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In Joshua 18
● notice the gathering of the “whole congregation of the people of Israel” (1) at Shiloh with the added emphasis of the tent of meeting being set up there,
● understand that the land “lay subdued before them” (1), and at the same time the “you” (2), the people of Israel, according to Joshua, had yet “to take possession” (2) of it,
● notice that Joshua reminds them that God has given them the land (2) but more “apportionment” (2) awaits,
● understand that Joshua takes charge in this “how long” (2) moment, sending out surveyors or book-making describers of the terrain, a specified number from each tribe, a move that perhaps echoes Moses sending out spies on an earlier occasion,
● notice that the outcome will be the allotting of the described and portioned land by the casting of “lots” (6, 8, 10) by Joshua and “before the Lord our God” (6, 8, 10),
● rehearse the expected reminder that the priestly “heritage” (7) is the calling of the Levites and the reminder of the portions allotted by Moses east of the river,
● notice that the naming of boundary markers also includes references to tribal territories already portioned (11, 14, 17), and
● catch the renaming that occurs- “Kiriath-baal” (14) becomes immediately “Kiriath-jearim”- perhaps to suggest a rejection of that foreign deity.
Thank you,

Randy Tumlinson