Inheritance - Part 7
Land Divided by God and Man

It seems that the Good Lord gave to the elders of the children of Israel certain guidelines on how to divide the land and as long as the leaders honored those guidelines the Lord allowed freedom on the exact size of the property and the specific location of the property. As long as they were in the proximity of the Lord’s Will they were given clearance from God to establish the boundaries of each tribe.

Guideline: The leaders of the nation had to agree upon the division of the land by lot

The inheritance of the tribes of Israel was divided by Eleazar, the priest, Joshua the son of Nun (the leader), and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided “by lot” in Shiloh before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Joshua 19:51
These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country. KJV

The term “by lot” is used because it was not assigned by man. Lot-casting is referred to several times in the Holy Bible the exact items are not specifically mentioned in this example. However, sticks and/or rocks have been suggested. Casting is mentioned in reference to throwing the several similar objects a distance to determine a winner. Thus, an example could be placing the rocks (one for each tribe) into the lap of a holy man (Proverbs 16:33) then he would shake out his clothing to see which rock (stone) traveled the furthest. Hence the stone that is identified with a certain tribe and traveled the greatest distance would be awarded the benefit (prize, inheritance, etc…)

Numbers 26:52-56
52 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
53 Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.
54 To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
55 Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
56 According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few. KJV

Acts 13:17-19
17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.
18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.
19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. KJV

Guideline: Scripture fulfills the blessing of God place upon each tribe by the forefathers.

The man of God Jacob (their natural father) pronounces the blessings of God (and/or curses) upon the twelve tribes of the children of Israel before his death.

Genesis 49:1-33
Verse 3-4 Reuben (First born of Judah from Leah, her first child)
Verse 5-7 Simeon (name means “Hearing”, - Second born of Judah from Leah, her second child)
Verse 5-7 Levi (Third born of Judah from Leah, her third child)
Verse 8-12 Judah (Fourth born of Judah from Leah, her fourth child)
Verse 13 Zebulun (Tenth born of Judah from Leah, her fifth child)
Verse 14-15 Issachar (Nineth born of Judah from Leah, her sixth child)
Verse 16-18 Dan (Fifth born of Judah from Bilhah’s, her first born, she is Rachel’s maid)
Verse 19 Gad (Seventh born of Judah from Zilpah’s, her first born, she is Leah’s maid)
Verse 20 Asher (Eighth born of Judah from Zilpah’s, her second born, she is Leah’s maid)
Verse 21 Naphtali (Sixth born of Judah from Bilhah’s, her second born, she is Rachel’s maid)
Verse 22-26 Joseph (Eleventh born of Judah from Rachel, her first born)
Verse 27 Benjamin (Twelveth born of Judah from Rachel, her second born)

The Prophet of God, the man Moses pronounces the blessings of God upon the children of Israel (only eleven tribes) before his death. Notice that Simon is absence from this blessing probably due to curse placed upon him from Jacob in Genesis 49:5-7. It would seem that by the death of Moses the tribe of Levi redeemed themselves from the curse of Jacob, but Simon did not. Thus the two tribes are divided just as Jacob prophesied in Genesis 49:7.

Deuteronomy 33:1-24
Verse 6 Reuben (name means “See, a son”, - First born of Judah from Leah)
Verse 7 Judah (name means “Praise”, - Fourth born of Judah from Leah)
Verse 8-11 Levi (name means “Joined”, - Third born of Judah from Leah)
Verse 12 Benjamin (name means “Son of my old age”, - Twelveth born of Judah from Rachel)
Verse 13-17 Joseph (including Ephraim and Manasseh in verse 17 - Joseph’s name means “Adding”, - Eleventh born of Judah from Rachel)
Verse 18 Zebulun (name means “To dwell”, - Tenth born of Judah from Leah)
Verse 18-19 Issachar (name means “To hire”, - Nineth born of Judah from Leah)
Verse 20-21 Gad (name means “A troop or a company”, - Seventh born of Judah from Zilpah Leah’s maid)
Verse 22 Dan (name means “Judge me”, - Fifth born of Judah from Bilhah Rachel’s maid)
Verse 23 Naphtali (name means “My wrestling”, - Sixth born of Judah from Bilhah Rachel’s maid)
Verse 24-25 Asher (name means “Happiness”, - Eighth born of Judah from Zilpah Leah’s maid)

Guideline: The land of Canaan was the Children of Israel’s inheritance

The Lord promises to drive out certain inhabitants of the land of promise by His Angel, namely the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Exodus 33:1-3
1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. KJV

The land of Caanan includes the surrounding regions, the Lord gave the Children of Israel the land as far Abram’s eye could see according to Genesis 13:14-18

Numbers 13:1-2
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. KJV

Notice that the Lord had already told the Children of Israel that He had given them victory over the inhabitants of the land before they left. This is why it was so grievous for the Lord to hear the evil report of unbelief and fear from the rulers of the land (the spies) in Numbers 13:25-33

Deuteronomy 1:6-8
6 The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:
7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them. KJV

It was the ideal of men to search the land out, not God’s, for the Lord already knew what was in the land. The Lord did not desire for man to come up with his own strategy because the Lord God always has a certain way (particular strategy) for every assignment He gives man. Wisdom principle: Take the land one battle at a time rather than look at all the armies as one whole. When looking to play in the football super-bowl the team should look at one game at a time. When raising three children don’t consider raising them as one but rather each one individually. This makes it easier because dealing with each person separately everyday is attainable one day at a time. This is why the principle of taking thought for the each day while you in it is better than taking thought for your whole life in one day. Amen!

Deuteronomy 1:18-23
18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.
19 And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea.
20 And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.
21 Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.
22 And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.
23 And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe: KJV

Guideline: Each of the eleven tribe of the children of Israel is suppose to have their own land.

The inheritance by lot unto the Children of Israel separated by the eleven (11) tribes of Jacob (Israel). Then out of the eleven tribes two and half tribes were located on the East side of Jordan while the other nine and half tribes were on the West side of Jordan in the land of Canaan.

Joshua 14:1-3
1 And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance to them.
2 By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes, and for the half tribe.
3 For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and an half tribe on the other side Jordan: but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them. KJV

Notice that Moses gave the two and half tribes an inheritance on the East side of Jordan according to the above verse 3 in Joshua 14 and the reference below in Numbers 32:33: Therefore the two full tribes were Gad and Reuben with the half tribe of Manasseh from the lineage of Joseph. It appears that their inheritance was not settled by lot but rather by the will of man, thus the children of Israel were divided from God perfect will and eventually they fail according to Luke 11:17.

Numbers 32:33
And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about. KJV

Numbers 34:14-15
14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:
15 The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising. KJV

Joshua rehearses the division of land for the two and half tribes on the east side of Jordan.

Joshua 13:8 (for full reference read verses 8-32)
With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them; KJV

Joshua 13:15-23 the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.

Joshua 13:24-28 the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Gad according to their families.

Joshua 13:29-31 the inheritance of the half tribe of Joseph, the children of Manasseh according to their families.

Joshua rehearses the division of land for part of the half tribe of Manasseh on the west side of Jordan.

Joshua 17:1-13 additional inheritance of the half tribe of Joseph for the tribe of Manasseh by their families.

Joshua rehearses the division of the remaining land to be possessed by the nine and half tribes of the Children of Israel. Since Joshua was old he desires to set the boundaries of the land before he passed on. Remember the elders established the borders of each tribe under the direction of God, Joshua was still their ruler at this time.

Joshua 13:1 (for full reference read verses 1-7)
Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. KJV

The land of Canaan with the coast was divided among the remaining nine and half tribes of the Children of Israel by the princes (leaders/rulers) of each tribe. Notice again that the land for the nine and half tribes was inherited (established) “by lot”.

Numbers 34:13,16-18 (Full reference is Numbers 34:13-29)
13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:

16 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.
18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance. KJV

Joshua rehearses the division of land for the nine and half tribes on the west side of Jordan.

Joshua 15:20-63 the inheritance of the tribe of Judah according to their families.

Joshua 16:1-4 the inheritance of the tribe of Joseph including Manasseh and Ephraim

Joshua 16:5-10 the inheritance of the half tribe of Joseph for the tribe of Ephraim by their families.

Joshua 18:1-6 Several tribes had not received their inheritance after several years of being in the land of their inheritance.

Joshua 18:11-28 the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin according to their families.

Joshua 19:1-8 the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon according to their families.

Joshua 19:9 some of the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon was taken from the tribe of Judah because the tribe of Judah could not fill all their land.

Joshua 19:10-16 the inheritance of the tribe of Zebulun according to their families.

Joshua 19:17-23 the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar according to their families.

Joshua 19:24-31 the inheritance of the tribe of Asher according to their families.

Joshua 19:32-39 the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali according to their families.

Joshua 19:40-48 the inheritance of the tribe of Dan according to their families.

Joshua 19:49,50 the inheritance of Joshua given by the Children of Israel after their land had been divided in the region of mount Ephraim, the city of Timnathserah.

Guideline: Inheritance divided up by size of the family or tribe

Numbers 33:54
And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. KJV

Numbers 35:8
And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth. KJV

Guideline: The tribe of Levite (The Priesthood) did not inherit one large boundary of land as the other eleven tribes.

The Levites did not inherit a specific boundary of land because the Lord is their inheritance, but were given portions of land to lodge upon within the inheritance of the tribes. The increase (tithes and offerings) of the tribes was the Levites inheritance.

Numbers 18:20-21
20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. KJV

Deuteronomy 10:9
Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him. KJV

Joshua 13:33
But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them. KJV

Joshua 18:7
But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them. KJV

Joshua 21:1-42 the inheritance of Eleazar the priest are the priesthood with tribe of Levi (Levites) and their families. They were given cities to dwell in and suburbs for their cattle.

Guideline: Each tribe (combined or individually) was commanded to fight for their inheritance

Moses, the leader of the Children of Israel when they came out of Egypt encourages them to be ready to fight. Notice that even though the Lord delivered the enemies into the hand of the Children of Israel they still must fight and kill as a part of God’s Will.

Deuteronomy 7:1-2
1 When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;
2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: KJV

Caleb speaks to Joshua of war with the Anakims for his inheritance of the mountain.

Joshua 14:11-13 (In context read verses 6-15)
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. KJV

Joshua commands the tribe of Joseph, both Ephraim and Manasseh to fight for their inheritance by driving out the inhabitants of their land.

Joshua 17:14-18
14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?
15 And Joshua answered them, If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee.
16 And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel.
17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only:
18 But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong. KJV

The Danites sought for an inheritance because all their land was not given to them and there was no king in Israel.

Judges 18:1,11,27
In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire. KJV

Guideline for the New Testament: Typically God will not divide an inheritance

In the New Testament the Lord does not divide the property, gifts and/or financial money given in an inheritance between the heirs (children) or other associated family members. This is because we inherit Christ as Christians, therefore we have already received our spiritual inheritance to enlighten us to be less mindful of carnal estates. Notice in Jesus response He focuses on the inward root instead of the outward fruit. The root is covetousness, whereas the fruit in this example is more earthly possessions given to you freely. The principle of hard work unto the Lord believing that God will reward you with proper provision by supplying all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus is the more godly way for the New Covenant Christian according to Matthew 6:31-33

Luke 12:13-15
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. KJV