Joshua 18 Devotional
By Pastor Lawrence

Now that Israel has acquired most of the land after seven years of fighting, the tabernacle is moved from Gilgal, which was on the very border of the Promised land, to Shiloh in the territory of Ephraim. Because Joshua is an Ephraimite and would be overseeing the allotment of land, this new site would be in a more central location for him to seek the guidance of the Lord and to communicate God’s will to his people. Interestingly, the tabernacle would remain in Shiloh for over 300 years until the time of David.

Standing before the tent of meeting in Shiloh, Joshua then commanded the election of three men from each tribe to be sent out to survey the remaining undesignated lands to determine the allotment for the seven tribes who had yet to receive their inheritance. After many months had transpired and they had returned with a full report, Joshua would then cast lots using the Urim and Thummim to determine which tribe would receive each specific parcel of land. Joshua could easily have made these decisions himself, but by seeking the will of the Lord, these remaining tribes would be much less likely to bicker and question the boundaries lines that had fallen to them, understanding that their particular allotment was divinely sanctioned and distributed.

Not surprisingly, the first lot chosen by God went to Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother. Out of the remaining parcels of land to be given, this would have been the most prized for it was centrally located between the tribes of Judah and Ephraim two of the strongest and most influential peoples. Consequently, it was one of the safest locations in Israel. Before he died, Moses had this to say about the tribe of Benjamin: “The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders.”

Some of the more important cities allotted to Benjamin included Jericho—the first city taken by Israel, Bethel—“the house of God” where Jacob saw the angels ascending and descending a ladder into heaven, Ramah—the birthplace of the judge and prophet Samuel, Gibeah—the birthplace of King Saul, and Anathoth—the hometown of the prophet Jeremiah. For a very small tribe, Benjamin would play a very large role in the history of Israel.

As Christians today, we too have received a goodly inheritance, even a double-blessing as co-heirs with Christ. And it doesn’t matter how small the boundary lines may be, for it is the blessing of the Lord that makes all the difference, and God often chooses that which is small and insignificant to carry out peculiar will. So let us give thanks to the Lord for all that He has given us and seek to live faithfully before the Lord in the time and place that He has chosen for us.