This may seem an unusually large passage to tackle in a single post, but relatively little happens in these twelve chapters as much of the passage is devoted to detailed descriptions of the allotments of land awarded to each of the tribes of Israel. Each tribe is given a portion of land, and the cities of refuge and Levite cities are chosen, just as God commanded. These boundary definitions and long lists of cities mean little to anyone not familiar with the finer points of ancient Near Easter geography (and I'm guessing that's most of us) so I won't dwell on them too much. However, it's difficult to ignore the fact that the previous chapters' accounts of Israel's battles with neighbouring peoples and now the obvious importance given to who owns what land all sounds terribly familiar. It has been several millennia since the Israelites first arrived in what is now commonly referred to as the Holy Land, but little has changed. The Israel-Palestine conflict is clearly an extremely complex and emotive issue, and I have no desire to offend anyone, so I will not say only this. Under the old covenant, God gave the land to Israel because they were His chosen people; but now we live under a new covenant, and that partiality no longer exists. Surely in that context, Israel's divine right to the land has also ended. That doesn't mean that the Israelis do not have a right to live in that land, just that they must let go of their claim to be the only people with a right to live in that land and learn to live peacefully with their neighbours. For me, it is the logical Christian position, but it also the natural human position. For the sake of peace, a compromise must be made.
But back to the passage, and in and amongst the details of the tribes' allotments, we find the stories of some remarkable women. Caleb (the only man other than Joshua to have remained faithful to God and survived the years of wandering) gives his daughter Ascah away in marriage to a man named Othniel. Ascah is treated like a possession or a bargaining chip, but she's clearly not one to accept that role. She convinces her husband to ask her father to give her a field, and I presume she gets it because next she asks her father for springs of water too, which he also grants her. We also hear of the daughters of Zelophehad asking Joshua to grant them their father's inheritance, as had previously been promised by Moses. Women in ancient Israel did not own property or wealth - the law simply didn't allow for it - and yet here we have two instances of women ignoring or challenging that status quo. In many societies, women are still not automatically afforded the same rights and privileges as their male counterparts, but that doesn't mean that they or we should accept that. We as women need to follow in the footsteps of Ascah, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah, because only when we speak out will things change.
The land having been conquered and allotted, the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh return to the east of the Jordan, where they had claimed their inheritance. But before they cross the river, they build an "imposing altar". When the other tribes hear of this, they fear that this marks a rebellion against God and immediately set out to go to war with their brothers. Their zeal and their eagerness to ensure God is obeyed is admirable, but how sad that their first reaction should be war. But even if it is sad, it is perhaps not all that surprising. How often is our first instinct violence, even if that violence is only verbal? Fortunately they have enough sense and self-control to speak to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh before they start killing them, and they explain that they built the altar only as a witness between the tribes on the east and west of the Jordan that they all follow one God, so that later generations of the western Israelites cannot claim that the eastern tribes are nothing to do with Him. If the tribes on west of the Jordan had spoken to the tribes on the east to begin with, there would have been no need for any aggression. Maybe we should not be so quick to judge the motives of others.
Joshua is one hundred and ten now, and he knows it is almost time for him to "go the way of all earth" so he gathers the leaders and reminds them of all God has done for them, and of their duties to Him in return. Then he speaks to all the people, and God speaks through him one last time. It just goes to show that we're never too old to serve God. Joshua challenges the Israelites to choose whom they will serve and questions their commitment to serving God. It's a risky tactic - it would have been very easy for them to have begun to doubt themselves or turn away in anger at his lack of confidence in them - but they respond by affirming their faith and renewing the covenant. Often it is when our faith is challenged, when someone tugs at it, that we discover just how deep its roots go.
Finally, Joshua dies and is buried in the promised land. There are still elders and priests in the community, but Joshua has not appointed a new leader. Maybe Israelite society is about to change...
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