 |  |
True greatness will always find room for expansion. There will always be territory to
reclaim from the enemy until the day of glory dawns. We have our inheritance, and with
that as the base, we shall find countless opportunities, as did Caleb and Othniel, of
realizing something of the mighty power that is towards those that believe.
We cannot, of course, consider in detail the many chapters devoted to the settlement
of the tribes in the land, but if we take a bird's eye-view of the section, we shall find an
alternation of the "civil" and the "sacred". The "sacred" sections are lettered "B" in the
structure below and are concerned with the setting up of the tabernacle at Shiloh and the
setting apart of the "cities of refuge" and the "cities of the Levites".
Joshua 13:-22:
A |
13:-17: Land divided among the tribes.
B
| 18: 1. The tabernacle at Shiloh.
A |
18: 2 - 19: Land divided among the tribes.
B
| 20:-22: Cities of refuge and of the Levites.
"And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh,
and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before
them" (Josh. 18: 1).
This gathering of the people and the division of the land is an anticipation of the day
spoken of by Jacob in Gen. 49: 10: "Until Shiloh come: and unto Him shall the
gathering of the people be." Shiloh means "Peace", and is practically at the centre of the
land of Palestine, about 20 miles north of Jerusalem.
We learn from the narrative of Josh. 18: that seven tribes still remained without
inheritance, and that three men of each tribe were sent to make a survey and to report
thereon:
"And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven
parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh. And Joshua cast lots for
them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of
Israel according to their divisions" (Josh. 18: 9, 10).
This survey made a kind of Doomsday book and mapped out the portions of each
division so that no doubt should exist in future days as to the bounds of each inheritance.
The feature that is typical and of importance to us is contained in the statement: "And
the land was subdued before them" (Josh. 18: 1).
We have here an echo of the words of Gen. 1: 28: "Replenish the earth and subdue
it."
And we have the authority of the N.T. for associating together Gen. 1:, Psa. 8:, and
the day when all enemies shall be subjected under the feet of Christ (Heb. 2: 6-8,