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 there remains yet very much land to possess.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The Lord points out that "very much land" still remains, not just as a matter of fact, but as a divine directive. This isn't a problem to be solved, but a task to be divided, even though Joshua is old and unable to lead further military campaigns.
After years of conquest, Joshua is now old, and the land God promised is still not fully taken. The LORD speaks to Joshua, acknowledging his age but also highlighting that a significant portion of the promised land remains unconquered, particularly areas inhabited by the Philistines and other Canaanite groups. This marks a shift from active warfare to the crucial task of dividing the land by lot among the tribes, even the parts still held by enemies.
Joshua was old, the task was huge, and much was left undone. What does God's message to him reveal about His plans and our limitations?
Joshua was 'old and advanced in years.' The text emphasizes this twice in the very first verse. This wasn't just a gentle reminder of his age; it was a signal. His days of active warfare were clearly drawing to a close. Yet, the overwhelming task of possessing the entire promised land remained. God's words, 'there remains yet very much land to be possessed,' could have felt daunting, even impossible, for an aging leader.
But here’s the key: God doesn't give Joshua a new mandate for conquest. He gives him a new assignment: division. God knows our limits, our strengths, and our seasons. He adjusts the task to the season of life, but He never adjusts His promises. The land would be possessed, not necessarily by Joshua’s hand in battle, but by faithful distribution and the ongoing faithfulness of the people. God's work continues, even as our role in it shifts.
The land wasn't fully conquered, yet God commanded it to be divided. What does this surprising instruction teach us about God's promises and our faith?
This is perhaps the most striking element of Joshua 13:1. The land God commanded Joshua to divide was not yet fully possessed. Many strongholds and nations still occupied it (as detailed in verses 2-6).
Why divide land that wasn't theirs yet?
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
Used of God, it refers to the eternal, self-existent I AM, who keeps His covenant promises. In Scripture, it is the personal name of Israel's God.
erets · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting territory or domain. Biblically, land is often tied to God's covenantal promises to His people and their inheritance.
yarash · Hebrew Verb
To take hold of, inherit, or occupy. In the context of Israel, it often implies taking possession of what God has already promised as an inheritance.
This passage highlights a crucial moment where the initial conquest phase transitions into the long-term process of inheriting and possessing the promised land, even as parts remain unconquered. It underscores God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, even when human leaders are aging and the task is incomplete.
c. 1400 BC
Israelite Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites wage war against various Canaanite kingdoms, defeating numerous kings and establishing a significant presence in the land.
c. 1400 BC
Division of Land East of Jordan
Moses allocates land beyond the Jordan River to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Joshua is Old and Commissioned for Division
Joshua, now advanced in years, receives a divine commission to distribute the remaining unconquered lands among the remaining tribes of Israel.
c. 1400 BC
Detailed Land Allotment Begins
The process of dividing the remaining land by lot commences, outlining the specific territories for each tribe, including those not yet fully subdued.
This passage outlines God's promise to Abraham regarding the vastness of the land that would be given to his descendants, providing the foundational context for the unfinished conquest Joshua faces.
Exodus 23:27-30Here God explains the gradual nature of the conquest, stating that the land would not be given all at once but little by little, so that the land would not become desolate and the wild beasts would not increase. This directly addresses why so much land remained unconquered despite Joshua's successes.
Judges 2:20-23This passage explains God's purpose in leaving some nations unconquered: to test Israel and to teach future generations the ways of warfare. It reveals the divine strategy behind the remaining challenges Joshua and Israel faced.
Philippians 3:13-14Paul's encouragement to 'forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead' mirrors the situation Joshua is in – an accomplished leader, but with a significant task still before him, urging perseverance towards the ultimate prize.
calvinJoshua 13:1-14: "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."
From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:
A Nilo qui est e regione AEgypti usque ad terminum Ecron, qui es…
clarkeJoshua 13:1: "Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."
Joshua was old - He is generally reputed to have been at this time about a hundred years of age: he had spent about seven years in the conquest of the land, and is supposed to have employed about one year in dividing it; and he died about ten years after, aged one hundred and ten years. It is very likely that he intended…
The Lord points out that "very much land" still remains, not just as a matter of fact, but as a divine directive. This isn't a problem to be solved, but a task to be divided, even though Joshua is old and unable to lead further military campaigns.
After years of conquest, Joshua is now old, and the land God promised is still not fully taken. The LORD speaks to Joshua, acknowledging his age but also highlighting that a significant portion of the promised land remains unconquered, particularly areas inhabited by the Philistines and other Canaanite groups. This marks a shift from active warfare to the crucial task of dividing the land by lot among the tribes, even the parts still held by enemies.
After years of conquest, Joshua is now old, and the land God promised is still not fully taken. The LORD speaks to Joshua, acknowledging his age but also highlighting that a significant portion of the promised land remains unconquered, particularly areas inhabited by the Philistines and other Canaanite groups. This marks a shift from active warfare to the crucial task of dividing the land by lot among the tribes, even the parts still held by enemies.
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c. 1390 BC
Joshua's Death
Joshua dies after completing the division of the land, leaving the task of fully dispossessing the Canaanites to subsequent generations.
"Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess." — The Lord points out that "very much land" still remains, not just as a matter of fact, but as a divine directive. This isn't a problem to be solved, but a task to be divided, even though Joshua is ol…
