Deuteronomy 13
Joshua 13 details, during the process of the Israelites conquering the land of Canaan, the remaining areas that had not yet been conquered, as well as the boundaries of the land to be allotted to each tribe. Before the full-scale land allotment begins, this chapter serves as an important turning point that summarizes the current situation and confirms God’s instructions regarding the remaining tasks.
1verseIf a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,
2verseand the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, “Let’s go after other gods” (which you have not known) “and let’s serve them,”
3verseyou shall not listen to the words of that prophet, or to that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4verseYou shall walk after the LORD your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice. You shall serve him, and cling to him.
5verseThat prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which the LORD your God commanded you to walk in. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
6verseIf your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods”—which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;
7verseof the gods of the peoples who are around you, near to you, or far off from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth—
8verseyou shall not consent to him nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him;
9versebut you shall surely kill him. Your hand shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people.
10verseYou shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
11verseAll Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more wickedness like this among you.
12verseIf you hear about one of your cities, which the LORD your God gives you to dwell there, that
13versecertain wicked fellows have gone out from among you and have drawn away the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let’s go and serve other gods,” which you have not known,
14versethen you shall inquire, investigate, and ask diligently. Behold, if it is true, and the thing certain, that such abomination was done among you,
15verseyou shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, with all that is therein and its livestock, with the edge of the sword.
16verseYou shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, with all of its plunder, to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again.
17verseNothing of the devoted thing shall cling to your hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger and show you mercy, and have compassion on you and multiply you, as he has sworn to your fathers,
18versewhen you listen to the LORD your God’s voice, to keep all his commandments which I command you today, to do that which is right in the LORD your God’s eyes.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1-7: God tells Joshua that he has grown old and commands him to allot the still-undistributed land (such as the land of the Philistines, the Geshurites, and various other Canaanite peoples) to Israel by listing those lands.
- Verses 8-33: The status of the allotment east of the Jordan (the land that Moses has already assigned) is summarized. It also includes the land and boundaries received by the half-tribe of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, as well as the special circumstances of the Levites mentioned in that process (they have no inheritance).
Overall Meaning
Even though the conquest is not fully complete, Joshua 13 makes us think about why the land allotment is commanded and what the faith contained within it means. Since God has already promised it, He wants the Israelites to move forward, receiving the land allotted to each tribe by faith before complete conquest is achieved. In addition, this process records both the past history (the eastern land already assigned through Moses) and the future promises (the land that has not yet been taken), showing the faithfulness of God and the continuity of His plan.
Meditation Points
- Even though Joshua’s age is mentioned, we can consider what it looks like for God to use a person to the very end in our own lives—because God still assigns him a mission.
- While facing parts that have not yet been conquered, we can meditate on the faith and trust contained in God’s words declaring that He has already given that land to Israel.
Applying It to Myself
- When there are still things I have not yet completed and assignments that remain, I can examine and apply how I should take one step at a time in obedience while looking to the future that God has already promised.
- It can also become a time for me to reflect once again on what roles and missions God has given me and how I am currently carrying them out—turning away from my age and abilities and returning to myself before God’s command.
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