We don't know what casting lots was really like, but perhaps it was something like dice. Why did God have Joshua cast lots? Remember, the people did not want God to speak to them directly; it terrified them. But if God told Joshua himself how to divide the land and some of the people were dissatisfied, they would probably blame Joshua and say he cheated them. Since the casting of lots was public, God could control what happened without speaking to the people and without anyone blaming Joshua.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh chose to take their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River. The tribe of Simeon was scattered among the other tribes, and the tribe of Levi did not inherit any land, just cities set in the lands of the other tribes; for God Himself was their inheritance, they were to eat of the sacrifices the rest of the people made to God rather than raising their own food.

So God told Joshua, "Divide this land for an inheritance among the nine tribes." (The half-tribe of Ephraim was often called Joseph after the father of Ephraim and Manasseh.)

And Joshua cast lots and divided the land. You can see in the backs of many Bibles how scholars think the division looked.

Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite came to Joshua and said, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadeshbarnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent us from Kadeshbarnea to spy out the land. You and I brought him word that the land was good and easily taken. But our brethren that went up with us gave a report that made the hearts of the people melt with fear. But you and I wholly followed the LORD our God.

"Moses swore to me that day, 'Surely the land your feet have walked across will be your inheritance, and your children's forever, because you have followed the LORD my God totally.'

"The LORD has kept me alive, as He said He would, these forty-five years, while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Now I am eighty-five years old. But I am as strong this day as I was the day that Moses sent me out. I ask now that you give me this mountain, for you heard that the Anakims were there, and the cities were great and heavily fortified. If the LORD will be with me, I'll be able to drive them out, as the LORD said."

Joshua blessed Caleb, and gave him Hebron for an inheritance, because he totally followed the LORD God of Israel. Caleb drove the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, who were giants like Goliath, out of the area and took the land.

But the tribe of Manasseh couldn't drive out all of the Canaanites in their land. When the tribes of Israel became stronger, they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not utterly drive them out. Thus they became a thorn in the side of Israel, and often tempted them to copy their horrible religious practices, even burning their babies alive as sacrifices to the god Baal.

When they had finished dividing the land for inheritance the people of Israel gave Joshua the son of Nun an inheritance among them. They gave him the city he asked for, Timnathserah in mount Ephraim. He built the city, and lived in it.

The LORD spoke to Joshua, "Tell the children of Israel to select cities of refuge as I commanded you through Moses. Anyone that kills someone accidentally may flee to one of those cities and take refuge from the avenger of blood.

"When someone flees to one of those cities, he shall stand before the gate of the city and plead his cause to the elders of that city. They shall take him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

"If the avenger of blood pursues after him, they shall not deliver the slayer to him because he didn't strike his neighbor on purpose, nor hated him in the past. But he shall live in that city of refuge until he stands before the congregation for judgment. If he is found to have killed accidentally, he still must remain in the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest. Then he will be able to return to his own city and his own house."

And they appointed these cities: Kedesh, Shechem, Kirjatharba, Bezer, Ramoth, and Golan.

Then the heads of the Levites spoke to Joshua, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to live in with some land surrounding them for our cattle." So the people of Israel gave the Levites forty-eight cities scattered among the tribe's lands.

Thus the LORD gave Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers and they possessed it, and lived in it. The LORD gave them rest according to everything he swore to their fathers, not a one of their enemies could stand before them - God delivered all their enemies into their hand. Every single good thing the LORD had promised to the house of Israel came to pass.

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