Joshua 15-17: To Obey or Not to Obey
Theological Proposition/Focus: God expects complete obedience from his people.
Homiletical Proposition/Application: God's people must trust him and in turn, commit not just to partially obeying God, but to total obedience.
Contents
- 1 Introduction:
- 1.1 Setting the Stage:
- 1.2 Preview: In Joshua 15-17 we are going to see contrast. Contrast between faithful obedience and partial obedience.
- 1.3 Need: We need to realize that obedience is either complete or not obedience.
- 2 Body
- 2.1 Caleb's obedience was contagious (Joshua 15:13-19).
- 2.1.1 Is your God bigger than Giants? (13-15)
- 2.1.2 Discipleship involves sharing, both the challenges and the rewards. (16-20)
- 2.1.2.1 The Hebrew word את used here to describe Caleb is used to describe a brother more than 50% of the time but it can mean relative in general.
- 2.1.2.2 Based on his previous victories, Caleb probably could have completed the task on his own.
- 2.1.2.3 The Negev was an arid region and prosperity in the Negev would require water.
- 2.1.3 Image: The power of a well-placed mistake in teaching.
- 2.1.4 MTR: Invite someone to share in both your challenges and victories.
- 2.2 Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh partially obeyed and paid the consequences (Joshua 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-18).
- 2.2.1 Incomplete conquest in an important border town (15:63)
- 2.2.2 Forced labor in the tribe of Ephraim (16:10)
- 2.2.3 Congestion in the hill country of Ephraim (17:12-18)
- 2.2.4 Where one generation compromises the next generation falls (Judges 1-2)
- 2.2.5 MTR: Ask yourself, where have I only partially obeyed and how can I fully obey?
- 2.3 Eleazer and Joishua obeyed even when it went counter to culture (Joshua 17:3-6).
- 2.1 Caleb's obedience was contagious (Joshua 15:13-19).
Introduction:
Setting the Stage:
The book of Joshua has an interesting structure. For the first 10 chapters, the book has a slow pace with a lot of detail. Chapters 11-21 then move at a rapid fire rate with a few highlight narratives thrown in.
It seems that the first ten chapters make a few key arguments.
God is the one who is leading Israel.
When Israel follows God victory follows.
When Israel fails to follow God, God course corrects.
By the time we read chapters 11-21 we are supposed to understand this principle is underlying the description.
So, based on our previous experience we can assume that blessing results from following God, and course correction results from failing to follow God. With these ideas in hand, we can dig deeper into a few of these rapid-fire sections.
In chapters 15-17 we see the fine line between following God and failing to follow God. Specifically,
Preview: In Joshua 15-17 we are going to see contrast. Contrast between faithful obedience and partial obedience.
Need: We need to realize that obedience is either complete or not obedience.
Body
Joshua 15-19 are challenging chapters. In particular, just pronouncing all those names is a major headache. We are not going to discuss every verse today from Joshua 15-17 but I have pulled out three significant events that I want to talk about. Before I get too deep into the passage I want to explain the primary purpose of the passage. The book of Joshua is a history of Israel's conquest of Canaan. It actually happened and serves two purposes. First, the book shows that God was the one who gave Israel the land. Second, the books serves to set up the historical reasons for why things are the way they are. As such, the book includes details on things like tribal land allotments. The books includes details about how those allotments came to be, and the books discusses victories and challenges.
Caleb's obedience was contagious (Joshua 15:13-19).
We were introduced to Caleb back in Joshua 14, but here we are given a little more insight into Caleb.
Is your God bigger than Giants? (13-15)
The Anakim, were known for their height as described in Deut 9:2.
and it seems that Caleb was assigned the task of actually driving out three leaders, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, all of whom were also mentioned in Numbers 13:22 as residing in Hebron at the time when Caleb had been a spy. In short, the very giants who had brought terror to the other 10 spies are the men who Caleb was tasked with defeating.
Debir had already fallen once in Joshua 10:38-39.
Apparently, the city had fallen back into enemy control and needed to be recaptured. The task fell to Caleb.
Discipleship involves sharing, both the challenges and the rewards. (16-20)
I find the next section of the text to be significant. Caleb had a great many victories, but perhaps the most important thing Caleb did was to bring his brother Othniel into the work he was doing. I have used the word brother as with the NIV some translations say nephew,
The Hebrew word את used here to describe Caleb is used to describe a brother more than 50% of the time but it can mean relative in general.
In any case,
Based on his previous victories, Caleb probably could have completed the task on his own.
However, it seems that Caleb understood the value of sharing both victories and defeats with others. After Othniel's victory is seems that his now wife Aksah recognized a pretty significant issue.
The Negev was an arid region and prosperity in the Negev would require water.
The request was granted and prosperity secured.
Image: The power of a well-placed mistake in teaching.
Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh partially obeyed and paid the consequences (Joshua 15:63; 16:10; 17:12-18).
Incomplete conquest in an important border town (15:63)
Forced labor in the tribe of Ephraim (16:10)
Congestion in the hill country of Ephraim (17:12-18)
Where one generation compromises the next generation falls (Judges 1-2)
MTR: Ask yourself, where have I only partially obeyed and how can I fully obey?
Eleazer and Joishua obeyed even when it went counter to culture (Joshua 17:3-6).
A bold request
This request is bold because the request is one for rights at a time when most societies viewed women as having no rights.
