OUR FATHER WHO GUIDES US IN PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE.

Joshua chapter 15 verse 9 says this;

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).

This verse captures a detail of the survey notes that describe part of the northern boundary of the land of Judah.

The southern border began at the southern tip of the Dead Sea and wound its way westward to the Mediterranean Sea.

The western boundary of Judah was the Mediteranian Sea itself.

The Dead Sea was the eastern boundary of Judah. 

The northern border of Judah was a complex and precise allocation that started at the mouth of the Jordan River where it empties into the Dead Sea.

The boundary wound it's way westward via Gigal, Jerusalem,  the hilltop west of the Hinnom valley,   the springs of the waters of Nephtoah and turned to the towns at Mount Ephron and then to Mount Seir.

The border then went across to Timnah, crossed to Jebneel then ended at the Mediteranian Sea.

These were the limits of the kingdom of Judah.

These demarcations defined the area that the people of Judah were given to conquer. The territory they were able to take back from the inhabitants of the land that they were alloted, was the inheritance that they gained.

In the case of Judah, they were unable to dislodge the Jebusites from the area of Jerusalem and so that territory  never became exclusively theirs and remained shared land.

Such is the striving of a believer in the areas of our lives from where we are unable to drive away our enemies. These territories become jointly owned with the powers of darkness and they hold sway over how those parts of our  lives operate.

Let us bless the Lord who is our shepherd and who leads us in paths of righteousness for His names sake.

Amen.