Saturday, April 2, 2011

Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History - Ch. 10

Chapter 10 - East and West of Jordan

I. Introduction

A. Recap last week - Caleb
B. The lesson this week - Dividing up the promised land

II. Caleb's Faithfulness

A. Believed in God throughout his life
B. God rewarded him for his faithfulness

III. East and West of Jordan

A. Land divied up on three separate occasions

1. First - East of the Jordan by Moses
2. Second - West of the Jordan by Joshua at Gilgal
3. Third - West of the Jordan by Joshua at Shiloh

B. East of the Jordan by Moses

1. Read Deuteronomy 3:8-22
2. This is recapped in Joshua 13:15-31
3. Interesting to note Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh's men of warrior age crossed over the Jordan with the other tribes, leaving behind their women, flocks, and old men to occupy their new territory.
4. Fought alongside their brethren for seven years before returning to their own land!

C. West of the Jordan by Joshua at Gilgal

1. Judah, Ephraim, and other half of Manasseh awarded land by lot at Gilgal
2. 'By lot' implies man did decide allocation of land, God did.
3. All of this described in detail in Joshua ch. 14-17
4. Read Joshua 14:1-5

D. West of the Jordan by Joshua at Shiloh

1. Remaining seven tribal lands distributed
2. Described in Joshua ch. 18-19
3. Read Joshua 18:1-10

E. Why Joseph's descendents receive two parcels of land

1. Ephraim and Manasseh not son's of Jacob but rather of Joseph
2. How did this happen?
3. Read Genesis 48

F. Author shows how Jacob's 'blessing' back in Genesis is actually a prophecy

1. Jacob's prophecy in Genesis 49 is fulfilled in the drawing of the lots
2. Read Genesis 49
3. Fulfillment of Jacob's prophecy is actually part of God's plan
a. Reuben defiled his father's bed - thus his ancestors will not draw the first lot. End up east of the Jordan.
b. Simeon and Levi strategized and conceived a plot to kill Shechem's people (Genesis 34)
c. As a result they were not to receive a whole body of land but rather would be dispursed in cities throughout everyone else's land.
d. This leaves Judah as the next in line destined to draw the first lot.
e. Zebulun called out by Jacob to be sailors and thus receive land by the sea.

IV. Conclusion - Lesson emphasizes two points

A. Continuity of prophecy in the flow of history
B. Importance of right action among the people of God

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(1) Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History, Frances Schaeffer, InterVarsity Press 1975

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