Divide into Seven Parts - Joshua 18:5

In the book of Joshua, we learned how Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me”, and in chapter eighteen and verse five of Joshua we learn how Joshua said, “they shall divide it into seven parts”where we read,

And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, 

and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.

The verse reads, “And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and they shall divide it” or “and they, the three men from each tribe of Israel, will allot, apportion, distribute and impart it, the land” “into seven parts” which means “into seven portions, shares or allotments”: “Judah shall abide in their coast” or “Judah whose name means ‘praised’ and was the second son of Jacob by Leah, will live and remain within their, Judah’s, edge, circuit and boundary” “on the south” which means “within the southern direction”. Joshua said the three men from each “tribe” were to apportion the territory into “seven” portions, and “Judah” was to live within their boundary in the southern direction. 

 

The verse goes on to say, “… and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and the house of Joseph” which means “and the dwelling place, habitation and abode belonging to Joseph whose name means Jehovah is salvation” “shall abide” or “will stay and remain” “in their coasts” which means “within their, the people of Joseph’s, edge, circuit and boundary” “on the north” or “in the northern direction”. Joshua told the three men chosen from each tribe of “Israel” that the dwelling place belonging to the people of “Joseph” will live and remain within their boundaries in the northern direction. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover how “Joshua” told the people of “Israel” that the “three men” would apportion the territory they search out into “seven” sections. The “tribe of Judah” was to live within the southern boundary, and the “tribe of Joseph” would dwell in the northern area. God gave these lands to the people of Israel, and each of the tribes were to receive their allotment. “Seven tribes” had not at this point received their territory, and this process would provide it to them. God loves people, and His desires is to have a personal relationship with everyone through His Son Jesus who came into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be resurrected from the grave after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth and to possess the ability to live as a witness for Him as we receive all He desires to give us. (See John 3:16:16:13: Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:20; Colossians 1:12)

Next time Joshua says, “you shall therefore describe the land into seven parts”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".