Joshua 13 Commentary
Joshua 13 details the division of the land among the tribes of Israel. As Joshua aged, the Lord reminded him of the remaining land to be possessed, including territories of the Philistines, Canaanites, and others. The Lord instructed Joshua to allocate the land as an inheritance to the nine and a half tribes west of the Jordan, while Moses had already assigned territories east of the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. These eastern allocations included regions such as Gilead, Bashan, and the lands of defeated kings Sihon and Og. The tribe of Levi was not given land; their inheritance was the offerings made to the Lord.
“This was the climactic moment in Israel’s young life, when for the first time she could claim a land as her own, given by God. In the days of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—the land was too large for total claim. When by propagation Israel grew to the size of a formidable nation, the people were dwelling in bondage in a foreign land, Egypt.
The wilderness years were spent on the way to the land. The seven years of fighting after crossing the Jordan were used to conquer the land. Now the hour had come to claim the land, build homes, and live with God in peace. The day of land allotment must have been a happy day indeed!”
Irving L. Jensen
The Levites
As you read through the inheritance distributed to the tribes in Joshua 13, you will notice that the Levites received no land. It is mentioned twice in this chapter.
Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as He spoke to him
Joshua 13:14
But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had promised to them.
Joshua 13:33
This is not a snub of the Levites, but rather, a privilege. They were chosen for a special ministry in the Tabernacle and were assigned adjacent lands scattered around the tribes in 48 different places. Their inheritance would not be the land, but the sacrifices brought to God. By scattering them among the cities, they would be easily accessible to all tribes.
Even more fascinating is the fact that this duty of sacrifice was coupled alongside having the Lord himself be their inheritance. It plainly says, “the God of Israel is their inheritance, as He had promised to them.”
As Christians, we can find great significance in Joshua 13. From a worldly perspective, the Levites would be the poorest of all the tribes. From a spiritual perspective, they would be rich beyond comprehension. They had a calling and a duty so important that their inheritance was a direct relationship with God himself. This is a foreshadowing of what we have today in Jesus Christ.
“He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ [10] as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. [11] In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, [12] so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.”
Ephesians 1:9-12 CSB
We have obtained an inheritance in Christ, and have now been given an administration suitable to the fullness of the times. Namely, making Jesus Christ known to all people! This is an amazing connection where we can see the consistent nature of God. Rejoice knowing that you, like the Levites, have been given Christ as your inheritance.
