Economic principles from the Book of Joshua

After spending 40 years as a landless, wandering people, the Israelites were now ready to become a nation. Through Joshua, a military leader, God led Israel into the land of Canaan and through a series of military campaigns against the people of that area. As Israel occupied these lands, God constantly reminded them to not be like the people who lived there before. As a matter of fact, it was their horrible policies of child sacrifice, oppression, death, and demon worship that prompted God to remove them from the land. Israel in turn was to be different, in all aspects, their worship, their laws, and their economic policies. Sadly, several hundred years later, Israel was removed from the land because they did the exact opposite of what God said not to do. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. In the book of Joshua, there are a number of economic principles that apply to our times. The first I would look at is land distribution.

A fair and just system of land distribution ensures that individuals and communities have access to

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KENYATTA E. LEWIS

Kenyatta Lewis is the pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, a growing church committed to taking followers of Jesus deeper and going further in their faith. Besides loving, serving, and helping people he has watched the extended Director’s cut of the Lord of the Rings trilogy multiple times.

productive resources. It provides a foundation for economic stability, investment, and development. Secure property rights encourage individuals to invest in land, cultivate it efficiently, and use it as collateral. This prompts economic growth and enables wealth creation. Additionally, a well-defined system of land ownership promotes social stability, reduces conflicts, and empowers individuals to build long-term economic security.

When land ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few persons it promotes inequalities and exploitation. It hinders opportunities for widespread growth and social mobility. On the other hand, squatting hampers the creation of a fair and orderly system of land distribution. Because it is unplanned the land is never adequately utilized or efficiently used. Other issues such as sanitation, clean water, and public services become a challenge. However, in the book of Joshua, God did an amazing thing.

Look at what it says in Joshua 18 - Select three men from each tribe, and I will send them out to explore the land and map it out. They will then return to me with a written report of their proposed divisions of their new homeland. 5 Let them divide the land into seven sections, excluding Judah’s territory in the south and Joseph’s territory in the north. 6 And when you record the seven divisions of the land and bring them to me, Why seven sections and not twelve since they were twelve tribes? The answer is found in this section - 7 “The Levites, however, will not receive any allotment of land.

Their role as priests of the LORD is their allotment. And the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh won’t receive any more land, for they have already received their grant of land, which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them on the east side of the Jordan River.”

For more details read Joshua 1321. It can read like a surveyor’s map at times, but it clearly shows that God’s plan for the Israelites, and all of humanity, is that economic justice leads to prosperity and human flourishing.

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