Joshua 13:1-14
The Land Still to Be Taken
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1Now Joshua was old and well along in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and well along in years, but very much of the land remains to be possessed.
2This is the land that remains: All the territory of the Philistines and the Geshurites,
3from the Shihor east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north (considered to be Canaanite territory)—that of the five Philistine rulers of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as that of the Avvites;
4to the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Mearah of the Sidonians to Aphek, as far as the border of the Amorites;
5the land of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath.
6All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim—all the Sidonians—I Myself will drive out before the Israelites. Be sure to divide it by lot as an inheritance to Israel, as I have commanded you.
7Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
8The other half of Manasseh, along with the Reubenites and Gadites, had received the inheritance Moses had given them beyond the Jordan to the east, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had assigned to them:
9The area from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the middle of the valley, the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon,
10and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites who reigned in Heshbon, as far as the border of the Ammonites;
11also Gilead and the territory of the Geshurites and Maacathites, all of Mount Hermon, and all Bashan as far as Salecah—
12the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had remained as a remnant of the Rephaim. Moses had struck them down and dispossessed them,
13but the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites. So Geshur and Maacath dwell among the Israelites to this day.
14To the tribe of Levi, however, Moses had given no inheritance. The food offerings to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, just as He had promised them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Joshua is old, and the LORD tells him that much land remains to be possessed. The statement holds completion and incompleteness together. Joshua has led Israel through major victories, but he is not allowed to confuse a finished season of leadership with the end of every assignment.
The LORD names the Philistine territories, the Geshurites, and northern areas reaching through Lebanon. He promises to drive out the Sidonian inhabitants of the hill country. Joshua must divide the land by lot for the nine tribes and half of Manasseh that still need their inheritance.
The other half of Manasseh, with Reuben and Gad, has already received land east of the Jordan from Moses. Even there, the account records unfinished occupation: Israel did not drive out the Geshurites and Maacathites, who remain among them.
The Levites receive no land inheritance like the other tribes. Their inheritance is the offerings made to the LORD. That arrangement does not make them less important; it gives them a different place and responsibility within Israel's life.
Questions
1 What does the LORD tell Joshua about the land?
AnswerHe tells Joshua that he is old and that a substantial amount of land still remains to be possessed.
2 What must Joshua do with the land?
AnswerHe must divide it by lot as an inheritance for the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
3 Which people are specifically named among those remaining?
AnswerThe Philistines and Geshurites are named among the peoples whose territory still lies before Israel.
4 What is the Levites' inheritance?
AnswerThe Levites receive the offerings made to the LORD as their inheritance rather than a regular tribal territory.
What This Means for Us
A faithful life can contain both meaningful accomplishment and unfinished work. Age, limits, or changing responsibilities do not mean that God's purposes have failed; they remind us that no single person carries the whole future.
Do not measure a family member's worth only by visible possessions or completed projects. Different callings serve the community in different ways, and a wise household makes room for each kind of contribution.
Prayer
Lord, help us receive both accomplishment and limitation with humility. Give us grace to hand unfinished work to the next generation and to honor forms of service that cannot be measured by possessions. Amen.