Joshua and his troops won many, many more battles against many kings, but there was still much land remaining to be conquered.
All the people of Israel went to the city of Shiloh to set up the Tabernacle there. They had carried the Tabernacle all the way from Mount Sinai, talking it down when they travelled and setting it up again when they stopped. But they had come to Canaan to stay their long journey was ended. The Tabernacle wouldn’t have to be moved again.
The priests and Levites brought the Tabernacle to Shiloh, a city near the center of their new country, and set it up permanently as the Lord had told them to.
But although Israel had conquered only part of Canaan, they had grown tired of war and wanted rest and quiet. It seemed as though they did not want all the good land God was willing to give them.
The Lord spoke to Joshua and reminded him that a large part of the land had not yet been taken away from the Canaanites. So Joshua asked all the people how long it would be before they would be ready to continue the war against the heathen nations still living in Canaan. He asked them to choose twenty-one scouts, and Joshua sent them out to inspect the land that was still unconquered. He told them to give him a written report.
The chosen men walked through the land, made maps of it, and brought their report to Joshua in Shiloh. Then Joshua drew straws for the different tribes of Israel so that the Lord could tell them which part of the land each tribe should have. God told them to finish driving out the heathen nations so that they could have the land for their own use. Joshua promised that the Lord would help His people do this.
God said that the priests and Levites were not to own farms like the men of the other tribes, because He wanted them to stay at the Tabernacle and work for God there. But God said they could have cities of their own to live in. The priests and Levites came to Joshua and the leaders of Israel to find out what cities they could have, and they were given forty-eight cities where they could bring their wives and children and have their homes.
Questions:
What was done with the Tabernacle?
Where?
Why?
Why did the scouts make maps?
Why couldn’t the priests and Levites own farms like everyone else?
Joshua Chapters 12 & 13 & 14
"Only Life Changes" 