Day 65. Joshua 11-14

The apportionment of the Promised Land and was undoubtedly good news—gospel—to the hitherto landless people of Israel. For them the Land represented the fulfillment of God's promises. Some of our text strikes us as tedious—lists of cities conquered and long-vanished petty kingdoms destroyed—but to the people who first heard the Book of Joshua the account of the conquest of Canaan was filled with immediacy and excitement.
In yesterday's reading we were told how the sun stood still and time slowed to a stop when Joshua fought the five kings at Gibeon. In today's reading, time is speeded up and the events of decades are condensed into a short span. And in fact the text acknowledges that "Joshua made war for a long time with all those kings" (11:18).
In that war the Israelites fought on foot, often relying on stealth and guerilla tactics for victory. When they encounter horse-drawn chariots—which were the cutting edge of military technology in that period--Joshua is told by the LORD to "hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire" (11:6). This is probably done because the Israelites didn't know how to use them themselves and didn't want these powerful weapons to fall into the hands of the enemy.
And as always Joshua obeyed this command like a good soldier, which is what he is. Indeed, his obedience is a constant theme in the book that bears his name—"As the LORD had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses" (11:15).
We know from archeological evidence that the people of Bible times were small in stature. People of modern height would have seemed like giants to them. We don't know exactly who these tall people are, but again in our text we encounter "Anakim," giants, and we are informed that Joshua wiped then out—exterminated them from the hill country (11:21). But they remained in the Philistine territories of Gaza, Gath and Ashod (11:22). We will encounter one of these Anakim named Goliath as the champion of the Philistine army in the later adventures of the young David.
Auspicious numbers were very important to ancient people, and again and again in our readings together we will encounter certain numbers used as symbols of holiness and completeness. In the allotment of the land of Canaan it was felt to be important that it be divided among the tribes in twelve parts exactly—a holy and auspicious number. The tribe of Levi did not receive an allotment of land because they were provided a portion of the burnt offerings in the tabernacle (13:14). So the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, are counted in our text as "half-tribes," thus making up the sacred number twelve (14:2).
We are told that the land was divided by casting the holy lots—Urim and Thummin—which were the possession of the high priest Eleazar, the successor to Aaron (14:2). The casting of lots is practiced in the New and well as in the Old Testament to discern the will of the LORD (see Acts 1:24-26).
And as our reading ends, some old business is taken care of when Caleb, now eighty-five years old, is given his long-delayed grant of land. Among the spies that Moses sent into the Promised Land only he and Joshua counseled the people to go forward according to the LORD's command. As a reward only Caleb and Joshua among their generation were granted the privilege of entering the Promised Land. In Chapter 14 Joshua gives Caleb and his descendents the yet unconquered city of Hebron.
Joshua is now old and his campaigning days are reaching an end. By the end of chapter 14, an equilibrium has been reached. Some parts of the Promised Land remain to be conquered, but the Israelite war machine is running out of steam. From now on, the conquest will go more slowly, and as a result, we are told the land "had rest from war" (14:15).