JUDAH’S ALLOTMENT – Joshua 15:1-63

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on December 11, 2013 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; December 11, 2013

Joshua 15:1-63

Theme: This chapter describes the allotment God gave to the royal tribe of Judah.

(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Beginning with Chapter 15 and going on to Chapter 19, we’re told the story of the allotments to the specific tribes. And the story begins with the tribe of Judah. Judah stood in prominence among the tribes. It was the tribe of which God prophetically said, "A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel" (Numbers 24:17). Israel’s greatest kings came from this tribe—including King David; and most notably, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Revelation 5:5). It’s natural that Judah’s inheritance was considered first.

Already, something of its inheritance has been described for us in the story of Judah’s most notable hero of the time, Caleb (see 14:6-15). And now comes a description of the full allotment.

I. THE BORDERS OF THE ALLOTMENT (vv. 1-12).

A. The story begins with a detailed description of the borders of the land. The written description of the borders is somewhat easy to follow; but it is perhaps best understood by consulting a map. It involved the southern highlands to the west of the Dead Sea—extending westward to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This was a key portion of the land. And though Jerusalem is located on it’s boarder, the city itself is properly understood as shared between Judah and Benjamin.

B. As Proverbs 16:33 says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD." This is true of the inheritance God gives us in Christ. What we have is given to us from the Lord; but it is our responsibility to rise up and take possession of it.

II. THE INHERITANCE OF CALEB (vv. 13-19).

A. Once again, we’re told of Caleb. His inheritance had already been given to him; but as if to exemplify to the people of God what they must now do, we’re told of how he went forth to boldly occupy what God had given him. From there, he boldly drove out the remaining children of Anak.

B. We’re also told of his desire for a place called Kirjath Sepher; which means "City of Books" or "City of Records". It may be that this was the place in which the historical records and the cultural learning of the Canaanite peoples was held. No wonder he wanted it! He changed its name to Diber; which means "Oracle of the Word". He proclaimed that whoever rose up to take it may marry his daughter Achsah (whose name means "Ankle Bracelet"). But perhaps he said this with a twinkle in his eye—knowing full well who would take the offer. His nephew Othniel rose up to take the offer and won Achsah’s as his bride. Othniel later became the first of Israel’s judges after the death of Joshua.

C. "Ankle Bracelet" was no pushover herself! She persuaded Othniel to give her permission; and she asked her father—not only for the land—but also for the upper and lower springs that fed it. Land was no good without water; and so, she received what she asked. This may serve as an important spiritual illustration for us. The land of God’s "oracles" cannot benefit us without the refreshing and life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit. We need to walk in obedience to God’s word—but only in the power of the Spirit can we gain benefit from it.

III. THE NAMES OF THE CITIES (vv. 20-62).

A. The names of the various cities is given to us in this section. They may sound familiar to us; but some may not. (Almost all of them are hard to pronounce!) But they were real places—with real people living in them before, and real people occupying them later. They were the places where the blessing of God rested on His people. The Bible is not a textbook of philosophy or of ethics. It is a record of God’s redemptive works. Those redemptive works occurred in these places. The names we read here should not be passed over by us too lightly. They are the locations that we will read about later in the Bible—the places of some of God’s most powerful works for His people.

B. When we enter into the promises of God, we don’t always know what may lay ahead for us. Some of these places tell stories of victory—some of them tell stories of struggle. But in all of them, the one constant is that the same God always stood ready to help His people. He blessed them when they obeyed Him; and when they turned from Him, they suffered loss. We need to constantly rely on Him in our own entry into the rich inheritance He has for us. A life of victory in Christ is made up of specific victories along the way. We may think of these various cities as the individual trials and challenges of life over which we must—with reliance on the resources that are ours in Christ, and in the enabling power of the Spirit—rise up and gain victory.

IV. THE FAILURE OF THE TRIBE (v. 63).

A. The closing verse of this chapter, sadly, is the story of a defeat. The people of Judah didn’t completely drive out the Jebusites from the region of Jerusalem. They dwelt there throughout the time of Joshua; and were the beginnings of many of the struggles we later read about in the Book of Judges. They were a constant problem to the people—and it wasn’t until the time of David that they were completely removed (see 2 Samuel 5:1-10).

B. We’re told that they "could not" drive them out. As 2 Samuel 5:6 suggests, the Jebusites were a fierce and determined people. They are like some sinful habits in our lives can be—hard to be rid of. Sometimes people just give up trying, and adapt themselves to the ongoing presence in their lives of that which displeases God. But the story of Caleb shows us that the reason they could not was because they would not trust the God of Caleb as they should. If we trust Him too, there will be no sinful habit or practice from the former life that we will not be able to conquer.