Joshua 13: God Secures the Inheritance

Joshua 13: Trust God’s promises. He completes unfinished business, secures your inheritance, gives Himself as your portion, and warns of judgment.

Introduction

Joshua 13 meets us at a hinge in Israel’s story. Joshua has grown old, much land remains, and God still commands him to divide the inheritance. The chapter calls you to move forward by faith when life looks incomplete, to receive what God has promised, and to delight in God Himself as your portion.

Proposition: You should trust God’s promises

Because He completes unfinished business (13:1–7)

God told Joshua, “You are old and very much land remains,” yet He still ordered him to divide the land, counting promises as certain before every battle ended. God even said He Himself would drive out the remaining nations (13:6). This is how faith walks: not by what is visible today, but by what God has pledged for tomorrow. The same pattern holds for believers—God began a good work in you and will bring it to completion in Christ (Philippians 1:6). So obey with courage when your life feels half-built. Apportion your days, steward your callings, and make decisions in expectation that God will finish what He started.

Because He provides lasting inheritance (13:8–32)

The detailed record of the eastern tribes proves God keeps His word down to boundaries, rivers, and cities. None of His promises hang in the air; He nails them to the map. In Christ, God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing and secured an imperishable inheritance kept in heaven (Ephesians 1:3; 1 Peter 1:4). Let this anchor your heart when earthly measures look thin. Live gratefully, give generously, and plan hopefully—your future with Christ does not erode with time.

Because He gives us Himself (13:14, 33)

The Levites received no territory because the Lord Himself was their inheritance. That note hums through the whole Bible: the best gift God gives is God. In the new covenant, the treasure is Christ—knowing Him, worshiping Him, serving near Him (John 17:3; Philippians 3:8). Let this reframe your ambitions. Careers, homes, and accolades shift like sand; fellowship with Christ satisfies now and forever. Pursue His presence in the Word and prayer. Serve His people. Measure wealth by nearness to Him.

Because He ensures future victory (13:1, 6)

Joshua listed regions still unconquered, but the outcome was already announced—God would drive them out. The tension between “much land remains” and “I will drive them out” is the believer’s everyday field. In Christ the decisive battle is won, and all enemies will finally bow (Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 15:25–26). Fight today’s sins, fears, and sorrows with tomorrow’s certainty. Keep advancing in holiness, patient endurance, and steadfast hope, because the Lord who promises is the Lord who prevails.

Invitation

Joshua 13 carries sober warnings. Those outside God’s promise stand landless, exposed, and finally judged—like Balaam, who opposed God’s people and fell under the sword (13:22). The New Testament sharpens this edge: the one who refuses the Son “has not life” and remains under God’s wrath (John 3:36). The covetous and idolatrous “have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5). And whoever is not found in the book of life faces the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).

But the same Lord who warns also welcomes. Christ bore the wrath our sins deserve, died as our substitute, and rose to open the way into God’s inheritance. Change your mind about your sin and your self-rule. Call on the name of the Lord for mercy. Rest your whole weight on Christ’s finished work. In Him, God completes what He begins, grants a lasting inheritance, gives Himself as your portion, and guarantees final victory.