Joshua 13:1-15:12
Dear RTB’ers,
Today (and on through chapter 19), the division of the Promised Land to the twelve tribes. First, as to twelve tribes… We read today that the Lord had set the Levites apart from the other eleven tribes: To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the LORD God of Israel are their inheritance, as He said to him. … the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as He said to them. (vv. 13:14, 33b) However, both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh are included as full tribes in the inheritance, so including both of Joseph’s sons makes up a twelfth tribe.
Second, I don’t recall that the land east of the Jordan River was ever part of the Promised Land. However, Moses gave two and one-half tribes (Reuben, Gad and one-half Manasseh) their allotments in that trans-Jordan land, so it became part of Israel. The second half of chapter 13 (Joshua 13:15-33) details the partitioning of that land to these tribes.
Although we did not read the account of the twelve men spying out the Promised Land back in Numbers 13, two of those twelve men are still alive in today’s reading – Joshua and Caleb. Now Caleb reminds Joshua of the promise to him as to where he will receive his allotment: And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ (v. 14:9) So Caleb is granted his inheritance in Hebron before any of the other allotments are made. But with Caleb as part of the tribe of Judah, the first allotment to the other nine and one-half tribes goes to Judah (Joshua 15:1-12). Judah’s prominence was also established in Jacob’s blessing of him in Genesis 49:8-12, setting him as ruler over his brothers (esp. Gen. 49:8, 10a).
More portioning of the Promised Land in the next two days…
Blessings!
See also: March 7 (2023) / Joshua 12-14