Three Simple Lessons

Joshua 15: 1-5 and 12  -  The allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south. Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Salt Sea,  crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka.  It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the sea. This is their southern boundary.  The eastern boundary is the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, ……….The western boundary is the coastline of the Great Sea. These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

 

The tribe of Judah… assigned as a stand in for the eldest son of Jacob….was awarded its allotment first. They received the customary double portion of land given as a blessing and endowment to the eldest of a family. One of its members…the bold courageous Caleb…. had already received a portion promised just to him...so now Joshua describes the enormous allotment the rest of the tribe would use to live. Most commentaries say it covered an area around 3,000 square miles…with borders following the natural geography of the Promised Land north…south…east …and west.

 

The land they received contained numerous cities that would have to be conquered and destroyed.  I couldn’t pronounce many of the strange sounding names....so I just began to tally a simple count…around 113 from the NIV Bible I study from…I think!  They drove them all out…except one.  The Jebusites….who lived in Jerusalem…somehow managed to remain in control of the city….and eventually live ‘with’ the people of Judah according to verse 63.

 

I still sit here on a beautiful Saturday morning…not really understanding what God wants me to learn from this chapter.  I have asked…but no real answer has come yet.  My pot of coffee is almost empty…and I just sit here…continuing to ponder what lesson he might be trying to teach me this morning. Perhaps it is that some people just are blessed doubly….because God knows their heart…and he assigns to us what he knows we will strive to do for him. Perhaps it is that even when God gives to us a great blessing…it comes with additional battles…113 of them…before we begin to find peace and rest from our enemies.  Or perhaps it is that sometimes…no matter how hard we work for the Lord…there will always be that one person that just doesn’t get it…and they will remain an unbeliever…locked in whatever pain and misery they have built around them. Maybe I needed to hear all three of these tidbits this morning…a triple blessing on a beautiful sunny day!

 

Father…I thank you for the thoughts you placed in my heart this morning. I pray that you help me to accept the many blessings you pour out on me daily….and just enjoy them as a gift of your love.  I thank you for each battle that you have asked me to enter…and ask for your help to continue to fight for what you tell my heart is right. And father I pray for strength and courage to accept the things that I cannot change…for you give us all free choice…and sadly some will choose to never know your love.  I thank you for this beautiful day….and the thoughts of an approaching spring…when the Earth you created will appear new and fresh…and the dark of winter and the pain and sadness of past life will be lifted away in your wonderful love and gift of salvation.  Amen.