it. The worst part was the spiritually disastrous influence these unconquered people had on the Israelites. God knew what He was doing when He ordered destruction. Once the Israelites began to compromise, it was much easier to continue than to stand firm. And once the Israelite children began to intermarry with these other people groups, new problems arose.

APPLICATION: Compromise! It seems so safe and so easy, and it’s actually so deadly! Around the world, there are numerous examples of government figures who have made compromises, only to find later that these decisions have led to disaster.

The Tribe of Judah had a mandate to go out and completely conquer that relatively enormous chunk of territory. But parts of the land allotted to Judah had very rugged terrain and difficult conditions. Part of the land was occupied by people with sophisticated weapons. In the end, the Tribe of Judah conquered some of the land, but not all of it.

When things are difficult, it is tempting to back off, to relax a little, and to hope that somehow things will turn out all right. But the Book of Proverbs warns us that such thinking is very dangerous! “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.” Proverbs 24:33 – 34

Many times, we realize that God is calling us to do something difficult, something great. Our biggest problem is that we look at ourselves and our own resources and strength, forgetting that if God is calling us to do something, it is His responsibility to give us the strength and resources. Gladys Aylward was a poorly educated housemaid in London who felt God calling her to become a missionary in China. The China Inland Mission rejected Gladys, feeling that she could never learn the Chinese language. But Gladys believed that Jehovah God had called her to work in China and she set off across Europe and Russia by train. Eventually, Gladys did make it to China, where she learned the Chinese language quite well and where she fitted in. The story of Gladys Aylward is told in the book The Little Woman. To the end of Gladys’ life, she always trusted Jehovah God to do great and mighty things, and He did.

IS GOD CALLING YOU TO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL? DON’T LOOK AT YOURSELF! LOOK TO THE SAME GOD WHO GUIDED AND HELPED GLADYS AYLWARD!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that You do not play favorites! You helped Gladys Aylward and You will help anyone who truly wants to do Your will. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 15:13 – 19 “In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so, Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So, Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.”

The Negev is a desert! While there is some grazing, the biggest challenge is water. Without water, neither people nor animals can survive. When Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, conquered Kiriath Sepher/Debir, Caleb gave Othniel his daughter Aksah as a wife. “Othniel” means “God’s strength,” or “God’s lion.” “Aksah” means “adorned.” While Caleb might have had other daughters, obviously he wanted Aksah to marry a man of courage and decision. Caleb evidently gave Aksah land in the Negev as a marriage portion, something commonly done in those days. But now Aksah needed water to make the land useful.

Nobody seems to know the location of the springs to which Aksah is referring. Perhaps the location has been lost, or perhaps during an earthquake, the flow of water shifted or stopped. The location of the springs is not as important as the fact that Aksah was bold enough to ask for them.

Aksah was in an arranged marriage, something quite common in those days. But Caleb had proposed a very strenuous test for any potential groom: the man who would win Aksah must first conquer Kiriath Sepher. When put to the test, Othniel didn’t hesitate but went ahead to take the town. Othniel’s actions demonstrated that he was bold and brave. By traveling on a donkey to Caleb and then requesting for the precious water supply, Aksah proved that she was equally bold and brave. The children of Othniel and Aksah must have really been something!

APPLICATION: Several years ago, a movie came out entitled “Brave.” This cartoon movie depicted a young Scottish girl who was a fearless rider, an excellent archer, and who would explore unknown places, even in the darkest forests. Aksah was probably a lot like the heroine of that movie.

How brave are we? Even though Caleb had given Aksah a good man as a husband and had given her land, Aksah still had to travel to Caleb to ask for the springs of water. There is nothing to indicate that Aksah took anybody else along with her on her journey – something that would be nearly unheard of. Perhaps Aksah was afraid that if she told Othniel where she was going, he might try to stop her out of concern for her safety. But Aksah knew her father and her father knew her as well. Brave Caleb recognized his daughter as being equally brave.

Sometimes as we get older, we become fearful and stop taking risks. We hope that by being careful, we can protect ourselves against any tragedy. But tragedies will occur whether or not we try to be prudent. In 2019 my husband and a friend were driving in a large city when it began raining heavily. While our friend was driving quite sensibly, a huge cargo lorry crossed the center line and ran into our vehicle, knocking it onto its side and destroying it in the process. Blessedly, my husband had only a few scratches and bruises while our friend had a small injury to one leg, but they both survived, thanks to the seatbelts they were wearing. During the recent COVID pandemic, many people became sick or died even though they had taken all kinds of precautions.

If we believe in an almighty God, we should be bold enough to ask for large answers in prayer. At present, believers around the world are interceding for the country of Ukraine. On the face of it, Ukraine has no chance; however, only God can determine the outcome. There is nothing wrong at all in asking the Prince of Peace to bring everlasting peace to the Ukraine situation, and indeed, to the whole world. Hebrews 4:6 tells us, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to realize that You are far more willing to answer our prayers than we are to pray them. Help us to continue to intercede for all those around us and for the international situation represented by the Ukrainian crisis. Let Your light and Your truth come into that situation and take absolute control. Send Your everlasting peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Joshua 15:1 – 12 “Now the allotment for the clans of the tribe of Judah extended to the border of Edom, to the Wilderness of Zin at the extreme southern boundary:

Their southern border started at the bay on the southern tip of the Salt Sea, proceeded south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continued on to Zin, went over to the south of Kadesh-barnea, ran past Hezron up to Addar, and curved toward Karka. It proceeded to Azmon, joined the Brook of Egypt, and ended at the Sea. This was their southern border.

The eastern border was the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern border started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, went up to Beth-hoglah, proceeded north of Beth-arabah, and went up to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. Then the border went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor, turning north to Gilgal, which faces the Ascent of Adummim south of the ravine. It continued along the waters of En-shemesh and came out at En-rogel. From there the border went up the Valley of Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusites (that is, Jerusalem) and ascended to the top of the hill that faces the Valley of Hinnom on the west, at the northern end of the Valley of the Rephaim. From the hilltop the border curved to the spring of the Waters of Nephtoah, proceeded to the cities of Mount Ephron, and then bent around toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). The border curled westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Chesalon), went down to Beth-shemesh, and crossed to Timnah. Then it went out to the northern slope of Ekron, curved toward Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went on to Jabneel, and ended at the Sea. And the western border was the coastline of the Great Sea. These are the boundaries around the clans of the descendants of Judah.

At first, reading this account of the land allotted to Judah could give you brain freeze! To understand what God was doing when He allotted land to Judah, you really do need a map. Although there is territory allotted to the Tribe of Simeon within Judah’s territory, Simeon as a separate group actually was absorbed into Judah. Later on, when the Northern Kingdom of Israel/Samaria split off from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Judah and Benjamin still had quite a bit of territory. Remember that anything east of the Jordan had been allotted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.

Part of Judah’s inheritance included the Philistine cities of Ashdod, Ekron, Gath, Gaza, and Ashkelon. Despite the fact  that God promised these cities to the Tribe of Judah, they still had to fight for them. Unfortunately, the Philistines were more persistent and continued to live in those cities for several hundred more years. The corrupt Philistine religion remained a constant temptation to the Israelites.

APPLICATION: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going;” however, when the going gets tough, some of us simply quit. There are very few valuable things in life that do not require a great deal of effort. Ask any married couple how much work it is to maintain a healthy relationship, and they will can tell all kinds of stories. Physiotherapists know that rehabilitation from injuries involves pain and persistence. There is no profession that does not require a great deal of study. Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the light bulb and many other things is quoted as having said that “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” “Everything comes to him who hustles while he waits.”

As long as men such as Joshua and Caleb were leading the Israelites, they did very well in taking the Promised Land. But once some of the extremely determined leaders were gone, the next generation began making excuses.

Has God called you to do something great? Make a start and ask God for more strength and ability! And don’t quit.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to realize that You have far bigger plans for us than we do for ourselves. Help us never to quit or to give up when You are calling us to greatness. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.