The Land Had Rest from War

Day 66 – A Year in the Bible – Joshua 13-15

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JOSHUA 13 – MUCH LAND TO BE POSSESSED

There Remaineth Yet Very Much Land to Be Possessed
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. – Joshua‬ ‭13:1

The LORD God of Israel was Their Inheritance
But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them.
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭13‬:‭33‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 14 – WHOLLY FOLLOWING GOD

Rewards of Wholly Following God
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. – Joshua 14:6-14

Caleb wholly followed the Lord God of Israel and gave a good, encouraging report of the land he spied out. It was the Promised Land. Because of his obedience, God promised that he would live to receive an inheritance of the land where he walked faithfully. The inheritance he asked for was one of his rewards and his promise from God, but there were other rewards as well. The Bible says in this passage that though he was an older man, his strength was the same as in his younger years. Obedience and faithfulness to wholly follow the Lord still bring great rewards.

The Land Had Rest from War
And the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. – Joshua‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬ ‭

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JOSHUA 15 – GIVE ME A BLESSING

Caleb Drove Thence
And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba the father of Anak, which city is Hebron. And Caleb drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou? Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs. – Joshua 15:13-19

Drove – to send, expel, or otherwise cause to move by force of compulsion
Thence – from that place

Caleb was given his part of the Promised Land as God had commanded. What struck me was that though Caleb was given what he had been promised, he still had to drive out the inhabitants to conquer the land. Caleb promised his daughter as a wife to whoever conquered Kirjath-sepher. His brother’s son took the land for Caleb and was given Achsah, Caleb’s daughter. How often do we doubt that the promises of God in our lives because they haven’t just “fallen” on us? Have you ever considered that the promise will come when you fight for it? When you get up and drive out, what stands in the way of your promise? What an encouragement the Word of God is. Right there in the middle of list after list of towns and villages.