Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Joshua 13-22 the allotment
Joshua 13-22 is a section that concerns the distribution of the land among the 12 tribes: first of the Transjordan, then of the land west of the Jordan, and concludes with a section on the cities of refuge and the relationship between the eastern and western tribes.
This section is bracketed by parallel verses:
Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land still remains to be possessed.
Joshua 23:2 Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years; 3 and you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.
These ten “allotment” chapters serve as a reference book for the allotment of the land given by the hand of God to the twelve tribes of Israel. They show God’s faithfulness, but mostly, they are a legal reference to establish the shalom (the economic wellbeing) of the people of God, which rests in the allotment of land. It is the allotment that serves as the basis of the jubilee “return” and cancellation of debt, which was the radical basis of economic justice in Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15.
The story of the allotment is introduced by God who reminds Joshua of territory yet to be possessed, but concludes with the bold reminder that the conquest has not been Joshua’s or the Israelites, but the war has, all along, been God’s:
Joshua 13:6-7 I will myself drive them out from before the Israelites; only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."
If Joshua will distribute the land among the tribes of Israel, then God will drive out the Philistines and Canaanites. Salvation from the enemies in the midst, then rests not on preparing for further war, but on establishing the basis for economic justice.
Indeed, as odd as it may seem, the section repeatedly affirms that various non-Israelite tribes continue in Israel "to this day":
Joshua 13:13 Yet the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites; but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this day.
Joshua 15:63 But the people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so the Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.
Joshua 16:10 They did not, however, drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer: so the Canaanites have lived within Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.
I don’t know that the text sounds exactly happy about this, but the continuing presence of the alien is acknowledged as a neutral fact. The lesson then, is that our safety lies ultimately not in our success in destroying enemies (saving us from enemies is, in the end, God’s work). Rather, our safety lies in the just allotment of wealth.
This section is bracketed by parallel verses:
Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and advanced in years; and the LORD said to him, "You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land still remains to be possessed.
Joshua 23:2 Joshua summoned all Israel, their elders and heads, their judges and officers, and said to them, "I am now old and well advanced in years; 3 and you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you.
These ten “allotment” chapters serve as a reference book for the allotment of the land given by the hand of God to the twelve tribes of Israel. They show God’s faithfulness, but mostly, they are a legal reference to establish the shalom (the economic wellbeing) of the people of God, which rests in the allotment of land. It is the allotment that serves as the basis of the jubilee “return” and cancellation of debt, which was the radical basis of economic justice in Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 15.
The story of the allotment is introduced by God who reminds Joshua of territory yet to be possessed, but concludes with the bold reminder that the conquest has not been Joshua’s or the Israelites, but the war has, all along, been God’s:
Joshua 13:6-7 I will myself drive them out from before the Israelites; only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh."
If Joshua will distribute the land among the tribes of Israel, then God will drive out the Philistines and Canaanites. Salvation from the enemies in the midst, then rests not on preparing for further war, but on establishing the basis for economic justice.
Indeed, as odd as it may seem, the section repeatedly affirms that various non-Israelite tribes continue in Israel "to this day":
Joshua 13:13 Yet the Israelites did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maacathites; but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this day.
Joshua 15:63 But the people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so the Jebusites live with the people of Judah in Jerusalem to this day.
Joshua 16:10 They did not, however, drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer: so the Canaanites have lived within Ephraim to this day but have been made to do forced labor.
I don’t know that the text sounds exactly happy about this, but the continuing presence of the alien is acknowledged as a neutral fact. The lesson then, is that our safety lies ultimately not in our success in destroying enemies (saving us from enemies is, in the end, God’s work). Rather, our safety lies in the just allotment of wealth.
