New Year: Josh 18-20 for Mar 9

Judah can't get a break ... or does it? When they were last heard from (Josh 17:14ff), they were put off, in a way, in the request for more land, and in our chapters, 19:9 says that Judah's portion "was too large for them."

Someone might ask, in view of the existence of Providence, why is there a use of lots to distribute the inheritance (14:2)? The short answer was that it was commanded. But the longer answer has to do with just thinking about it a little bit. The lot was a sequential tool, that is, used to determined which tribe would be assigned next. It is not necessary to think that this tool also chose the parcel of land or its borders. In fact, the level of detail describing the borders is the amount we would expect when a mutually agreed upon decision is made that is not disputed.

All the more reason to be surprised at Joshua's reasoning with Judah at the end of 17: "you shall not have one lot" (17:17). There may be a reference there to future gains by Judah...