Now that the Lord has given the land to Israel, and taken Joshua off of the battleground, the rest of the book (chapters 13-24) focuses on Joshua’s leadership as he establishes the house of Israel.  His role shifts from Patriot to Papa.

Let’s be honest: these last few chapters are tough to read…especially in comparison to the lightning fast, action-packed narrative that precedes it.  The bulk of it is defining borders and boundaries…it’s like somebody flipped the channel from HBO to C-SPAN.

However, as I was working through the text and fighting the ever-growing temptation to skim, I kept coming across moments of parenting and/or leadership brilliance from Joshua.  I’m sure there are more, but I found 7 of them.  Here’s the first:

14 Then the people of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me but one lot and one portion as an inheritance, although I am a numerous people, since all along the Lord has blessed me?” 15 And Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up by yourselves to the forest, and there clear ground for yourselves in the land of the Perizzites and the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.” 16 The people of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. Yet all the Canaanites who dwell in the plain have chariots of iron, both those in Beth-shean and its villages and those in the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power.You shall not have one allotment only, 18 but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

Joshua’s in the process of divvying up the land for the different tribes.  Not surprisingly, there are some who think they didn’t get their fair share.  The people of Joseph were given plenty of land, but the land wasn’t ideal.  It was rough, unsettled territory, and it was still occupied by the Canaanites.

They thought they deserved the larger, easier portion because they were numerous and powerful.  Joshua thought just the opposite.

He attacks their sense of entitlement, and gives them a sense of purpose.  He reminds them of their strength, and speaks plainly and with a ring of authority and finality that can only come from a man who’s followed the Lord wisely for many years: “Go and do what I know you’re capable of.  Settle in the unsettled lands, conquer the occupied lands, go and take what’s yours…I’ll not be spoon-feeding it to you, I’ll not be guilty of coddling or spoiling you, it’s time for you to work for yourselves, and fight for yourselves…and remember, you’re really strong!”

I know the land’s unsettled, so go clear it!
I know the land’s occupied, so go conquer it!

If we don’t follow Joshua’s example, the people we lead will never be more than spineless followers, and our children will end up in our basements mastering World of Warcraft when they’re 37.

And what about you? Do you have an inheritance that you need to get off your butt and go take?  Are you making excuses for why you don’t have what you think you’re entitled to, when you just need to take a risk and go get it?  Of course the land’s unsettled and still occupied, it always is. So go clear it! Go conquer it!