Background:
(BKC) This was a climactic moment in the life of the young nation. After centuries in Egyptian bondage, decades in the barren wilderness, years of hard fighting in Canaan, the hour had arrived when the Israelites could at last settle down to build homes, cultivate the soil, raise families, and live in peace in their own land. The days of land allotment were a happy time for Israel.
Structure:
13:1b–7. The land that remained to be taken over is described from south to north...All this land was now to be allotted to the nine and one-half tribes since God promised to drive … out all the enemy (v. 6).
13:8–13. Joshua was next called on to recognize and confirm what had already been done by Moses on the east side of the Jordan (the land given to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh).
13:15-23 The land to the tribe of Reuben: the territory broaders and the names of the cities and the original kings.
v.24-28 tribe of Gad
29-31 tribe of Manasseh
Observations and Interpretations:
(1) Twice this passage mentioned Levites, 14-33. They were not assigned any land for GOd is their inheritance. While their brothers received land or the promise of land. The land of the 2.5 tribes had already been conquered. Their families were enjoying them while the men came over to help fight for the 9,5 tribes. The lands of Bashan v.12, 30-31 were well known to be rich and fertile. Why mentioned Levites twice and said that they would have no land in the midst of everyone getting theirs?
(1) Twice this passage mentioned Levites, 14-33. They were not assigned any land for GOd is their inheritance. While their brothers received land or the promise of land. The land of the 2.5 tribes had already been conquered. Their families were enjoying them while the men came over to help fight for the 9,5 tribes. The lands of Bashan v.12, 30-31 were well known to be rich and fertile. Why mentioned Levites twice and said that they would have no land in the midst of everyone getting theirs?
33 However, Moses did not assign land as an inheritance to the Levites; their inheritance is the LORD God of Israel, as he instructed them.
I think in the mind of Joshua, the fact that their inheritance is the LORD God of Israel, was at least as good or even the best among all other inheritance.
Application: Can you accept the view point of Joshua? When everyone showed off their earthly possession while you got the LORD, will you be content? Will you think, "I am alright" or "I am satisfied while I have the LORD"?
(2) 22 The Israelites killed Balaam son of Beor, the omen reader, along with the others.
(NAC) Balaam is singled out in v. 22 for special mention. He was the Mesopotamian soothsayer hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse the Israelites in the wilderness (Numbers 22–24). He only spoke what God told him to, yet he later sinned by inciting the Moabite women to seduce the Israelite men (Num 25:1–9; 31:16)... The story of God’s turning Balaam’s desire to curse Israel into a blessing was significant in Israel’s history, and it is told several times (see Josh 24:9–10; Deut 23:4–5; Neh 13:2; Mic 6:5).
(3) extra information:
(BKC) Was the request of the two and one-half tribes to settle in Transjordan a wise one? History would seem to answer no. Their territories had no natural boundaries to the east and were therefore constantly exposed to invasion by the Moabites, Canaanites, Arameans, Midianites, Amalekites, and others. And when the king of Assyria looked covetously toward Canaan, Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh were the first to be carried into captivity by the Assyrian armies (1 Chron. 5:26)...The two and one-half tribes chose, as Lot did, on the basis of appearance (cf. Gen. 13:10–11), and their inheritance was ultimately lost to them. On the other hand the Levites, requesting no portion, were given an inheritance of abiding spiritual significance.
Audrey
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