Division of Canaan
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us,” they said; “and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the
valley have chariots of iron.”
The power of the God of Israel had been pledged to His people,
and had the Ephraimites possessed the courage and faith of Caleb,
no enemy could have stood before them. Their evident desire to
shun hardship and danger was firmly met by Joshua. “Thou art a
great people, and hast great power,” he said; “thou shalt drive out the
Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.”
Thus their own arguments were turned against them. Being a great
people, as they claimed, they were fully able to make their own way, as
did their brethren. With the help of God they need not fear the chariots
of iron.
Heretofore Gilgal had been the headquarters of the nation and the
seat of the tabernacle. But now the tabernacle was to be removed to the
place chosen for its permanent location. This was Shiloh, a little town
in the lot of Ephraim. It was near the center of the land, and was easy of
access to all the tribes. Here a portion of country had been thoroughly
subdued, so that the worshipers would not be molested. “And the
whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at
Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there.” The tribes
that were still encamped when the tabernacle was removed from Gilgal
followed it, and pitched near Shiloh. Here these tribes remained until
they dispersed to their possessions.
The ark remained at Shiloh for three hundred years, until, because
of the sins of Eli’s house, it fell into the hands of the Philistines, and
Shiloh was ruined. The ark was never returned to the tabernacle here,
the sanctuary service was finally transferred to the temple at Jerusalem,
and Shiloh fell into insignificance. There are only ruins to mark the
spot where it once stood. Long afterward its fate was made use of
as a warning to Jerusalem. “Go ye now unto My place which was in
Shiloh,” the Lord declared by the prophet Jeremiah, “where I set My
name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My
people Israel.... Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called
by My name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you
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and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.”
Jeremiah 7:12-14
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“When they had made an end of dividing the land,” and all the tribes
had been allotted their inheritance. Joshua presented his claim. To him,
as to Caleb, a special promise of inheritance had been given; yet he