POSSESSING THE PROMISED LAND

The Book of Joshua #16

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Woodland Church

Wednesday, October 8, 2025

1.  Joshua and Caleb were two men of faith and courage who passed their faith to the next generation

2.  Joshua and Caleb’s goal was not retirement but reorganizing

(Numbers 26:52–56, NLT) “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes’ populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list. Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population. But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list. Each grant of land must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups.”

A.  Most of the tribes settle on the West side of the Jordan River

B.  Joshua 15 begins with the area of Judah

C.  Most land allotments begin with the eldest

D.  Judah was the fourth tribe

a.  When Israel broke camp, Judah was the first to leave

b.  Judah was the first tribe called to war

• Judah means praise

• The temple ended up in the allotment of Judah

• Judah was a warrior tribe and a royal tribe

• The Messiah, Jesus Christ, came from this tribe

(Genesis 49:8–10, NLT) “Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you. Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.”

3.  Caleb wants another battle

(Joshua 15:13–15, NLT) “The Lord commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor. Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak. From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).”

4.  Caleb reorganizes

(Joshua 15:16–19, NLT) “Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife. When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?” She said, “Give me another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.”

A.  Othniel was a godly man

(Judges 3:9–11, NLT) “But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.”

B.  Othniuel and Acsah were a smart couple

a.  He asked for land

b.  She asked for water

c.  Caleb gave generously

• Upper springs

• Lower Springs

Just a Thought! – Caleb could be a type of the Holy Spirit

• Accompanied Joshua into the Promised Land
• The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to point people to Jesus not to Himself.
• Victorious over giants.
• Gives a bride.
• Gives water abundantly.

(Joshua 15:63, NLT) “But the tribe of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, who lived in the city of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live there among the people of Judah to this day.”

Cannot sometimes means will not

LAP – Hold to God’s promises

Joshua 16

1.  Joseph gets the birthright instead of Reuben

2.  Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh become individual tribes

3.  They do not drive out the Cannanites

LAP – Do not settle for second best

Joshua 17

(Joshua 17:3–4, NLT) “However, Zelophehad, a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, had no sons. He had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These women came to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the Israelite leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe.” So Joshua gave them a grant of land along with their uncles, as the Lord had commanded.”

The story of the daughters of Zeolphehad is in Numbers 27:1-11

God has always valued and honored women. Jesus did not come to enslave women but to set them free

(Galatians 3:28, NLT) “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Joshua’s tact and diplomacy

(Joshua 17:17–18, NLT) “Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, “Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”

LAP – Possess the Promises of God

(Psalm 27:1, NLT) “The Lord is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”

GROWTHWORK

1.  Run to Win

2.  Walk in the Spirit