By command of the LORD they gave him the city that he asked, Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, and he built the city and settled in it — Timnath-serah ('portion of the sun'), in the Ephraimite highlands, becomes Joshua's reward. The phrase 'that he asked' emphasizes Joshua's choice; his leadership in the conquest grants him the privilege of selecting his own inheritance. The theological statement is clear: faithfulness to the LORD results in personal blessing. Joshua's modest choice of a hill-country city (rather than major urban center) reflects his character. His act of 'building the city' (wayyiben et-hā'îr) suggests that Joshua doesn't merely receive territory but actively develops it, making it his own through labor and improvement.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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