The allotment for the tribe of Judah, according to its clans, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south.

2 Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Dead Sea, 3 crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. 4 It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the Mediterranean Sea. This is their southern boundary.

5 The eastern boundary is the Dead Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, 6 went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 7 The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and came out at En Rogel. 8 Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. 9 From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). 10 Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah. 11 It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea.

12 The western boundary is the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.

These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans. (NIV)

This is a long chapter, so I have copied only a portion of it above. Next week, we will look at another short section within the chapter. But my comments here relate to the entirety of chapter 15, which is about the allotment of land to the tribe of Judah. Reading it again, I am struck by the clarity, the definiteness of the geographical descriptions. It is so meticulous. There were boundaries around the land apportioned to the separate tribes. These were set by God. Within its allotment of land, any particular tribe would experience God’s provision.

With that in mind, I found my reading this morning, in 2 Corinthians 10, to be so pertinent:

‘ But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. 15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labours of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. 17 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (ESV: emphasis mine)

The fact is that none of us can be everywhere or do everything. We are not called to such omnicompetence. No, God sets boundaries around our lives and ministries. He allots to us certain gifts, and settings wherein to employ them. But we are not all the same. So it is important to get to know who we are in God, and what He has called us to do, and where He has called us to do it.

I find Warren Wiersbe’s words, from ‘With the Word’, so helpful:

‘Had the people chosen their inheritance, there no doubt would have been competition and conflict; but the Lord assigned the territory, and the tribes submitted to His will.

”For who makes you differ from another?” asked Paul. ”And what do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor.4:7). John the Baptist said, ”A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven (John 3:27).

Whenever you envy another’s achievements or abilities, you are forgetting this basic spiritual principle. Whenever you complain to God because of what you are not, instead of praising Him for what you are, you need to listen again to Paul and John the Baptist…Are you happy with the perfect choices that God makes?’