Joshua 18:1-10
1 Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.
2 But there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance.
3 So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?
4 Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe so that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me.
5 And they shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north.
6 And you shall write a description of the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. Then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.
7 For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance. Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”
8 Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to write a description of the land, saying, “Go and walk through the land and write a description of it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh.”
9 So the men went and passed through the land, and wrote a description of it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua at the camp at Shiloh.
10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord, and there Joshua divided the land for the sons of Israel according to their divisions.
The Allotments for the Other Tribes
Shiloh
Since entering the land of Canaan, Israel’s camp remained in Gilgal. However, the location was highly inconvenient, so there now was a need to relocate the camp to the central area. According to Jewish tradition, the Israelites remained in Gilgal for 14 years. Relocating the camp also meant relocating the Tabernacle. Shiloh became the new location to set up the Tabernacle. It remained in Shiloh until it was taken by the Philistines in the time of Prophet Samuel. Shiloh was located in the land of Ephraim, 15 km (about 9 miles) northeast of Bethel, not too far from Jerusalem. As Joshua himself was from the tribe of Ephraim, it was natural to select this location. Of course, it is likely that the Lord also directed him to do so.
Plan of distribution to the seven tribes and research
The tribes of Rueben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh each received land east of the Jordan River. Also, the tribe of Judah and Ephraim already received an allotment in the land of Canaan. Now, it was the distribution for the remaining seven tribes (the tribe of Levi was excluded). (1) Battles involving all the Israelites had already concluded. Now, they were in a stage where each tribe must fight their own enemies. (2) Joshua saw the seven tribes losing their spirit and the will to take possession of the land. So, he challenged them by saying, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (3) Joshua suggested selecting three men from each tribe, sending them to research the remaining land, dividing the land into seven portions, and then casting lots. (4) It was done in accordance with Joshua’s suggestions, and the result was brought back to him. Joshua cast lots before the Lord and determined the allotments for each of the seven tribes. We, too, often lose sight of our original intentions, caving to current situations. We’ve already been given the Lord’s promise, but less and less we are challenging ourselves to take it into our possession. Let’s learn from Joshua’s advice today.
Today's prayer
God the Father of Jesus Christ, You have granted good things in my life. May I realize all of them in my earthly life. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.