Joshua 14:1 - Meaning and Application

The historian has just told us how the land east of the Jordan was divided. Now he turns to the land of Canaan itself. The land was not conquered so it could stay empty, a place for wild creatures and ruin (Isaiah 34:13). God did not make the earth in vain, but to be lived in (Isaiah 45:18), so Canaan also had to be settled.

At this point, the people of Israel, who had been camped together as one large body, had to spread out and fill their new land. Most of them had never lived any other way, but now they had to become settled tribes in their own portions. Yet no one could simply choose a place at will. The land was divided in an orderly way among the sons of Jacob, just as the world had once been divided among the sons of Noah (Genesis 10:25, 32). God had already given Moses instructions for this division, and those instructions were now carefully followed (Numbers 26:53).

The men who handled this important task were Joshua, the chief leader; Eleazar, the chief priest; and ten princes, one from each of the tribes about to receive land. God had named these men some years earlier (Numbers 34:17, and following verses). It seems they were all still alive and took part in the work. This helped each tribe feel that the process was fair, because every tribe had its own representative there.

The land was divided among nine and a half tribes. It did not include the two and a half tribes already settled east of the Jordan (Joshua 14:3). Some of them may have later wished they had chosen their inheritance with their brothers in Canaan, since they could now see how good the land was. But they had already made their choice, and they had to live with it.

The tribe of Levi was also left out of this division. Their inheritance would be handled differently. God had set them apart and given them higher honor than the other tribes. They were not to settle like the rest, because that would draw them into ordinary life and keep them from their sacred work. Joseph, however, counted as two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, because Jacob had adopted Joseph’s two sons. That kept the total at twelve tribes, even though Levi received no land share (Joshua 14:4).

The land was divided by lot (Joshua 14:2). In this way, they trusted the outcome to the Lord, because the lot is controlled by him (Proverbs 16:33). This method was fitting for a matter so important, one that could not otherwise have pleased everyone. They used it in a solemn, religious way, as a shared appeal to God.

By drawing lots, they showed two things. First, they gave the decision to God and trusted his wisdom and rule, believing he knew better than they did what each tribe should receive (Psalm 47:4). Second, they accepted the result before it was known, promising to be content with whatever portion came to them. In this way, believers are also said to receive an inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:11), since it is given by God’s own choice. Christ, our Joshua, gives eternal life to all whom the Father gave him (John 17:2).