Joshua Chapter 22 - The Easterners Position

This month I want to consider one side of this conflict. The two and a half tribes who settled in the eastern side of the Jordan River. What was their circumstances, what was their intent, and what did they do.

Last month we discussed why they were not settling with their brothers on the western side of the Jordan River. The other major circumstance that led to this conflict involved the geology and geography that divided them from their brothers. In our modern era we do not see the Jordan River as a major barrier that might divide a nation. According to the New Bible Dictionary, the Jordan river lay in the bottom of what geologist call a ’rift’ formed by a fault line similar but deeper than the famous San Andreas Fault in California. In fact it is the lowest depression on the surface of the earth. The Jordan River starts at a lake 70 meters above sea level, runs for 120 km and eventually plunges into the Dead Sea which is 393 meters below sea level. So the barrier between the western tribes and the eastern tribes is a deep valley with, depending on the season, a fast current. Apparently, the name Jordan comes from the Hebrew word yardēn which means ‘the descender.’ So we can see that for a culture without massive suspension bridges or the ability to build an extensive dam system to control the river, this was a substantial barrier to communication and trade. We do know that they had ferry boats and during certain seasons there were shallow ‘fords’ where traffic could cross. But these ways of crossing the river were limited and seasonal. Rainy season or even a serious thunderstorm would shut down traffic for days or even months.

They had a natural concern to remind both their separated brothers and their own children that they were still followers of Yahweh and part of the Nation. They were properly concerned that in time people were likely to forget that they were a legitimate part of a Nation called out from among the nations to serve and worship the LORD. Their intent was stated in verse 24: “we have done this out of concern, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons may say to our sons, “What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the LORD.”

So what they did next was to build a memorial - in their own words, they called it a ‘witness’ (verse 27 & 28) between them and their brothers “… and between our generations after us …” They also admitted that it looked like an altar but that they had no intention of using it as an alternative to the proper worship of Yahweh, “… which is before His tabernacle” (verse 29) only!

Certainly we are warmed by the sincerity that we see in these concerns and even in their efforts to build a monument in order to remind their children that they were part of the people of God. But sometimes enthusiasm without wisdom can have unpleasant results. I think we can all relate to something we have done that in retrospect, we regretted doing - but it seemed like a good thing at the time!

From a plain reading of the biblical record it is apparent that this building project was their attempt to send a message to the western tribes. It is also clear that the western tribes interpreted their ‘message’ in a totally unexpected way. In fact, their western brothers were in the process of raising an army to exterminate them because of what was perceived as a heretical offense against Yahweh. Would you agree that prior to building a monumental witness they would have done better to send some of their own folks to explain to everyone what they intended to do? Probably would have been wise to communicate more directly. As it was, their Western brothers received a ‘hint’ but not a real clear message concerning their intentions in building the ‘witness.’

Many times, in our own homes, we also try to communicate indirectly. Hinting, suggesting, and questioning are ways that we attempt to communicate indirectly and are often not particularly effective. There is always the possibility that these kind of indirect communications will lead to misunderstandings rather than clarity. Thankfully, all-out war seldom occurs, but I fear sometimes small skirmishes start simply from a lack of clear communication. I think we sometimes use these indirect methods of communication when we are insecure about our relationship. In the case of the Easterners they were certainly insecure about the relationship between them and their brothers west of the Jordan. At times, hinting and suggesting can be entertaining and fun but when we are trying to seriously express ourselves we ought to carefully and clearly express ourselves.

We can see another contributing factor in the conflict. It appears that they may have been relying on non-verbal communication to some extent. Non-verbals comes naturally to us and is an important part of communication. By non-verbal I mean those parts of our conversations like our tone of voice, posture, facial expressions, and hand gestures. We need to remember that non-verbal communication can also be misinterpreted.  The two and a half tribes east of Jordan thought they were sending a clear message of solidarity - perhaps they thought is was obvious that even though this memorial ‘witness’ looked identical to an altar intended for worship, it had no burn marks from sacrifice or other indication that actual sacrifice was happening. This was non-verbal and indirect communication that seemed clear to them but in retrospect it was obvious that the message was interpreted differently by the sons of Israel.

OK, I may be drawing at straws when I try to connect this thought with what is going on in Israel, but I know from my own experience that in conversations sometimes what is being said (verbal communication) is less important that how it is being expressed (non-verbal). One of the reasons that personal communications can be so challenging is that one may make the same statement with differing tones of voice or facial expression and totally change the meaning of what is being said. What the Eastern tribes were trying to say was clear to them - but they used an inappropriate physical expression to make their statement. They built an replica of the altar which was interpreted by the rest of the nation as a rejection of the proper worship of Yahweh. Again, they may have said later, ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time!’ There is a point where the receiving side of communication bears some responsibility for making sure they understand what was being said. Next month, Lord willing, we will look at how the sons of Israel resolved this communication problem.

Truly, with all the possible miscommunication opportunities between individuals and among nations one wonders how people can ever hope to maintain successful relationships! Experiencing these frustrations of communication we can thank our LORD that someday soon we will have glorified bodies without sin - perfect communication between individuals and nations—all in unison praising our Redeemer King!

Joshua Chapter 22 - Moving Toward Conflict

Last article we discussed the ‘Transjordan’ tribes (the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh) who fell in love with the pasture land on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Joshua commended them for honorably fighting alongside their brothers in the conquest of the Canaanites. Joshua blessed them as they returned over the Jordan to their families and their homes.

              

 This all sounds great and like a ‘happily ever after’ type story but as we continue in chapter 22 we are shocked to see them arming up for war against one another! Why, after such a display of cooperation in the former battles, and after brother Joshua had given them this wonderful blessing, are they so disturbed that they would actually go to war against one another?

 

To understand the coming conflict between them and their brothers on the western side of the Jordan we need to go back in time. God had promised to give the seed of Abraham the land of Canaan for a possession: this was a real promise for a real land (Genesis 13:14-15). As we have seen, the book of Joshua relates the history of that conquest. Clearly, the land of Canaan was that land west of the Jordan River. So when Moses and the nation approached Canaan from east of the Jordan River, “… the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad [saw] that [the land east of the Jordan] was … a place suitable for livestock, [so they] came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.”” (Numbers 32:1-5).  Moses replied, “If you will do this, if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, and all of you armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven His enemies out from before Him, and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you shall return and be free of obligation toward the LORD and toward Israel, and this land shall be yours for a possession before the LORD” (Numbers 32:20-22). 

The point being that God gave Abraham’s descendants the promised inheritance – Moses gave the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh land outside of that promise. It seems likely that the nine and one half tribes who now occupy the land that God gave them would think less of those who chose to dwell outside the ‘Promised Land’ inheritance. But the two and a half tribes east of the Jordan might also be concerned that their brothers west of the Jordan would eventually forget that they too were part of the Nation and that they too remained faithful to Yahweh. In their defense, the eastern (Transjordan) tribes believed that Moses was speaking as a prophet when he granted them that land east of the Jordan. In their minds, this land was their lawful inheritance even though they were aware of the possibility that the western tribes might doubt their connection to the nation and to Yahweh.

So we have here a classic set up for misunderstanding between two groups who ought to have been united in their common devotion to the Lord. Though they nearly come to the point of war, Joshua records the wise resolution to this conflict. But we will discuss that resolution in a future article!

At this point, the application I would like to suggest is simple: there are many opportunities for misunderstanding between believers. Geography or culture ought not be the source of suspicion or division within the Church of Christ. Within our association of churches (local and national) we should take care not to be divided over non-essentials. Because we are ‘confessional’ we have particular standards to assess our unity. For example, we would not have unity with those who deny the Trinity. Confessions also guard against division over items not addressed in the confession. The 1689 London Baptist Confession does not specify how we ought to dress for worship – these are call non-essentials. Non-essentials include differing orders of worship, what political party we belong to, or how we style our hair, etc. As members of Christ’s body we should be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).

That means we ought to:

1) have an objective basis for our unity (the Bible and the Confession),

2) have a mechanism in place for resolving our misunderstandings. First, by being humble, gentle, patient, and showing tolerance with love for one another (Ephesians 4:1-6). Secondly, by bringing your concerns to your brother or sister in Christ – perhaps instead of an offense we have merely a misunderstanding between believers (Matthew 18:15).

Hold Fast

In the August Newsletter article (Joshua chapter 22 - Thank You) we covered Joshua commendation of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Prior to entering the Promised Land these two and a half tribes asked Moses for permission to settle east of the River Jordan. They needed permission because that would put their homes outside of the actual Promised Land - the land that the Lord had commanded them to occupy. Moses gave permission but extracted a solemn vow from them to fight alongside their brothers in the great conquest of Canaan. Here, at the end of the great battles of the conquest, Joshua thanks them and gives them permission to return to their families and to their homes on the other side of Jordan. Joshua reminds them to “be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses … commanded you, to love the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (verse 5). Joshua could have given them many instructions about working hard or planting in season but it is significant that his concern for them is strictly spiritual. Not only did Commander Joshua thank the Transjordan tribes for the faithful performance of their vows to fight alongside their brothers, but also, as a prophet, he charged them to be faithful to God's Word.

Application:    I think we can relate to Joshua's concern for his people. They were together throughout this grand crusade to conquer the land that the Lord had promised - they fought side by side in a fellowship of devotion to Yahweh with a passionately held common purpose and closely shared sufferings. Each would depend on one another for support and mutual aide in times of great conflict. But now, in this time of friendly separation, the foremost thought on Joshua's mind was that his comrades in arms would remain faithful to the Lord.

Moms and dads can relate to this when they send their children off to live as independent adults. Oh, how we long to hear that our adult children are living in faithfulness to our Lord. Our hope is that they will not only be hearers of the Word but also doers of the Word. For what does it profit those who hear but merely agree with the Word? It is the doers of the Word that will be found faithful. So Joshua's advice echoes our desire for our children. This is also the sincere desire of the elders - to see our church remain faithful, even those who move away or those who find reason to leave our fellowship. We are pleased to hear that they are continuing in the faith. For those who are under church discipline - our desire and prayer is for them to come to the faith that they once professed - " ... to love the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul”

Joshua commands them (and believers today), "... to love the Lord our God, as the best of beings, and the best of friends; and as far as (they are obedient), there will be a constant care and sincere endeavor to walk in his ways, in all his ways, even those that are narrow and up-hill, in every particular instance, in all manner of conversation to keep his commandments, at all times and in all conditions with purpose of heart to cleave unto him, and to serve him and his honor, and the interest of his kingdom among men, with all our heart and with all our soul. What good counsel was here given to them is given to us all. God give us grace to take it!" (Matthew Henry)   

Psalm 68 – Look Back, Look Forward

Derek Kidner describes this psalm as a, “… rushing cataract of a psalm – one of the most boisterous and exhilarating in the Psalter – may have been composed for David’s procession with the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with rejoicing (2 Samuel 6:12). It opens with an echo of the words with which the ark set out on all its journeys (Numbers 10:35), and finds its climax in God’s ascent of ‘the high mount’ which (God) has chosen for his dwelling.

The two main parts of the psalm celebrate, first, God’s victorious march from Egypt, with its culmination at Jerusalem (v 7-18), and secondly, the power and majesty of his regime seen in the ascendancy of his people and the flow of worshippers to his footstool (v. 19-31).”

In the context of the whole psalm we can look to verse 4 where we read, ‘Sing to God, sing praises to His name; lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts ...” and verse 7 later where we read, ‘O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness …’ This psalm is reminding the people of their exodus from Egypt. The people are being encouraged to give glory to and trust in Jehovah by way of reminder. And so, we also ought to be encouraged as we look back at where we were and where we are by the grace of God. David was not telling the people to glory in their military might or their great craftiness in escaping Egypt – likewise, we should not dwell on our own works – but rather to look at what the Lord has done for us – and to give Him the praise.

This psalm was certainly written as an encouragement of God’s people. David wrote this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to call attention and to give glory to God. If this psalm was written on the occasion of the triumphal entry of the Ark into Jerusalem there would have been great temptation to either nationalistic pride or a kind of king-worship. But David would have none of that! His desire was to glorify God. So in that sense, this is a gospel psalm and in it we see echoes of Christ’s now and future kingship. We are a small and needy people; God is a sovereign and mighty Lord. We receive the blessings and He rides victorious accomplishing His purposes according to His sovereign will.

In particular, I would like to call attention to verses 5 & 6.

[5] A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,

Is God in His holy habitation.

[6] God makes a home for the lonely;

He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,

Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

We know that legitimate government, including Kings, are called to protect the helpless and pronounce judgment on the lawless. So this portion of the psalm is reminding the people that the Lord is the perfectly righteous ruler. He ordained the civil magistrate to rule in His place but we must never forget that He is the ultimate Ruler. He is the King of kings.

Like most of the psalms there is a ‘now and not yet’ aspect to consider. King David was speaking of the ‘now’ as he was placed as God’s ordained protector of the fatherless and widows. He was continuing the work of God, the ultimate one who was and would provide protection and pronounce judgment.

The psalm reminds us of what the Lord has done. The children of Jacob were prisoners in Egypt but Jehovah the Liberator, set them free. They once had no homes they could call their own, but now, Jehovah gave them their own homes and property. The book of Joshua tells us that they did not earn the land or the homes – it was given to them by the promise. As slaves, they were denied justice, but now, because of the Lord’s deliverance, widows were protected. They were formerly ‘alone’ under the authority of hard masters, but now lived free to associate together in families and tribes. That was what the Lord had done for them in the past. David was saying, ‘remember what the Lord has done!’

But even in David’s time, were there no orphans, or widows, or the lonely, or the poor? Of course! But I think we can see the ‘not yet’ part of this statement. Through God’s appointed means there is provision for the orphan, widow, and the poor. But complete fulfillment is yet to come. God is indeed, father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, he makes a home for the lonely and leads the prisoners into prosperity. This promise has not been completely accomplished in our time. How is the Lord working these things out? Through the Church! 

Historically, the Christian Church has led this movement for the rights of orphans, widows, prisoners, and the poor. Indeed, the church has been commanded to minister to the least of these. I think we can probably agree that the church in America has been overly focused on its own gratification and has neglected its responsibility in ministering to orphans, widows and the poor. I would encourage believers everywhere to consider their responsibility to reach out to all people, including those who have nothing to offer us. An inward focused church considers its own needs and its own gratification first, but a biblical church will look outside itself and consider how to minister to others in a gospel centered way. And we all agree that when Christ returns there will be no more orphans, widows, prisoners, or poor. But in the meantime, especially in our time where the government appears to be increasingly ineffectual in fulfilling its God-given roles, the church has been given greater opportunity to minister to the orphan, widow, the lonely, and those who are denied justice.

I would like to make a connection between the first part and the last part of verse 6:

“God makes a home for the lonely … only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”

Who are the rebellious? Two different people fall into this category. First, I think David was thinking of the Egyptians who refused to, ‘let my people go!’ Included in this are also those who rebelled in the wilderness, that generation which did not live to enter the Promise Land. In other words, unbelievers or false professors. False professors are those who were part of the Nation (and part of the church today) but were (are) not converted and show no evidence of a desire to be obedient to the Lord’s commandments. Clearly, this group needs to hear the gospel and receive Holy Spirit conversion. For the unconverted, though life may be sweet for the time being, there is a future, eternal dwelling for them in a ‘parched land.’ Other versions translate the word parched as a desert or a wasteland. The implication here is dreadful; the rebellious who reject God are destined for eternal dryness.

But I think we can see another group here – those who are truly converted but who are in temporary rebellion against the Lord’s commands. Think about it for a moment, if the Lord disciplines those he loves, then perhaps this phrase, ‘… only the rebellious dwell in a parched land’ may apply to us at times. Of course, we have no promise that we will have no struggles in this life, but our promise is that the Lord will provide the way of escape, that we may be able to endure whatever struggle the Lord allows. Not only that we may endure struggles, but also an assurance that our struggles are sovereignly designed for our ultimate good – in order to grow us into Christian maturity.

At this very point, I think we can see that the phrase, ‘… dwell(ing) in a parched land’ may be one of the ways the Lord disciplines his people. Synonyms for parched include words like dry, thirsty or unsatisfied. The contrast found in Jesus words to the woman at the well may be helpful. He said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” and “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4). Elsewhere, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Living water and rest from our weariness are both strong words in contrast to living in a parched, or dry land.

My point is that Christ offers this living water, this rest, but that for believers we must drink and enter into that rest. If we are truly converted we are adopted into the family – that is our position in Christ – we did not earn it nor are we in a position to lose our adoption. But we may, at times, act like rebellious little children. For the believer, our relationship with the Father and the Son is as firm as the promises of God are reliable. But whether we are comfortable in our close relationship with the Father and the Son, often depends on our obedience. In other words, we are always His children, but in our disobedience we will feel alienated. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were naked before God; but in their sin they were ashamed. God was still their father but they felt ashamed. Ashamed or alienated is simply another word for guilt – feelings of guilt ought to drive us to repentance and reconciliation. We read that ‘... the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death’ (2 Corinthians 7:10). But sometimes, in our feelings of guilt, we are driven to introspection. The reality of the Scripture tells us that our reconciliation has always been and always will be based on the life and death of Christ alone, not our own works. But when we focus on ourselves and our guilt we are like moths attracted to the bug zapper – we keep circling into defeat and depression over our inability to conquer our remaining sin. But when we turn our attention outward toward Christ, we have hope and assurance of forgiveness. Again, we are faced with the now but not yet! We have been liberated from slavery to sin, but we are not yet free from the struggle with our remaining flesh. But we must live in the reality of Christ’s victory over sin and our adoption as sons and daughters of the King. The opposite of alienation is friendship. Because of Christ we are called His friends and that is the reality. Sometimes we alienate ourselves from fellowship with the Father and the Son because of our sin. Remember what the Apostle John wrote, “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

OK, this is all fine and dandy on paper but what ways has the Lord given for us to escape the circle of guilt and depression?

Briefly, I see two means of grace that we are responsible for participating in:

· To fight our own feelings of alienation we need frequent reminders of the gospel. The Lord has graciously given us weekly public worship and the preaching of the Gospel. Great care should be taken to bring ourselves and those we love to worship on the Lord’s Day. This is the great remedy for depression. This is our great encouragement to persevere in our struggle with sin.

· Fellowship with other believers. Part of worship is the gathering of the Lord’s people in public worship. This is God’s gracious reminder and encouragement that we are not alone. It should not be surprising that when we are isolated we tend to think too much about ourselves. And this kind of self-absorption tends toward guilt and depression. Looking outward, to Christ and to our brothers and sisters tends toward a more positive outlook. Look what the Lord has done for him or her! This is the power of getting to know one another and one of the reasons we are to assemble together regularly. “… and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together…” (Hebrews 10:23-25).  We are commanded by the Lord himself to look to the interests of others rather than to ourselves. And there is an abundance of the ‘one another’ commands in scripture. For example, He said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” and this reference to the law of the harvest: “let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grew weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10). The less we think about ourselves and the more we think of Christ and others, the happier we will be.

Conclusion:

The failures of our government bring greater opportunities for the Church to minister to our neighbors. Are we willing to reach those who have been failed by the false-idols of government? Are we willing to prepare for future opportunities to serve our neighbors? Are we looking for ways to serve one another? Is our love for one another growing?

This psalm is a reminder of what the Lord has done for us – redeemed, adopted, freed from sin and the shame of sin – we have been made ‘friends’ of God because of what the Lord Jesus has done. Furthermore, we are given the means of grace to enjoy our freedom. We are granted the privilege of participating in weekly public worship to be frequently reminded of the gospel and to prepare ourselves for eternal worship, and the gift of fellowship with our brothers and sisters to encourage us to further good works. Not that those here are lacking in either of these but I would encourage you to an increase in love for our Savior through Worship and Fellowship with the saints.

Joshua Chapter 22 - Thank You

The end of Chapter 21 states that the conquest is over – “… the Lord gave them rest on every side … not one of the promise which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” As we have discussed previously, this did not mean that all Canaanites were gone, but rather that the Canaanite nations were destroyed along with their ability to make war against Israel. Back in February 2012, we discussed the remaining natives – though some continued to live in the land due to the disobedience of Israel, we can see that their purpose was divinely ordained to preserve the land till the Nation was ready to occupy (Exodus 23:29). Also, the remaining Canaanites were used as a means to refine Israel (Number 33:55) just as the Lord also uses dark circumstances to refine and sanctify us today. What a fine example of the sovereignty of God using (but not authoring) the sin of mankind. The nation of Israel suffered the consequences for their disobedience but the Lord used that for His glory and their good. We, also, suffer the consequences of our disobedience but as believers we have solid ground for believing that the Lord uses our failures for His glory and for our good. Nevertheless, like the Apostle, we must say, “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” (Romans 6:1-2).

Chapter 22 starts with Commander Joshua calling the Reubenite tribe, the Gadite tribe and the half tribe of Manasseh together. Recall that near the end of that famous wilderness journey from Egypt to the Promise Land, these tribes asked Moses for permission to claim the land east of the Jordan. Moses granted their request with the proviso that they accompany the rest of the nation as they claimed (and fought) to conquer the Canaanite nations which were west of the River Jordan. Joshua also reminds them of their promise to Moses (Joshua 1:12-18). What that meant was the fighting men of those three tribes left their families, flocks, and all worldly goods behind while they fought alongside their brothers. This was not a trivial matter considering the hardship that this implies. Consider the long (v. 3) separation from wives and children. They were faithful even with the reality that they faces injury and perhaps death for a land that was not their own. It is possible that between battles those fighting age men would return briefly to the other side of the Jordan to see to the needs of their families but the journey was long and the temptation for desertion was powerful. Nevertheless, Joshua commends them for their faithful service and now sends them back to their homes. Joshua says, “You have not forsaken your brothers these many days to this day …” (verse 3). They had fulfilled their promise to God, to Moses, and to their general, Joshua. They had honorably performed their duty and the praise of Joshua.

Matthew Henry observed: “Though it was by the favor of God and his power that Israel got possession of this land, and he must have all the glory, yet Joshua thought there was a thankful acknowledgment due to their brethren who assisted them, and whose sword and bow were employed for them. God must be chiefly eyed in our praises, yet instruments must not be altogether overlooked.” Henry, Matthew, Commentary on the Whole Bible 

So to, we ought to be grateful for those around us who the Lord has used to assist us along the way. Some who have encouraged us, some who have cheered us, some who have challenged us, some who have prayed for us, and some who have comforted us in our sorrow, and even some who have held us accountable in our struggles with sin. We should verbally thank our brothers and sisters who are willing to do these things. After all the New Testament teaches that every member of the believing community is responsible for encouraging, praying for, exhorting, serving, admonishing, building up, caring for, and loving one another (1 Cor. 12:25; Rom. 15:15; Gal. 5:13; Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 4:18; 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:24-25; James 5:16; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 John 4:7).

Joshua 21 – Forty-Eight Cities

So what can we glean from these forty eight Levitical cites?

Last month we observed a correlation between the office of the Levites and the Church. Among many New Testament examples, the Apostle Paul makes a reference to this fact in 1 Corinthians 12 and his description of believers as a body with many different parts. There are many who are ‘called’ and among the called, there are many different parts to play in the Church according to ability and function. The pastor/elders are called to devote themselves to the Word – but the other members also have important  parts to play according to the many functions of the body of Christ. This month, I thought we might consider the Forty-Eight Cities.

Remember that the Levites, unlike their brothers, received no territorial inheritance. They had a higher privilege - the Lord was their inheritance! Dale Ralph Davis says,

“… the Levite is a parable for us to see and hear, a sort of visual aid of our fleeting, transitory, rootless existence. A reminder that we must always say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and so this or that” (James 4:15), a nudge that “even we ourselves who have the firstfruits, namely the Spirit, go on groaning within ourselves as we expect the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). Yet, strangely, recognizing this Levite aspect of our lives does not bring us to despair but to reality; it nurtures a certain humility that in turn begets hope in the Living One, who has the keys of Death and Hades (Rev. 1:17-18).”¹

Being consecrated to the Lord, we can identify with a natural desire to be associated with like-minded folk. Brother Blaikie said that it would have been natural, “if the Levites had clustered like a swarm of bees around the sacred establishment …”²  But we see that the Lord had other plans for the Levites. The Levites were consecrated to be the men who stood nearest to God, those who were divine witnesses to the supremacy of Yahweh’s lordship over all creation, including this very Promised Land.

“Designed to point God-wards and heavenwards, the mission of Levi was to remind the people over the whole country that they were not mere earth-worms, created to grub and burrow in the ground, but beings with a nobler destiny, whose highest honor it was to be in communion with God.”²

“The tribe of Levi was to furnish not only priest for the altar but also teachers for the law (Deut. 33:10) and, at various times, we see Levites or priests doing just that (2 Chron. 17:7-9; 35:3; Neh. 8:7-9; see also Mal. 2:4-7). Hence, the purpose of the allotment of these cities was surely related to the special Levitical ministry of covenant teaching among the twelve tribes. The Levitical cities were meant to serve as bases of operation so that the Levites could better infiltrate each of the tribes to instruct them in Yahweh’s covenant.”¹

Application: The Levitical cites are a parable for New Testament believers. We are not called to Christian convents or monasteries. God apparently wants Christians scattered around because he has important things for them to do. As Levites in their neighborhoods, they serve God by serving their local communities on his behalf. Believers, like the Levites, are ‘set aside’ people who are adopted into His family – with all the rights and privileges afforded to sons and daughters of the King. Believers enjoy ongoing conversations with the Lord (Rom 8:15; Gal. 4:6). The conversation is two-way: we make our requests known to God – and we listen to His Word. Perhaps we may get too busy or preoccupied to listen, but the Spirit prompts us to continue. Since we are ‘set aside’ or consecrated, and we are in communication with the Lord of Heaven, we are witnesses to the fact that we are not ‘mere earth-worms’ but truly those with a ‘nobler purpose.’ Not that it makes us proud, but for the purpose of encouraging fellow believers and as a testimony to a world infected with the depressing and hopeless thought that we are no better than earth worms. How encouraging for a lost world to see that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ actually live lives of purpose and meaning in their family life and at the work place.

In conclusion, though believers are not of the world they are to live in the world. Though we are just travelling through we are called to a purpose. We must ask ourselves if we are ‘a swarm of bees around the sacred establishment’ or are we reaching out to our lost neighbors? Is our church a mere club, spending its resources on its own agendas, or do we reflect the Levitical mission as God’s scattered people. “Christians are not to see ourselves as members of a religious club but as Levites, people dispersed to serve sacrificially and lovingly wherever God places us.”⁴

 Footnotes

¹ Davis, Dale R. No Falling Words Baker Books. Grand Rapids, MI 1988

² Blaikie, William Expository Lectures on the Book of Joshua Solid Ground Christian Books Birmingham, AL 1893

³ Calvin, John Commentaries of the Book of Joshua Baker, Grand Rapids. 1981 page 246

⁴ Hubbard, Robert. The NIV Application Commentary – Joshua. Zondervan Grand Rapids, MI 2009