The Unfinished Task: Land That Remains to Be Possessed Text: Joshua 13:1-7
Introduction: The Ongoing Conquest
We come now to a pivotal moment in the book of Joshua. The first twelve chapters have been a whirlwind of conquest. The Jordan has been crossed, Jericho has fallen, Ai has been taken, and a series of stunning military victories have broken the back of the Canaanite resistance in both the south and the north. The list of defeated kings in chapter 12 is a roll call of God's faithfulness. By all external measures, the war is won. The major military threats have been neutralized. And it is at this very moment of apparent triumph that God speaks to Joshua, not with a word of final commendation, but with a sober reminder of the immense task that still lies ahead.
This is a profound spiritual lesson for us. It is very easy in the Christian life to mistake a significant victory for the final victory. We overcome a besetting sin, we see a child come to faith, our church plants a daughter church, and we are tempted to think that we can now put our feet up. We can begin to coast. But the kingdom of God is not advanced by coasting. God's word to an old and weary Joshua is a word for every generation of Christians: "You are old... and very much of the land remains to be possessed." The work is not done. The Great Commission is not a suggestion to be considered but a command to be obeyed until the end of the age. Our eschatology must not be one of retreat and defeat, but one of faithful, plodding, optimistic conquest. We are postmillennialists not because we believe in the inevitability of our success, but because we believe in the inevitability of Christ's victory, accomplished through His people by the power of His Spirit.
This passage confronts us with a central biblical tension: the dynamic interplay between God's sovereign declaration and our responsible action. God says, "I will dispossess them," and in the next breath, He says, "only allot it... apportion this land." The inheritance is a gift, but it is a gift that must be taken. The victory is promised, but it must be fought for. This is not a contradiction; it is the essence of covenant life. God does not do His work apart from us; He does His work through us. He gives the title deed, but we must survey the land, drive in the stakes, and build the house. He gives us the inheritance, and then tells us to go inherit it. This passage is a divine command to get up, get moving, and take possession of what is already ours in Christ.
The Text
Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and Yahweh said to him, “You are old, advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed. This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites; from the Shihor which is east of Egypt, even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite to the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite; and the land of the Gebalite, and all of Lebanon, to the east toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians, I will dispossess them from before the sons of Israel; only allot it to Israel for an inheritance as I have commanded you. So now, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
(Joshua 13:1-7 LSB)
The Sobering Reality (v. 1)
The chapter opens with a frank assessment of the situation.
"Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and Yahweh said to him, 'You are old, advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.'" (Joshua 13:1)
God is not sentimental. He speaks plainly to His servant. "You are old." This is not an insult; it is a statement of fact. Joshua's time as the active, field-commanding general is drawing to a close. His life, like ours, is a finite resource. But the work of God is not limited by the lifespan of any one man. Moses died, but the work continued under Joshua. Now, Joshua is old, and the work must be passed on to the next generation. This is God's pattern. The work is always bigger than the man.
And the work is far from finished. "Very much of the land remains to be possessed." After all the victories, after all the conquered kings, there were still significant pockets of entrenched enemy resistance. The central campaigns had been won, but the mopping-up operations were just beginning. And these were not minor skirmishes. The list that follows includes formidable enemies like the Philistines and the Sidonians. This is a crucial reminder for the church. We can win great victories in one generation, see revivals, and build institutions, only to find that the next generation faces enemies just as formidable, sometimes in the very places we thought were secure. The war against sin, the flesh, and the devil is a multi-generational campaign. There is no room for complacency.
This reality check for Joshua is a reality check for us. We look at the state of our culture, the rampant paganism, the collapse of moral sanity, and we can be tempted to despair. The task seems too large. But God's point to Joshua is not to induce despair, but to catalyze action. The recognition of the unfinished task is the necessary prerequisite for the next phase of the work.
The Divine Inventory (v. 2-6a)
God then provides Joshua with a detailed list of the territories that still need to be taken.
"This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites... All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, all the Sidonians..." (Joshua 13:2-6a)
This is not a vague, "there's still work to do." This is a specific, detailed inventory. God knows the name and address of every pocket of resistance. He lists the Philistine lords, the Canaanite territories, the land of the Gebalites, all the way up to Lebanon. This detailed accounting serves two purposes. First, it defines the scope of the remaining work. The Israelites are not left to guess what their inheritance includes. God spells it out. The boundaries of the promised inheritance are clear.
Second, and more importantly, it is a statement of God's absolute ownership. By listing these territories, God is declaring, "This is all Mine, and I am giving it to you." The Philistines may think they own Gaza. The Sidonians may think they own their coastal cities. But God says it is all part of the inheritance He is giving to Israel. This is the foundation of our confidence in the Great Commission. When Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me," He was laying claim to every square inch of the cosmos. Every nation, every institution, every family, every heart belongs to Him by right of creation and redemption. Our task is not to negotiate with the squatters but to announce the eviction notice and take possession in the name of the true King.
Notice that the land is "counted as Canaanite." This is a legal declaration. Regardless of who currently occupies it, God classifies it under the jurisdiction of the curse pronounced on Canaan. This means it is designated for judgment and dispossession. In the same way, the world system, with all its pomp and power, is legally "counted as" defeated territory because of the cross and resurrection of Christ. It is under judgment, and its current rulers are illegal occupants.
The Sovereign Promise and the Human Task (v. 6b-7)
Here we find the theological heart of the passage, the perfect harmony of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
"I will dispossess them from before the sons of Israel; only allot it to Israel for an inheritance as I have commanded you. So now, apportion this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh." (Joshua 13:6b-7)
First comes the bedrock promise: "I will dispossess them." The victory is not ultimately dependent on Israel's military skill or strategic genius. It is a divine act. God Himself will drive out the inhabitants. This is the promise that fuels all faithful Christian action. We do not go out in our own strength. We go in the strength of the one who has already conquered. "I will build my church," Jesus said, "and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The outcome is not in doubt. God will do it.
But this divine promise does not lead to human passivity. It leads directly to a human command. "Only allot it... So now, apportion this land." God says, "I will give you the victory," and then He says, "Now, get out your surveying equipment and start dividing up the land." This is staggering. They are to allot and apportion land that they do not yet possess. They are to act in faith on the basis of God's promise. They are to draw the property lines for inheritances in cities still occupied by giants.
This is what it means to live by faith. Faith is not sitting back and waiting for God to drop things in your lap. Faith is hearing God's promise and then acting as though it is true, even when circumstances scream otherwise. God promises to give us the nations as an inheritance. Therefore, we are to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach. We are to plan, strategize, build, and work for the Christianization of our culture, not because we think we can achieve it on our own, but because God has promised it. We are to "allot the land." We are to act like the heirs we are.
Joshua's specific task here shifts from that of a general to that of an administrator. He is to oversee the distribution of the inheritance. This is also a vital part of the work. The conquest is not just about defeating enemies; it is about establishing a righteous and orderly society under God's law. It's not enough to tear down; we must also build up. It is not enough to critique the failures of secularism; we must build a robust and beautiful Christian alternative. Joshua is to give each tribe its inheritance, its own sphere of responsibility. The work of possessing the land is now to be decentralized. Each tribe is responsible for clearing its own inheritance of the remaining enemy pockets. This is a model for the church. The work of discipling the nations is not the job of a few celebrity pastors; it is the responsibility of every local church, every family, every individual Christian to take possession of their allotted portion of the inheritance.
Conclusion: Inherit Your Inheritance
This passage is a powerful antidote to two opposing errors that plague the church. The first is the error of presumption, of thinking the work is done when it has barely begun. We must have the sober realism of God, who looks at our greatest successes and gently reminds us that "very much of the land remains to be possessed." We must never rest on past laurels.
The second error is that of despair, of looking at the vastness of the remaining task and the weakness of our resources and concluding that it is impossible. To this, God gives the unshakable promise, "I will dispossess them." The victory is His, and He has pledged it to us. Our job is not to generate the victory but to administer it.
So what is the land that remains for us to possess? It is every thought that has not yet been brought captive to the obedience of Christ. It is every home that is not yet a sanctuary of faith and discipleship. It is every school that teaches rebellion instead of wisdom. It is every corner of the arts, the sciences, and the civil square that does not yet confess the lordship of Jesus. God has given it all to us as an inheritance in His Son. He has given us the title deed, sealed with the blood of the covenant.
And so the command comes to us, as it came to Joshua: "So now, apportion this land." Get up. Act in faith. Do the work. Drive out the idols from your own heart, from your own home. Teach your children the law of the Lord. Build businesses that honor God. Create art that glorifies Him. Engage in the public square with cheerful confidence. Inherit your inheritance. For the God who promised is faithful, and He will bring it to pass.