4 Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. 5 You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the tribes of Joseph in their territory on the north. 6 After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. 7 The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them.”

8 As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.” 9 So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. 10 Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

11 The first lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:…(NIV)

After the introductory words in verses 1-10, the rest of the chapter contains a detailed description of the land allotment for the tribe of Benjamin. (You will see that I have printed the text only as far as verse 11). I think the key point to note is the centrality of God (of God’s will) in determining where each tribe was to have. It is important for each of us to know what God has for us, and go for that. So the regular reading of Scripture, and prayer, are foundational for Christian living.

Warren Wiersbe comments helpfully:

‘Since it was centrally located, Shiloh was the ideal place for the tabernacle. During the years of Israel’s wanderings, the tabernacle was in the centre of the camp. Now it was at the centre of the land, accessible to all and a reminder that the fear of God must be at the heart of the nation…The surveyors gathered the facts, but God gave the guidance needed for the allocation of the land (18:8-10). We must cooperate with the Lord if we want to know His will. Although we must not lean on our own understanding (Prov.3:6), we must have understanding in order for God to direct us.’