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Joshua 13-19: Land Allotments are Good News Too

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After winning major decisive victories, Joshua gives control over the land of Canaan to the tribal leaders of Israel. With the enemy routed, these leaders still need to clean up any pockets of resistance they find. Seth and David explain how Joshua's decisive victory over the land foreshadows Jesus' decisive victory over sin and death. And why, even though the war has been won, we can be strong and courageous as we fight our remaining battles.

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Why the Most Boring Chapters in Joshua Might Be the Whole Gospel Story

Show Notes

David Bowden and Seth Stewart of the Spoken Gospel podcast tackle one of the most overlooked sections of the Bible: Joshua 13–19, the land allotments. What seems like an endless list of boundaries, pasturelands, and tribal territories turns out to carry one of Scripture's most sweeping pictures of God's redemptive plan — from Eden to the new creation.

The Core Tension: Victory Won, but Land Still Unconquered

After the dramatic conquest narratives in the first half of Joshua — Jericho's walls falling, the sun standing still, 31 kings defeated — the text declares that "the land had rest from war" (Joshua 11:23). But then, almost immediately, we read that Joshua is old and "there remains yet very much land to possess" (Joshua 13:1). This apparent contradiction is not a mistake. It is the core tension of the entire book.

What happened is that Israel won several strategic military victories under Joshua's centralized leadership. The major Canaanite powers were broken. No army could mount a serious threat against Israel anymore. But scattered throughout the land were pockets of Canaanite inhabitants — people who had fled during battles and returned, villages that were never taken, outposts that still needed to be conquered. The war, in a decisive sense, was over. But the battles were not. Think of it like D-Day: the decisive victory against the Nazis was won at Normandy, but it still took another year before Victory in Europe Day was declared. Or consider the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery, yet the last enslaved people did not receive the news until Juneteenth — two years later. Israel's situation was similar. God had been faithful to His promise to Abraham. He gave Israel the land. But now it was up to the individual tribes, without Joshua's centralized leadership, to go and finish what God had started.

Land Allotments as Battle Orders, Not Moving Day

A common misunderstanding is that the land allotments describe Israel settling into their new homes. They do not. When Joshua assigned territory to a tribe, he was giving them their next military objective. "To the tribe of Gad, I give this region" meant "Go take it." The land was claimed in faith before it was owned in reality. Each tribe received its inheritance and was expected to trust God, go into its assigned territory, and drive out whoever remained.

This is where the story begins to fracture. Joshua could not give his spirit to every tribal leader. The special anointing that rested on him — the same kind of mantle that had been on Moses — was not transferable. So as leadership was democratized across the twelve tribes, the consistent drumbeat of victory that characterized Joshua's campaigns began to break down. The question the text raises is pointed: Will the victory continue without Joshua? And the answer, painfully, is no.

Caleb: The Paradigm of Faithfulness

The first individual land allotment story belongs to Caleb, and it is placed first for a reason. Caleb was the only man besides Joshua from the previous generation allowed to enter the Promised Land. Decades earlier, when the twelve spies entered Canaan and saw the Anakim — the giant descendants of the Nephilim — ten spies spread fear and gossip, but Caleb and Joshua wanted to trust God and take the land (Numbers 13–14). Now, as an old man, Caleb asks for the hardest territory in all of Canaan: the very land where the Anakim live. "I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me," he declares (Joshua 14:11). And God honors his past faithfulness. Caleb goes, fights, and takes the land. When he needs more room, he does not complain to Joshua — he conquers more enemy territory.

Caleb is the paradigm, the model that every other tribe is supposed to follow. He faced the most terrifying enemies, trusted God, and seized his inheritance. It is also worth noting that Caleb is called "the Kenizzite" (Joshua 14:6) — the Kenizzites were a Canaanite tribe. Caleb's family was likely among the mixed multitude God redeemed out of Egypt alongside Israel, a reminder that God's blessing was always meant to extend beyond ethnic Israel to all nations, just as He promised Abraham.

Judah's Prominence and Manasseh's Failure

After Caleb, the tribe of Judah receives the most space in the land allotment text and is given its territory first. This is not random. It continues a pattern that runs through the entire Torah. Jacob blessed Judah with special prominence among his twelve sons at the end of Genesis. In Numbers, Judah's tribe was placed at the mouth of the tabernacle and was the first to march out, even though Judah was not the firstborn, the strongest, or the most populous tribe. The Bible constantly elevates Judah because this is the tribe from which the Messiah will come. The emphasis in Judah's allotment is on obedience and chosen-ness — both themes standing side by side with Caleb's faithfulness.

Then the story turns darker with Ephraim and Manasseh. The half-tribe of Manasseh that entered Canaan complained to Joshua that their allotted land was not big enough. Joshua's response was blunt: "Yes, it is. You just have to go take it all." But Manasseh protested that the remaining inhabitants had iron chariots and could not be defeated. Joshua told them to trust God. They refused. And later, we read the damning refrain that echoes throughout these chapters: "When the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out" (Joshua 17:13). Enslaving the Canaanites instead of driving them out did not fulfill God's command. Even as forced laborers, the Canaanites would continue worshiping their gods, and that spiritual contamination was exactly what God had warned about. This failure of trust — choosing fear-driven compromise over faith-driven obedience — becomes the pattern that will eventually unravel Israel's hold on the land entirely.

The Already and the Not Yet: Living Between Victory and Fulfillment

This tension between decisive victory and remaining battles is not unique to ancient Israel. The New Testament calls it inaugurated eschatology — the already and the not yet. Jesus has already defeated the power of Sin. He has already overcome the finality of Death. The sting of the Grave is gone. The condemnation of the enemy has no power. The Holy Spirit is sealed in those who trust Jesus as a guarantee of God's future blessing. These are significant wars that have been won. But Sin and Death are still present in the land. There are still battles to fight — against the flesh, against injustice, against spiritual oppression, against unreached corners of the world that have never heard the name Jesus.

The critical difference between Israel's situation and ours is that, unlike Joshua, Jesus does give His Spirit to His people. Joshua could not transfer his anointing to the tribal leaders, and things fell apart. But Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in every person who trusts Him. The "not yet" is better news for us than it was for Israel. We are empowered to go into unconquered territory — whether that is a personal struggle with anger, a friend who needs to hear the Gospel, or a systemic injustice that needs to be dismantled — with a genuine hope of victory that no Old Testament figure besides Joshua himself had. And the ground of that confidence is always the same: the decisive victory has already been won on the cross. We look back to the cross the way Israel was supposed to look back to Jericho — and trust that the God who won that battle will win the next one.

Seven Tribes, Seven Days: Land Allotments as New Creation

In Joshua 18–19, the final seven tribes receive their allotments in just two chapters, compared to the three chapters devoted to Judah alone. This is not because Issachar or Zebulun lacked interesting stories. It is because God is painting a literary picture. Seven tribes filling the land mirrors the seven days of creation, and this is no accident. The entire conquest narrative has been building toward the idea that Canaan is meant to be a new Eden. Joshua 18:1 makes this explicit: "Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them." Two details matter enormously here. First, the tabernacle — the dwelling place of God's presence — is set up in the land. This is the hope of Eden restored: God dwelling with His people. Second, the phrase "the land lay subdued before them" echoes the command God gave Adam in Genesis 1: "Fill the earth and subdue it." Israel has subdued the land. Now, through seven allotments ending in rest, they are to fill it. The land allotments are a reenactment of creation itself.

This is why these chapters matter. They reveal that God has always been about one project: winning the earth back for Himself and giving it to His faithful people to fill. John's Gospel opens with the same pattern — "In the beginning was the Word," followed by the Word setting up His tabernacle among us (John 1:14). Jesus, the new Joshua (both names are "Yeshua"), goes out and wins decisive victories — driving out demons, healing disease, conquering Sin and Death on the cross and in His resurrection. Then He sends out His disciples — the seventy, representing the seventy nations of Genesis 10 — to take the good news into enemy territory. And Ezekiel 47 foresaw a day when all of Israel would receive new land allotments in a city with unscalable walls, with peace on every side and no enemies remaining. That vision is fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth that Jesus will bring at His return (Revelation 21–22). He will look at His people and say what was said in Genesis 1 and Joshua 18: "I have subdued the earth. Now go and fill it." Land allotment is not a boring administrative detail. It is the Gospel — God winning a universe for us to live in with Him forever.

Transcript

Intro: [upbeat music] Welcome to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Spoken Gospel is a nonprofit dedicated to the idea that every part of the Bible, Old Testament and New, is about Jesus, and this podcast is our experiment to publicly test that belief. Every episode, hosts David Bowden and Seth Stewart work through a biblical text to see how it helps us see and savor Jesus. Let's jump in. [upbeat music]

David: Well, welcome everyone to the Spoken Gospel podcast. I'm David, and with me as always is [laughs] Seth Stewart. How are you, Seth?

Seth: I'm fine.

David: Yeah?

Seth: I'm fine.

David: Are you fine?

Seth: I had a cookie.

David: You had... Yeah, you shared your cookie with me.

Seth: [laughs] I did share a cookie.

David: And I was very honored by that.

Seth: Um-

David: From a local bakery

Seth: ... there's, there's this really great bakery, and they just make great cookies.

David: They do, and it's all whole wheat.

Seth: It's so-

David: And you would think that, like-

Seth: No, no

David: ... whole wheat would make it taste worse, and it's so much better.

Seth: So if you're in Oklahoma City-

David: Big Sky Bakery

Seth: ... go to Big Sky Bakery.

David: There's a free plug.

Seth: It's a free... Yeah.

David: #notsponsored.

Seth: [laughs] #notsponsored.

David: [laughs]

Seth: Uh, know what? Very few people would dare sponsor us-

David: That's very true

Seth: ... because they never know what's gonna come out of our mouths.

David: That's right, 'cause they, they're like, "Who would wanna sponsor a podcast about land allotments?"

Seth: [laughs]

David: There's our segue.

Seth: Big Sky, Big Sky Bakery.

David: Big Sky Bakery.

Seth: Land allotments.

David: Land allotments. We're in.

Seth: We're in. [laughs]

David: We could, we could just, we could put some wheat in those, [laughs] on that land.

Seth: Some whole wheat.

David: Wow, this is off to a good start.

Seth: It's as, as it should be.

David: As it always is.

Seth: As it always is. Uh-

David: Yes

Seth: ... yeah.

David: So let me... Uh, so this is, this is one of the largest chunks of Joshua.

Seth: It is, chapter 13 to chapter 21, basically.

David: Yes. We're gonna stop at 19, because 20 and 21 have kind of-

Seth: Unless we're feeling spicy

David: ... unless we get spicy. We have a lot to talk about, though.

Seth: We have a lot to talk about.

David: So, and it's-

Seth: I always listen to a sermon series one time through Joshua-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... where my pastor was preaching through Joshua-

David: Yes

Seth: ... and he got to chapter 13 and then just said, "Actually, I'm not gonna preach on the next eight chapters-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... because the s- nothing really happens here." [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: So I'm r- really interested in seeing, like, what you pull out of this, because cards on the table-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... I have literally not studied-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... for this particular podcast.

David: Don't stop the podcast. I have studied. [laughs]

Seth: David has gone on a deep d- I delegated all the devotional writing on him. He's done all the study for this. I've read it.

David: Yes.

Seth: I have a list of questions.

David: Okay, great. [laughs]

Seth: But no answers.

David: [laughs]

Seth: And, uh, not a ton of... I j- I'm just really excited to discover Jesus in a text about pasturelands, 'cause you'll read that word, like, 30 times. [laughs]

David: [laughs] And he walked a- he walked around the Spoken Gospel offices listening to Joshua on audio pod- or on a, on, like, an Audio Bible in-

Seth: Yep

David: ... in his headphones. He walked back into the office just going, "Pasturelands, pasturelands, [laughs] pasturelands."

Seth: It's like one of those words that doesn't sound like a word after you hear it so many times.

David: [laughs]

Seth: Pasturelands.

David: Pasturelands.

Seth: It's so funny.

David: Pasturelands. So, yes.

Seth: Um-

David: Uh, we, so we just had this big conquest narrative where the literary speed of the book took off and what used to take several chapters to explain, uh, one battle-

Seth: Yeah, one city

David: ... yeah.

Seth: One battle, one city.

David: Yes. Now it's half a verse for an entire king that gets destroyed.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And it's like, uh, wh- where we had just done Jericho and AI. Now we have f- a list of 31 kings that just got pummeled, uh, in the span of-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... as many verses.

Seth: Yes.

David: So, uh, then, a- and so and then they had rest on every side. They had peace. The land had peace. There was peace. And then we get these s-

Seth: We get a quick summary of-

David: Yep

Seth: ... all the victories they did.

David: Right.

Seth: But, like, right a- but fu- functionally, right after the phrase, "And the land had peace," we get this phrase: "Now Joshua was old and advanced in years." So presumably, all those victories took the majority of Joshua's lifetime.

David: Correct.

Seth: So he goes into the Promised Land as an older man because he was one of the two... Only two men were allowed in the Promised Land from the previous generation-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... Joshua and Caleb.

David: Right.

Seth: And I have some questions about Caleb coming up in a second.

David: Good, yes.

Seth: Um, but, uh, so that means he w- would've been maybe in his 40s. I don't know. I mean, he was 40 years in the wilderness-

David: Yep

Seth: ... and he was with Moses on Mount Sinai, so he's gotta be at least in his 50s when he enters-

David: Yeah, he's gotta be at least, at least 50.

Seth: So there's, like, a good number of years if he's an old man and about-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... to die that it takes to take over the land.

David: Yep.

Seth: But regardless of that, uh, "You are an old man, man, advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to pos- possess."

David: Yeah.

Seth: So I thought the land had rest.

David: [laughs]

Seth: And now it doesn't have rest because there's now very much land to possess. Like, what's going on there or, like, what am I missing?

David: Yeah. So w- what's-

Seth: 'Cause obviously, I-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... I just like, as a reader, I'm like, "Wait, wait, wait, what?"

David: Yeah, I thought we were done.

Seth: I thought we were done.

David: Yes.

Seth: Yeah.

David: So what's happening is you're butting up against what, uh, you're butting against the, the core tension of the Book of Joshua.

Seth: Okay.

David: And there have been little, tiny signposts throughout the book.

Seth: Okay.

David: But this one is the big, grinding gear shift that makes you, uh, get whiplash. [laughs]

Seth: Okay.

David: And it's supposed to alert you to all the other signposts.

Seth: Okay.

David: And, and they're strewn throughout this whole six chapters.

Seth: So what you're, so what you're saying is... 'Cause I think what I kind of assumed as I read it was they had rest from, in all the land from those enemies.

David: Uh-huh.

Seth: And there's just more c- territory not to be con- that, that hasn't been conquered yet. That's not a indictment on Israel. It's just like-

David: Yep

Seth: ... there's only so much you can do in one man's lifetime.

David: Correct.

Seth: Okay.

David: That's, that's exactly right, actually.

Seth: Okay, got it. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

David: Yeah, that's exactly right. But the tension, the core tension of the book is there is this element of incompleteness to the conquest.

Seth: Oh, okay.

David: And so it's like they, they, they conquered, but, like, uh, and, and up to this point, it seems like they utterly decimated, they utterly destroyed, they left none alive. But then here, that language switches to, "But they did not utterly drive out," but there still remained inhabitations, but they did not-

Seth: So-

David: ... completely take over

Seth: ... this kinda flag. So I remember listening to that several times.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: This flags for you. Uh, there's, uh, remains very much land to possess, and then you hear the phrases like, uh, "But they did not utterly drive out the"Whoevers

David: The whoevers.

Seth: Okay.

David: Yep. And some of that... A- and, and so it's really, it's gonna be really helpful here-

Seth: Okay

David: ... to kind of talk about time in Joshua-

Seth: Okay

David: ... and where we are in that time.

Seth: Okay.

David: Because it's a little confusing what's gonna happen, uh, with land allotments, because when we think about land allotments, when I first read this, I was like, "And then Manasseh moved in to-

Seth: Right

David: ... Manasseh's territory-

Seth: Right

David: ... and Judah moved into Judah's territory." That's not what's happening here.

Seth: Okay.

David: What's happening is the, they have, they have won several strategic battles around the land-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... but as happened in the-

Seth: So Hazor was the capital of the Canaanite-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... like, civilization-

David: Right

Seth: ... essentially.

David: But as what happened in the hill country, uh, whenever, we talked about this last, last podcast, um, Israel's forces went down into the south part of Canaan and won all these battles.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: But in the meantime, the hill country where their base camp was started to have Canaanites in it again, and they had to go kind of retake that land. And so there's these migrating forces-

Seth: Mm

David: ... moving throughout this land that are like thorns and briars to Israel. Um, and that's what they're called in Deuteronomy, that this would happen.

Seth: Yeah.

David: That just because you destroy one city, well, remember, a lot of those inhabitants probably fled-

Seth: Right

David: ... as Israel was coming. Well, they come back home.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Or they move to other locations, but they're still there.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And so there are still people in the land in little pockets.

Seth: Right.

David: Now, there are whole swaths of land that they have successfully conquested, and praise be to God, they did it.

Seth: Right.

David: Right? But there are still these outposts of Canaan.

Seth: So, okay, so let me make sure I understand. So when we get to this point of the story, we have several strategic military victories-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... that have happened.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Pete, not all Canaan, Canaanites live in Canaan because Go- we're told that God drove them out-

David: Right

Seth: ... into the surrounding lands.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Maybe some of them came back.

David: Yep.

Seth: There's apparently some battles where people just run away-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and they, the Israelites ca- ca- can't catch up to them. And, uh, and we'll read about some battles where they weren't able to drive them out-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... in the first place.

David: Right.

Seth: So there's just like, there's loose Canaanites hanging out.

David: That's right.

Seth: So that's part of it. And are, are you also saying that, um, by the time Joshua dies, there have been tons of strategic military victories, but there are also a whole bunch of other smaller villages, military outposts throughout the land of Canaan-

David: That need to be taken over

Seth: ... by, like, regional authorities.

David: That's right.

Seth: Rather than a centralized government-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... where Joshua does it all-

David: Right

Seth: ... the individual tribal leaders are supposed to finish the job?

David: That's exactly right, 100%. So what's happening is he will, he will go to each tribe and say, "Here's the land that has been determined for you." And this is the boring part to read. He gives all its boundaries, right? And for us, it's really hard to follow.

Seth: Yeah.

David: So it's helpful to read it with a map. It really is-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... more helpful to read it with a map next to you. Um, and, but what's interesting is he says, "Okay, that tribe, go take that parcel of land." And what we're gonna see is, in this story that we're about to read, is we're going to see how the different tribes react to his allotments. And they-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... they always bring up the fact that there are still inhabitants in that land, and they either, um, respond with, like, faith, like we see Caleb do-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and he goes and takes the land.

Seth: Okay.

David: Or they reply with fear, like we're gonna see Manasseh do, the half tribe of Manasseh, and they, uh, they, they, they fail to take the land.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And so we're going to see, as Israel splinters and falls outside the leadership of Joshua, we're going to see them fail to finish what Joshua started.

Seth: Hmm.

David: And that's what's gonna happen.

Seth: Okay.

David: Does that make sense?

Seth: Yes.

David: So, so whenever he's giving them... I just, this, this is important.

Seth: Yeah.

David: When he's giving them the inheritance, they are not moving in. He's giving them the next step in their battle strategy.

Seth: Okay.

David: So he's saying, "You, you, tribe Manasseh, go fight here," right? "Judah, go fight there. Gad, go fight here."

Seth: With the intention of moving in as they take over.

David: That's right. You, you're gonna move in. You're... And then you're gonna see that there's a pocket of Canaanites that fled to the hills.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Go, go conquer them.

Seth: So that just doesn't feel like rest then.

David: Right. So there's a difference, right, between, um, all the main armies that would've been assailing Israel, um, being defeated-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and then, like, and now they are kind of the superpower in the area.

Seth: Okay.

David: So that, like, if they just camped out in the, in the hill country, no one would-

Seth: Right

David: ... no one would, would bother them.

Seth: Right.

David: You know?

Seth: That's... Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they, so, and, like, one, one way to explain that is like, well, the, the war is functionally over.

David: Yes.

Seth: Like, uh, like, what's the... Like, on D-Day-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... when the American troops landed, uh, at Normandy Beach-

David: Right

Seth: ... the decisive victory against the Nazis-

David: Was won

Seth: ... was won.

David: Yes.

Seth: But it still took, what, another year before-

David: Yeah, they had to, they still had to go find Auschwitz.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You know, I don't know my chronology extremely well-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... for World War II, but, like-

Seth: But Victory in Europe Day wasn't declared, I don't think, until a year later.

David: Right. There's still all these little outposts that had to go, or think of it kind of like the end of slavery, right?

Seth: Yeah.

David: And how, uh, like, Arlington, or not Arlington, uh-

Seth: The Emancipation Proclamation?

David: No, no. Yeah, yes, but then the, uh... Oh, my goodness. This is the worst.

Seth: I don't know what you're trying to say.

David: Uh, Juneteenth-

Seth: Yes, yes, yes, yes

David: ... is what I'm trying to think.

Seth: Juneteenth.

David: Juneteenth, like, two years afterwards-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... the last slaves were actually given the information that the war was over-

Seth: Okay

David: ... and slavery had been abolished. So this is kinda what's happening, is the Juneteenth needs to happen to the rest of Canaan. [laughs] Like, the, the news needs to go out.

Seth: Well, I'm g- I'm looking back now-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... at Joshua 12:23. It says, "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses and Joshua gave it," past tense, "for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments,"

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... which is what we're about to read.

David: That's right.

Seth: "And the land had rest for war."

David: Right.

Seth: So, "And the land had rest from war." So in one sense, it's like, okay-In a general sense, it's true.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: The, the decisive victory has been won.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: The war is over.

David: That's right.

Seth: There's some battles, but the war is over.

David: Right.

Seth: The, kinda one way to say it.

David: I definitely think that's fair.

Seth: Um, but it still seem- and I guess that's the tension you're talking about.

David: That's the tension.

Seth: But-

David: That's the, that's the-

Seth: But the war is not really over [laughs]

David: Exactly

Seth: ... if the, all this stuff's happening.

David: Yes.

Seth: So why say it's over-

David: Yes

Seth: ... when it's not over?

David: Yeah, I think that is, that's the tension you're supposed to wrestle with in Joshua, that there is clear-cut, God-given victory that's undeniable and miraculous, right?

Seth: Yeah.

David: But then-

Seth: Sun stands still.

David: The sun stands still.

Seth: Yeah [laughs].

David: Like, you cannot neglect or nullify the amount of victory God has given Israel. Like, he has brought his people peace. He has given them the land, and, like, the reason why these statements of victory are so strong is because they are proving that God has been true to his word that he gave to Abraham and to Moses.

Seth: Yeah, through Israel, all the nations of the world will be blessed.

David: Right-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... or, or, or even more, less, less than the, less than the-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... missio Dei, the mission of God, going out. That's not really what we're doing here.

Seth: Yeah.

David: This is I- th- he promised Abraham the land of Canaan.

Seth: Oh, yes, yes, yes.

David: And so this is him saying, "And I did it. I said I would do it, and I did it."

Seth: "I did it." And it's like-

David: "I gave it to you. The war's over. There's peace. Now go finish what I did, but it's up to you." And so this is the, this is-

Seth: That makes sense

David: ... exactly the tension, that there is a strange harmony between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man [laughs] right?

Seth: Yeah.

David: That-

Seth: Like, like God fought the battle-

David: Yep

Seth: ... or won the war, but you fight the battle.

David: Exactly.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: Yeah, and they were told to trust God whenever they would go into these battles, and we'll, we'll see some examples of this. Um, and w- this will make more sense as we start to play it out in all its individual stories-

Seth: Okay

David: ... 'cause there's all these little tiny stories in the middle of the land allotments, um, that paint a really interesting picture for what was going on behind the scenes, um, of this.

Seth: S- okay, so in the land allotments-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... we are being given the tribal battle strategies after the death of a centralized leader, Joshua.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Centralized leader, Joshua, dies, and, and I guess, in a sense too, like, there was a special, like, mantle, like, of the Holy Spirit. Like, m- mantle's, like, a real charismatic word.

David: [laughs]

Seth: But, like, there was like, we had this s- this strong connection between Moses and Joshua that was like, he was leading the people of Israel.

David: Right.

Seth: He, he was a spirit-filled leader. No one, no one... God never listened to the voice of Joshua like he did anybody else in the... And he won this battle.

David: Yes.

Seth: But now is that same Holy Spirit going out, that same anointing, that same, like, mantle of leadership going out to all the tribes? Is it supposed to? I-

David: Begging, begging the question, Your Honor. No.

Seth: Cory. What?

David: No. [laughs]

Seth: [laughs] Okay.

David: You're lea- you're leading, you're leading your witness here.

Seth: Okay.

David: But yes, uh, or no, I should say. Uh, we're gonna, we're gonna be told at the end of this book that Joshua cannot give his spirit to everyone else.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like, the, the special anointing he has is not communicable to others by his own will. And, and so, yeah, there is a mantle of leadership, an anointing that Joshua had that, uh, once he died, things fizzled.

Seth: So as you read through this book for a second or a third time, you should be thinking, "Man, there was so much stock put in the fact that Joshua was the new Moses."

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: He was the one who, on whom was filled with the Holy Spirit to lead his people. So when you see, like, that leadership, like, democratized in a sense, like, spread out over a whole bunch of people, that qu- that's a real question you should be asking.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Like, will that spirit continue? Will the victory continue? And what you're saying is, like, as, on reflection, it doesn't.

David: Right.

Seth: Like, the, the, the, the, the consistent drumbeat of victory, victory, victory, victory starts being broken as soon as other people besides Joshua start leading.

David: That's right. That's exactly right.

Seth: Okay. Okay.

David: And so, uh, before we move into the individual stories, there's just one, um, overarching meta note and gospel turn to make out of the land allotments, um, in general, and that is the s- and that's why I keep harping on this fact, that the land allotments were given, um, before the land was owned.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: Like-

Seth: Mm

David: ... Manasseh was given the land of Manasseh before it was Manasseh's, you know? [laughs] Like-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... it doesn't make sense. And so the land allotments are an act of faith.

Seth: Mm.

David: He's saying, "To the tribe of Gad, I give da, da, da, da, da, da, da," and he gives it to them, and he's like, "That's yours. Now go take it."

Seth: Yeah.

David: And so Go- uh, God, through Joshua giving the land allotments to individual tribes, is them claiming something in faith, and that is whenever they, that whenever they are afraid to go take the land, Joshua reminds them, like, "God's been faithful in battle in the past. He'll be faithful in the future."

Seth: Just have faith.

David: "Have faith."

Seth: Be strong and courageous.

David: Be not afraid.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And, um, and so, like, there's just... That is, that is something that, like, faith to take the land is a theme in the land allotments-

Seth: Mm

David: ... that I don't want us to miss, um, because we're gonna see that it fails.

Seth: Yeah.

David: We're gonna see that they don't have faith. We're gonna see that in these stories. Um, a- and that's gonna be a clue to what happens later, that they will never fully drive out the, the Canaanites. There will still be these pockets of people. Um, and, uh, yeah.

Seth: So from those broad strokes, then-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... how do we just see Jesus in the broad strokes of what's happening here and just land being-

David: Yes

Seth: ... like, a victory that is largely accomplished-

David: That's right

Seth: ... but not quite accomplished [laughs]

David: That's right. So we, we have a term for that-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... in New Testament thought, and that's inaugurated eschatology or the already and the not yet.

Seth: Jesus has already defeated the power of sin.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: He's already defeated the finality of the grave.

David: Yes.

Seth: But death and sin are still present on the earth.

David: That's right, in the land.

Seth: Yeah, they're still present.

David: Yeah, exactly right. So it's a huge... This is why I love this picture, because it's a huge biblical category-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that we live in a land that is conquered and that we have rest and peace on every side, but there's still Canaanites in the land, and there's still wars to be fought. What? This doesn't make sense-

Seth: Mm

David: ... because that's our Christian lifeLike, that's the life of a sojourner and a stranger who's following after God, is living in the already and the not yet.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: But, like, what Jesus has done, like, He's given us the decisive victory to which we can look back and know that He will win the next battle if we just have faith in Him.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like, we're supposed to look back to Jericho and know that He'll give us Manassa.

Seth: Yeah.

David: In the same way, we're supposed to look back to the cross and know that He will overcome any, like, struggle, death, sin-

Seth: Principality

David: ... principality-

Seth: Power-

David: ... in our life

Seth: ... demonic force. Yeah. [laughs]

David: Yes.

Seth: He, He goes to war for us-

David: Right

Seth: ... still, like we talked about-

David: And-

Seth: ... last time

David: ... and Jesus has given us a new land allotment. He says, "The whole Earth will be yours.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And not only that, but Heaven will be yours because I will bring Heaven to Earth and we will dwell together, and you will live on it with me."

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: But we don't live there yet.

Seth: And doesn't, uh, Paul talks about, like, ruling over angels.

David: Uh-huh. Yep.

Seth: And isn't one of the parables that talks about, like, ruling over cities, isn't there, like-

David: Oh, maybe

Seth: ... or was that in Revelation? I, I-

David: I, yeah

Seth: ... I don't-

David: You'd have to look that up.

Seth: Uh-

David: But yes, the, the whole idea here is that we've been given new land allotments, and like Israel, we should seize them in faith. Like, even though we don't yet live in the final promised land, we can have faith that we will, and that Jesus has won the decisive victory and will win the final battle to bring us into that promised place.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And so I just feel like wrestling with this strange feeling of the already and the not yet in Joshua, of like, there's peace on every side and we won all the wars, but there's still Canaanites in the land.

Seth: Right.

David: That is just a helpful picture of what life is like.

Seth: Hmm.

David: You know what I mean?

Seth: Yeah. Yeah, it i- it's a super helpful picture to think that it's like th- the reality descri- that Israel experienced in Ca- in Canaan-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... isn't, wasn't necessarily unique to them.

David: Nope.

Seth: It's actually just unique to all people who trust in God.

David: That's right.

Seth: God has won decisive victories for us. Jesus Christ dies and rises from the dead. That's a pretty decisive victory.

David: Decisive victory.

Seth: The sting of hell and the sting of, the sting of death-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... is gone.

David: Right.

Seth: The condemnation of the enemy has no power.

David: Right.

Seth: These are significant victories. [laughs]

David: Yes. They guarantee the future victory.

Seth: We have a Holy Spirit who is a seal in us-

David: Yes

Seth: ... of God's future blessing towards us.

David: Right.

Seth: Like, these are significant battles that have, significant wars-

David: Right

Seth: ... that have been won.

David: Yep.

Seth: So our Christian life is, are skirmishes.

David: Right. And it, and I, and I think it, it's strange 'cause you feel like if all this has happened, right, if Jesus has really done all this for me, the battle should be over, right?

Seth: Right.

David: And this is when people start doubting their faith, right? Or feeling like they're not saved, or they are like the seed that's planted and is scorched in the sun that Jesus talked about-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and withers, uh, is like we're, we're, we're given a rose-colored version of what being a disciple of Jesus looks like.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's like actually yes, the decisive victory has been won, but there's a not yet still.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: There's still Canaanites in the land. There's still battles to be fought. And, um, that is a more helpful way to process life in Christ.

Seth: And then I guess the good news there then is, unlike Joshua, who couldn't give his spirit-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... to the 12 tribes, Jesus does give us His Spirit.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: We can actually, the not yet is better news for us than it was for Israel. The not yet for Israel in this time period was a go, have faith, and you'll be able to do it.

David: Right.

Seth: No, you won't.

David: [laughs] Right.

Seth: For us, it's go, you'll be able to do it. Yes, you will.

David: Right.

Seth: You're filled with the same spirit that I was-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... filled with. Um-

David: Yeah.

Seth: So what does it look like, so like make it a little bit more concrete for me.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Like, how should I be thinking, like, is all, are all battles with sin, like is my personal battle with anger-

David: Mm

Seth: ... an enemy territory?

David: Right.

Seth: Like, is that, is that the way I should be thinking about that?

David: That is one of the ways you should be thinking [laughs] about it.

Seth: [laughs]

David: Absolutely.

Seth: Or is that the way, is that the way Joshua reflect, Jesus' reflection on Joshua had tell me to think about that?

David: I, I think so. I think, uh, I think at least the New Testament reflects on it that way, that there is sin that needs to be beat.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And that he, He dismantled sin and our enemy, you know?

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, and so yes, there is, there are internal, but I think the Psalmist talk, thought about this. Like-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... search me, oh God, know my heart. See if there's any, you know, unrighteousness in me. You know? Like, test me. I wanna find out the outposts of sin in my heart. Like-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... I don't think it's just a strictly New Testament-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... idea. Um, so yes, we should, we should see our battle for sanctification and our desire to look more like Jesus as war against the flesh and the devil.

Seth: Mm-hmm. Which is what Paul says in-

David: Yep

Seth: ... Ephesians 6:10.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Uh, uh, put on the armor of God because o-

David: Yep

Seth: ... the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but like-

David: Right

Seth: ... that's, that's New Testa- That's King James Version.

David: That's King James.

Seth: It's not carnal.

David: Watch out. Watch out.

Seth: Uh-

David: But yes, but there's other, there's other things too, like fighting, uh, injustice in the world and fighting-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... um, real spiritual enemies as they oppress other people-

Seth: Yeah, 'cause-

David: ... through demonization or anything like that.

Seth: 'Cause that makes sense, a little more sense to me in this context 'cause there's a sense like there was internal enemy, the fact that these le- these deputized leaders didn't have the Holy Spirit.

David: Right.

Seth: And they couldn't be the faithful leaders that God wanted-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... them to be. But there was another sense that they, they were going out, and outside of them was, were kingdoms of oppression, kingdoms of lawlessness-

David: Right

Seth: ... kingdoms of child sacrifice, kingdoms of cult prostitution, that they were going into to dismantle.

David: That's right.

Seth: And so we too, filled with the Spirit this time-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... can go into those same kingdoms in our world with the hope of victory unlike any character in the Old Testament, except maybe Joshua-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... had.

David: Yep. Absolutely right, and the only reason is because the decisive victory has already been won on the cross.

Seth: Okay.

David: Right? Just like-

Seth: Yeah. Yeah

David: ... they're told to be strong and courageous because of God's past victories, now they can be victorious now. So let's, ah, look at some of the-

Seth: Uh-

David: ... like shorter-

Seth: Can I say one more thing?

David: Sure, yes, you can. You may.

Seth: I, I, I was like, wait, I wanna look at this first verse too, but you keep making me think about-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... um, s-The idea that we are deputized leaders-

David: Mm

Seth: ... in the land to go and take-

David: Yes

Seth: ... unconquered territory.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: So that is a, a New Testament idea. So Revelation 5:10, "And He has made us unto our God kings and priests-

David: Mm

Seth: ... and we shall reign on the earth in the new heavens and the new earth."

David: Right.

Seth: We also have like, um, in Ephesians, uh, "He has seated us in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Uh, like Romans 5:17, "We shall reign in life by the one man, Jesus Christ."

David: Mm.

Seth: Um, I'm also thinking about, um, like the parable of the minas in Luke 19 where the, the pe- the peop- the, the people in the parable are given, like, one mina or five minas or 10 minas.

David: Oh, right, or like people might be... Like the parable of talents.

Seth: The parable of talents.

David: Right.

Seth: Yes, yes, yes. And, uh, the reward for stewarding their talents well-

David: Is how many cities they get

Seth: ... is how many cities they get.

David: That's right.

Seth: So think about, like project with me, okay, already not yet, but what happens when the not yet comes?

David: Right. Thy kingdom come.

Seth: When the kingdom comes, what does our rulership look like-

David: Yes

Seth: ... of the new heavens and the new earth?

David: Right, which is, was the original call of man, and we'll get there. That's how this land allotments end.

Seth: Okay.

David: The land allotments end with repeating the Edenic king command that was given to Adam to h- subdue the land and rule it, and so, like, you're on the... You're sniffing-

Seth: No, I'm, I'm like on-

David: ... on the right trail

Seth: ... I'm get- getting there.

David: You really are. And I'm also, while we're using the New Testament to reflect here, I'm also thinking of the 70 disciples that Jesus sent out.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Right? Which was, um-

Seth: A representation of the 70 nations-

David: The 70 nations

Seth: ... at the Tower of Babel.

David: That's right, and, uh, which you can, if you guys are going and looking this up, there's a translation issue with, in some of your Bibles, which means there might be a discrepancy in the number. But-

Seth: Oh, yeah

David: ... it's the same

Seth: ... 70 or 72.

David: Yeah, yeah.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: But it's the same.

Seth: It's the same.

David: And, uh, yeah, and so, like, they were, they were going as f- uh, repeating really-

Seth: Mm

David: ... the story of Joshua-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... to go and take over enemy cities-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... with the good news of Jesus. And like, it wasn't war that time, right?

Seth: Yeah.

David: It was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

Seth: Or Revelation 5 and or Revelation 7, "Around the throne of God are people from every tribe-

David: Mm

Seth: ... language, nation, and tongue."

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Like, the c- like, the not yet, soon every nation will be conquered with the good news of Jesus.

David: Yes. Yeah.

Seth: Um-

David: That's good news.

Seth: That's good news.

David: Yeah. [laughs]

Seth: And like, I'm super interested. Like, what does that mean to, like, rule cities in the new heaven?

David: Right.

Seth: To be a nation of kings.

David: It's another way to look at the world from a missions standpoint, is that there are still pockets of the world, one, who are unreached people groups who have never heard the name Jesus, right? That's unconquered territory that we need to take-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... the good news to. Or two, while we've gone to these other places, there are, there are cities that we used to inhabit that used to be strongholds for Christianity-

Seth: Mm

David: ... that are now completely devoid of Christian values. You know?

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like the progressive West. You know?

Seth: Yep.

David: Like, you think of Europe. There's-

Seth: America

David: ... America.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You just think there are these core cities that have some of the most famous churches in the world in them that are just museums now.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And it's like, yeah, the enemy's moved back in, and, like, it's unconquered territory-

Seth: Mm

David: ... that we need to move evangelistically. You know?

Seth: Right.

David: So anyway, there's a lot to reflect on apparently here.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And we haven't even gotten past the first verse-

Seth: [laughs]

David: ... of chapter 13. So let's move on. [gentle music] Okay, so, uh, Joshua starts not by making his own allotments that he has for the tribes, but by repeating the allotments that Moses originally gave before-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... they entered-

Seth: Yep

David: ... Canaan.

Seth: Okay, which is on the other side of the Jordan River, not in the land of Canaan technically.

David: That's right.

Seth: But the, when he defeated Sihon and Og, uh, those lands were taken over, and several tribes, before they went into the land, wanted to stay there because it was better for their cattle, right?

David: Uh, yes. Yeah, Gad, Reuben, and the half, and one half-tribe of Manasseh, which is very important. That comes up.

Seth: Okay.

David: They wanted to stay on the west side of the Jordan.

Seth: When you said the one half-tribe, you just mean half the people in the tribe of Manasseh?

David: That's right.

Seth: Okay.

David: Yeah.

Seth: So ha- half of Manasseh.

David: Half of Manasseh wanted to stay on the west. Half decided to go in.

Seth: Okay.

David: And that's it.

Seth: Okay, cool.

David: That's all you need to know. Um, and so then Joshua starts to break up the land inside and, and repeats what Moses talked about outside the land. So when it says, like, east of the Jordan, right?

Seth: Mm.

David: That means outside the land, and you're talking about Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. I hope I'm getting that right. [laughs]

Seth: Yeah. [laughs]

David: And then you're, uh, and then inside the land, you're talking about everybody else.

Seth: Okay.

David: Uh, including the other half of Manasseh-

Seth: Yes

David: ... and their brother, Ephraim.

Seth: So let me ask you a question before we move on here too.

David: Okay.

Seth: So Caleb gets mentioned here.

David: Yes.

Seth: So Caleb's the only other man from the previous generation in the wilderness that comes in.

David: Yes.

Seth: And he makes a special request-

David: He does

Seth: ... of his land.

David: Yes.

Seth: And he's granted it.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And he gets the land where the Anakim were.

David: Yes.

Seth: The, the sp- the, the, the, the unique spiritual enemies of the people of God.

David: That's right, the descendants of the Nephilim.

Seth: Yeah, the descendants. So I was like, well, is it, is it significant that he is one of the only faithful tribes of Israel and these are the, the darkest spiritual enemies in the land? Like-

David: That's, yes, absolutely right.

Seth: Okay.

David: And he's old.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like, he's old. Uh, and he uses his sons to fight.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: But we, we are told that God is honoring the past faith of Caleb. If you remember, this is the story way back in Numbers when Israel first came to Canaan, and Joshua, Caleb, and 10 other spies go into the land, and they see the Anakim.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: They see the giants.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: The, they see the spiritual descendants of the Nephilim, and they're terrified.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: They run out, and the 10 besides Joshua and Caleb spread gossip about how they'll never be able to take over the land. But Joshua and Caleb wanna be faithful and trust God and take the land.

Seth: We can do it. Yeah.

David: And so Joshua is elevated to this position that we've seen him inhabit the whole book, but what about Caleb?

Seth: Right.

David: This is Caleb's moment.

Seth: Got it.

David: So Cal- God is honoring Caleb's past faithfulness by, I can't really say ironically, more like appropriately, letting him finally do battle with the Anakim that he was not afraid of in the first, in the first place.

Seth: I love this verse. He's an old man, right?

David: Yes.

Seth: Verse 11, "I am still as strong today-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... as I was in the day that Moses sent me."

David: That's right.

Seth: "My strength now as is my strength was then-

David: Right

Seth: ... for war and for going and for coming."

David: Yes, and whenever you read, just, just, this is helpful to know. When you read going out and coming in, for going and for coming, that means I'm still able to go to war.It's just helpful to know-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... 'cause it's a, it's a, it's in your Hebrew Bible a lot.

Seth: Yeah, I've seen it a lot.

David: Okay. Uh, so yeah. This is just God being, showing His past faithfulness-

Seth: Mm

David: ... uh, to Caleb, and it's also showing that, like, it's the first story... This is really important. It's the first story of land allotments realized, right? So it, it-

Seth: Uh-huh

David: ... it's first given to Caleb-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... because he was the only other faithful spy, and he's old, and he's given the hardest territory to conquer, and it works.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: So he's supposed to set up the paradigm, right?

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: He is the paradigm of faithfulness, the paragon of faithfulness.

Seth: Yeah.

David: He, uh, goes to the hardest territory, trusts God, and takes the land, and whenever he feels like he needs a little extra land, what does he do? Does he go and whine about it to Joshua? No. He goes and conquers more enemy territory.

Seth: Mm.

David: And that's how the land grows.

Seth: Hmm.

David: So that is, that's... We're gonna butt up against that over and over again in the land allotment stories.

Seth: And just, I, I forgot about this, but his na- "... Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite-"

David: Right

Seth: ... said to him." So he's actually... He has a, he's an ancestor, not... He's a, he's a, he's n- not just Hebrew. He's Hebrew and Canaanite.

David: Right.

Seth: Cana- the Kenizzites were a Canaanite tribe-

David: Yes

Seth: ... but now he's part of the land of Israel, taking land for God's kingdom.

David: Right.

Seth: Right?

David: That probably happened way back in Egypt-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... whenever Egypt was conscripting slaves from multiple nations, and when God started acting in Israel or in Egypt-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... with the plagues in Exodus, it wasn't just Israel He redeemed, but we're also told there was a mixed multitude-

Seth: So-

David: ... that God was redeeming oppressed people groups of all stripes-

Seth: Which-

David: ... under the fist of Pharaoh

Seth: ... goes back to Abraham's promise-

David: Exactly

Seth: ... that He would bless the whole world through, uh, Israel.

David: That's exactly right.

Seth: Not only by, like, um, native foreigners- [laughs]

David: Yes

Seth: ... like, but also by the fact that God's kingdom in the world would be better for the people in that land than the rule of the Canaanites would've been.

David: That's right.

Seth: Okay.

David: That's absolutely right. And so yeah, Joshua, or... It's not Joshua, but Caleb sets up, like, a really interesting paradigm for us that, um, everyone else should follow. Uh-

Seth: Yeah, and it, it was repeated, "And the land had rest from war"-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... at the very end of his land allotment. Okay.

David: Yes. Uh, and then the next, uh, group that's highlighted, you have Caleb first-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... as an individual representation, but then the most space that is given in the land allotments is given to the Tribe of Judah, and it's also the first tribe that's given its allotment.

Seth: And it's the tribe that the Messiah will come from.

David: That's right.

Seth: It's the promised, it's the promised tribe.

David: It's the promised... Yeah, and so this is continuing a theme of overemphasizing the Tribe of Judah throughout the Torah.

Seth: Okay.

David: So you have it f- really first prominently in Jacob blessing his 12 sons at the end of Genesis.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And Jacob, otherwise known as Israel, he spends an inordinate amount of time blessing his son Judah.

Seth: Oh, so it's like a repetition of that-

David: And so the-

Seth: ... paradigm in Genesis

David: ... inordinate amount of time is given to the land allotment, honoring Jacob's blessing, but ultimately honoring what will come out of this tribe.

Seth: Okay.

David: Uh, this was also repeated in Numbers, at the beginning of Numbers. When the tribes are arranged around the tabernacle, Judah, even though he's not the firstborn, wasn't the strongest, wasn't the most populated, Judah's tribe was given the place of prominence, um, at the mouth of the tabernacle-

Seth: Okay

David: ... and they would also be the first ones to march out.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And so they're, th- they... Constantly, the Bible is showing us that Judah's tribe has prominence.

Seth: Okay.

David: And in, exactly because this is the-

Seth: Chosen one

David: ... the chosen tribe from which Jesus will come.

Seth: I also think it's interesting that you have Caleb, who's elevated because of his faithfulness and his obedience-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and then you have Judah, who's elevated, not because of their faithfulness or obedience, but because of their chosen-ness.

David: Right.

Seth: So you have both of those themes, like, elevated side by side at the beginning. Anyway.

David: Yeah.

Seth: I think that's interesting.

David: Faithfulness and chosen-ness, those go hand in hand.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Uh, and so that's, that's happening there. And-

Seth: Can, can I ask a question here?

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: So in chapter 19, the, when the Tribe of Simeon is given its land-

David: Oh, okay

Seth: ... it's given land inside of the land of Judah.

David: Yes. There's a little circle. If you look at a map-

Seth: Yeah. [laughs]

David: ... there's a little circle inside of Judah's land that Simeon's given.

Seth: So it's not that Jud- like Simeon and Judah co-ruled the land, but there's, like, a little, like, a landlocked section-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... that Simeon owns that is swallowed by Judah.

David: Yeah, it's like here in Oklahoma City, like you could drive through Oklahoma City, and then all of a sudden you're in a small little island of principality called The Village, and then you're in Nichols Hills-

Seth: Or like-

David: ... and then you're in Bethany

Seth: ... Na- Native American, like, territories-

David: That's right

Seth: ... is probably a better, like, analogy.

David: Yeah, that's a little-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... little stronger of a divide. Yeah.

Seth: Yeah.

David: So, like, yes, it's that.

Seth: Okay.

David: It's not that Judah is cohabitating. It's that-

Seth: Or I think about Botswana.

David: Oh, yes.

Seth: Like Botswana's this, like, tiny little coin of a-

David: Yeah. [laughs]

Seth: ... of a land in the middle. Is it S- is it Sierra Leone that's down there? No. What's Botswana in the middle of?

David: I'm really-

Seth: Anyway

David: ... I've, I'm, I'm awesome at African geography.

Seth: No, it's, it's, it's, it's in the middle of South Africa.

David: Okay.

Seth: Botswana is in the middle of South Africa. Am I right?

David: I, uh-

Seth: Some- somebody will correct me.

David: Someone will correct you.

Seth: One of, one of my South A- our South African listeners will correct us. [laughs]

David: They're just shaking their head right now. We actually have several in South Africa. [laughs]

Seth: I'm pretty certain, I'm pretty sure S- S- Sierra Le- Leone's farther north. Uh-

David: They're gonna... They're so mad at us right now. Uh, anyway.

Seth: [laughs] Okay.

David: Okay. So, uh, so you have the story of Judah, and, and then, and everything's kinda going well, and then you get the story of Ephraim and Manasseh. And so, um-

Seth: Oh, no, it's not Botswana.

David: Oh, okay.

Seth: It's, uh, Lesotho. Lesotho-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... is, is the little coin-

David: Oh

Seth: ... in the middle of South Africa. Botswana, it's a wh- it's this whole... It's a whole different thing. It's surrounded by Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

David: Oh.

Seth: But not the same.

David: Yes.

Seth: If you're looking for a great, easily appliable universe to live in, Simeon was like Lesotho-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... to Judah's South Africa.

David: Everyone was dying for that illustration.

Seth: Everybody was dying for it, and I just gave it to them.

David: Man, they are just thanking you-

Seth: You're so welcome

David: ... for that. Uh, okay. Now we get the story of Ephraim and Manasseh, and this is where things start to get a little more hairy. Now, there's some hairy stuff in Judah, but I'm not gonna pick that apart right now. Um, Man-

Seth: The emphasis there is their obedience.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Right. Um, and so, uh-Manasseh is th- the half tribe Manasseh that's coming into the Jordan, west of the Jordan-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... uh, into the land of Canaan is given their territory, but they bring a complaint to Joshua and they say, "Well, th- this land's not big enough for us." And Joshua replies, "Yes, it is. You just have to take it all over." [laughs] Like, the reason why it's not big enough is 'cause there's enemies to be conquered and you take their land after you drive them out. And they say, "Yeah, but they have chariots of iron and there's no way we can, we can conquer them."

Seth: Which-

David: He's like, "Just have faith. Yes, you can."

Seth: Right, which has already happened, which interestingly, like there's the chariot theme in the last battle section-

David: That's right

Seth: ... we l- talked about. Interesting. Okay.

David: Yeah. And so they refuse to have their... like to have faith in God. And we're told that later on they have, they fail to capture that part of the land. And this is something to emphasize here, is that as you read through the land allotments, you are going to hear this constant refrain over and over and over again. And it'll be like, "And they took this and they took this land, and they took this piece of land, but they did not utterly drive out blank, blank, blank," or, "They did not completely take the land of blank."

Seth: Where are you seeing that here? I'm sorry. I'm looking for it.

David: Oh, I'm, I'm not even looking at my Bible, honestly.

Seth: Oh.

David: Uh, but it's gonna be... you're gonna, you're gonna see this-

Seth: So it's coming up soon. So like you have-

David: You're gonna see this multiple times with multiple different tribes, not just with Manasseh. It starts-

Seth: Oh, here it is

David: ... with Manasseh

Seth: ... uh, chapter 17 verses 13. "Now, when the people of Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out."

David: That's right. Yeah.

Seth: Um, now let me ask you a question about that. I have a question there. So forced labor.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: The Gibeonites are under forced labor, right?

David: Yes, but that was through a covenant, right? W-

Seth: Um, well, well, I, I guess I have two questions on that.

David: Okay.

Seth: So the Gibeonites were put... Is forced labor the same thing the Gibeonites are doing?

David: No.

Seth: Or is this a version of like slavery that we're talking-

David: This is, this is slavery that we're talking about here.

Seth: Okay. 'Cause the Gibeonites are saying, "Hey, we'll be your water... We'll like, we'll work-

David: Uh-huh

Seth: ... we'll be your laborers."

David: Right.

Seth: They're like, "We'll, we'll be your, your-

David: We'll do the grunt work

Seth: ... we'll be your lower, your lower class citizens. We'll call our workers."

David: Yeah, but that was a covenant.

Seth: Okay.

David: They came and offered to do that. They weren't, uh, uh, unwillingly conscripted to that role in s-

Seth: Mm

David: ... in society. Um, but that's not the only... So like there's an argument that could be made that's like, that's the same thing. Drive them out, enslave them, whatever. But there's gonna be other times that we're told that-

Seth: Okay

David: ... that they just failed to dr- drive them out. Not-

Seth: At the very least, drive out means they shouldn't be in the land anymore.

David: Exactly.

Seth: And so the fact that they're in the land, even though they're slaves, doesn't fulfill the spirit or the letter of the law.

David: That's right.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Exactly right. Because even as forced laborers, they're still going to worship their Canaanite gods-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... and that is the fear, uh, that-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that the, the, that the people should have, is that they're gonna continue to worship these, these wrong gods. Uh, anyway, and so that is what's gonna happen again and again and again throughout this-

Seth: Okay

David: ... section, is that they fail to utterly drive out the people. Um, and this is like something I just, I think is a really beautiful y- like bi- biblical worldview to live in for a second-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... is to think about the ways that Israel, um, the law, our own efforts, uh, any kind of social agenda always leaves pockets of uncomplish- unaccomplished mission. [laughs] Like-

Seth: Mm

David: ... there's always something left undone when it's our efforts. Um-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... Israel leaves parts of the land unconquered. The law, uh, no one can perfectly keep all of it. There's one section that's broken, therefore all of it's null and void. Um, you know, we can think about things. It's like, man, I did my, I, I did my workout plan every day except one day this week-

Seth: Mm

David: ... and that just makes me feel completely defeated, so I stop it in week two.

Seth: Right. Yeah, yeah.

David: You know, like there's always these pockets of unconquered territory, and I just love that the story of Jesus, like He, He leaves no territory unconquered.

Seth: Mm.

David: There's no pocket of sin or death or, uh, evil that He will not ultimately rout out.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Uh, and I just, I love that-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... promise of God.

Seth: He's the, he's the better tribe of Manasseh. [laughs]

David: Yeah.

Seth: Yeah.

David: E- exactly right. Um-

Seth: Um.

David: Yeah. And that's because He's also the newer and better Caleb who does go and take on the enemies no one else will.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, you know, He's the new, He's the new and better Judah who faithfully-

Seth: He's from the tribe of Judah.

David: Yeah.

Seth: Yeah.

David: He, he's from the tribe of Judah, who not only takes over a y- huge part of land that he was given, showing his faithfulness-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... but also takes over the entire territory of the world whenever he comes.

Seth: It, it makes me think too just like how central, like, a version of trust is in the Christian life-

David: Yeah

Seth: ... that I just don't know if I, I meditate on. It's like the victory in battle was tied to their trust in the Lord.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And I'm like, I don't know what a trusting battle plan looks like.

David: [laughs]

Seth: You know what I mean?

David: Yeah.

Seth: Like I don't know the ratio of trust to-

David: Strategy

Seth: ... strategy or like the number of chariots I need-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... and the number of hours of prayer I need. Like do, you know, like what I'm saying?

David: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Seth: I don't know quite how, how to like parse that out.

David: Yeah.

Seth: But what I think is... So, but what, what I'm messing with there or trying to figure out is like, how do I like assume or think through my faith in Jesus, my, my trust, my confidence in Jesus, I go into these unconquered territories, whether that's like my job or like my friend that I wanna see saved or like the social injustice cause that I'm trying to like-

David: Right

Seth: ... how do I think about... Is it... I mean, I guess on a, on a really basic level it's like, well, if you know that some measure of your strategy and God's action are required-

David: Mm

Seth: ... you should at least pray.

David: Yes.

Seth: [laughs] You know?

David: Yeah.

Seth: Is that, I mean, is that like a really simple takeaway?

David: That is, that is definitely a simple takeaway.

Seth: [laughs]

David: That is absolutely true. We should at least be praying. Um, I think that's... It's two things that you made me think of. One is Seth and I behi- behind the scenes or-

Seth: Behind the scenes

David: ... off the air, we talk about how-

Seth: We have lives off the air?

David: We do actually.

Seth: I... [laughs]

David: People don't know this.

Seth: People don't. I don't know this.

David: We, Seth and I like to cook together.

Seth: It's true.

David: Anyway, um, so, uh, one of our favorite ways to talk about faith-... is talk about as trust.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: It's our favorite synonym for the word faith.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Our other is probably allegiance, but-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... that's a totally different-

Seth: Yeah, yeah

David: ... bent but the idea of trust is-

Seth: We set our watches by. [laughs]

David: Yeah, we set our watches by.

Seth: Yeah. Jesus. [laughs]

David: We have too many, we have too many-

Seth: Too many

David: ... synonyms for faith.

Seth: Uh.

David: But our favorite is trust and, um, yeah, a- and- and so as I've been thinking about, I- I've- I've been going through this like real personal re- renewal with prayer right now in my own life and I had to really wrestle through, um, petitioning God for things, like asking God for things, um, like-

Seth: So you felt bad asking?

David: I felt bad, like 'cause my, I feel like a lot of my youth group time and even some of the books I read in my seminary days were like, "Hey, God's not a vending machine. Don't just push A1 and think he'll give you a Coke."

Seth: Right. Okay. Yeah.

David: I'm like, yeah, that's true, but also like he delights us, for us to cast our burdens on him.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: And like anything we ask in his name will happen. You know, like-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... he loves to hear our requests. Why? Because they show that we are leaning on him, that we are trusting in him, that we need a crutch.

Seth: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

David: And like he loves to be trusted on. Like, you know-

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah

David: ... he loves to be leaned upon and so like what, now whenever I pray that God would help me with something here at Spoken Gospel or with my family or whatever-

Seth: A decision we have to make

David: ... a decision we have to make, a, you know, like we're praying about someone who we're hoping will offer some funding for a, our nonprofit.

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's like when I take that to God, it's- it's like it's just an act of trust-

Seth: Mm

David: ... an act of faith saying like, "God, I can make the call and send the email and build the report, but I need you to do something."

Seth: Mm.

David: And like God delights in that-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... trust.

Seth: I'm also thinking about how frequent the command to not be afraid-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... and to be strong and courageous is in here and how many of our decisions are made based out of fear-

David: Yes

Seth: ... or, uh, anxiety or-

David: Mm

Seth: ... a fear of losing something or a fear of the future or wondering what's gonna happen next time, and like how, like if you were to, if you were to catalog all the decisions you made for the people in your life, the organization that you work for, the people that you're responsible for, how many of those decisions were made out of fear of a future consequence-

David: Mm

Seth: ... or anxiously protecting yourself from experiencing something negative? Um, and w- I would probably have to say, well, probably a lot of them.

David: Right.

Seth: And so one, another way to think about the land allotment [laughs] text and the commands of the Lord is like, no, trusting in the Lord, praying to the Lord, taking back the kingdom, like taking land for the kingdom-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... is doing it unafraid and unanxiously.

David: Right.

Seth: It's like, no, pray until you make the decision without fearing for the future.

David: Yeah. That's good. Like how do I know when I've prayed enough? When God like hurls hailstones from the sky?

Seth: Yeah. [laughs]

David: Maybe, but probably whenever you can make a decision that's unanxious and unafraid.

Seth: Hmm.

David: That's helpful.

Seth: Yeah.

David: I think that's helpful. Anyway-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that's like a huge hop, skip, and a jump from this text, I think.

Seth: [laughs]

David: But it's appropriate to talk about trusting God to win battles in life.

Seth: Right.

David: Like that's what's happening here.

Seth: And that's what's hap- that's the failure that we keep seeing too.

David: Exactly. Yeah.

Seth: They're failing to trust God. They're more anxious and nervous about the Canaanites-

David: That's right

Seth: ... so they try to make all these pla- "Well- we'll enslave them instead of going to battle with them-

David: Exactly

Seth: ... because maybe we can make some kind of deal and it's, it's not gonna be, it's gonna be fine."

David: Yeah.

Seth: "We can hedge our bets and we'll be okay." No, we don't need to make a decision out of fear leading to slavery.

David: Yeah.

Seth: We can make one out of like-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... trust and faith that God is fighting for us.

David: Leading to freedom and peace.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Yeah. And so, um, a lot of, a lot of the ways we should be reflecting on the gospel here, uh, we've kind of already articulated about like trust Go- trust what Jesus has done in the past to know what he'll do in the future.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Uh, but I think there's like an interesting, uh, thing to meditate on here since we've talked a lot about faith. We've- we've talked about that Jesus like-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... has won the victory in the past-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... he'll secure one in the future. There's this scarcity mindset that Manasseh and the other tribes have when they-

Seth: Okay

David: ... bring their complaints to Joshua that they don't have enough land. They're like, "The land's not big enough for us." Um, and- and his response is, "Yes, it is. Just go take more of it," you know?

Seth: Right.

David: And so it's fear, but there's a scarcity mindset and I love this, uh, idea and I- I'm totally skipping over everything-

Seth: Okay

David: ... to get to this little beautiful picture that I love.

Seth: Yeah.

David: But I love the idea that when Jesus returns and claims the whole earth as his own, um, there will be no scarcity of land-

Seth: Mm-hmm

David: ... because it will all be conquered. You know? Like there will, we- we will not look at the plot that, of land that we're given and be like, "Oh, it's not big enough for me," you know? Or, um-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... "I'm scared of what's on the other side of that fence."

Seth: Right. I just bought another house. Like, man, I'd love a little bit more space for my garden.

David: Uh-huh.

Seth: Like I want everything to fit right there. [laughs]

David: Right, right, right. Yeah, totally. And it's just like, I don't know if that's a self-serving thought-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... or whatever, but God clearly desires peace for his people.

Seth: Well, I mean, think-

David: You know? It's like-

Seth: ... how much conflict is driven by the acquisition-

David: Oh, totally

Seth: ... of land? Like-

David: All of it.

Seth: Yeah, all like-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... all of it. The- the control of a water supply.

David: Yep.

Seth: War. Like- like-

David: Yep

Seth: ... the fact that there will always be enough land.

David: Yeah. There- there will always be enough.

Seth: The land itself will be enough, and that there will always be enough land means most of the reason for war is gone.

David: [laughs] Yeah, which it just makes me happy.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Which is like good news. That's just good news to me that Go- when, like in the Kingdom of Jesus, when he returns, there is no scarcity.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: Like his allotments are perfect, and they're given to us completed, you know? Like I just love that.

Seth: Yeah.

David: And I think it sets up our next category really, really well, our last section.

Seth: Our final category.

David: Okay. So in 18 to 19, we get this really kind of funny statement in classic Joshua style. Um, he's gonna spend three chapters talking about one tribe, you know, and then two chapters talking about the other seven, you know? [laughs]

Seth: Yes. I noticed that too.

David: And so- so 18 verse two, ver- chapter 18 verse two, "There remained among the people of Israel seven tribes whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned," and they're gonna be given their- their allotments in two chapters. And like a lot of, uh, I'm looking at the, the tribe of Issachar is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven verses. [laughs] You know, it's just really quick.But here is what's happening in this section that should blow your mind-

Seth: Okay

David: ... is there's a reason why it's built this way.

Seth: Built as five and seven?

David: Uh, yes.

Seth: Okay.

David: There's a reason, and that reason is not because Issachar didn't have any cool stories.

Seth: Okay.

David: You know? [laughs]

Seth: Yeah.

David: It's because God wants us to see that there are these seven tribes remaining that will take over the land as a picture of the seven days of creation-

Seth: Oh

David: ... because we've been harping on this whole thing-

Seth: Yeah, yeah

David: ... that Canaan is the new Eden, and they're bringing new creation, and we've even seen parallels to the story of Genesis played out in different ways throughout the story of Joshua and the conquest. And so here you have, just as you had in creation, you had seven days of creation ending in rest. Now, you have seven tribes' allotments, which will end in the rest for all Israel.

Seth: Hmm.

David: And so it's just, like, a beautiful literary picture of what God is ultimately up to with the land allotments. And so what this should do, it shouldn't force us to go like, "Oh, cool number connection, David."

Seth: Right.

David: That's not the point.

Seth: Yeah.

David: The point is that the, that God is telling us why any of this matters. Like, why, why do the land allotments matter? Why should this cause you to stop and think and meditate on these, on these six difficult chapters? Well, it's because God wants to recreate Eden among us.

Seth: Hmm.

David: Like, this is a humongous theme in the Bible that will help you understand it really well-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and will give you hope and will bring you peace, will help you feel on mission, will, like... It's such a core theme to the Bible that it... a- and, and so since-

Seth: Right, right

David: ... Joshua 18 and 19 is forcing us to think about it-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... I just want us to meditate on that for a second.

Seth: We... th- the new Eden is already and not-

David: Is already and not yet

Seth: ... and not yet.

David: And, yeah, exactly right. And so, like, here let's just, like, in this context, Israel and their 12 tribes highlighted in these last seven are meant to bring, uh, the new Eden with God, and this is really-

Seth: Bless all the nations of the earth-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... through the land, their, through their ownership of the land of Canaan.

David: That's right.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Uh, and this is highlighted here. This is... It's not only the number seven that sets this up for us. Also, that was 18 verse 2.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: 18 verse 1 highlights that as well, so check this out. "Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them."

Seth: Oh.

David: So there's two things to notice here. One is that the tent of the meeting, uh, tent of meeting is set up, the tabernacle-

Seth: Yep

David: ... God's presence is in the land.

Seth: Mm-hmm.

David: This is the hope of Eden-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that God would have a place to dwell with us in the land. And then two is this word, "The land laid subdued before them," is a repeat of the command given to Adam in chapter one of the Bible.

Seth: S- uh, uh, s-

David: Fill the earth and subdue it

Seth: ... subdue it. They fill, they filled it.

David: They, they, they-

Seth: [laughs]

David: ... they subdue the earth, and now they're gonna fill it.

Seth: Yeah.

David: That's what the land allotments are.

Seth: Yeah.

David: This is a fulfillment of the command given to Adam in chapter one of the Bible-

Seth: Hmm

David: ... is now the land lay subdued before them. Now, land allotments, go fill them with seven days of creation and then have peace. Like, this is-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... supposed to... This right here is where Genesis 1-

Seth: Hmm

David: ... this could, uh, this could be the end of the story almost.

Seth: Yeah.

David: You know, like, it feels like it-

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah

David: ... could be the end of the story. It's not, because they failed to bring rest.

Seth: Right.

David: But it feels like it could be.

Seth: Yeah, and it makes me think too... I was like, I don't think about, like, there would be moments of subduing happening that pushed th- this new Eden project forward.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: And so I think it's really, uh, to think about Jesus's battle with death and sin as a subduing moment-

David: Yes

Seth: ... it's like death has been subdued.

David: The land of the grave-

Seth: Has been-

David: The soil [laughs] inside the grave

Seth: ... been conquered.

David: Yes.

Seth: Sin itself has been subdued in a powerful way even though its presence is still there.

David: Mm-hmm.

Seth: Now, go and fill the subdued land-

David: Right

Seth: ... as what Paul calls us new creations-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... to go and bring Eden as we exist on the earth.

David: Yes. That's exactly right.

Seth: Hmm.

David: So just like Israel here is kind of redoing Eden, this is also how the Bible wants us to see Jesus.

Seth: Hmm.

David: So, like, when we're introduced to Jesus in the, in the Gospel of John, it starts in Genesis 1, "In the beginning"-

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah

David: ... was what? Well, God spoke. "... was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God," right? And then he set up his what? His tabernacle. This is, this is-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... Joshua 18 again.

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

David: The tabernacle of the Lord is coming, repeating the beginning of-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... the Bible. So, like-

Seth: And then-

David: ... John 1 is not only a reflection on Genesis 1, it's also a reflection-

Seth: Hmm

David: ... on Joshua 18-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... which is really interesting.

Seth: And then Jesus has a new Joshua-

David: Mm-hmm

Seth: ... who has the same name as him, though [laughs] they're both, both their names were Yeshua.

David: Yes.

Seth: He goes out and wins decisive victories.

David: Exactly right. He goes, and he drives out demons. He heals diseases and ultimately conquers sin-

Seth: Hmm

David: ... and death on, on the cross and in his resurrection. Uh, and then, then, this is my favorite part, uh, there is another part of the Bible that has land allotment text in it.

Seth: Uh-

David: Bible trivia.

Seth: Uh, I mean-

David: Can you think of it?

Seth: I, uh, Matthew 28.

David: Okay. That's, that's, uh, that, that would be like a recommissioning of this Joshua moment. I would s- I would say that's a fair-

Seth: It's like, yeah, whenever

David: ... that's a fair connection.

Seth: It's like, "Go in all the earth and-"

David: Go in all the earth.

Seth: Yeah.

David: There are, there's land to be taken.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: But there's actually, like, land allotment and, like, a lot of the same language given. It's in the Old Testament.

Seth: Okay.

David: And it's in the Book of Ezekiel.

Seth: Okay.

David: And Ezekiel has this vision of the new heavens and the new earth or, as he saw it, the new Jerusalem, and all this language gets picked up and amplified in, at the end of Revelation.

Seth: Okay.

David: And so Ezekiel sees this new Jerusalem, and in, and in it, he, is, this is in Ezekiel 47 if you wanna go look at it, and, uh, he sees all the, all of Israel goes and gets their own land again. And everyone's allotted their portion, but this, but there's no enemies, and the city's a fortress with unscalable walls, and they have peace on every side.

Seth: Hmm.

David: But that's not fulfilled in Israel's history.This is what Jesus will bring, uh, as promised by John's vision at the end of Revelation.

Seth: Hmm.

David: That Jesus brings the, the land allotments that-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... that, that Joshua predicated, that Ezekiel foresaw, that Jesus bought, he ultimately brings at the end of time with his return. He allots the land to us, and he will look at his chosen people who have been faithful to him and put their trust in Jesus. He will look at them and say, "I have subdued the Earth. Go and fill it." And we will fill the new heavens and the new Earth with the allotted land that our savior has won for us. Like-

Seth: Well, that's-

David: It's the whole story of the Bible-

Seth: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [laughs]

David: ... in one theme. It's so cool. So it's like, what seems like a really dull and difficult portion of scripture-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... is actually a ki- kind of the whole story. [laughs]

Seth: That's amazing.

David: Land allotment-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... is the, is the salvation.

Seth: Yeah.

David: Like, land allotment is the gospel.

Seth: Right.

David: That God is winning Earth back for himself and giving it to his faithful people. That's the gospel story.

Seth: Hmm.

David: Like, we... It's not just personal salvation, where we are made okay with God. That's a huge part of it.

Seth: Yeah.

David: But, like, God is winning the world, the, the dirt, right?

Seth: Hmm.

David: The crust-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... the core, the stars. Like, God is winning a universe-

Seth: Hmm

David: ... for us to live in with him forever. He's subduing it so that we can fill it. He's, he's, he's accomplished in his death and resurrection and will, and will ultimately bring to fulfillment in his second return what he said should happen in Genesis 1.

Seth: Hmm.

David: "Fill the earth and subdue it." It's happening, and, like, Joshua 18 proves that God's always been about this project.

Seth: It's pretty cool.

David: It's so cool.

Seth: It is pretty cool. [laughs]

David: [laughs]

Seth: And that's spoken gospel. [laughs]

David: [laughs] Land allotments. I love it. I just think-

Seth: That's really amazing.

David: Yeah. So I was mad at you for originally giving me this assignment to study the land allotments.

Seth: And then you discovered the gospel-

David: But it's so beautiful

Seth: ... in the land allotment. That's amazing.

David: So, uh, thank you, guys, for listening.

Seth: How... What was our run time on this one? This is-

David: It, it, it's... We're under an hour.

Seth: Oh, under an hour? Man.

David: If, as long as we don't last too long, 'cause we're barely under an hour.

Seth: We're at... [laughs] Well, thank you, guys, for sticking with us.

David: [laughs]

Seth: And congratulations on making it through the land allotments.

David: [laughs]

Seth: It's the best news I've heard all day.

David: You guys are the superstars if you made it this far.

Seth: Um, please review us. Uh, leave us a review on, uh, iTunes. We'd love it. It's how other people can learn about the land allotment gospel.

David: That's true. Let's be fair. If they made it this long, they've already left a review.

Seth: [laughs]

David: These are, these are the diehards that are, that are still here.

Seth: But if you want other people to learn about-

David: [laughs]

Seth: ... the gospel and the land allotments, you really gotta tell people about it.

David: That's true.

Seth: [laughs]

David: Yeah. Thank you, guys, for listening. We-

Seth: And make sure if you have questions-

David: Oh, yes. Oh, thank you.

Seth: Yeah, yeah.

David: Yeah, if you have any questions, send them to [email protected] about the Book of Joshua or anything-

Seth: Yeah

David: ... and we'll, we'll try to do a Joshua Q&A. So all right. Well, we'll see you next week for cities of refuge and the land given to the Levites, who weren't supposed to have land. What? Cliffhanger.

Seth: Is it?

David: I don't know. It is for a Bible nerd.

Seth: [laughs]

David: But there you go. All right. Well, thank you, guys, for joining us, and we will see you next week. [upbeat music]

Outro: Thank you for listening to the Spoken Gospel podcast. Spoken Gospel is a nonprofit that gives all its resources, like this podcast, away for free because of supporters like you. To help Spoken Gospel in our mission to speak the gospel out of every corner of scripture and view all our free resources, visit spokengospel.com. [upbeat music]

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Why the Most Boring Chapters in Joshua Might Be the Whole Gospel Story

Show Notes

The Core Tension: Victory Won, but Land Still Unconquered

Land Allotments as Battle Orders, Not Moving Day

Caleb: The Paradigm of Faithfulness

Judah's Prominence and Manasseh's Failure

The Already and the Not Yet: Living Between Victory and Fulfillment

Seven Tribes, Seven Days: Land Allotments as New Creation

Related Resources

Introduction to Joshua

View our devotional on Joshua 1

Ready to study a different book?

Listen to the Joshua Introduction podcast

Listen to the Joshua 1-2: Be Strong and Courageous! And Rahab's Scarlet Thread podcast

Listen to the Joshua 3-5: Crossing the Jordan podcast

Listen to the Joshua 6-8: The "Battle" of Jericho podcast

Listen to the Joshua 9-10:28: The Sun Stands Still podcast

Listen to the Joshua 10:29-12: The Land Has Rest podcast

Listen to the Joshua 13-19: Land Allotments are Good News Too podcast

Listen to the Joshua 20-21: The Cities of Refuge podcast

Listen to the Joshua 22-24: Joshua Dies podcast