14:5The land was divided exactly as God had instructed Moses years before. Joshua did not change a word. He followed God’s commands precisely. Often we believe that a/most is close enough, and this idea can carry over into our spiritual lives. For example, we may follow God’s Word as long as we agree with it, but ignore it when the demands seem harsh. But God is looking for people who follow instructions thoroughly.
Life Application Study BibleJoshuaChapter 14
Joshua 14
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 335, 336
A few verse numbers on this page were hard to read in the scan and are marked with a dotted underline — compare with the original page image if in doubt.
14Joshua 14
The Land Divided West of the Jordan
114 The remaining tribes of Israel received land in Canaan as allotted by Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the tribal leaders. 2These nine and a half tribes received their grants of land by means of sacred lots, in accordance with the LORD’s command through Moses. 3Moses had already given a grant of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River, but he had given the Levites no such allotment. 4The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in with surrounding pasturelands for their livestock and all their possessions. 5So the land was distributed in strict accordance with the LORD’s commands to Moses.
Caleb Requests His Land
66A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the LORD said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. 71 was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the LORD, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, 8but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God. 9So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God.’ 10“Now, as you can see, the LORD has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. 1I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. 12So give me the hill country that the LORD promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the LORD is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the LORD said.” 13So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. 14Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the LORD, the God of Israel. 5(Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of
Anak.)
And the land had rest from war.
Life Application Notes 4 notes
14:6-12Caleb was faithful from the start. As one of the original scouts sent into the Promised Land (Numbers 13:30-33), he saw great cities and giants, yet he knew God would help the people conquer the land. Because of Caleb’s faith, God promised him a personal inheritance of land (Numbers 14:24; Deuteronomy 1:34-36). Here, 45 years later, the land was given to him. Caleb's faith was still unwavering. Although his inherited land still had giants, Caleb knew the LORD would help him conquer them. Like Caleb, we must be faithful to God, not only at the start of our walk with him, but throughout our entire lives. We must never allow ourselves to rest on our past accomplishments or reputations.
14:6-12When Joshua gave Caleb his portion, it fulfilled a promise God had made to Caleb 45 years earlier. We expect such integrity and reliability from God, but do we expect the same from his followers? How about you? Is your word this reliable? Would you honor a 45-year-old promise? God would—and does. Even today he is honoring promises he made thousands of years ago. in fact, some of his greatest promises are yet to be fulfilled. This gives us much to look forward to. Let your faith grow as you realize that God keeps his word.
14:15The descendants of Anak were a race of giants who inhabited parts of the land before Joshua's conquest.