Upon first reading this chapter, one might think that there is not a lot of spiritual meaning to be had. We read about the land that is still left to be conquered and the land that was conquered by Moses. But, with a little thought, I think we can see that there is always something of substance that can be gleaned from God’s word.
Verses 1-7: Joshua was aging and God remind him of this. In spite of all he had done, there ware still some inhabitants in the land. In the end, God tells Joshua to divide the land. Despite his age, there was still much for Joshua to do. This must have strengthened his faith. When we are old, our faculties and abilities lessen, which leaves us with less to accomplish. God had helped Joshua so much, Joshua still knew that God would accomplish the taking of the rest of the land. Even if Joshua were to die, God still would have accomplished all He had promised. God’s will is greater than our lives. If we are so blessed, we are able to play a part, however small, towards the furthering of His divine plan. And we may not live long enough to see the fruit of our works our the fulfillment of God’s plan.
Verses 8-33: In this section, the land that Moses helped conquer is divided among the tribes. The locations, geography and owners are specified. The tribe of Levi is left out, perhaps to indicate the priestly tribe as one not meant to rely on or treasure in physical things. For the other tribes, they were given specific areas, individually allotted. No one was given above or beyond that which was meant for them. Likewise, we should be happy with what we have. Am I satisfied with what I have? All I really need is food, clothing and shelter. Surely everything else is a bonus blessing? It should be for me.
Matthew Henry’s commentary was referenced for this post.
Monday Night Bible Study 