Joshua 14-19, 21 “give me a blessing”: Making Sure You Get your Piece of Salvation Pie

Chapters 14-19 in Joshua record how each tribe in Israel received their inheritance in the Promised Land. One way theology is conveyed in the narrative is the special pleas that are made for certain pieces of real estate (cf. vv. 14:6-12; 15:16-19; 17:3-6; 19:49-50; 21:1-2). Five individuals display the kind of faith and tenacity necessary to enjoy LifePlus. They are included in the narrative as examples to follow. How and why God gave them their request is important. 14:8, 9, 14 repeat the reason why Caleb received Land: “because he wholly followed the Lord.” We also learn that women request and receive Land. In 15:18-19 Caleb’s daughter asks her husband to ask Caleb for a field and a blessing of two springs to go along with the property. In 17:3-6 five daughters ask for property and it’s granted to them. In 17:14-18 the tribe of Joseph asks for more land in the Land, but their request is turned down. Joshua tells them to get busy and clear off the wooded land they had. In 18:2-6 Joshua has to encourage seven tribes to get busy taking their inheritance. They were not following through to possess their land and needed to be prodded along. The quest or non-quest for enjoying more of LifePlus (God’s salvation) is mirrored in these mini-narratives. One key Christological idea is contained in the fact that Caleb is from the tribe of Judah. He points to our Savior who is the true Heir of God’s life. Through Him all who believe have an eternal inheritance (cf. 1 Peter 2:5-10). Caleb’s description of being someone who “wholly followed the Lord” (cf. 14:8, 14) points to our Savior who perfectly obeyed God’s laws. Through His death, believers can take on His righteousness and receive an inheritance of eternal life.

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