Joshua 13
Today's Passage: Joshua 13
As I was thinking about this Jumpstart, I had a conversation regarding AI. I asked for a devotional on Joshua 13 and (although it was eerily good) I’m not going to use it, but I laughed at its opening story and decided to share it.
“Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.’” – Joshua 13:1
Joshua must have felt really ancient after God Himself called him “old, advanced in years.” Someone once said that an elderly person is any person who is 10 years older than you are. There is a funny story about 3 retirees, each with a hearing loss, who were taking a walk one fine March day. One remarked to the other, “Windy, isn’t it?” “No,” the second man replied, “It’s Thursday.” The third man chimed in, “So am I. Let’s stop and have a Coke.”
It is true that Joshua was increasingly a “classic” in CPC vernacular—or as my people would say, “he ain’t no spring chicken.” Joshua died at 110 (24:29) and was probably around 100 at this point. Despite his advanced age, there was a job to do. Chapters 13–24 show the divisions of the Promised Land and the results of the conquest. Our passage today in chapter 13 serve as an introduction to this section. Verses 2–7 state the Land yet to be conquered by the nine and a half tribes west of the Jordan. Verses 8–33 zoom in on the tribes east of the Jordan. (See the map below for the tribal allotments). Embedded within the eastern tribes is the reminder that Levi had no inheritance of Land because the Lord is their inheritance.
In Numbers 32, before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses agreed to give Reuben, Gad, and one of the half-tribes of Manasseh the Land east of the Jordan conditioned on the promise they help the other tribes fight east of the Jordan as well.
Joshua 13 stated several of the place names that can be found on the map below. Before crossing the Jordan, Israel had some major victories. First, King Og of Bashan was a monumental victory. This victory served as a landmark event repeated several times to remind the people of the Lord’s support and national identity (Jos. 9:10; Ne. 9:22; Pss. 135:11; 136:20). Other notable mentions are Sihon king of the Amorites (21) and Balaam (22) who was hired to curse Israel.
The conquest of the Land and the stories from chapter 13 are a mixed bag of victories and God’s favor, and also a reminder of disobedience and rebuke. At 100 years old, I’m sure Joshua felt the weight of both. He had the perspective that obedience far exceeded the cost of disobedience. However, this wasn’t a lesson that Israel fully embraced—many times, neither do we.
Two thoughts stand out: 1. We’re never too old to pursue obedience. 2. We’re never useless to God. You have heard the ancient wisdom, “The best time to plant a tree was 200 years ago. The second best time is today.” Many of us may be trapped in shame and guilt for wasted time regardless of our age. While we might wish we had been better in our past, it’s not too late to be used by God. Through the Gospel of Christ, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Regardless of our past, regardless of wasted time, it’s never too late to pursue obedience and serve the Lord.
*Map from the Homan Bible Atlas
Written By: Tyler Short
As I was thinking about this Jumpstart, I had a conversation regarding AI. I asked for a devotional on Joshua 13 and (although it was eerily good) I’m not going to use it, but I laughed at its opening story and decided to share it.
“Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.’” – Joshua 13:1
Joshua must have felt really ancient after God Himself called him “old, advanced in years.” Someone once said that an elderly person is any person who is 10 years older than you are. There is a funny story about 3 retirees, each with a hearing loss, who were taking a walk one fine March day. One remarked to the other, “Windy, isn’t it?” “No,” the second man replied, “It’s Thursday.” The third man chimed in, “So am I. Let’s stop and have a Coke.”
It is true that Joshua was increasingly a “classic” in CPC vernacular—or as my people would say, “he ain’t no spring chicken.” Joshua died at 110 (24:29) and was probably around 100 at this point. Despite his advanced age, there was a job to do. Chapters 13–24 show the divisions of the Promised Land and the results of the conquest. Our passage today in chapter 13 serve as an introduction to this section. Verses 2–7 state the Land yet to be conquered by the nine and a half tribes west of the Jordan. Verses 8–33 zoom in on the tribes east of the Jordan. (See the map below for the tribal allotments). Embedded within the eastern tribes is the reminder that Levi had no inheritance of Land because the Lord is their inheritance.
In Numbers 32, before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses agreed to give Reuben, Gad, and one of the half-tribes of Manasseh the Land east of the Jordan conditioned on the promise they help the other tribes fight east of the Jordan as well.
Joshua 13 stated several of the place names that can be found on the map below. Before crossing the Jordan, Israel had some major victories. First, King Og of Bashan was a monumental victory. This victory served as a landmark event repeated several times to remind the people of the Lord’s support and national identity (Jos. 9:10; Ne. 9:22; Pss. 135:11; 136:20). Other notable mentions are Sihon king of the Amorites (21) and Balaam (22) who was hired to curse Israel.
The conquest of the Land and the stories from chapter 13 are a mixed bag of victories and God’s favor, and also a reminder of disobedience and rebuke. At 100 years old, I’m sure Joshua felt the weight of both. He had the perspective that obedience far exceeded the cost of disobedience. However, this wasn’t a lesson that Israel fully embraced—many times, neither do we.
Two thoughts stand out: 1. We’re never too old to pursue obedience. 2. We’re never useless to God. You have heard the ancient wisdom, “The best time to plant a tree was 200 years ago. The second best time is today.” Many of us may be trapped in shame and guilt for wasted time regardless of our age. While we might wish we had been better in our past, it’s not too late to be used by God. Through the Gospel of Christ, there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). Regardless of our past, regardless of wasted time, it’s never too late to pursue obedience and serve the Lord.
*Map from the Homan Bible Atlas
Written By: Tyler Short
No Comments