It is amazing when you consider that God spends several chapters in Joshua laying out the inheritance, laying out the promise land to each tribe of Israel. I am pulling from memory here but the best I can remember the Kingdom was its largest under Solomon, but even then they DID NOT occupy all the land God gave Israel as an inheritance. Richards does a great job below of summarizing chapters 13-19.
Though large areas of Canaan remain unoccupied, it is time for Joshua to divide the land among the nine and a half tribes who will settle west of the Jordan (13:1–7). The text reviews the inheritance of the Transjordan tribes (vv. 8–33). Then Joshua gives a detailed description of the allotment of the other tribes in Canaan proper (14:1–19:51). But first Joshua tells of the request of that grand old warrior, Caleb, who 45 years earlier spied out Canaan with Joshua and urged Israel to take the land then (cf. Num. 14). Caleb, now 85, asks for Hebron, a fertile but strongly fortified hilltop site occupied by Anakites (giants). “The Lord helping me,” Caleb proclaims, “I will drive them out” (14:6–15). The spirit of Caleb, which has enabled Israel to triumph over the Canaanites, will permit each tribe to occupy all its territory as its population expands, if only Israel will continue to trust. [TRUST GOD!]
Key verse. 18:6: Land division was not by chance, for God controlled the lot. [our inheritance in Jesus is not by chance it is from the hand of God]
Personal application. David reflects on God’s sovereignty in his life in Psalm 16, saying, “Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup … The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” Let us rejoice in the good God gives us. Richards, L. O. (1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). The Bible readers companion (electronic ed.) (152). Wheaton: Victord Books.
Hang on to the thought of the inheritance for a moment. Do you remember in 2 Kings 6:13-17, the king of Aram was ticked at Elisha and sent an army against him? Do you remember what happened? "So the king said, “Go and see where he is, so I can send ⌊men⌋ to capture him.” When he was told, “Elisha is in Dothan,” 14 he sent horses, chariots, and a massive army there. They went by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what are we to do?” 16 Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “Lord, please open his eyes and let him see.” So the Lord opened the servant’s eyes. He looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
You might be wondering what this has to do with Israel's inheritance? Hang on a little longer:)
Paul prays a similar prayer for the church at Ephesus.
Eph 1:17-23 ⌊I pray⌋ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 ⌊I pray⌋ that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. 20 He demonstrated ⌊this power⌋ in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens — 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.
In Luke 18:41 Jesus asked the blind man, "what do you want me to do for you?" "Lord, I want to see!" "Receive your sight, your faith has healed you." Elisha prays that his servants eyes will be opened to see the spiritual realm, what was the result of his prayer being answered...he was very encouraged! Paul prays and asks that our eyes be opened...what is he hoping for in us...that we will be gloriously encouraged as WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE WERE DEAD IN OUR SINS and trespasses and that through Jesus and the resurrection power of God we have been made alive together with Christ and we are NOW seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Paul knows that if we see the inheritance God has for us in Christ Jesus and if we understand spiritually that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us giving us newness of life in Jesus, he knows that if we see it we will be free from the cords of this world. He knows that if we see it with our spiritual eyes we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, to "lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us Heb 12:1."
Can you see that this is what happened to Zacchaeus? Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes sure to tell us that "he was rich." It was only in the last chapter that Jesus told us that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus reminds the disciples that all things are possible with God!
Don't miss this, it is no accident that a blind man receives sight and then a rich man named Zacchaeus receives spiritual sight! How else can you explain the radical transformation.
Luke 19:5-9 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully. 7 All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to lodge with a sinful man!” 8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much!” 9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham.
Mark what is your point in all this? I'm glad you asked:) The point is you and I have been given an INHERITANCE...AN UNBELIEVALBE INHERITANCE...AND IF YOU ARE REALLY SAVED, TWICE BORN, AN ADOPTED CHILD OF THE KING you also have a deposit. This deposit is a guarantee of what is to come. If you backup just a few verses in Ephesians you will see this...Eph 1:14 He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory. Who is HE, HE is the Holy Spirit! So we have the very presence of God in us, Christ in us the hope of glory, as a deposit of what is to come.
YOU AND I AS GOD'S CHILDREN ARE RICH BEYOND OUR WILDEST DREAMS AND WE LIVE IN SPIRITUAL POVERTY BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE! LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR FUTURE! HE HAS CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT...WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, HE IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants and those inhabitants became a trap and a snare to them. Be killing sin or sin will be killing you. You cannot have pet sins...THEY WILL GAIN POWER IN YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE AND KILL YOU!
OH GOD, FATHER IN HEAVEN OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE THE WONDERFUL INHERITANCE WE HAVE IN YOU. JESUS...WHAT DO I WANT YOU TO DO FOR ME? LORD, I WANT TO SEE! BY THE FILLING OF YOUR SPIRIT ENABLE ME, ENABLE US TO LIVE THE LIFE YOU DIED FOR US TO LIVE...FOR YOUR GLORY AND OUR JOY IN YOU!
love,
m