Joshua 15

The descendants of two of the sons of Jacob received by far the largest amounts of land in the allotments recorded in Joshua. From the accounts of Jacob's sons in the book of Genesis, we would have surely expected one of these sons to be Joseph, and we would be right. The other was Judah, and this tribe would increasingly exhibit the preeminence that Jacob spoke of in his final blessing. To Judah would come not only the “ruler's scepter” in Israel, but also “the obedience of the peoples,” the nations of the whole world according to God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3.

While the geographical markers may seem uninteresting to us, Joshua 15 would have been of the greatest significance to the tribe of Judah in the time of the conquest and beyond. This was a very exciting moment. Israel was receiving the land to the west of the Jordan, and the tribe of Judah would take the lead.

Significant in the list of places in the allotment to Judah was the land of the Jebusites and the city that would be Jerusalem. This place of Melchizedek, the territory where Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac, and the spot where the Lord would tell His people to build a temple, would not be fully subdued until the days of King David centuries later.

The territory would also include the seacoast and the cities of the Philistines. The people remaining there and their descendants would challenge the tribe of Judah for centuries.

We are granted a glimpse into the next generation in this account. Not only do we hear again of Caleb, but of his son-in-law, Othniel, who would be the first judge in Israel after the conquest generation was largely gone. The story of God's work in Judah would move forward. The promise of God was forever, but it was obvious that the conquest was not entirely completed.

How could it be that “the people of Judah could not drive out” the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem? There was so much success in the conquest, and yet some enemies remained in the land. Why?

We are not given the answer here, but we keep on reading in the Scriptures, and we see the accounts of what would take place in the centuries that would follow, even down to the coming of the Messiah and the present day. The plan of God, the Almighty One, touched down upon this land, and upon the city of Jerusalem in particular. We celebrate the Lord's fulfillment of His promise in this allotment to Judah, but we have questions.

The biggest answer comes in the fulfillment of the Lord's ancient words to Judah spoken through the dying lips of his father Jacob. Judah would not only be the leading tribe, it would be a tribe of leaders, and particularly one Leader who would come centuries later. Jesus, a descendant of Judah, would be the Lion of this great tribe. His kingdom would extend far beyond this ancient allotment. He would rule from the Jerusalem above, and the nations would come to Him through the power of a better conquest.

Today there may yet appear to be holes in His conquest of love. But one day, the Lion of the tribe of Judah will have the full obedience of all the peoples of heaven and earth. Nothing can stop the promises of Almighty God.