A Land for Judah - Joshua 15:1-12

Good morning, it's so good to see everyone here and our church family. For those who are visiting our congregation, welcome.

I always appreciate when visitors come and be a part of our worship. If you brought your

Bibles with you today, let's go ahead and turn to the book of Joshua. As many of you know, we've been in Joshua for quite some time.

This morning we're going to be in a new chapter. We're going to be in Joshua chapter 15, verses 1 through 12.

And the title of this message is, A Land for Judah. Now if you recall in our previous study at the end of Joshua chapter 14, we found

Caleb making a bold request for his promised inheritance in the land of Canaan. And in so doing, we saw this steadfast faith as well as God's faithfulness in rewarding those who diligently seek him.

On November 1st, 1863, Charles Spurgeon, he preached a sermon from Numbers chapter 14, verse 24.

And the title of this sermon was, Caleb, the man for the times. And in that sermon, he described

Caleb's faith in the following manner. He said, Caleb was kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

He was a, it was a fitting surname for the man whose whole heart followed his

God. That's something that we consistently see with Caleb throughout the book of Joshua, was a man whose whole heart followed his

God. So we see this focus here on Caleb's faith as a persevering, as a promise claiming, as a wholehearted faith that was ultimately rewarded.

So faith does play a prominent role in the book of Joshua. And likewise, we find this to be a relevant pursuit in the modern time in which we live.

We are told this in Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6, where the writer tells us, but without faith it is impossible to please him.

For he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder to those who diligently seek him.

Caleb's faith was a testament to God's persevering grace. Even through 45 years of wandering in the wilderness and engaging in military campaigns,

God preserved him. And even at 85 years of age, he remained undiminished and ready for God's conquest.

For his part, Joshua would bless Caleb, granting him Hebron as his inheritance.

And he did this, why? Because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. Now this brings us to the new chapter that we're going to visit this morning, where we find a continuation of this theme of God's sovereign faithfulness and his promised inheritance.

And in Joshua chapter 15, we will see how this promised inheritance foreshadows the internal inheritance that we now have by grace through Christ.

So now as we consider the first half of Joshua chapter 15, let us now look at this survey of Judah's borders here.

This of course is a detailed count of what would become Judah's allotment in this promised inheritance.

I ask that you bear with me as I work through some of the names here of the different locations. Let's look at Joshua chapter 15 verses 1 through 12.

So this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah, according to their families.

The border of Edom at the wilderness of Zin, southward, was the extreme southern boundary.

And their southern border began at the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that faces southward.

Then it went out from the southern side of the ascent of Akrabim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along Hezron, went up to Adar, and then went around to Karka.

From there it passed towards Asman, and went out to the brook of Egypt, and the border ended at the sea.

This shall be your southern border. The east border was the

Salt Sea, as far north as the mouth of the Jordan. And the border of the northern quarter began at the bay of the sea, at the mouth of the

Jordan. The border went up to Bethogla, passed north to Beth -Arabah, and the border went up to the stone of Bohan, the son of Reuben.

Then the border went up to Debor, from the valley of Achor, and turned northward towards Gilgal, which is before the ascent of Edomim, which is on the south side of the valley.

The border continued towards the waters of Ishamesh, and then ended in En -Regal, and the border then went up to the valley of the son of Hinnom, to the southern slope of the

Jebusite city, which is Jerusalem. The border then went to the top of the mountain that lies before the valley of Hinnom, westward which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim, northward.

Then the border went around from the top of the hill to the fountain of the water of Nephthoah, and extended to the cities of Mount Ephron.

And then the border went around to Bela, which is Kirjath -Jerim. Then the border turned westward from Bela to Mount Seir, passed along the side of Mount Jerim, on to the north, which is

Echezalon, went down to Abeth -Shemesh, and passed on to Temna.

The border then went out to the side of Ekron, northward. Then the border went around to Sykron, passed along Mount Bela, extended to Jabneel, and then to the border that ended at the sea.

The west border was the coastline of the Great Sea. This is the boundary of the children of Judah all around according to their families.

So now as we begin our study here in Joshua chapter 15, we will find ourselves looking at Judah's promised inheritance, and we will do this in the following two points of our message this morning.

The first point that I want to bring to you this morning is that a promise made is a promise kept.

We see this clearly in Joshua chapter 15, verse 1. This will bring us to the second and the final point of our message this morning where we will see a divine land survey.

This will be seen in Joshua chapter 15, verses 2 through 12. So now this brings us to the very first point in this land for Judah where we will see a promise made is a promise kept.

You know, when we examine the extent of God's promised inheritance here to the tribe of Judah, I believe it is important for us to consider the historical context that's seen in the entirety of Joshua's chapter 13 through 21, and in those chapters we find that after Joshua's conquest, the land is divided up by lot among the tribes as God's promised inheritance.

I mean, this was really a significant fulfillment of God's promise found all the way back in Genesis chapter 15, verses 18 through 21.

It's also seen in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verses 1 through 5. And in this first verse here found in Joshua chapter 15, we find how

God would fulfill this Abrahamic covenant promise to the tribe of Judah, demonstrating

His faithfulness despite their unworthiness. John Owen once said this, he said, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.

God engaged in covenant to make good the word wherein He hath caused me to put my trust, and this is

His property that He is a God -keeping covenant. So as we look closer here at this promised inheritance to the tribe of Judah, I believe it would, of course, first behoove us to really take a look at this question of who was the tribe of Judah?

You know, when you go to the book of Joshua, you see a lot of names, many of which we can't pronounce, but Judah's one that's easy to pronounce, and it's a very significant tribe within the 12 tribes of Israel.

And when you consider the land that is given to Judah here, I believe it would be beneficial to answer this question of who is this tribe of Judah?

You know, one thing that we readily see here is that the tribe of Judah, it holds a very central and a prominent place in the

Old Testament. For example, what we see in Genesis chapter 49, we find

Judah and his sons receiving special blessings when Jacob was on his deathbed. And more specifically, we find where the tribe of Judah received a prophetic promise of leadership and royalty, which is seen in Genesis chapter 49, verses 8 through 10.

The writer in Genesis tells us this, So even as far back as the book of Genesis, we see where the tribe of Judah here would be used by God as a royal line, as an enduring rule as described by the scepter here that we see in Genesis chapter 49, all the while conveying this foreshadow of a future figure which is often seen as messianic in later tradition.

As a tribe, Judah's destiny, it would reach its highest prominence under the rule of King David, who was a descendant of Judah through Perez.

This is found in Ruth chapter 4. We also find this account in 1 Chronicles chapter 2 as well.

So in the final analysis here, Old Testament history portrays the tribe of Judah as raising up from patriarchal origins to becoming a leading tribe of Israel.

It was the source of many of Israel's kings, and it would ultimately become the guardian of Jerusalem and the temple.

And because of these things, we see this lion symbol that's attached to the tribe of Judah.

It's seen in Genesis chapter 49, verse 9, and the royal promise it received really underscores this enduring biblical significance of this tribe.

Another thing that's readily seen in this first verse is a sovereign allotment as well.

Again, in Joshua chapter 15, verse 1, we find one short but very significant sentence which really lays the groundwork here of God's sovereign faithfulness in granting this inheritance to the tribe of Judah.

We're told this where it says, so this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.

And in His sovereign, this sovereign allotment, we find the really, and also in the ensuing verses that kind of outline the boundaries of this allotment, we find

Judah's promised inheritance, but we also see a foreshadow to the eternal inheritance that we have secured by grace through faith and in Christ.

You know, another thing that was also seen in this opening verse is how divine sovereignty is facilitated through the casting of lots.

Micah covered this in great detail last week. We see this in the book of Proverbs where we're told in Proverbs chapter 16, verse 33, where it says that the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the

Lord. So this particular division of land, it was not the consequence of mere chance.

It was not arbitrarily decided by the devices of man, but it was established by God's electing grace.

You know, when you consider God's grand view of eternity, we find that even before the foundations of the world were laid, even before this promised inheritance was even given to Abraham, or for that matter, even before the boundaries for the land of Judah here was even established,

God the Father in His sovereign decree chose a people for Himself. We see this in the

Old Testament where His chosen people would be the children of Israel. And we see this in the

New Testament under the new covenant here where we find the bride of Christ which is the church. And one consistent truth that we do find throughout the entirety of Scripture is that none of this is based on the foreseen merit or human will.

So whether it was a sovereign allotment of land that was given to the tribe of Judah, or the salvation that we now enjoy in Christ, or for that matter, the promised glory that we will one day experience in God's kingdom, all these things are in accordance to the counsel of His unchanging purpose.

The Apostle Paul, he reiterated this very same point in his letter to the

Ephesians where he said this, in Ephesians chapter 1, verses 4 and 5, Paul said, "...just

as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as the sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will."

So in many ways we find here in Joshua chapter 15, verse 1, it really provides us an early testimony to God's divine work, where He marks out

His inheritance among a fallen humanity who wander in the darkness of their own sin, and yet we find that God gives them an inheritance anyway.

And yet by God's divine wisdom, He selects some as His treasured possession,

His portion so to speak, much like Israel is called here in the book of Joshua, and specifically what we see here in this passage as it relates to the tribe of Judah.

Let us not forget that the promised inheritance in the Old Testament, it points forward to the promised inheritance that each of us share in the new covenant, which is a covenant that is not based on a nation bound by bloodlines, but rather by a spiritual family that is redeemed by grace alone.

Now, this brings us to another profound observation where we find a meticulous providence.

Now follow me here. You know, one last thing that's seen here in Joshua chapter 15, verse 1, is that that of God's meticulous providence here.

God is covenant -keeping in His character, and it's a pointer to the believers' unmerited inheritance that we get from the promised

Savior from Judah's line. This is not a random set of facts or figures or locations kind of cobbled together in some story about real estate here.

Matthew Mead once said this, he said that providence is a servant to God's eternal counsel and purpose.

There is no altering the course of providence. And as it relates to the tribe of Judah, we find

God's providence here is not just some land survey, you know, established by some man -made lottery here.

But what we readily see here is that God's promises are specific here. They are not vague. For this was a meticulous covenant, and it was a fulfillment of God's promise.

So there's much to learn here this morning, and much to apply to our lives as well.

You know, as Christians, it is very important for us to trust in God's sovereign provision amidst life's uncertainties.

Each one of us will write chapters in our life where adversity prevails, where life gets a little uncertain, where the way forward is difficult.

But I'm here to tell you that God's sovereign provision is always there. And we accomplish this by resting in the gospel of grace rather than human merit.

This is seen throughout the book of Joshua here, where God promised inheritance, of course, remains true for us today.

Always remember that while the tribe of Judah could now claim a long -promised land, this earthly plot really pales in comparison to our heavenly inheritance that we have in Christ.

If each one of us were to take a moment and to look at our own lives back in time, we would find a testament to God's faithfulness and provision.

This here is what gives us a great hope. This here is what becomes our eternal blessing, and this is what prompts us to express thanksgiving.

Let us never forget that God's sovereignty reigns supreme. The tribe of Judah, they did not earn this place in God's inheritance, but rather it was gifted in a covenant of grace ratified by Christ's blood.

Each one of us here in this room is on an earthly pilgrimage.

One day it will come to its proper conclusion, and when that time comes, we will experience glorification.

My brothers and sisters, death for us is no thief, but rather it is a gateway to an everlasting kingdom through faith in Christ alone.

This is not a tale of human achievement, but it is one of divine faithfulness allowing us to be part of this greater glorious legacy.

So we're blessed with a complete inheritance in Christ. It's been purchased by the Lamb, and as such, our life story is one of sovereign grace, which merges into eternal praise.

We see the Apostle John speak about this in the book of Revelation. We see this in Revelation 5, verse 13, where John tells us this.

He says, And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and as such are in the sea, and all that are in them,

I heard saying, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the

Lamb forever and ever. This is our story of God's inheritance.

This is our story of God's sovereign grace. And this is a story here where God claims us as his people.

So now that we've established here that a promise made is indeed a promise kept, we will now examine the boundaries here of this promised inheritance that's been given to Judah, where we find first a divine land survey.

Now, you know, one of the things that's readily seen in Joshua chapter 15, verses 2 -12, is that God's promised inheritance for the tribe of Judah here, it comes with defined boundaries.

And as such, we have really kind of a set of biblical surveyor notes in this passage. It's ordained by God, and of course, then conveyed to the tribe of Judah.

And so we see this sovereign gift is marked by precise boundaries, which in turn demonstrates

God's care in his fulfilled promise. We are told this where it says that the lot for the tribe of Judah, it reached southward to the boundary of Edom, to the wildernesses in at its farthest south.

So the lot determines Judah's portion here in God's promised inheritance, which would include the most significant areas of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Also found in these highlights are a couple of geographical observations as well. The first part of this particular set of verses, we see the southern and the eastern boundaries now given to us in great detail, specifically in Joshua chapter 15, verses 2 -4.

The southern and the eastern boundaries of God's divine survey are established for us in great detail.

And in these verses, we find that these boundaries, they begin at the Salt Sea, going southward to the wilderness of Zin.

And this area would include landmarks in notable places like the ascent of Akrabim and of course

Kadesh Barnea, which this region then would end at the Brook of Egypt in the Great Sea.

So the boundaries here symbolize a separation from pagan nations, these pagan nations being specifically listed here as Edom and Egypt.

We also find that such boundaries really are a call for holiness because not only was Judah given a promised inheritance for land, but with that promised inheritance came the expectation that they would maintain a standard of holy living within the boundaries set forth by God Himself.

And likewise, we as believers, we have an inheritance in Christ and it is bound by grace and of course we now have the means to spiritually protect ourselves from the wiles of the world.

These are all things that do apply to us as a congregation, as a church family, and as individual believers.

So just as Judah's inheritance came with this expectation to maintain God's standard of holiness within their prescribed boundaries, so too are we called on to persevere as the saints, to persevere in sanctification.

We are called to personal holiness within our domain, each one of us as a member of this congregation, we're also guarded by church discipline as well.

Now God's divine survey here doesn't end with the southern or the eastern boundaries here, but we find that Judah's inheritance also encompasses the northern and the western boundaries as well.

And we see this in the last set of verses in this passage. In Joshua chapter 15 verses 5 through 12 specifically, we come to our concluding observation here that outlines the northern and the western boundaries for this land for Judah.

And in these closing verses we find that God's promising inheritance to this tribe is coming to a complete fulfillment.

So the eastern boundary is the Salt Sea, with the northern boundary originating from the mouth of the

Jordan River, westward to Beth -Hoglah, Beth -Arabah, Kureth -Baal, it also referred to a

Jereth -Jerim, ultimately coming to the western boundary of the Great Sea. So there's quite a bit of territory being outlined here in this survey.

But you know, if we're not careful, we can oftentimes read over these mundane details, these surveyor notes, so to speak, and dismiss these details with little consequence.

And I'm here to tell you that I believe that these boundaries that are outlined in this passage of Scripture really have a much deeper meaning for us to behold.

Because when you think about it, the final boundaries here for the tribe of Judah and their promised inheritance represents a land of completeness from sea to sea, which in turn echoes

God's full provision in our lives as well. And moving forward in the days ahead,

Judah's territory would ultimately encompass the future sites of David's throne and Christ's birth.

So in the end, this divine survey does point to the line of Judah, which we see in Revelation chapter 5, verse 5.

Now, just as we see here with Judah's promised inheritance, our internal inheritance under the new covenant is secured in Christ, who is our greater

Joshua, for this inheritance is entered by faith alone. And with that said, just as we see that a map has clear boundaries, it will prevent disputes, so too does

God's Word define our own spiritual territory, the boundaries that we should maintain as Christians, warding off false teaching, of course preserving the abundant life that we have in Christ.

So these words have meaning. So now with all these things considered, if you don't mind,

I'd like to really address one final application, if I may, and that is this.

For all this talk of boundaries and territory and inheritance and fulfillment, there remains much for us to consider in our own walk with Christ.

You know, just as fences around a pasture keep sheep safe and define ownership, as God's boundaries protect us from spiritual compromise.

And this not only pertains to the liberty and excesses that are advocated by popular culture here, but also the legalism that sometimes can take root in a church as well.

Let us not forget that when God establishes boundaries in the life of a Christian, they are meant to be just that, a boundary divinely established.

And with that boundary here, of course we find that we are to respect those boundaries. You know, we should never forget that this also includes boundaries that are established by God and that we should not be adding to those boundaries as well.

You know, God wants us to be responsive to Him in grateful obedience, not a false piety that's created by man -made expectations.

We need to remember that God's sovereignty is on full display in this passage that we just read and examined.

We need to also remember that it contains a message that was not filled with any tribal lobbying or merit -based claims.

This is something that originated and was fulfilled and it flowed from God's promise. You know, all territory that we see established here in the book of Joshua is done by God's defined decree.

And so is the case in our lives as well. And just as God chose Judah for their, not for their righteousness per se, but rather for His own purposes, so too do each one of us find ourselves serving in God's plans and purposes as well.

This is important as we lead our lives and as we lead as a church. You know, we also find that God's plans and purposes not only affect us as individual believers, but they affect individual families.

They affect us as a congregation. They affect us in the steps that we take and the journey that we're enjoined.

And for those of us, or maybe for those actually who are not in Christ, where they may find themselves outside of God's inheritance,

I of course would encourage such individuals to believe in Christ who secures His promised inheritance by way of the blood of Christ.

The psalmist proclaimed in Psalm 16, verse 6, says, the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.

Yes, I have a good inheritance. So let us trust in God and His sovereignty, in the trials and in the uncertainties that most certainly will come our way, seeking to ensure that our boundaries will fall in pleasant places.

Let us pursue holiness within God's defined will and not by the designs of man or popular culture.

And as a church, let us baptize believers as a sign of entering into this covenant inheritance.

For in the end, those of us who are in Christ will enjoy a beautiful inheritance as we continue in our pilgrimage in the present day.

May we rest in Christ's sovereign grace, amen. Our Heavenly Father, Lord, I want to thank you so much for the promised inheritance, one that is of eternal value that you've brought to us.

You've blessed us beyond measure. You have blessed us beyond what we deserve. And yet you remain faithful in spite of our shortcomings.

So Lord, let us focus on your sovereign plan and our place in it. Let us take comfort and hope in the fact that you are there and that we too share in an eternal inheritance that will one day come to us in your heavenly kingdom.