Asking for Inheritance

INTRO

We’re going to talk about land allotment today. Yesterday, we looked at Caleb’s request for his promised land of Hebron. Joshua 13—19 focus on the land allotments given to each of the tribes of Israel. Judah’s land allotment, in chapter 15, was the most extensive. Since Reuben, the oldest son, messed up and slept with his father’s concubine, he lost his firstborn rights. The next two sons, Simeon and Levi, also messed up when they massacred the Shechemites. Genesis 34 records these actions as a “stench on the land.” The fourth son, Judah, was given the right to rule as the next in line (Genesis 49:8–12). Judah’s kingship rule will go on forever until the Messiah comes.

TEACHING

Joshua 15:1–12: Borders were important because it was an issue of stewardship—taking care of the land they had been given and protecting that land from outside invaders. Judah’s southern border was at the northern tip of the Dead Sea and ran to the border with Egypt to the south, the southernmost tribe of Israel. The eastern border was along the Dead Sea. The northern border began at the mouth of the Jordan River and ended at the Mediterranean Sea.

Joshua 15:13–19: Caleb asked for the land promised to him, land that still had giants in it (Joshua 14). Caleb drove out the giants and then marched against Debir. Caleb promised to give his daughter in marriage to the person who captured Kiriath-sepher (the father of Anak). Othniel, either Caleb’s nephew or youngest brother, took the challenge and captured Kiriath-sepher and then married Caleb’s daughter Achsah. Othniel later became one of Israel’s judges.¹In some sense, Caleb’s son-in-law became the leader and deliverer after Joshua (Judges 3:9). Caleb’s daughter Achsah persuaded her husband to ask Caleb for a blessing of springs of water.

Hess notes that Achsah’s request for springs is reminiscent of Rebekah’s meeting with Isaac. Consider these similarities2:

1. Both approached riding on an animal.
2. Both dismounted.
3. Both asked for something.
4. Both received what they asked for.

What’s cool about this is that it proves we will not be denied our inheritance in Christ when we ask for it. Our inheritance is more than land, more than springs of water—it is complete in Jesus. We have always been given an inheritance, but we don’t always ask for the full inheritance.

Joshua 15:20–32: In verses 20–32, the 29 outermost cities of the tribe of Judah are given.

Joshua 15:33–47: In these verses, the 39 cities and their villages in the Judean foothills are listed.

Joshua 15:48–60: In these verses, the 38 cities and their villages in the hill country are given.

Joshua 15:61–62: The six cities and their villages of the wilderness are given.

Joshua 15:63: But the descendants of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. This was right on the border between Judah and Benjamin. A few survivors ran away to the walled cities, and they showed back up in Jerusalem (Joshua 10:20). The verse continues, “So the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the descendants of Judah to this day.” That seems to be part of the reason for the problem in Jerusalem now. Because the Israelites didn’t clean house then, there is still no peace in Israel today.

2 Richard S. Hess, Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series. (Leicester, England, and Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996), p. 245; quoted in Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Joshua, p. 77.

Nelson’s Commentaryexplains the Jebusites lived in Jerusalem before the Israelites arrived and were able to hold on to the city, “because the tribe of Judah did not follow through on its obligation to destroy them completely. God did not want Israel to make peace with the inhabitants of the land, but instead to drive them out and utterly destroy them.”³At first, Jerusalem did not belong to either the tribe of Benjamin or the tribe of Judah.

Judges 1:8: “The men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.”

Judges 1:28: “When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely.”

The city of Jerusalem belonged to the Jebusites until the time of David—all because Judah and Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites as they were instructed.

CLOSING

In one of these cities, one of Caleb’s daughters asked for more. It is a reminder to us all that we can, and should, ask God for more . . . more of His Spirit, more of His presence, more of His grace.