Joshua is old now. The years have passed. Battles have been fought. Promises have been kept.
And the Lord speaks.
“You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.”
God is not angry. He’s not disappointed. He’s honest. The work is not done.
Most people think the later chapters of Joshua are just land distributions. Lists of borders and tribe names. But buried in the details are some of the most important questions in the book.
What happens when faith meets unfinished work? How do we respond when the promise is real but the obstacles remain? And what kind of God builds mercy into the middle of an incomplete story?
Joshua 13 through 21 answers all three.
Trust the Lord Patiently
Joshua stands in the land God promised. But he also stands in unfinished work. That does not mean God failed. It means God is still working.
Long before this moment, God told Israel He would give them the land little by little. Not all at once. They needed time to grow.
“Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.” God’s pace is intentional. He knows what His people can handle, and He knows what they still need to learn.
The righteous still bear fruit in old age. Joshua is proof. God is still speaking to him. Still guiding His people. Still faithful.
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Work begun does not mean work finished. It means God’s not done yet.
Hebrews looks back on Joshua’s day and says there remains a rest for the people of God. Joshua led them into real rest, but not the final rest. God was always leading His people forward.
The story didn’t end with Joshua. It was just getting started.
Discussion
- Where do you see real progress in your own walk with God, but work still remaining?
- When you notice unfinished work in your life, what do you usually assume about God? What might this passage invite you to assume instead?
Key Takeaways
- God is not surprised by unfinished work. He named it plainly in Joshua’s life, and He names it honestly in ours.
- Slow progress does not cancel God’s faithfulness. God often gives what He promises little by little, as His people grow into it.
- God keeps leading His people, even when the work isn’t done yet. His presence does not depend on how finished we feel.
Don’t Let Fear Decide
Two groups hear the same promise. They stand in the same land. They face real obstacles. But they respond very differently.
First, Caleb. He remembers what God said forty-five years earlier. Time has passed. His body is older. The Anakim, the giants, are still there. The cities are still strong.
And Caleb says, “Give me this hill country.”
He sees the giants. He doesn’t deny the danger. He doesn’t minimize the challenge. He simply trusts that the Lord will be with him. Scripture says Caleb wholly followed the Lord. Not perfectly. But faithfully.
Now listen to the tribes of Joseph. They talk about how numerous they are. They talk about how blessed they’ve been. But when it comes time to take more land, they focus on iron chariots. Strong enemies. Hard terrain. They ask for more space, but they hesitate to step into difficulty.
Joshua’s response is clear: “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only… for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”
Same promise. Same God. Different response.
Faith doesn’t ignore obstacles. Fear lets obstacles decide.
The question isn’t whether the land is hard. The question is whether we trust God enough to move forward anyway.
Discussion
- Caleb and the tribes of Joseph stood in the same land with the same promise. What do you notice about the difference in what they focus on when they speak?
- Caleb names the danger but still steps forward. The tribes name the danger and hesitate. Where are you most tempted to let obstacles decide your next step instead of trust?
Key Takeaways
- God’s promises do not remove obstacles. The land was promised, but it was still hard to take.
- Faith and fear look at the same situation and reach different conclusions. Caleb saw God’s faithfulness. Others saw iron chariots.
- Trust shows itself in movement, not just words. Caleb asked for the hard place. Others asked for easier ground.
Make Room for Mercy
After all the land talk. After victories and hesitation. After faith and fear side by side. God speaks again.
What He gives next is not a command to fight. It’s a place to run. Cities of refuge.
These cities were for people who caused harm without evil intent. People who could easily be crushed by vengeance before the truth was known. God slows everything down. He provides protection before judgment. Process before punishment. Mercy before final decisions.
And notice when this happens. The land is not fully taken. The people are not fully obedient. The work is still unfinished. Yet God builds mercy into the middle of the story.
This tells us something important about His heart. God does not wait for His people to get everything right before He makes space for grace. He knows they are still learning. Still growing. Still stumbling.
The refuge is not an escape from justice. It is a pause. A safeguard. A place where life is protected while truth is brought to light.
Scripture says these cities were for Israel and for the sojourner. Mercy was not reserved for insiders only.
This is not weakness. This is wisdom. God knows His people will fail at times. So He builds mercy into the system while the work continues. That’s who He is.
Discussion
- God establishes cities of refuge while the land is still being settled. What does that tell us about how God treats people while they are still growing?
- The cities of refuge were places to run to, not hide in. Where do people tend to run when they feel guilt or fear, and what does this passage suggest a better place might be?
Key Takeaways
- God provides mercy in the middle of unfinished obedience. Grace is not delayed until we get everything right.
- Refuge slows judgment so truth can surface. God values life, process, and restoration.
- God’s mercy is wider than we expect. It was offered to Israel and the outsider alike.
Something to Sit With
These chapters show how people live with a faithful God over time. Promises kept. Work unfinished. Hearts revealed.
Same God. Same promise. Very different responses.
Trust the Lord patiently. Don’t let fear decide. Make room for mercy.
Joshua reminds us that God is still leading. Still faithful. Still patient. The story didn’t end with Joshua. And it doesn’t end with us.
A few honest questions:
- When progress is slow, do you keep trusting, or do you start pulling back?
- Where has fear shaped your decisions more than faith?
- Do you believe God is patient with unfinished work in you and in others?
- When guilt or failure surfaces, where do you run?
“You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess.” (Joshua 13:1, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the cities of refuge in Joshua 20?
The cities of refuge were six designated cities spread across Israel where someone who caused an accidental death could flee for protection. They were not escapes from justice but safeguards. The person remained there until they could stand before the congregation for a fair hearing. These cities were open to both Israelites and foreigners.
What does Caleb’s story in Joshua 14 teach about faith?
Caleb waited forty-five years for God to fulfill a specific promise. At eighty-five years old, he asked for the hardest territory, the hill country where the giants lived. His story teaches that faith doesn’t shrink with age or difficulty. Caleb wholly followed the Lord, not perfectly, but faithfully. He trusted God’s promise more than he feared the obstacles.
Why is there still unfinished work in Joshua 13?
God told Israel in Exodus 23 that He would give them the land “little by little” so they could grow into it. Unfinished work was part of the plan, not a sign of failure. Joshua 13 through 21 shows that God’s faithfulness continues even when progress is slow. Philippians 1:6 echoes this: God finishes what He starts.
How do Joshua 13-21 point to Jesus?
The cities of refuge picture Christ as the place of safety for those in need of mercy. Caleb’s wholehearted faith foreshadows the trust Jesus calls His followers to. And the theme of rest that runs through Joshua finds its completion in Jesus, who said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
This lesson is part of the Encouraged by What’s Ahead series.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.