Joshua 13:1–7 (ESV)

Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the LORD said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. This is the land that yet remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all those of the Geshurites (from the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron), and those of the Avvim, in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites, and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo-hamath, all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, even all the Sidonians. I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

Remember Joshua 11:23b? “Then the land rested from war.” Now, after giving a long list of peoples inhabiting Canaan, the LORD says, “I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel.”

The LORD lifts this burden from Joshua. Why?

Joshua is too advanced in years, that’s why. What’s curious about this is that Joshua is old because the Israelites spent forty years wandering around the desert to kill off a generation of unbelievers.

But Joshua was perfectly innocent of that unbelief. He and Caleb were all in for conquering Canaan.  Joshua lives long enough to see the promised land and start its conquest, but he’s still old—too old to finish the job. He burned through most of his adult life in the desert.

This raises a super-deep issue. What’s up with Joshua being penalized for the sins of others? Why does the Bible seem to view responsibility for sin collectively?

“I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.” — Deuteronomy 5:9b (ESV)

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” — Acts 16:31b (ESV)

This is tough for us westerners to get our minds around. We view reward and punishment as individual. People should only be responsible for the things they do.

But the Bible takes another view. We’re not as individual as we think.

But something else takes the same view as the Bible—nature. In reality, we pay for others’ mistakes all the time. Drunk drivers kill innocent people. We reap unearned benefits too (such as modern medicine).

Understanding this collective responsibility concept may be more than a western mind can grasp.

But at least we can see that the God of the Bible and the author of nature are clearly the same guy.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.