Joshua 14:1-5
Introduction
Caleb reminds Joshua of what the LORD said to Moses. As a reward for his faithfulness he would receive Hebron as inheritance. The name Hebron has a wonderful meaning, namely ‘fellowship’. Fellowship means that someone shares with another something that is important to both. This name expresses the greatest blessing we can imagine. In 1 John 1 it says: “Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1Jn 1:3b). This means that we speak with the Father about the Son and speak with the Son about the Father. The better we get to know the Father and the Son, the more we will enjoy it. This fellowship gives “complete joy” (1Jn 1:4). If we are faithful, this will be our part.In Joshua 14 the apportioning of the actual land begins, an apportioning that is communicated to us until Joshua 19. This is not a dry list. The apportioning of the land and the description of what each gets are a picture of certain spiritual exercises that take place and that are related to the spiritual mind. First, by lot, the inheritance is apportioned to two and a half tribes in the land Canaan: Judah (Joshua 14-15) and then to the two sons of Joseph with an inheritance for Ephraim (Joshua 16) and an inheritance for the other half-tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 17). This apportioning takes place in Gilgal. The other seven tribes (Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Dan) are apportioned their inheritance in Shiloh (Joshua 18-19). The apportioning to the tribes is preceded, to our teaching and encouragement, by the splendid example of Caleb.Who Divides the Land; the Method of Dividing
Apportioning the inheritance to the tribes is done by Eleazar, Joshua and the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel. It is remarkable that Eleazar is mentioned first, that is before Joshua. Both are a picture of the Lord Jesus. Joshua is a picture of the guidance of the Spirit. Eleazar is the high priest in the land, as Aaron had been during the wilderness journey. Aaron is related to weaknesses and temptations. Eleazar is a picture of the Lord Jesus Who helps us to enter the land, that is, to take possession of the spiritual blessings.The Lord Jesus knows all the obstacles to taking possession of the heavenly blessing. Therefore we need Him as our High Priest to know our blessings and therefore Eleazar is mentioned first as a picture of Him here. Our blessings are all connected with the Lord Jesus glorified in heaven. It is about Him, and the blessing is that we get to know Him better. All truth is connected with Him: the whole truth, for example, of eternal life, the Father’s house, fellowship with the triune God, the church connected with Him in heaven, as body, as house, as bride, as children and sons of God, that we are heirs, the new man, the new creation. All these truths lie outside the old creation. All these blessings can only be conquered by prayerful struggle on the knees, by hard and persistent struggles.The names of the heads of the households are given in Numbers 34 (Num 34:16-29). Their presence and supervision at the distribution will ensure that any suspicion of favoring any tribe will have no chance. Each tribe will be able to be satisfied with the inheritance assigned to him. The heads of the households represent responsible brethren who help the members of God’s people in a local church to take possession of their inheritances – the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. Through their teaching from Scripture they present the truths that are connected with the Lord Jesus.
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