旧约研究4——约书亚记 JOS——第 三 课 支派的产业
目录
一、介绍
二、最初疆界
结构和内容
约旦河以西的界限
约旦河以东的界限
原本含义
上帝的权柄
上帝的圣约
摩西律法的准则
上帝超然的大能
以色列全体
三、特定分配
结构和内容
开场引言
闭幕总结
犹大
以法莲和玛拿西
小的支派
利未
原本含义
上帝的权柄
上帝的圣约
摩西律法的准则
上帝超然的大能
以色列全体
四、民族合一
结构和内容
建筑坛
战争威胁
对峙
危机结束
命名坛
原本含义
上帝的权柄
上帝的圣约
摩西律法的准则
上帝超然的大能
以色列全体
五、基督徒应用
奠基
延续
成全
六、结论
一、介绍
有个大家族企业的总裁年纪大了，他决定是时候让他的五个儿子接管企业了。为此，父亲召聚他的儿子们到总部办公室，把公司的股份均分给他们每个人，清楚明白的对他们说：“如今你们每人都有公司的部份业务，现在起你们要各就各位、前所未有的齐心合作。”
类似地，约书亚在年纪老迈时，对以色列众支派作了同样事。他知道时候到了，他不必再与他们继续向前。所以他把应许之地的产业分授给每个支派，并且吩咐他们要前所未有的齐心合作。
这是约书亚记系列的第三课，我们要查考以色列支派的产业。我们要来看约书亚记的第二个主要部分，如何呼召以色列百姓要以应许之地的继承人身份团结共处。
在前面几课，我们以这句话总结约书亚记的原本含义：
约书亚记书写的目的，是向面临类似挑战的后来时代讲述，在约书亚时代以色列得胜的征服，支派的产业，和圣约的忠诚。如同约书亚的日子那样，原本读者也面对要击败仇敌的挑战，确保他们各支派的产业，和重申对上帝圣约的忠诚；因此作者写这本书，为的是在这些方面给予引导。
为了达此目标，约书亚记分成三个主要部分：1到12章，以色列得胜的征服；13到22章，以色列众支派的产业，还有23到24章，以色列圣约的忠诚。在这一课，我们将查考这本书的第二个主要部分，分授给以色列众支派的产业。
整体来说，约书亚记的这个部分包含三个主要阶段。它始于13章1到14节，以色列产业的最初疆界。然后是13章15节到21章45节，给予以色列每个支派的特定分配。最后是22章1到34节的叙述，重点是在约书亚时代以色列的民族合一。
顺着这个大纲，我们先来探讨以色列支派的产业的每个阶段。之后，要反思本书这部分的基督徒应用。让我们先来看第一个阶段：以色列产业的最初疆界。
我们在前一课看到，约书亚记的作者明白，以色列继承了应许给约书亚的大片地区，在上帝持续要人类治理全地的呼召里，这个产业有其特殊意义。但是就如我们即将看到的，作者也知道，在约书亚的年日，以色列并未得到应许给他们先祖亚伯拉罕的全部土地。相反的，上帝只给予以色列一个强大的立足点，让他们拥有一部份；但是从我们作者的观点来看，基本上以色列每个时代的人都要认清和确保那些最初神圣疆界的土地。
关于以色列最初疆界的记载，我们要分两个层面来探讨，首先是注意它基本的结构和内容，其次，我们要明白约书亚记这个部分的原本含义。让我们先来看结构和内容。
约书亚记的这个部分分成两段情节，第一段是13章1到7节，着重于以色列在约旦河西岸的土地界限，即约旦河以西的迦南地，第二段是13章8到14节，着重于以色列在约旦河这边的土地界限，即约旦河以东的土地。
在我们探讨约书亚记的这个部分时，先要留意一些以色列产业界限的背景。创世记15章18到21节，上帝曾应许赐给亚伯拉罕后裔的土地是从埃及河 Wadi of Egypt 以西直到东北的伯拉大河。这埃及河，或溪流，可能是指现今已不存在的尼罗河东部支流，或是如今尚存的尼罗河东边的河流 Wadi El-Arish；而伯拉大河就是幼发拉底河。从那里，以色列要将上帝的祝福传遍到地极。然而，事实上，以色列是到大卫王朝才将国土扩展到这些界限。在约书亚时代，上帝只给予以色列一小部分，以约旦河两岸的一些地区为其所预尝。但正如约书亚记显示的，对以色列人而言，确切的保卫这些土地乃是关键的第一步。
从亚伯拉罕开始，上帝就应许有个民族会兴起，那个民族会是全地的一个祝福，他们要扮演重要的角色，而且上帝也要给予他们一片土地。这些就是定义以色列人的要素；当他们至终离开埃及前往应许之地，他们乃是一个民族，知道自己并不配得这一切，而是上帝为他们铺路，在世上赐给他们一个地方，不是他们赚得或是有权利承受，然而上帝却按着应许和祂的计划，赏赐给他们。— 道格拉斯·斯图尔特博士第一段情节叙述约旦河以西的土地界限，是基于12章约书亚所征服的土地名单。13章1节讲到约书亚“年纪老迈”，然而“还有许多未得之地”。那些未得之地是非利士人的区域和迦南北方的区域。13章6节，上帝应许说：“我必……赶出他们去。”因此，7节上帝吩咐约书亚要将迦南全地都当作以色列的产业，分授给他们。
第二段情节是13章8到14节，作者叙述约旦河以东的土地界限，如此完成他对于以色列最初产业的描述。13章8节，作者特别提到，摩西去世之前，已经将这些地区，赐予以色列人为产业。
以色列在约旦河以东最初的疆界，向南延伸到摩押，北边直到黑门山。但是作者在13章13节特别提到，还有一些部落是以色列尚未赶逐出去的，例如“基述人、还有玛迦人”。不过，到了约书亚的时候，摩西已经指定整个地区是以色列的产业。为了尽可能的周详，13章14节，作者特别注解利未支派没有得到产业，他们的产业乃是献与耶和华的火祭，而非土地。
约书亚记的地理非常重要，土地的界限也是相当重要，特别是和山脉关联的地方。他们界定圣地的疆界，使之成为标志，或是基准点。传统上，北方的基点是黑门山，而以色列东边的疆界是由山脉界定，特别是以东在南边，还有摩押高地，就是摩押和巴珊的山脉、高原、丘陵等。因此，这就是当代的约旦，从约旦北方到南方，就成了以色列领土的东边界。— 汤姆·皮特博士我们记住了以色列最初疆界的基本结构和内容，现在来探索这些经文的原本含义。为何作者在历史的这个阶段，要描绘以色列的产业，作为约书亚记这个部分的开始？
要回答这个问题，我们必须记住在士师时期，君王时期，或是巴比伦被掳时期，以色列一直努力地要赢得并持守上帝曾经赐予他们的领土。以色列支派之间的冲突，这些地区内的外族引起的麻烦，来自沙漠部落的袭击，以及最后一些大帝国，例如埃及，亚述，和巴比伦浩劫似的入侵，一再的削减以色列所持有的上帝曾应许亚伯拉罕的领土。
借着提醒读者们这些领土的疆界，作者指出，对他们而言确保这些领地是何等的重要。唯有如此，以色列才能前进，得着更多的土地，将上帝的祝福传遍世上所有的国家。
为了让他原本读者不会忘记以色列产业的最初疆界，作者在这几章里也交织了他之前在书里强调的五个主题。
首先，他指出上帝的权柄如何确立以色列的产业，他先是着重约旦河西的领土，在13章1节如此叙述：“耶和华对约书亚说”；然后在13章6节，他提到上帝告诉约书亚：“你只管照我所吩咐的，将这地……分给以色列人为业。”除此之外，上帝的权柄也确立约旦河以东以色列的疆界；13章8节，我们读到这样的字句：“耶和华的仆人摩西在约旦河东所赐给他们的。”
约书亚记的作者知道，以色列人很容易就安逸居住在这些领土的一小部份上。因此，他清楚表示，以色列日后的时代若是失去得取全部疆土的心志，就是违逆上帝的权柄，也没有顺服祂所授权的代表人。
其次，约书亚记的作者指出，以色列领土的最初疆界乃是经由上帝与以色列的圣约而确立。关于约旦河西，在13章6节，上帝解释迦南全地是属于以色列的产业，希伯来文是“nachalah(nahckh-ə-LAH) נַחֲלָה”。我们在前面几课里看到，这些领土之所以称为以色列的产业，乃是因为上帝与亚伯拉罕立约时，就应许它们是以色列恒久的产业。上帝在西乃山与摩西立约时，又确认这个应许。同样的，在13章8节，约旦河东的领土也被称为以色列的产业。
为了让读者注意上帝的圣约，作者的信息非常明确。以色列的每个时代都要认清以色列的产业，并且持守这些领土，因为那是上帝与他们先祖的神圣圣约所确立的。
在创世记里，上帝和亚伯拉罕订立圣约，应许他四件事：上帝应许他会有众多后裔，像天上的星，海边的沙那么多。上帝应许会保守他们，成为他们的上帝，与他们同在，使他们兴旺。祂也应许他们要成为万国的祝福，这个弥赛亚应许是弥赛亚要出自犹太民族，希伯来人。第四个应许是上帝在旧约里的百姓要拥有迦南地为其领土。这不只是给予以色列民族的一个普遍应许，也是对上帝家中每个支派具体的承诺，他们各人都能拥有明确的产业。— 凯文·拉比牧师第三，以色列最初疆界的记载也强调它们是符合摩西律法的准则。例如，在关乎约旦河西的开场叙述里，13章第1节，上帝说道：“还有许多未得之地。”这并非新的启示，而是根据申命记20章16和17节，摩西指示以色列人要去得取的土地。同样的，讲到约旦河东的领土，13章8节提到：“产业，就是摩西……所赐给他们的”。民数记32章33到42节和申命记3章8到17节的经文，叙述这些河东的土地是按着摩西律法而分授。
约书亚记的作者引申摩西律法的用意是，他的读者里若有人质疑是否需要去得取以色列最初疆界的领土，就要留意那是摩西吩咐他们要去持守这些领域。
第四，当作者叙述以色列领土的最初疆界时，也要读者留意上帝超然的大能。关于约旦河西的土地，13章6节，上帝说道：“我必在以色列人面前赶出去剩余的迦南人” 。关于约旦河东的土地，作者特别提到，占取这些地方乃是上帝让摩西得到超然的胜利。13章10节，他特别引申那众所周知的，神奇的胜过“亚摩利王西宏”的战争，还有12节，他回忆神奇的打败“巴珊王噩”的事迹。
这两个史实向原本的读者显示，他们必须仰望上帝为他们而施行奇妙的干预；唯有如此，他们才能务实地指望去得取并持守约旦河东、河西两岸的产业。
第五，以色列最初疆界的记载也着重于以色列全体的参与。13章7节提到约旦河西的土地是分给“九个支派和玛拿西半支派”，而13章8节则提到约旦河东的土地是分给“玛拿西那半支派和流便、迦得二支派”。为了进一步强调这个主题，13章14节也提到利未支派的特别产业。
如此一再强调，作者让他原本读者清楚明白，以色列众支派必须团结一致。要确保他们在约旦河两岸的最初疆界，上帝的子民必须齐心合作。
探讨过以色列支派产业的最初疆界，我们要来看这一课的第二个主题：赐予以色列各支派产业的特定分配。这些土地是如何分配的？
约书亚记的这个部分，作者不只明确了以色列的疆界，也着重于分授给各支派的具体领地。我们接续会看到，这样的分配产生了问题，因为有些支派得到较大，较好的领土。难怪，后来的士师记、撒母耳记和列王纪告诉我们，这些差异导致支派间的各种猜忌、诟病、分裂、甚至争战。为了帮助原本读者处理这些问题，约书亚记的作者呼吁他们要尊重上帝在约书亚时代所确立的这些具体分配。
就以色列产业的特定分配，我们用一贯的方式来探讨作者的叙述。首先，我们要查考它的基本结构和内容。其次，我们要探讨它的原本含义。让我们先来看约书亚记这部分的结构和内容。
13章15节到21章45节记载以色列支派的特定分配，这几章的叙述可能令人迷糊困惑，它包含一长串人物、地区，城市和乡镇的名字， 中间交杂一些简短的故事和顺带一提的事情。为了掌握这几类叙述的主要理念，我们可以将它们分成两个主要部分：13章15到33节，摩西所指示的，约旦河以东的支派分配；还有较长的，14章1节到21章45节，约书亚所指示的，约旦河以西的支派分配。
约旦河东产业分配的记载相当简短，叙述始于13章15到23节流便的支派，然后是24到28节的迦得支派，29到31节讲到玛拿西半支派在约旦河东的产业。然后，作者结束这个部分，正如他在下一个部分那样，在32到33节提到利未支派的特别产业。
在以色列全民中，利未支派是被选召来服事上帝并执行祭司的职责，他们没有领受任何产业。约书亚记13章讲到上帝是他们的产业。为此缘故，以色列十二支派的土地分配中没有包含利未支派，而利未所得的份是以色列所献的祭，就是以色列全国献上的礼物和十一奉献。— 韩瑞克·特坎尼克牧师在这几节经文里，约书亚记的作者仔细描绘约旦河东的土地是分配给流便、迦得和玛拿西半支派。大致来看，这样的分配似乎足够清楚，但是对这些支派而言，这样的区分并不直截了当，重迭的区域和界限的争论，使得作者必须详细解释谁得到那些特别区域，甚至那些城镇该归属于哪个支派。
当现今的基督徒阅读约书亚记13到22章时，那些叙述并没让我们觉得生动有趣，章节里叙述那些支派和支派间的界限，这个支派得到哪些城市，那个支派又得到哪些，等等。事实上，作为现今的读者，有时会问道：“这到底和宗教信仰有什么关联？”“这和信心有什么关系？”然而就约书亚记的原本场景，这些叙述与以色列的信心、和他们以各别支派和全民整体的与上帝同行却大有关联。我们要记得，上帝如同君王，将世上的某些地方分赐给以色列各个支派为安身之处。那可是他们恒久的产业，是他们要持守的，是他们的定位，他们的家园，是以色列全民的国土。— 理查德·伯瑞特博士顺着这个理念，作者更为详尽叙述约书亚如何把约旦河西的土地分配给特定支派。这些叙述可以分成六个主要部分。
叙述始于14章1到5节，一个简短的开场引言，提到约书亚的作为，和他如何照着摩西在约旦河东所作的。这个部分也不只一次的提到约书亚在约旦河西的产业分配是按着上帝的旨意。
对照这个开始部分，约旦河西分地的叙述在21章43到45节，也有一个闭幕总结。作者在21章43节解释，所有的支派都“得了他们的地为业，住在其中。” 为了向原本读者显示整个情况是何等美好，他在45节的结语如此宣称：“耶和华应许赐福给以色列家的话一句也没有落空，都应验了。”
约书亚记13到22章，记载十二个支派各种土地分配的过程，我们看到上帝对以色列约定的承诺全然实现。特别值得一提的是21章45节讲到，上帝的应许没有一句落空，将读者导回上帝最初对亚伯拉罕的应许：要赐给他一个地方，使他成为大族，也要住在他的子民当中。产业全然分配后，我们看到以色列安居于应许之地，正如上帝早先对亚伯拉罕承诺的，回溯于创世记12章的记载。— 麦克尔·葛罗道牧师在这开场与闭幕的叙述中间有四个主要部分，它们始于以色列最显著的支派犹大，记载于14章6节到15章63节。根据这些经文，犹大得到很大的一片产业，向南延伸到南地，直到以东边境。西边则是到达非利士地，伸展到地中海沿岸，直到埃及河；又顺着地中海岸北上到耶路撒冷，或是那时称为耶布斯的北边，东边则达到死海。
我们可以理解为何作者要先提到犹大分得的产业，并强调他们所领受的。根据创世记49章8到12节，犹大是命定要成为以色列的君王支派。作者凸显这个给予犹大的尊荣，首先他简短叙述犹大杰出勇士迦勒得到的产业，接着他列出犹大疆界里126个城镇的名字，远比他叙述其他支派的还多。
记载了犹大在约旦河西的南区产业之后，我们看到另一段冗长的叙述，是约瑟儿子的支派，以法莲和玛拿西的显著产业分配，记载在16到17章。
以法莲和玛拿西得到迦南地北区的大片土地。他们的产业从约旦河延伸到地中海，以法莲的地在玛拿西的南边。这些领土是应许之地里最肥沃的地区。除此之外，你应该还记得，玛拿西半支派已经得到约旦河东的土地。
在以色列的产业里，这些支派尊荣地得到大片又丰饶的产业是不足为奇的。创世记48和49章解释，以法莲和玛拿西是约瑟的儿子。约瑟蒙受如此深厚尊荣，因为他在埃及地非常忠于上帝。他取代流便，成为雅各的长子，透过他两个儿子领受长子的双倍产业。
以法莲和玛拿西是约瑟的儿子，不是雅各的儿子。雅各是名字改为以色列那个人，他有12个儿子，其中约瑟被卖到埃及为奴；另一个儿子利未，上帝选召他，代替所有以色列家的头生儿子，来服事祂。当雅各给予祝福时，他祝福以法莲和玛拿西，他们好像也藉此取得利未和约瑟的位分，所以得以和其他支派一起承受产业。以法莲和玛拿西各自得到他们的产业，也因此，他们代表约瑟取得属于他的产业。— 詹姆斯·哈密尔顿博士16章始于简短的介绍约瑟在约旦河西的产业，然后比较详细的描述以法莲支派。接着17章的叙述转到玛拿西支派，包括西罗非哈的女儿们按着民数记27章讲的领取产业。这个部分结束于约书亚解释以法莲和玛拿西因为人多族大，所以得取比较多的土地。
给以法莲和玛拿西如此显著地位实在令人侧目，因为他们在约书亚记写成的时代惹出许多问题。但是，作者指出，尽管情况如此，以色列仍然应该知道上帝是如何尊荣约瑟的支派。
在叙述了犹大、以法莲和玛拿西这几个显著支派的土地分配之后，作者转而在18到19章叙述其他小的支派，首先是18章1到10节叙述约书亚呼召每个支派的代表去勘测这些土地。然后在19章49到51节的结尾，讲到众支派同意这些安排，因为它们给予约书亚他家族该有的产业。
介于这开头和结尾的叙述之间，作者描述了以色列小支派便雅悯、西缅、西布伦、以萨迦、亚设、拿弗他利、和但的产业分配。虽然这些支派得到产业，但并不像犹大、以法莲和玛拿西他们得取的那么多。而且在稍后的年日，这些小支派也难以持守他们的领地。作者在19章9节提到西缅的地业实际上是“在犹大的地业中”，这个情况也导致后来西缅支派融入犹大支派里。他也在19章47节提到“但人未能控制他们的地界”，我们在士师记18章读到这个故事。知道小支派有这些以及其他的不稳情况，但作者书写的目的是要他原本读者认同当年这些产业的分配。
约书亚记在约旦河西的产业分配还包括20到21章关于利未支派的记载。作者对于利未支派的叙述始于20章1到9节，一些逃城的设立。根据出埃及记21章12到14节和申命记19章1到13节，设立这些城市是要保护那些无心而误杀人的，直到以色列的法庭判定他们有罪与否为止。接着在21章，作者大体上列出利未支派的城邑，乃是按着民数记35章6到34节摩西所指示的。
逃城和利未支派的其他城邑是散布于以色列版图里其他支派的产业里，这样的安排让利未人能带领每个支派事奉上帝。不幸的是，在危难时这些分配很容易就被遗忘。但是约书亚记的作者一定要他原本读者记住这样的安排，因为利未人的服事攸关全民的福祉。
谨记以色列支派产业特定分配的结构和内容，我们要简短总结这几章的原本含义。
我们现今的读者往往难以体会欣赏约书亚记的作者在这几章里描述的地理细节。但是他不只是要呼吁以色列人持守他们最初的民族产业，也呼召他们要认清上帝已经设立每个支派特定的地位和赋予的差异，使得他们得以共同持续地扩展上帝的国度。
作者以他一贯的笔法，在记叙以色列支派产业的特定分配时，也穿插那五个重复出现的主题。
首先，他强调是上帝的权柄指示这些土地的分配。在叙述约旦河东的土地分配里，作者在13章8、15、24和29节，四次提到这样的分配，乃是摩西，这位耶和华上帝所授权的领袖，赐给他们的。
作者也表明，约旦河西的产业分配也出自上帝的权柄。在14章1节的开场白里，他写着：“祭司以利亚撒和嫩的儿子约书亚，并以色列各支派的族长”设定了这样的分配。在17章4节记叙以法莲和玛拿西的产业，他有同样声明。在19章51节论到小支派的产业分配，还有21章1节讲到利未支派的产业时，都再次提到。
除此之外，作者在20章1节介绍利未支派的产业时，以他一贯的方式，说道：“耶和华晓谕约书亚说……”对于原本读者，其涵义非常清楚，对支派产业的特定分配若是不满，等同于不满意上帝所指示的。
第二，当约书亚记的作者谈到以色列支派特定的产业分配时，他也强调这样的划分是基于上帝的圣约。作者一再提到分配给支派的土地是他们的“产业”，用的希伯来字是nachalah (nahckh-ə-LAH) נַחֲלָה。我们之前提过，这个字和上帝与亚伯拉罕和摩西的立约有密切关联。13章32节，他称约旦河东的土地是以色列的“产业”，而33节他提到利未具体的份是他们的“产业”。在约旦河西土地分配的开场白里，他在14章1、2、和3节都用了“产业”这个词。在14章9和13节还有15章20节他也讲到犹大的土地为“产业”。在16章4节和其他七处经文，讲到以法莲和玛拿西时也用同样的词语。然后有17次他用这个词语描述其他小支派的土地分配。在21章3节最后讲到利未支派时，他谈到每个支派要从他们的“产业”里将一些城邑和郊野给予利未支派。最后，在21章43节这个部分的结语里，他写道：耶和华将“从前向他们列祖起誓所应许的全地”赐给以色列人。这些经文清楚显示支派的产业分配是基于上帝的圣约。如果有人轻忽它们，那就是漠视上帝以圣约之主的身份给予祂百姓的神圣应许。
第三，在叙述以色列支派特定的产业分配时，约书亚记的作者也强调这么作是顺服摩西律法的准则。在处理约旦河西的土地时，这点尤其清楚。14章2节的开场白里，他叙述约书亚是“照耶和华藉摩西所吩咐的”而行动。还有14章5节，他加上“耶和华怎样吩咐摩西，”以色列人就照样行，把地分了。在17章4节 西罗非哈的女儿们是照着“耶和华曾吩咐摩西” 的而提出诉求。20章2节提到利未支派，讲到以色列是照着耶和华“借着摩西”晓谕他们的而行。还有21章2和8节的结语讲到，“借着摩西吩咐”把一些城邑派给利未支派。
在这几章里，作者诉诸摩西的律法，是呼吁以色列的所有时代都要遵从这样的土地划分。如果违逆它们就会让上帝的咒诅临到全民，而遵从它们则是带来祝福。
第四，这几章也认定以色列支派特定的产业分配有上帝超然的大能所证实。在13章10和27节讲到约旦河东的土地分配，特别提到他们神奇的击败西宏王。13章22节，我们读到以色列人杀了巴兰，13章31节他们打败巴珊王噩。这些事迹都是回顾上帝在约旦河东的超然作为。
除此之外，作者叙述约旦河西的土地分配时，也一再提到拈阄，这显示上帝超然的介入。民数记36章2节和箴言16章33节的经文解释，拈阄是上帝向以色列启示其心意的方式之一。14章2节约旦河西土地分配的开场白里就提到拈阄；而小支派的土地分配里，拈阄就出现了11次。21章4和10节，以色列人也用拈阄的方式，派定给利未的产业。
作者一再提到上帝超然的介入，其用意不难明白；他的原本读者里可能有人企图要偏离这样的产业分配，可是作者一再显明，这样的分配不得违逆，因为乃是上帝亲自确立的。
约书亚记里，以色列人实际用拈阄来决定土地的分配是很有意思的事。我认为这表明是由上帝所定夺的，也因此没有什么不公平；虽然分配好像是约书亚的决定，但其实是上帝给予他们的。借着拈阄，显示的意义在于，这是上帝和祂的百姓之间，上帝以公平方式将土地赐予祂的百姓。还有一个观念我们要理解，上帝会捍卫这些百姓的产业权益，产业对他们而言是很重要的。没有人会永久的失去他的土地，即使他们出售了土地，到了禧年，那些土地都要归还。这是基于一个事实，他们乃是从上帝领受了产业，是上帝赐予他们这个权益，上帝捍卫这些领土疆界，无人，甚至就连君王也不能说：“这不是你的土地！” 君王也许试图不按律法，而是抢夺，但他们不能如此行，因为百姓是以上帝子民的身份，从上帝领受产业的赏赐。— T. J. ·贝茨博士第五，如同本书前面几章，以色列支派特定的产业分配也强调是包含以色列全体。这个重点出现于在约旦河东的土地分配，叙述里具体提到每个支派在河东的产业；约旦河西的分配也是一样。这几章不只记载分给犹大，以法莲和玛拿西支派的土地，也提到给予其他众小支派的产业。除此之外，还特别提到派给利未支派的城邑。
作者对以色列所有支派的详细关注，显示他坚定相信所有的以色列人都应该居住在应许之地。在他书写的时候，有些支派已经被并入其他的支派，其他的支派则是被仇敌占取一些土地。到了亚述摧毁北国以色列，而巴比伦征服了南国犹大，上帝的百姓只剩下少许余民留在他们的产业里。但是作者坚持的理念是，每个以色列民都要不懈地努力，所有的以色列人在应许之地都当承受一份合法的产业。
我们已经探讨了约书亚记如何处理以色列支派的产业，查看了他们产业的最初疆界，以及给予各支派的特定分配。现在要来看这一课的第三个主题：以色列的民族合一。
几世纪以来，以色列的支派屡次分裂，彼此反目。我们的作者知道，以色列若非团结一致如同一人，就不能前进扩展上帝的国度。针对这个问题，作者以约书亚时代，以色列的民族合一面临严重冲突危机的一段时间，作为这个部分的结尾。
我们数次看到约书亚记一再提醒，在约旦河东西两岸支派之间存在着巨大的自然分歧。在约书亚时代，地理上的分隔已经引发问题，几乎导致约旦河两边支派之间的战争。因此，作者在以色列支派产业的第二部分结尾，特别回顾约书亚如何带领约旦河东、西边的支派要继续合一。这些事件阐示他原本的读者也要化解在他们的日子所面对的类似紧张局面。
我们继续沿用一贯的方式，查考以色列的民族合一，首先我们看这个部分的结构和内容，其次看它的原本含义。让我们先来看这一章的结构和内容。
22章叙述以色列的民族合一，是个直接简明的故事，可分成五个主要阶段；故事始于1到10节，谈到约旦河东的支派建筑了一座坛，而引发了大问题。
在以色列征服约旦河西的疆土后，约书亚打发流便、迦得和玛拿西半支派的人回到他们在东边承受的领土。他警示他们要继续忠于上帝。在他们回去后，这些河东的支派在约旦河边筑了一个高大壮观的祭坛。当约旦河西的支派们听到这件事，他们认为坛的设立，是要取代摩西会幕里耶和华的坛。
11到14节经文叙述，随着日渐增添的紧张，导致爆发的战争威胁。害怕约旦河东支派设立的坛，会招致上帝对全以色列人的忿怒，约旦河西的支派准备进攻。但为了避免战争，他们首先派遣以利亚撒的儿子非尼哈和十个首领去质问约旦河东的支派。
这个故事冗长的转捩点是记载在15到31节，讲到河西代表们与河东支派的对峙。代表们警告说这个新建的坛是违逆上帝的吩咐，只能在会幕里献祭。但是河东支派的领袖们激动的解释他们建坛不是为了献祭，而是表征他们与其他支派的合一，因为他们担心其他支派会将他们摒除于国族之外。听了解释，代表们非常欢喜，因为河东的支派并非要对耶和华不忠诚。
32到33节是转折之后的叙述，讲到战争的危机结束。代表们回复他们所获悉的，河西的支派为此称颂上帝，立时不再提战争的计划。
故事的紧张局面最后的决议出现于34节，命名那座坛。河东支派为了显示他们的原意，将约旦河边的坛命名为证坛，意思是“这坛在我们中间证明耶和华是上帝。”藉此约旦河东的支派证实他们良好的动机，他们仍然是要在会幕里献祭，极力保持以色列的民族合一。
讨论过了以色列民族合一的基本结构和内容，我们要谈一些它的原本含义。
我们不难看出，作者为何以22章的叙述来总结本书的这个部分。这个故事说明，即使面临可能严重的冲突，以色列众支派如何持守他们的合一。约旦河西的支派已准备好，要惩治河东的支派，因为他们以为对方公然违逆上帝。但是他们明智的去调查状况，而取得了团结一致，欢然地敬拜上帝。对原本读者而言，当他们面临类似的支派间冲突时，这些事件为他们提供了处理之道。
作者为了引导将来的时代，在谈到民族合一时，也特别提到本书出现多次的五个主题。
首先，上帝的权柄出现于坛的建造。在22章1节，我们看到上帝授权的领袖，约书亚，打发约旦河东的支派回到他们承受的产业。除此外，在13节，当战争的威胁性升高时，上帝授权的“祭司以利亚撒的儿子非尼哈”率领约旦河西的代表们去查证。
作者特别提到约书亚和非尼哈，乃是要引导读者们对这个故事的观点，让他们不要以为这是过去一个不相干的事件记载而已。相反的，上帝授权的威望者的介入，教导他们得以合宜的应用这些事件去维护他们年日里民族的合一。
第二，22章民族合一的故事也谈到上帝的圣约。这个主题在约旦河西支派的代表们质问河东支派时尤其明显。如同我们在25和27节读到，约旦河东的支派不要其他支派认为“你们与耶和华无份。”份的希伯来原文是cheleq (CKHĀ-lek) חֵלֶק.，就如约书亚记18章7节和19章9节显示的，作者将cheleq 与产业，或是nachalah (nahckh-ə-LAH) נַחֲלָה 紧密相联。在这个系列我们一再看到，“产业”这个词语通常是关乎上帝与亚伯拉罕和摩西的立约。因此在上帝给予他们先祖的圣约应许上，河东的支派要确保河西的支派也视他们为全然有份的继承者。
作者要他原本读者留意这些事件，是要他们看重民族合一，他强调，他们不能忘却所有以色列的支派——无论居于东西南北，都是有份于应许之地，因为那是根植于上帝和以色列的圣约。
第三，作者叙述民族合一时，也强调摩西律法的准则。在叙述的开始阶段，22章5节，约书亚警示约旦河东的支派要：“切切地谨慎遵行……摩西所吩咐你们的诫命律法。”而19节，在支派对质时，河西的代表们警告说：“不可悖逆耶和华，也不可得罪我们……为自己筑坛，” 若如此行，就是违逆摩西的律法。还有29节，河东的支派如此声明：“我们根本无意背叛、离弃我们的上帝耶和华”（圣经当代译本）。以此认定摩西律法的准则。
作者对摩西律法的强调，也引出持守民族合一的一个关键条件，对他原本读者来说，追求民族合一固然重要，但必须按着摩西律法的准则而行。
第四，民族合一的故事也让人留意上帝超然的大能。在约旦河西的代表们质问河东支派时，这个主题尤其明显。在17节，代表们警告说上帝有权能咒诅他们。他们提醒河东支派，过往因着拜毗珥的罪孽，“瘟疫临到耶和华的会众”。与此对比的是，当非尼哈听了河东支派的解释之后，在31节，他认定那是上帝超然的祝福，说道：“今日我们知道耶和华在我们中间。”
这些关乎上帝超然咒诅和祝福的叙述，提醒原本读者们，在他们的年日持守民族合一，并非只是属人的作为。正如在约书亚的年日，他们在追求民族合一，或疏于持守这个目标时，也会经历上帝的祝福和咒诅。
第五，我们会毫不意外的发现，民族合一的故事也强调以色列全体这个主题。在3、7和8节，约书亚称呼约旦河两岸的以色列人为“弟兄”，就呈现这个主旨。17和20节，在对峙时，代表们也承认因着一些以色列人的罪，遭致上帝的忿怒临到以色列全会众。还有34节，整个故事的结尾，是坛被命名时，以 “这坛在我们中间证明耶和华是上帝”来宣告以色列信仰的合一。
约书亚记的作者清楚表明，在约书亚时代，以色列支派间的紧张对峙得以化解，是因为他们致力于众支派的合一；他也呼吁他原本的读者们在他们的年日，也要同样致力于民族的团结合一。
这一课到目前为止，我们已经看到，作者对于以色列支派产业的描述，涉及土地的最初疆界，以色列支派产业的特定分配，还有确立众支派的民族合一。我们这一课最后要探讨的是，约书亚记这个部分的基督徒应用。
约书亚记这部分经文中的许多细节，其目的是要给予原本读者非常实际的教导。作者强调，持守先祖们领受的最初产业，对他原本读者是攸关重要的。他阐明他们要珍惜上帝给予每个支派的具体产业分配，并且也呼吁他们要效法以色列人在约书亚年日的团结合一。但是，我们自己要如何应用以色列支派产业的这些具体教训？简单地说，我们要记着，就上帝的子民在基督里得基业，约书亚年日所发生的事，乃是迈向这更大应许的其中一步。
我们要从基督在祂国度的三个阶段如何落实以色列的支派产业，来探讨约书亚记这个部分的基督徒应用：基督初次降临的奠基阶段，整个教会历史的延续阶段，和祂再次来到的成全阶段。首先我们探讨在国度的奠基阶段，要如何应用以色列的支派产业。
当基督第一次降临，开启祂的弥赛亚国度时，以色列人远离应许之地已有数百年之久。即使那些回到巴勒斯坦的人，也是活在一个接一个的外邦暴政之下。但是以色列忠信的人，对于得回应许之地的产业未曾失去盼望，他们期待有一天，能在弥赛亚统治之下，将他们的产业扩展到全世界。
上帝给以色列产业的应许可回溯到伊甸园。上帝托付园里的人不只要治理园子，也要管理全地。因此，土地的赏赐可以看作是对制伏并管理全地之应许的回应，是要扩展上帝国度的疆界。由此我们看到诗篇2篇和72篇，提到的大卫王权——“你求我，我就将列国赐你为基业”或是以赛亚看到的，以色列的角色乃是成为万国的一个祝福，回应上帝与亚伯拉罕的立约：“我要祝福你，也借着你祝福全地的人。”因此，在以赛亚书第二章，我们读到万民都要流归以色列，而以色列是基督或是弥赛亚的见证。因此，耶稣来到世上的事工就是恢复以色列成为万邦的光，就如马太福音结尾，耶稣的吩咐：”你们要去，使万民作我的门徒，凡我所吩咐你们的，都教训他们遵守，我就常与你们同在。”在使徒行传我们读到耶稣说的，“你们要成为我的见证”，这又是回应以赛亚43章讲到的，上帝说，“去告知万民，除我以外没有救主。”因此，土地，代表全地，以及上帝掌管全地。— 贵葛·派锐博士新约阐明耶稣的首次降临，是达成此盼望的主要一步。希伯来书1章2节讲到上帝立耶稣为承受万有的；或是如保罗在罗马书4章13节提到的，耶稣乃是承受世界。除此之外，加拉太书3章29节告诉我们：你们既属乎基督，就是……照着应许承受产业的。而罗马书8章17节说我们是后嗣，就是上帝的后嗣，和基督同作后嗣。
这就是为何四福音书记载，耶稣服事的范围都是在约书亚时代分配给以色列支派产业的疆界里。祂和祂的门徒在约旦河西的北边和南边服事，偶尔也会到约旦河东的地区。一直以来，耶稣从以色列的众支派召聚忠心的余民，与祂一起承受全地。除此之外，使徒行传2章5节告诉我们，刚升天的基督把从天下各国来的以色列众支派的代表，召聚在耶路撒冷，开始跟随祂。
但是整体而言，以色列的产业和基督国度的奠基，最重要的关联是五旬节那天，圣灵浇灌于教会。以弗所书1章14节，保罗提到圣灵是我们得基业的凭据。还有哥林多后书1章22节以及5章5节，保罗也称圣灵是凭据。但是要理解保罗为何看圣灵为凭据，或是在基督里未来产业继承的首期支付，我们需要回顾，按着创世记1章2节，讲到圣灵在起初时，让创造有序。而旧约也预言，例如以赛亚书44章3和4节，讲到在弥赛亚的日子，上帝的灵会使受造界全然更新。事实上，圣灵临到基督的教会，就是这万物更新的预兆。当我们等候基督再来，成全万事时，祂就是我们在基督国度的奠基期得以承受全地产业的一部份。
因此，约书亚记这个部分一再出现的主题，让我们得以思考在圣灵里要承受产业的预尝。如同约书亚带着上帝的权柄，分配以色列在应许之地的产业；耶稣和祂的使徒与先知们也按着上帝的权柄，将圣灵里的产业分授给信徒们。如同约书亚按着上帝的圣约，分配土地；耶稣将圣灵授予上帝的百姓，乃是履行在基督里的新约。约书亚按着摩西律法的准则，分配以色列的产业；基于上帝在摩西时代之后的进一步启示的光照，圣灵的授予乃是基督全然遵行摩西律法的结果。以色列的产业是仰赖上帝超然的大能，新约也清楚显示，在耶稣首次降临时，圣灵的授予带来更伟大超然能力的运作。约书亚时代的以色列全体这个理念，在基督奠基期更被扩展，不只包含以色列忠心的余民，也包含外邦的信徒，一起都在圣灵里承受基督产业的凭据。
谈过了在基督国度奠基期，基督徒如何应用以色列的支派产业，我们也要看它如何应用于贯穿整个教会历史的基督国度延续阶段。
在耶稣初次降临和再来之间，基督持续祝福祂的百姓透过祂的灵，预尝将来世界的情况。约书亚记呼吁以色列人借着得着应许之地而前进，新约也呼吁我们要在圣灵里长进。根据加拉太书5章16节，我们要顺着圣灵而行；而根据以弗所书5章18节，我们要被圣灵充满。还有，就如约书亚记的原本读者要确认每个支派的特定分配，基督的跟随者在圣灵里也要确认类似的事。哥林多前书12章4节教导我们：恩赐原有分别，圣灵却是一位。除此之外，约书亚记的原本读者蒙召生活在应许之地的产业里，要竭力持守合一，以弗所书4章3节，使徒保罗也呼吁基督的跟随者要竭力保守圣灵所赐合而为一的心。
依此而言，每次我们看到约书亚记这个部分出现的五个主题，就有机会反思每天当如何为基督而活。如同约书亚确认是上帝的权柄掌管以色列的产业，我们追求在圣灵里的产业，而非这个世界的事物时，也当认知上帝在基督里的权柄。以色列人按着上帝的圣约而有权继承最初的产业，我们因着基督的新约，而确信圣灵的印记保守我们到完全得赎的日子。以色列人遵从摩西律法的准则，而领受他们最初的产业；我们按着新约启示的光照来应用摩西律法，而活在圣灵的基业里。还有，上帝超然的大能授予以色列人产业，我们的产业来自圣灵大能的浇灌。以色列全体共享他们民族的产业，来自万国万民跟随基督的人也在圣灵里分享同样的基业。
以色列支派产业的基督徒应用，不只回顾在祂国度奠基阶段基督所作的，并涉及现今国度延续阶段的情况，也加深我们期盼，在祂国度成全时，我们必将领受的基业。
根据启示录21章1节，你我都确信，当耶稣再来时，祂将要统管新天新地。堕落的受造要被火炼净，邪恶要被清除，上帝的国度要延伸到所有的创造。但是这个新的创造不只是属于基督，启示录21章7节让我们知道，到那日，上帝要宣告：得胜的，必承受这些为业。身为上帝的子民，新的创造就是我们永恒的产业。
约书亚记的民族产业是一个重要的议题，对于现今的基督徒有许多应用之处，因为土地的应许在约书亚的年日只有部分得以实现；也就是说，上帝应许给亚伯拉罕的土地不只限于地理上的迦南地。我们在罗马书4章13节读到：“因为上帝应许亚伯拉罕和他后裔，必得承受世界，不是因律法，乃是因信而得的义。”在这里，保罗告诉我们，亚伯拉罕要承受全世界，而这些应许也要落实于外邦人，他们不是亚伯拉罕肉身的后裔，而是因信基督——他乃是亚伯拉罕的后裔，得以承受这些应许。因此，亚伯拉罕所得着的，和以色列在约书亚时代所领受的，只是上帝应许给亚伯拉罕，并由基督完成的更大而完整的版图中的一小部份，而上帝的应许在基督再来时才会全然实现。至终，当基督再来时，他不只统管迦南地，也要承继并治理全世界，也就是新天新地，而我们将永远与基督一起治理。— 谢里夫·根迪牧师因此，约书亚记这个部分的五个主题，让我们睁眼期盼基督国度成全时，我们将会领受的。正如上帝的权柄坚立约书亚在他年日的一切作为，耶稣在荣耀里返回时，也要完成上帝所有的托付。以色列的产业是因上帝的圣约而得着，我们最后的产业是因基督的新约而得到。约书亚按着摩西律法的准则分配以色列的产业，而每个跟随基督的人将会全然按着基督的形象，遵行在新造世界里上帝启示的准则。以色列获得产业是来自上帝超然的大能，而当基督再来时，上帝要显示的大能，是前所未有的。以色列的产业是授予以色列全体，而每个在基督里的人都要领受在新造世界的永恒产业。
在这一课，我们探索约书亚记第二个主要部分，以色列的支派产业。我们看到作者首先谈到以色列产业的最初疆界，是包含约旦河东西两岸的土地。我们也查考了在约书亚年日，约旦河东西两岸土地如何特定的分配给各支派。然后我们看到作者描述以色列人在约书亚年日如何团结合作，以此鼓励以色列众支派要持守民族合一。最后，我们就基督国度的奠基、延续和成全阶段，来看约书亚记这个部分的基督徒应用。
约书亚记的作者要他的读者们留意，确认上帝借着约书亚领导之下所成就的大事，对他们而言是何等重要。今天，身为基督的跟随者，我们也当如此。我们知道耶稣已经得着我们永恒的产业。每一日我们活在圣灵里，都能够预尝到这份基业；另外，我们还在继续期盼着基督荣耀的再来。到那日，祂要以承受万有的合法位分，将新创造里极丰富的产业，分赐给所有信靠祂的人直到永远。
The Book of Joshua: Tribal Inheritances
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INTRODUCTION
When the head of a large family business grew old, he determined that it was time for his five sons to take over. So, the father gathered his sons in the central office, handed each of them legal shares in the company and laid it on the line. "Each of you now owns a part of the business," he said. "And all of you have to take your places and work together as never before."
In many ways, Joshua did much the same with the tribes of Israel when he grew old. He knew that it was time for them to move forward without him. So, he gave each of the tribes inheritances in the Promised Land, and called for them to work together as never before.
This is the third lesson in our series on The Book of Joshua, and in this lesson we'll look at Israel's "Tribal Inheritances." We'll see how the second major division of Joshua called the people of Israel to live together as heirs of the Promised Land.
In earlier lessons, we summarized the original meaning of the book of Joshua in this way:
The book of Joshua was written about Israel's victorious conquest, tribal inheritances and covenant loyalty in Joshua's day to address similar challenges facing later generations.
Just as in Joshua's day, the original audience faced the challenges of defeating their enemies, securing their tribal inheritances and renewing their covenant loyalty to God. So, our author wrote his book to guide his original audience in each of these areas.
To accomplish this purpose, our book unfolds in three major divisions: Israel's victorious conquest in chapters 1–12, Israel's tribal inheritances in chapters 13–22, and Israel's covenant loyalty in chapters 23, 24. In this lesson, we'll examine the second major division of our book, the tribal inheritances allotted to Israel.
On a large scale, this division of Joshua consists of three main steps. It begins with the initial boundaries of Israel's inheritance in 13:1-14. It then moves to the specific allotments of inheritance given to each of Israel's tribes in 13:15–21:45. And it closes with a narrative that focuses on Israel's national unity in the days of Joshua in 22:1-34.
Following this outline, we'll explore Israel's tribal inheritances by looking at each of these three steps. Then we'll close with some reflections on the Christian Application of this portion of our book. Let's begin with the first step: the initial boundaries of Israel's inheritance.
INITIAL BOUNDARIES
As we saw in a previous lesson, the author of Joshua understood that Israel had inherited large regions of the land promised to Joshua. And this inheritance was a special part of God's ongoing call for humanity to have dominion over the earth. But as we're about to see, our author also recognized that, in the days of Joshua, Israel didn't receive all of the lands promised to their patriarch Abraham. Rather, God only gave Israel a foothold, a strong presence in a portion of it. But from our author's point of view, it was essential that every generation of Israel identify and secure the lands that were within those initial sacred boundaries.
We'll look at two dimensions of this record of Israel's initial boundaries. First, we'll note its basic structure and content, and second, we'll turn to the original meaning of this portion of our book. Consider first its structure and content.
Structure and Content
This section of Joshua divides into two episodes. First, 13:1-7 focuses on the boundaries of Israel's land in Cisjordan, the land of Canaan west of the Jordan River. And second, 13:8-14 gives attention to the boundaries of Israel's land in Transjordan, the territories east of the Jordan River.
As we approach this part of Joshua, we need to keep in mind a bit of background on the boundaries of Israel's inheritance. In Genesis 15:18-21, God promised Abraham's descendants a land that would extend to the west from "the Wadi of Egypt." This wadi, or "river" or "brook," as it may be translated, was either an eastern branch of the Nile that no longer exists, or Wadi El-Arish that still exists east of the Nile today. And toward the northeast, Abraham's land would reach as far as "the great river, the river Euphrates." From there, Israel would spread the blessings of God to the ends of the earth. But in reality, Israel's lands didn't reach these boundaries until the time of David's kingdom. In Joshua's time, God granted Israel only a portion, a foretaste of these territories on both sides of the Jordan. But as our book indicates, settling securely in these lands was a crucial first step for Israel.
Beginning with Abraham, God promised a people would come, and that people would be a blessing to the earth, would have important roles to play. But one of the things, also, would be that he'd give them a land. That's key to who the Israelites were. They were a people who, when they finally left Egypt and got that land, understood that they didn't deserve it. God had paved the way for them to get a place on the planet that they hadn't earned, that they didn't have any right to, but that he gave them by his own promise and his certain plan to make it happen. [Dr. Douglas Stuart]
Boundaries in Cisjordan
The first episode on the boundaries in Cisjordan builds on the list of territories that Joshua had conquered in chapter 12. It opens in 13:1 with the fact that Joshua was "old and advanced in years," and that "there remain[ed] yet very much land to possess." The land that remained was in the region of the Philistines and in the northern regions of Canaan. In 13:6, God promised, "I myself will drive [the inhabitants] out." So, in verse 7, God commanded Joshua to go ahead and treat all of Canaan as Israel's inheritance.
Boundaries in Transjordan
In the second episode, in 13:8-14, our author completed his sketch of Israel's initial inheritance by describing the outer boundaries in Transjordan — the lands to the east of the Jordan. Our author began in 13:8 with the note that Moses had granted these territories as Israel's inheritance before he died.
Israel's initial tribal inheritances east of the Jordan extended to the south as far as Moab and to the north as far as Mount Hermon. But our author noted in 13:13 that the Israelites had not yet driven out some groups, like "the Geshurites or the Maacathites." Still, Moses had designated the entire region as Israel's inheritance by the time of Joshua. And to be as comprehensive as possible, our author also added a parenthetical note in 13:14. He explained that the Levites received an inheritance, but theirs was "the offerings by fire to the Lord," rather than land.
The question of geography in Joshua is very important, and the boundaries of the land is a very important question, especially related to mountains… And what they do, they create a boundary of what the Holy Land will be, and it becomes this marker, this waypoint, if you will. The northern point of Israel is Mount Hermon, traditionally, and then the eastern boundaries of Israel are created by the mountains, especially of Edom in the south, and then the highlands of Moab, the mountains, the plateau, the hill country, if you will, of Moab and Bashan. So, all across what is modern-day Jordan — all the way, northern Jordan to southern Jordan — that creates the eastern boundaries of the land. [Dr. Tom Petter]
With the basic structure and content of the initial boundaries of Israel's inheritance in mind, we're in a position to ask about the original meaning of these verses. Why did our author begin this division of his book with a sketch of Israel's inheritance at this stage in history?
Original Meaning
To answer this question, we must remember that in the days of the judges, the monarchy and the Babylonian exile, Israel struggled to gain and maintain control over the territories that God had granted them. Conflicts among Israel's tribes, trouble from other peoples within these lands, attacks by desert tribes, and eventually catastrophic invasions by great empires like Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, repeatedly diminished Israel's hold on the land that God had promised to Abraham.
By reminding his audience of the extent of these territories, our author pointed out how important it was for them to secure control over these lands. It was only then that Israel could move toward gaining more lands and spreading God's blessings to all the nations of the world.
To convince his audience that the initial boundaries of Israel's inheritance were never to be forgotten, our author wove the five themes he'd highlighted earlier in his book into these chapters as well.
Divine Authority
In the first place, he pointed out how divine authority had established Israel's inheritance. He began his focus on Cisjordan in 13:1 with the words: "the Lord said to [Joshua]." And in 13:6, he reported that God told Joshua to "allot the land to Israel … as I have commanded you." Beyond this, divine authority also established the borders of Israel's lands in Transjordan. In 13:8 we read that these were the lands that "Moses the servant of the Lord gave them."
The author of Joshua knew how easy it was for Israel to settle for occupying only a portion of these territories. So, he made it clear that if later generations lost their devotion to possessing the full extent of these lands, they would be turning against the authority of God and his authoritative human representatives.
God's Covenant
In the second place, the author of Joshua noted that the initial boundaries of Israel's lands were secured by God's covenant with Israel. Regarding Cisjordan, God explained in 13:6 that all of Canaan belonged to Israel as an "inheritance," or "nachalah" in Hebrew. As we noted in earlier lessons, these territories were called Israel's inheritance because, in his covenant with Abraham, God promised them as an enduring possession for Israel. And God confirmed this promise in his covenant in Moses at Mount Sinai. In much the same way, in 13:8, Transjordan is also called Israel's inheritance.
By drawing attention to God's covenant in this way, our author's message was unmistakable. Every generation of Israel should acknowledge that Israel's possession and control of these lands was established by God's sacred covenant with their ancestors.
In the book of Genesis, when God establishes a covenant relationship with Abraham, he promises him, really, four things. He promises him many descendants — they'll number like the stars in the sky, the sand on the seashore. He promises that he's going to protect them — that he's going to be their God, that he'll be with them, that he'll prosper them. He also promises that, of course, they'll become a blessing to all nations, a messianic promise that the Messiah will come through the Jewish people, the Hebrews. But fourthly, he promises that the people of God in the Old Testament will have a land of possession, the land of Canaan… And it's not only a general promise to the people of Israel, but it's specific to the tribes that each of them within the family of God, so to speak, have a particular inheritance. [Rev. Kevin Labby]
Standard of Moses' Law
In the third place, the account of Israel's initial boundaries also stressed that they accorded with the standard of Moses' law. For example, in the opening of the section on Cisjordan, God said in 13:1, "there remains yet very much land to possess." This wasn't a new revelation. It was based on areas that Moses had directed Israel to possess in passages like Deuteronomy 20:16, 17. In much the same way, when it came to Transjordan, 13:8 refers to "their inheritance, which Moses gave them." The law of Moses granted possession of these lands across the Jordan in passages like Numbers 32:33-42 and Deuteronomy 3:8-17.
The author of Joshua drew attention to the law of Moses to address anyone in his audience who questioned their need to possess Israel's initial tribal inheritances. Moses himself had commanded Israel to take control of these territories.
God's Supernatural Power
In the fourth place, as our author dealt with the initial boundaries of Israel's territories, he also drew attention to God's supernatural power. In the section dealing with Cisjordan, God said, in 13:6, "I myself will drive [the remaining Canaanites] out from before the people of Israel." And in the episode dealing with Transjordan, he noted that possession of these lands resulted from supernatural victories that God had granted Moses. In 13:10, he referred to the well-known miraculous victory over "Sihon king of the Amorites." And in verse 12, he recalled the miraculous victory over "Og in Bashan."
Both of these episodes indicated to the original audience that they must put their hope in divine intervention on their behalf. Only then could they realistically hope to gain and hold their inheritance in Cisjordan and Transjordan.
All Israel
In the fifth place, the record of Israel's initial boundaries also focused on the participation of all Israel. Joshua 13:7 notes that Cisjordan was to be divided among "the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh." Joshua 13:8 mentions that Transjordan was the inheritance of "the other half of the tribe of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites." To highlight the theme of all Israel even further, 13:14 also mentions the special inheritance of the tribe of Levi.
As he stressed time and again, our author made it clear to his original audience that the tribes of Israel must stand together. The unity of the people of God was essential to establishing their presence throughout the initial boundaries on both sides of the Jordan.
Having seen the initial boundaries of Israel's tribal inheritances, we should turn to our second main topic in this lesson: the specific allotments of inheritances to each tribe. How were these lands apportioned?
SPECIFIC ALLOTMENTS
In this part of his book, our author went beyond identifying Israel's boundaries and focused on the particular portions assigned to specific tribes. As we're about to see, these allotments were problematic because some tribes received larger and better inheritances than others. Not surprisingly, the books of Judges, Samuel and Kings tell us that these disparities led to all kinds of distrust, abuse, division, even war among the tribes. To help his original audience deal with these kinds of troubles, our author called for them to respect the specific tribal allotments that God had established in the days of Joshua.
We'll look at our author's presentation of the specific allotments of Israel's inheritance in our usual way. First, we'll examine its basic structure and content, and second, we'll explore its original meaning. Let's turn first to the structure and content of this part of Joshua.
Structure and Content
The record of Israel's specific tribal allotments, in 13:15–21:45, can be confusing. It contains long lists of peoples, regions, cities, towns and villages, interspersed with a number of brief stories and quick asides. To grasp the main ideas in all of this variety, it helps to see that it divides into two main parts: the tribal allotments Moses directed in Transjordan, in 13:15-33, and a much larger record of the tribal allotments that Joshua directed in Cisjordan in 14:1–21:45.
The record of tribal allotments in Transjordan is rather short. It begins with the tribe of Reuben in 13:15-23. The tribe of Gad appears in verses 24-28. And the half-tribe of Manasseh's allotment in Transjordan follows in verses 29-31. Then, our author closed this section, as he did the preceding section, by mentioning the special inheritance of the tribe of Levi in verses 32, 33.
Because the tribe of Levi was chosen as the tribe that served and executed the service of the priesthood for the entire nation of Israel, the tribe did not receive any land inheritance. It's said in Joshua 13 that God was their inheritance. Because of this, the tribe of Levi was excluded from the allotments among the twelve tribes of Israel, and the portion the tribe of Levi received was the offerings that were made by the Israelites — the gifts and tithes given by the entire nation of Israel. [Rev. Henryk Turkanik, translation]
In these verses, the author of Joshua carefully delineated which portions of lands to the east of the Jordan were allotted to Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. From a large-scale perspective, these allotments may seem clear enough, but for these tribes, the divisions were not as straightforward. Overlapping territories and disagreements over borders made our author explain in some detail to whom specific regions, and even towns and villages, belonged.
When modern Christians read chapters 13–22 in the book of Joshua, they encounter something that does not really capture our imagination, and that is these long lists of boundaries for this tribe and that tribe, and this tribe had these cities and those tribes had those cities, and so on and so on it goes. In fact, sometimes when people read these as modern people, they look at it and say, "What in the world does this have to do with religion?" or "What's this have to do with faith at all?" Well, in the original setting of the book of Joshua, it had a great deal to do with the faith of Israel and their walk with God as individual tribes and as a unified people, because we have to remember that God, as the king, had given or allocated places in the world where each of the twelve tribes of Israel were to exist. It was to be their permanent inheritance, something that they were to hold onto and was to actually be the orientation, their homeland, their piece of the homeland for the entire nation of Israel. [Dr. Richard L. Pratt, Jr.]
Following this, our author gave a much longer record of the specific tribal allotments Joshua made in Cisjordan. These materials divide into six main sections.
Opening Summary
They begin in 14:1-5 with a brief opening summary of Joshua's actions and how they reflected what Moses had already done in Transjordan. This section also notes more than once that Joshua's assignments of inheritances in Cisjordan were in accordance with the will of God.
Closing Summary
In balance with this first portion, the record of allotments in Cisjordan ends with a closing summary in 21:43-45. Our author explained in 21:43 that all the tribes "took possession of [their lands], and they settled there." And to indicate to his audience how ideal the situation was, our author closed this entire section in verse 45 with the declaration that "Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass."
In Joshua 13–22, we find the realization of God's covenant promises to Israel, because in those chapters we find the land apportionment to the various of the twelve tribes. And particularly noteworthy is 21:45, that not one of God's promises had failed, pointing the reader back to what God had promised to Abraham, to give him a place, to make him a people, and to be present among his people. And when the land is fully apportioned, we now see Israel resting in the Promised Land that God had promised Abraham long ago, starting back in Genesis 12. [Rev. Mike Glodo]
Judah
Four main sections stand between these two bookends. They begin with Judah, Israel's most prominent tribe, in 14:6–15:63. According to these verses, Judah received a very large inheritance, stretching southward to the Negev and toward the boundary of Edom. To the west, the border reached the land of Philistia and extended along the coast of the Mediterranean as far as the Wadi of Egypt. It reached northward along the Mediterranean coast slightly north of Jerusalem — or "Jebus" as it was called at the time — and to the east as far as the Dead Sea.
It's understandable why our author placed Judah's allotment first in this list and highlighted how much Judah had received. According to Genesis 49:8-12, Judah was destined to be the royal tribe of Israel. Our author highlighted the honor given to Judah, first, by providing a short narrative about the lands given to the prominent Judahite warrior, Caleb. Then, he went on to mention by name some 126 towns and villages in Judah's territory — far more than he listed for any other tribe.
Ephraim & Manasseh
After the record of Judah's southern allotment in Cisjordan, we find a second lengthy record, the prominent allotments given to the tribes of Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh in chapters 16, 17.
Ephraim and Manasseh received a great deal of land in the northern regions of Canaan. Their allotment extended from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, with Ephraim south of Manasseh. These territories were among the most fertile in all of the Promised Land. In addition to this, you'll recall that half of the tribe of Manasseh had already been given land to the east of the Jordan.
It's no wonder that these tribes received the honor of possessing such a large and rich portion of Israel's inheritance. As Genesis 48, 49 explain, Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph's sons. And Joseph was greatly honored because he was so faithful to God in Egypt. He replaced Reuben as Jacob's firstborn and received the firstborn's double inheritance through his two sons.
So, Ephraim and Manasseh are Joseph's sons. They're not sons of Jacob — Jacob being the man who got his name changed to Israel — and Jacob had these twelve sons. One of them, Joseph, was sold as a slave in Egypt. And then another, Levi, he was sort of withdrawn from the count of the twelve when the Lord decided to take for himself the tribe of Levi instead of all the firstborn of the people of Israel… And then the blessing of Jacob, he went to bless the sons of Joseph, and he articulated his blessing over Ephraim and Manasseh, and it's as though those two take the place in the numbering of Levi and Joseph. And so, when they go to divide up the land, apportion the land among the twelve tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh each receive an allotment of land, a tribal inheritance… And then, Joseph is represented in his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. [Dr. James M. Hamilton]
Chapter 16 begins with a brief overview of all of Joseph's lands in Cisjordan, and then gives specific details about the tribe of Ephraim. Following this, in chapter 17, the narrative moves to the tribe of Manasseh, including the story of Zelophehad's daughters' land inheritance from Numbers 27. And this section concludes with Joshua's explanation of why Ephraim and Manasseh received more land due to their large numbers.
The prominence given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh is striking because these tribes caused all sorts of troubles by the time our book was written. But our author indicated that, despite this history, Israel should acknowledge how God had honored the tribes of Joseph.
Minor Tribes
After dealing with the land allotments to the prominent tribes of Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh, our author turned to the minor tribes in chapters 18, 19. He began in 18:1-10 with a narrative of how Joshua called for representatives of each tribe to survey these lands. And he closed in 19:49-51 with a story indicating that the tribes approved of these arrangements because they gave Joshua his own special family inheritance.
Between these opening and closing narratives, our author recorded the allotments for Israel's minor tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan. Although these tribes received inheritances, they didn't receive nearly as much as Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh. And, in later times, these lesser tribes had difficulties maintaining their lands. Our author himself mentioned in 19:9 that the inheritance of Simeon was actually "in the midst of Judah's inheritance," a fact that eventually led to the assimilation of Simeon into Judah. And he also noted in 19:47 that "the territory of the people of Dan was lost to them" — a story we read in Judges 18. Knowing that these and other instabilities troubled the minor tribes, our author wrote to insure that his audience acknowledged these allotments.
Levi
Joshua's allotments in Cisjordan also include a record of the tribe of Levi in chapters 20, 21. The author of Joshua began his record of the tribe of Levi by naming the cities of refuge in 20:1-9. According to Exodus 21:12-14 and Deuteronomy 19:1-13, these cities offered protection for those who committed unintentional homicide until Israel's courts could determine their guilt or innocence. Following this, in chapter 21, our author listed the Levitical cities in general, following Moses' instructions in Numbers 35:6-34.
The cities of refuge and other Levitical cities were scattered throughout the territories of other tribes in the land of Israel. This made it possible for the Levites to lead every tribe in God's service. Unfortunately, these allotments were easily forgotten in times of trouble. But the author of Joshua insisted that his audience must remember them because the service of the Levites was so crucial to the well-being of the nation.
With the structure and content of these specific tribal allotments in mind, we should briefly summarize the original meaning of these chapters.
Original Meaning
Modern audiences often have difficulty appreciating the geographical details that the author of Joshua included in these chapters. But his call wasn't just for Israel to secure their initial national inheritance. He also called them to recognize the specific status and differences God had established for each tribe so that they could move forward in furthering the spread of God's kingdom.
In his usual style, our author wove his five recurring themes into his record of Israel's specific tribal allotments.
Divine Authority
In the first place, he stressed the divine authority that directed the distribution of lands among the tribes. In his record of allotments in Transjordan, our author remarked four times — in 13:8, 15, 24 and 29 — that these were the divisions of lands that Moses, God's divinely-authorized leader, had given them.
Our author also indicated the divine authority behind the tribal allotments in Cisjordan. In his opening summary, in 14:1, he wrote that "Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of … the tribes" established the divisions of the land. He made the same point in his record of Ephraim and Manasseh in 17:4. And we see this again in his discussion of the minor tribes in 19:51, and in his treatment of the tribe of Levi in 21:1.
In addition to this, our author introduced the inheritance of the tribe of Levi in 20:1 in his customary way, saying, "Then the Lord said to Joshua…" The implications for anyone in the original audience were clear enough. Dissatisfaction with these specific tribal allotments amounted to dissatisfaction with what God had directed.
God's Covenant
In the second place, as the author of Joshua dealt with Israel's specific tribal allotments, he also emphasized that these divisions were based on God's covenant. The author repeatedly referred to the portions of land allotted to the tribes as their "inheritance," using the Hebrew word, nachalah. As we mentioned before, this term was closely tied to God's covenants with Abraham and Moses. In 13:32, he called the Transjordan lands Israel's "inheritances." In verse 33, he identified the Levites' special portion as their "inheritance." In his opening summary of allotments in Cisjordan, he used the term "inheritance" in 14:1, 2 and 3. He also spoke of Judah's land as an "inheritance" in 14:9, 13, and 15:20. He did the same with Ephraim and Manasseh in 16:4 and seven more times. And he called the minor tribes' allotments an "inheritance" some seventeen times. And in his last account of the tribe of Levi, in 21:3, he spoke of how each tribe gave towns and pasturelands to the Levites from their "inheritance." Finally, in his closing summary of this section, in 21:43, our author wrote that God had given Israel, "all the land that he swore to give to their fathers." All of these references made it clear that these specific tribal allotments were rooted in God's covenant. And if anyone neglected them, they neglected the sacred promise of God to his people as their covenant Lord.
Standard of Moses' Law
In the third place, in his report of Israel's specific tribal allotments, the author of Joshua also stressed obedience to the standard of Moses' law. This emphasis is most clearly seen in his treatment of Cisjordan. His opening summary states, in 14:2, that Joshua acted "as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses." And 14:5 adds that the Israelites divided the land "as the Lord commanded Moses." In 17:4, Zelophehad's daughters appealed to what "the Lord commanded Moses." The account of the tribe of Levi mentions in 20:2 that Israel was to follow what God had spoken to them "through Moses." And, according to the closing summary, in 21:2, 8, cities were assigned to the tribe of Levi as "commanded through Moses."
Our author's appeal to the standard of Moses' law in these chapters called all generations of Israel to observe these divisions of the land. To violate them was to bring the curses of God on his people. To observe them was to bring his blessings.
God's Supernatural Power
In the fourth place, these chapters also acknowledge that Israel's specific tribal allotments were confirmed by God's supernatural power. The record of allocations in Transjordan mentions the miraculous defeat of King Sihon in 13:10, 27. And we read of Balaam's killing in 13:22, and of the victory over Og in Bashan in 13:31. All of these events recalled God's supernatural activity in Transjordan.
In addition, our author's record of allotments in Cisjordan repeatedly refers to casting lots to indicate God's supernatural involvement. As passages like Numbers 36:2 and Proverbs 16:33 explain, casting lots was one of the ways God supernaturally revealed his will to Israel. The opening summary of Cisjordan mentions casting lots in 14:2. And casting lots appears in the allotments to the minor tribes some eleven times. Israel also cast lots for the inheritance of the tribe of Levi in 21:4, 10.
Our author's purpose for these repeated notices of God's supernatural involvement is not difficult to discern. Members of the original audience may have been tempted to deviate from these tribal allotments. But time and again our author demonstrated that these allotments were not to be violated because God himself established them.
It is interesting in Joshua that they actually cast lots to see who got what land, and I think this shows that it was in God's hands, that there wasn't going to be any inequality, even with Joshua choosing who gets what, but it's God's giving this to them. And by casting lots it is pointing to the significance that, again, this is God and his people, and God's giving this to his people in fairness. And there is this idea, I think, that needs to be understood, that God will uphold the property rights of these people, and inheritance is very important for them. And it's interesting also that this land will not go… no one can lose this land forever, that if they even sell off their land there comes a point where there's a Jubilee where the land has to be returned. And so, all of this is tied to the fact that this is their inheritance from God, that this is their right given by God, and God is upholding these boundaries and that no one, not even a king, can come along and say, "This isn't your land." Kings tried to, but not by law, they couldn't do that because it was God's gift to them and their inheritance from him as his people. [Dr. T. J. Betts]
All Israel
In the fifth place, like earlier chapters in the book, these chapters on Israel's specific tribal allotments also stress the inclusion of all Israel. We can see this emphasis in the way the record of allotments in Transjordan specifies lands for each tribe to the east of the Jordan. The record of allotments in Cisjordan does the same. It not only reports what was given to the tribes of Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh, but also what was given to the minor tribes. And beyond this, it even specifies the cities devoted to the tribe of Levi.
Our author's detailed attention to all of the tribes of Israel reinforced his firm belief that all Israel must reside in the Promised Land. By the time our book was written, some tribes had been absorbed by others. Other tribes had lost territories to enemies here and there. And by the time the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and the Babylonians conquered Judah, only a remnant of the people of God remained in their tribal inheritances. But our author insisted on an ideal for which every Israelite should strive. All of Israel was to have its rightful portion of the Promised Land.
We've examined how the book of Joshua deals with Israel's tribal inheritances by reviewing the initial boundaries of their inheritance and the specific allotments to particular tribes. Now, let's turn to the third major step in our lesson: Israel's national unity.
NATIONAL UNITY
Time and again through the centuries the tribes of Israel divided and turned against each other. And our author knew that Israel could not move forward in expanding God's kingdom unless the tribes stood together as one people. To address this issue, our author closed this division of his book with a time when severe conflict threatened the national unity of Israel in Joshua's day.
As we've seen a number of times, the book of Joshua repeatedly draws attention to a major, natural divide that existed between the tribes of Israel in Transjordan and Cisjordan. This geographical division was problematic in Joshua's day because it nearly led to a war between the tribes on either side of the Jordan. So, as our author closed the second division on Israel's tribal inheritances, he recalled how Joshua led the tribes in Transjordan and Cisjordan to remain united. These events illustrated how his original audience should resolve similar tensions in their own day.
We'll follow our same pattern as we explore Israel's national unity by looking first at the structure and content of this section, and then at its original meaning. Consider first the structure and content of this chapter.
Structure and Content
The account of Israel's national unity in chapter 22 is a rather straightforward narrative that unfolds in five main steps. It begins in verses 1-10 with the dramatic problem of the construction of an altar by the tribes of Transjordan.
Construction of Altar
After Israel's victories in Cisjordan, Joshua sent the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh back to their inheritances east of the Jordan. He warned them to remain faithful to God. As they travelled, the Transjordan tribes built a large, imposing altar near the Jordan River. When the tribes of Cisjordan heard about this, they assumed the altar had been erected as a substitute for the Lord's altar at the Tabernacle of Moses.
Threat of War
The tension of the narrative increases in verses 11-14 with the rise of the threat of war. Fearful that the altar erected by the Transjordan tribes would bring God's anger on all of Israel, the Cisjordan tribes made plans to attack. But, in an attempt to avoid war, they first sent a delegation of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, and ten chief men to confront the tribes of Transjordan.
Confrontation
The lengthy turning point of our story, in verses 15-31, reports the confrontation between this delegation and the Transjordan tribes. The delegation warned that the newly-constructed altar violated God's command to sacrifice only at the Tabernacle. But the leaders from Transjordan passionately explained that they had not built their altar for sacrifice. Rather, it was a symbol of their unity with the other tribes because they feared that the other tribes would reject them from the nation. In response, the delegation rejoiced because the Transjordan tribes had not been unfaithful to the Lord.
Cessation of the Threat
The falling action of the narrative appears in verses 32, 33 with the cessation of the threat of war. The delegation reported on what they had learned, and the tribes in Cisjordan praised God and immediately stopped speaking of war.
Naming of Altar
Then the final resolution of the dramatic tension of the story appears in verse 34 with the naming of the altar. The Transjordan tribes demonstrated their intentions by naming their altar at the Jordan, "Witness." As they explained, "[I]t is a witness between us that the Lord is God." By doing this, the Transjordan tribes confirmed their honorable motives, their intentions to sacrifice only at the Tabernacle and their commitment to the national unity of Israel.
With the basic structure and content of this narrative about Israel's national unity in mind, we should make a few comments on its original meaning.
Original Meaning
It isn't difficult to see why our author closed this division of his book with the narrative of chapter 22. This story explains how the tribes were able to maintain their unity, even in the face of tremendous potential for conflict. The tribes of Cisjordan rightly prepared to punish the tribes of Transjordan for what they though was flagrant rebellion against God. But they wisely investigated the situation and gladly rejoiced in their national unity in the worship of God. These events charted a course for the original audience to follow whenever similar conflicts arose among the tribes of Israel.
We can see that our author designed his narrative about national unity to guide future generations by noting the same five themes we've seen many times in his book.
Divine Authority
In the first place, the theme of divine authority appears in the construction of an altar. In 22:1, we learn that it was Joshua, God's ordained leader, who called for the tribes of Transjordan to return to their allotted lands. And more than this, in the rise of the threat of war we see in verse 13 that the divinely-ordained authority, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest led the delegation from Cisjordan.
Our author drew attention to Joshua and Phinehas to shape his audience's outlooks on this story. They were not to treat this as a record of irrelevant events in the past. Instead, the participation of divinely-ordained authorities called them to apply these events appropriately to uphold national unity in their own day.
God's Covenant
In the second place, the story of national unity in chapter 22 also touches on God's covenant. This theme comes to the foreground especially in the confrontation between the delegation from Cisjordan and the tribes of Transjordan. As we read in verses 25, 27, the Transjordan tribes didn't want the other tribes to say, "You have no portion in the Lord." The word "portion" translates the Hebrew term cheleq. And, as passages like Joshua 18:7 and 19:9 illustrate, our author closely connected cheleq with the word "inheritance," or nachalah. As we've seen a number of times in this series, the term "inheritance" was commonly associated with God's covenants with Abraham and Moses. So, the Transjordan tribes wanted to ensure that the tribes west of the Jordan treated them as full heirs of the covenant promises given to their ancestors.
The author of Joshua drew attention to these matters to impress his call for national unity on his original audience. He insisted that his original audience must never lose sight of the fact that all the tribes of Israel — north, south, east and west — had a portion in the Promised Land that was rooted in God's covenant with Israel.
Standard of Moses' Law
In the third place, our author's account of Israel's national unity also highlights the standard of Moses' law. In the opening step of the narrative, Joshua warned the tribes of Transjordan, in 22:5, "[B]e very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses … commanded you." In the confrontation between the tribes, the delegation from Cisjordan warned in verse 19, "[D]o not rebel against the Lord or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar." To do so was to violate Moses' law. And in verse 29, the tribes of Transjordan affirmed the standard of Moses' law when they exclaimed, "Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord."
Our author's focus on the law of Moses raised a crucial qualification for the pursuit of national unity. As important as it was for his audience to seek the unity of the nation, they were to do so only in accordance with the regulations of Moses' law.
God's Supernatural Power
In the fourth place, the narrative of national unity also draws attention to God's supernatural power. This theme appears especially in the confrontation between the delegation from Cisjordan and the tribes of Transjordan. In verse 17, the delegation warned of God's power to curse them by reminding the Transjordan tribes that "there came a plague upon the congregation of the Lord" when Israel sinned at Peor. And by contrast, once Phinehas heard the Transjordan tribes' explanation, he acknowledged the supernatural blessing of God in verse 31, where he said, "Today we know that the Lord is in our midst."
These references to God's supernatural curses and blessings reminded the original audience that the call to national unity in their day was no mere human affair. As in the days of Joshua, they also would experience God's curses and blessings as they pursued, or failed to pursue, the goal of national unity.
All Israel
In the fifth place, it shouldn't surprise us to find that this narrative on national unity also highlights the theme of all Israel. The tone is set in the first step of the story when Joshua referred to the Israelites on both sides of the Jordan as "brothers" in verses 3, 7 and 8. In the confrontation, the delegation acknowledged, in verses 17, 20, that the sin of some in Israel could bring God's wrath against the whole congregation of Israel. And in verse 34, the entire narrative ends with a declaration of the unity of Israel's faith when the altar is named, "a witness between us that the Lord is God."
The author of Joshua made it clear that the tensions between Israel's tribes in Joshua's day were resolved because of deep commitments to the unity of Israel's tribes. And he did this to call his original audience to the same level of commitment to national unity in their day as well.
So far in our lesson we've seen how our author's account of Israel's tribal inheritances deals with the initial boundaries of the land, the specific allotments of inheritances to the tribes of Israel, and the establishment of national unity among the tribes. Now we're in a position to turn to our last consideration in this lesson, the Christian application of this division of our book.
CHRISTIAN APPLICATION
The many details of this division of the book of Joshua were designed to give very practical guidance to the original audience. Our author addressed how crucial it was for his audience to secure the initial inheritances their ancestors had received. He explained how they should value the specific allotments God had given to each tribe. And he called on them to emulate how Israel maintained national unity in Joshua's day. But how do we apply these practical lessons about Israel's tribal inheritances to ourselves? Simply put, we have to remember that what happened in Joshua's time was only one step toward the much greater fulfillment of God's inheritance for his people in Christ.
We'll deal with Christian application of this division of Joshua in the light of how Christ fulfills Israel's tribal inheritances in the three phases of his kingdom: its inauguration in his first advent, its continuation throughout church history and its consummation at his second advent. Consider first how we should apply Israel's tribal inheritances in light of the inauguration of Christ's kingdom.
Inauguration
When Christ inaugurated his messianic kingdom in his first advent, Israel had spent hundreds of years scattered far from the Promised Land. Even those who had returned to Palestine lived under the tyranny of one Gentile nation after another. But the faithful in Israel never lost hope for regaining their inheritance in the Promised Land. And they looked forward to the time when their inheritance would expand to include the entire world under the rule of their Messiah.
God's promise of a land to Israel goes back to the Garden. God gave a commission to humankind in the Garden to subdue, not just the Garden, but the whole earth. And so, what we see in the gift of land is, again, this echo of the promise to take dominion over the whole earth, to spread the borders of God's kingdom. And we start to get a glimpse of that in the Davidic kingship in Psalm 2 and Psalm 72 — "Ask of me and I will give you the nations" — or in Isaiah's vision that Israel's role was to be a blessing to all the nations, echoing the Abrahamic covenant that, "I will bless you, and through you I will bless all the families of the earth." And so, in Isaiah 2, we read how the nations will stream to Israel and her witness to Christ, or to the Messiah. So, what we see in Jesus' ministry when he comes is that he restores Israel to that role to be a light to the nations. And so, at the end of Matthew's gospel he says, "Go, and tell all the nations everything that I have commanded you; disciple them in all that I have done for you and with you." And then we see in the book of Acts how "you'll be my witnesses," again, echoing Isaiah 43: "Go, and tell that there's only one Savior for all the nations." And so, the land represents the whole earth and God's dominion over the whole earth. [Dr. Greg Perry]
The New Testament explains that Jesus' first advent was a major step toward fulfilling this hope. As Hebrews 1:2 explains, God appointed Jesus as the "heir of all things." Or as Paul put it in Romans 4:13, Jesus is the "heir of the world." And more than this, as passages like Galatians 3:29 tell us, "If you are Christ's, then you are … heirs according to promise." In the words of Romans 8:17, we are "heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ."
This is why the four gospels report that Jesus ministered throughout the boundaries of Israel's tribal inheritances that had been allotted in Joshua's day. He and his disciples ministered both in the northern and southern territories of Cisjordan. And, on occasion, they ministered in Transjordan as well. All the while, Jesus gathered to himself a faithful remnant from the tribes of Israel who would inherit the earth with him. And beyond this, the newly-ascended Christ gathered into Jerusalem representatives of the tribes of Israel who began to follow him "from every nation under heaven," as Acts 2:5 tells us.
But overall, the most important connection between Israel's inheritance and the inauguration of Christ's kingdom is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church that began on the day of Pentecost. In Ephesians 1:14, the apostle Paul referred to the Holy Spirit as "the guarantee of our inheritance." And in 2 Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5, Paul also called him "a guarantee." But to understand why Paul viewed the Spirit as a deposit — or as the first installment of our future inheritance in Christ — we need to recall that, according to Genesis 1:2, it was the Spirit who brought order to creation in the beginning. And Old Testament prophecies, like Isaiah 44:3, 4, explain that the Spirit of God will also bring about the renewal of creation in the days of the Messiah. In effect, the gift of the Holy Spirit to Christ's church is the foretaste of this renewed creation. He is the portion of our worldwide inheritance granted in the inauguration of Christ's kingdom as we wait for the consummation of all things in Christ's return.
For this reason, the major themes that appear repeatedly in this portion of Joshua give us opportunities to reflect on the foretaste of our inheritance in the Holy Spirit. Much like Joshua distributed Israel's inheritance in the Promised Land with divine authority, Jesus and his apostles and prophets distributed believers' inheritance in the Spirit with divine authority as well. Just as Joshua's distribution of lands was based in God's covenant, Jesus' distribution of the Holy Spirit to God's people was in fulfillment of the new covenant in Christ. Israel's inheritance under Joshua accorded with the standard of Moses' law, and the distribution of the Spirit was the result of Christ's perfect obedience to Moses' law, in the light of God's further revelation after Moses' time. Israel's inheritance depended on God's supernatural power, and the New Testament makes it clear that during Jesus' first advent, even greater supernatural power was at work in the distribution of the Holy Spirit. And the ideal of all Israel's inclusion in Joshua's day was expanded during the inauguration. Not only the faithful remnant of Israel, but also the Gentile believers received the deposit of Christ's inheritance in the Holy Spirit.
Having touched on how Christian application of Israel's tribal inheritances should turn us toward the inauguration of Christ's kingdom, we should also look at how it applies to the continuation of his kingdom throughout church history.
Continuation
Between Jesus' first and second advents, Christ continues to bless his people with foretastes of the world to come through his Spirit. And much like the book of Joshua called Israel to move forward by securing the Promised Land, the New Testament calls us to move forward in the Holy Spirit. We are to "walk by the Spirit," according to Galatians 5:16, and to "be filled with the Spirit," according to Ephesians 5:18. In addition, much like the original audience of Joshua was to acknowledge the specific allotments of every tribe, followers of Christ are to acknowledge something similar in the Spirit. As 1 Corinthians 12:4 teaches, "[T]here are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit." Moreover, the original audience of Joshua was called to seek unity as they lived together in the inheritance of the Promised Land. And, in Ephesians 4:3, the apostle Paul called Christ's followers to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit."
In this light, every time we encounter the five major themes of this division of Joshua we have opportunities to discern how we are to live for Christ day by day. Just as Joshua acknowledged the divine authority behind Israel's inheritance, we are to acknowledge divine authority in Christ by seeking our inheritance in the Spirit and not in the things of this world. As Israel's right to their initial inheritance was based on God's covenant, we can be confident that the Spirit seals us for the day of redemption because of the new covenant in Christ. As Israel received their initial inheritance in submission to the standard of Moses' law, we live in the inheritance of the Spirit as Moses' law is applied in the light of New Testament revelation. As Israel's inheritance was granted by God's supernatural power, our inheritance is poured out by the power of God's Spirit. And as all Israel had a share in their national inheritance, Christ's followers from every tribe and nation on earth share the same inheritance in the Spirit.
Christian application of Israel's tribal inheritances not only looks back at what Christ did in the inauguration of his kingdom, and at our current circumstances during the continuation of his kingdom, it also strengthens our hopes for the inheritance we'll receive at the consummation of his kingdom.
Consummation
According to Revelation 21:1, you and I have the sure hope that when Jesus returns he will rule over "a new heaven and a new earth." The fallen creation will be refined by fire, evil will be eliminated, and the kingdom of God will extend throughout creation. But this new creation will not only belong to Christ. In Revelation 21:7 we learn that on that great day God will declare, "The one who conquers will have this heritage." As the people of God, the new creation will be our eternal inheritance.
The theme of national inheritance in the book of Joshua is an important topic and has many applications for us as Christians today, because the promise of the land was only partially fulfilled in the days of Joshua. That is, the land which the Lord promised Abraham was not geographically limited to the land of Canaan, as we see in the book of Joshua. We read in Romans 4:13: "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith." Here Paul tells us that Abraham will inherit the world — the entire world! … And these promises are fulfilled to the Gentiles too, who aren't the offspring of Abraham in the flesh, but receive these promises by faith in Christ, who is himself Abraham's offspring. So, what Abraham received and what Israel received in the days of Joshua was a small picture of a greater, larger, and more complete land that God promised to Abraham, fulfilled in Christ, and will completely fulfill in Christ's second coming. Eventually, when Christ comes back he won't only reign in Canaan, but he will reign and inherit the whole earth — the new earth and the new heavens — and we will reign with Christ forever. [Rev. Sherif Gendy, translation]
For this reason, the five main themes in this division of Joshua turn our eyes toward the hope we have in the consummation of Christ's kingdom. As divine authority undergirded what Joshua did in his day, Jesus will do God's bidding perfectly and fully when he returns in glory. As Israel's inheritance was secured by God's covenant, our final inheritance is secured by the new covenant in Christ. As Joshua distributed Israel's inheritance in accordance with the standard of Moses' law, every follower of Christ will be fully conformed to the image of Christ and will fulfill the standard of all divine revelation in the world to come. As Israel's possession of its inheritance resulted from God's supernatural power, God will display his power as never before when Christ returns. And as Israel's inheritance included all Israel, everyone that is in Christ will receive their eternal inheritance in the world to come.
CONCLUSION
In this lesson, we've explored Israel's tribal inheritances in the second major division of the book of Joshua. We've seen how our author gave priority to the initial boundaries of Israel's inheritance by describing Israel's land in both Cisjordan and Transjordan. We've also considered the specific tribal allotments distributed in Joshua's day in both Transjordan and Cisjordan. And we've seen that our author promoted national unity among all the tribes of Israel by describing how Israel remained unified in Joshua's day. Finally, we've looked at Christian application of this division of Joshua in light of the inauguration, continuation and consummation of Christ's kingdom.
The author of Joshua impressed on his audience how important it was for them to affirm what God had accomplished under Joshua's leadership. And today, we must do the same as followers of Christ. We know that Jesus has already secured our eternal inheritance. Day by day, we live with the foretaste of this inheritance in the Holy Spirit. And we look forward to the day when Christ will return in glory. On that day, he will take his rightful place as the heir of all things and he will distribute the great inheritance of the new creation to all who have trusted in him for all eternity.