Joshua 18:3

Joshua 18:3

And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?

1. “…How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you?”

a. slack [7503 * raphah][Strong: primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative):--abate, cease, consume, draw (toward evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak(-en).

1). Same word used earlier in Joshua when the Gibeonites requested military help from Joshua against the Amorite kings.

a). Joshua 10:6 And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.

b. Rabbinic Commentary from Stone Edition of Law/Prophets/Writings: God had said long before this (13:1, 7) that lots should be drawn to divide the land, and He would assist in the conquest, but the tribes had been lax in doing so (Malbim). They were afraid that if each tribe knew where it was to live, the united army would disperse, and the individual tribes would not be strong enough to conquer their assigned lands. The stronger tribes, such as Judah and Joseph, however, had no such fears and had occupied their portions (Abarbanel).

1). Looking at the Scripture given in the Rabbinic Commentary it shows that from the time period of Joshua 13 to Joshua 18, only 2 ½ tribes had received their inheritance, which according to Joshua 18:2, left 7 tribes that needed to receive their inheritance.  

a).  Joshua 13:1-7 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,

3 From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

4 From the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites:

5 And the land of the Giblites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under mount Hermon unto the entering into Hamath.

6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel: only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

7 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,

c. . Matthew Henry Concise Commentary: After a year or more, Joshua blamed their slackness, and told them how to proceed. God, by his grace, has given us a title to a good land, the heavenly Canaan, but we are slack to take possession of it; we enter not into that rest, as we might by faith, and hope, and holy joy. How long shall it be thus with us? How long shall we thus stand in our own light, and forsake our own mercies for lying vanities? Joshua stirs the Israelites up to take possession of their lots. He is ready to do his part, if they will do theirs.

d. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary: How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you--This reproof conveys an impression that the seven tribes were dilatory to a criminal extent.

e. How many of us in the New Covenant are failing to receive our inheritance that Christ Jesus obtained for us? It is God’s will for us to receive not only forgiveness of sins but also an inheritance. It is what the Lord Jesus told Paul when He called him into the ministry. In this passage, Paul is giving his testimony to King Agrippa before he was moved to Rome.

1). Acts 26:12-18 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

2). We, under the New Covenant are to receive our inheritance by faith, by allowing the word of His grace to build us up enough to receive it.

a). Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

b) Hebrews 6:9-15 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.