643 - The Rest of the Land was Divided West of the Jordan

The Rest of the Land was Divided West of the Jordan

In the Book of Joshua Chapter 14: verses 1–15, we hear that…

The remaining tribes of Israel received land in Canaan, as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders. 

These nine and a half tribes received their grants of land, by means of sacred lots, in accordance with the Lord’s command, through Moses. 

Moses had already given a grant of land, to the two and a half tribes, on the east side of the Jordan River, …but he had given the Levites, no such allotment. The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. 

And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in, with surrounding pasturelands, for their livestock and all their possessions. 

So, the land was distributed, in strict accordance, with the Lord’s commands, to Moses. 

Then, Caleb Requested His Land…

A delegation, from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, came to Joshua, at Gilgal. 

Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me, when we were at Kadesh-barnea. 

I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea, to explore the land of Canaan. 

I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers, who went with me, frightened the people (and kept them) from entering the Promised Land. 

For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord, my God. 

So, that day, Moses made a solemn  promise to me, he said;

‘The land of Canaan, on which you were just walking, will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord, my God.’ 

“Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as He promised, for all these forty-five years, since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. 

Today I am eighty-five years old. 

I am as strong now as I was, when Moses sent me on that journey, …and I can still travel and fight, as well as I could then. 

So, give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. 

You will remember, that as scouts, we found the descendants of Anak living there …in great, walled towns. 

But, if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” 

So, Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh …and gave Hebron to him, as his portion of land. Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb, son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. 

(Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba… It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.) 

Then, more Land was Given to Caleb…

In the Book of Joshua Chapter 15: verses 13–19, we see that…

The Lord (also) commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb, son of Jephunneh. 

So, Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor. 

Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai …the sons of Anak. 

From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). 

Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” 

Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife. 

When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. 

As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?” 

She said, “Give me another gift. 

You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” 

So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. 

Finally, from the last verse in Joshua Chapter 14 (v.15)

…we hear the words we long for…

“And the land had rest from war.”

Praise be to God!