The land of Canaan slowly started to settle after the initial invasion, though it would take time to be fully settled. Caleb wasn't going to wait for that though.
The first order of
business was to fulfill the promise made at Kadesh-Barnea, way down south,
where the Jews turned back from the Promised Land.
Moses promised Caleb a
parcel of land, which he wanted Joshua to concede to him.
His wish was granted.
What a character. After so many years he felt he had all his faculties and his
original energy and he just wanted to keep going.
He also accepted that
the mountain he chose in Hebron, was already occupied by the Anakim - giants
that didn’t seem to deter the octogenarian one bit.
He felt sure that God
was with him as he had always been and that he would deal with the matter.
In return for his
daughter, who was a bigger challenge, he challenged the men with him to attack the
fortified city of Debir (already conquered by Joshua). Well Othniel did it.
Then we find out why
his Achsah was a tough challenge and harder yet to marry off. The bible salutes
her character by repeating her story in Judges 1.
She was not happy to
merely inherit some land with her husband. She wanted water too.
So Caleb
ensured she got land with lower and upper springs. She was feisty and
determined to have her way. I suspect she is included in the chronicle because
of her character.
However, in truth, she
was no less feisty than her father, an incorrigible old codger who would not be
put down. I suspect he would have taken on the giants alone. Joshua must have
had quite a time taming him, but he was a vital character.
The hidden metaphor is
that God has reserved a parcel of land, a place of value and significance for
all of us. That is the nature of his kingdom.
The land was divided (Chapter 15-19)
The land on the east
bank of the Jordan was divided between Reuben, Manasseh and Gad. Then Judah was
given the southernmost section and Ephraim the northernmost part.
The Levites were not
given any land, so the 10 remaining tribes and 2 half-tribes of Joseph, had to
be settled. With 5 already settled, 7 remained.
Joshua sent 3 men from
each of the remaining tribes to survey the land and to map it or record it. They
also determined the most logical dividing lines of each portion of land.
Then Joshua, who felt that they were all slackers for not having claimed more of the land, drew lots
to allocate the land between the remaining tribes as Moses had instructed.
Even so, they could not settle the land. The intention was good, but the land was far from subdued. They had conquered some territory, but a lot remained to be done.
Even so, they could not settle the land. The intention was good, but the land was far from subdued. They had conquered some territory, but a lot remained to be done.
As such, it wasn’t
until Josiah that the land was actually fully settled. That explains why Caleb
needed to reconquer Debir.
It would be really
cumbersome to work through every city or region and how it was all allocated
and to whom. I won’t do that here.
Suffice to say that
the land was logically divided up, but Israel was largely still confined to their
camp at Gilgal. It would take time to tame the wild land of Canaan.
I suspect that will be
true of all of us in our life challenges. Some things will yield quickly,
others will take time, but in time you will possess it all.
However, it provides a
great insight into the war raging between light and dark and the simple fact
that having God on our side is not a simple passport to all that is before us.
I suspect God needed
them to hold back though, as they did not have the resources or organization
needed to sustain the whole land. It would take a lot longer to achieve that. As such, we will often restrain God's hand by our limitations and readiness to move on.
The tabernacle was pitched in Shiloh (Chapter 18)
Jerusalem could not be taken. The Jebusites were too strong.
The city was always destined to be cosmopolitan: a cultural crossroads. As such the Jews and the Jebusites shared Jerusalem for a long time - maybe still do.
The tabernacle settled for some time in Shiloh. Only in David's time did it finally journey to Jerusalem, but even then it settled on a threshing floor until Solomon was ready to build the first temple.
Thus, Shiloh became the temporary center of Israel, as it was strategically located near the logical center of the land. Like Jerusalem, the name implied peace, but unlike Jerusalem, it probably knew more real peace that Jerusalem ever did.
(c) Peter Missing @ Bethelstone.com
