Joshua 18:1-10
1 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.
2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
3 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
4 Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.
5 And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north.
6 Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.
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.
8 And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh.
9 And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.
10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.
Dividing the Remaining Territory
The Tabernacle had remained in Gilgal. It must now be removed to Shiloh, a site selected by God himself, Deuteronomy 12:11; Psalms 78:60. Shiloh means rest, and it commemorated the ending of the war. The honor of having God's dwelling-place within its border was probably given to Ephraim as the tribe to which Joshua belonged.
As an inducement to occupy the land, this further commission was sent forth. How many of us are equally slack to appropriate the blessings stored up in the Savior! Well is it that God, through the ages, has sent pioneers to tell us what we are missing and to stimulate our zeal.
The veteran leader had earned a good reward. His portion was called “the portion of the sun,” probably because of its aspect. Let us live and walk in the light.