Joshua 24:29-33 English Standard Version Joshua's Death and Burial 29 After these things Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being 110 years old. 30 And they buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 31 Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the LORD did for Israel. 32 As for the bones of Joseph, which the people of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried them at Shechem, in the piece of land that Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money. It became an inheritance of the descendants of Joseph. 33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of Phinehas his son, which had been given him in the hill country of Ephraim. Joshua lived to be almost as old as Moses--Moses was 120 years old when he died and Joshua was 110 years old when he died. The LORD showed favor to Joshua by giving him a long life as promised in His Law because Joshua was careful to obey all that was written in the Book of the Law. Joshua was buried in the plot of land that was given to him as an inheritance in the apportionment for his tribe Ephraim at Timnath-serah north of the mountain of Gaash.
Joshua left such a legacy of obedience to the LORD that it lasted nearly a full generation after his death. All the elders that remained alive during the time that he died also feared and obeyed the LORD, but these elders neglected to bring up future generations so that they too would fear the LORD. Instead the book of Judges will tell us that these future generations will do what was right in their own eyes and will only cry out to the LORD for salvation when they got into trouble? Sound a bit like our generation today (and most every generation ever)? The people of Israel also made good on their promise to Joseph that they made before he died that they would carry his bones with them back to the Promised Land so that he could be buried among his ancestors in the Promised Land. They buried him in the Tomb of the Patriarchs along with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah. The Jews know where this tomb is and there is one set of remains there that was embalmed and mummified that they know to be the remains of Joseph, just like the text tells us. This land where Joseph was buried became part of the inheritance of the descendants of Joseph (in the area of West Manasseh, but on the border with Ephraim as well). It was not only their political leader in Joseph and their military leader in Joshua that they lost, but Eleazar, the one serving as High Priest under Moses and and Joshua, and the son of Aaron, also died. While the priesthood would be passed on to his son Phinehas, this would start a period of moral decay among the people as those who had experienced the miracles the LORD had provided first-hand were now dead. Joshua was dead, the elders were dead, Eleazar the high priest was dead, and there was no longer anyone in Israel that would make the people keep the covenant. We'll see that partial obedience or delayed obedience is disobedience as far as the LORD is concerned. When we hear the voice of the LORD, He expects us to obey immediately and fully to Him command (it's okay to ask for clarification if you don't understand the command, but do not delay simply because you do not like the command that He has given. There are too many that pretend to be "confused" by the voice of the LORD because they would rather listen to their own voice and do what is right in their own eyes than to obey what He has clearly commanded). Only when we fear the LORD and obey Him completely can we expect all the blessings that He promises for obedience in the Law--though we know that sometimes even that is not a guarantee in this life, but He will give everyone their proper reward in due time. We look forward to a better inheritance than that which is promised here--one where there will be no more death and we will dwell in the presence of the LORD and worship Him and serve Him forever and ever! Joshua 24:1-28 New International Version The Covenant Renewed at Shechem 24 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt. 5 “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. 7 But they cried to the LORD for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. 8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. 9 When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand. 11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’ 14 “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.” 19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” 21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.” 22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. 23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” 24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey him.” 25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. 27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.” 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance. The people are gathered together to renew their covenant with the LORD at Shechem. God has Joshua retell the history of Israel from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to Moses and Aaron and the victories that the LORD had won for His people over the Egyptians, the Moabites, King Bashan and King Og, the people of Jericho, Ai, and Bethel, and all the Canaanites people and kings that came to war against Israel in the Southern Campaign and the Northern Campaign. In all this the LORD was faithful to give the Land to Israel that they did not fight for, for He won the battles for them. They ate of the vineyards and olive groves that they did not plant, and they lived in cities that they did not build, all because the LORD was faithful to keep His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Yes, the people were to love the LORD their God and serve Him only as part of the conditional covenant that was given to Moses that we call the Law. To fear the LORD is to obey Him, so starting in verse 14, Joshua gives the people a charge to choose to serve the LORD, or, if they choose instead to choose publicly and corporately that they were going to return to the false gods of where Abram came from, or the gods of Egypt or the gods of the Canaanites. The people swear they will fear the LORD and serve Him only, but this is a promise they will not keep. To be certain, Joshua says to all those gathered there together that they are all witnesses against each other. They have renewed the covenant together and anyone who breaks the covenant by worshiping other gods has broken covenant with the LORD and the whole nation may be held to account for it because the whole nation swore together with one voice that they would worship the LORD and serve Him only (as the Law required). They replied with "We are witnesses," meaning they understood both the blessings of the Law and the curses of the Law followed naturally with the oath that they had just sworn for themselves and all their neighbors. Talk is cheap though, so Joshua knows that there are those with idols living among the people, and he calls them to action at this very moment if they are really serious about the vow they just made. If they really commit to worshiping the LORD and serving Him only, then they will destroy all other "gods" (idols) that are in their possession so that they will yield their hearts only to the LORD, the God of Israel. The people again swear they will do this, but we see no indication that they immediately obey, and we will see the nation struggle with idolatry for most of the rest of the Old Testament (at least until after the time of the Exile). As the people renew the covenant with everything that is written in the book of the Law, Joshua raises up a stone of witness that we call an Ebenezer so that the people would look at that large stone and remember the covenant that they made. The Ebenezer may have even had all the words of the covenant that they sword to written on it. It would stand for generations as a witness against the people who would break the covenant over, and over, and over again, but God would be faithful to keep His covenant, even when the Israelites were not faithful to keep the Law. That is why we need Jesus, the only One who could be the perfect Law-Keeper, so that He could give us His righteousness and the blessings of the Law including the eternal life that only He can give us, and our unrighteousness, sin, death, guilt, shame, and the curses of the Law could all be imputed onto Him. " God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.." (2 Corinthians 5:21). God already knew when the Israelites took this oath that they couldn't keep it and that He Himself would need to bear the punishment for them breaking this covenant. He had already determined to do so before the beginning of time...before what we read in Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 that both start off with "In the beginning." After Joshua renewed the covenant with the people and the LORD one last time, he dismissed all of them back to their inheritance. There is but one more small portion of text left that we'll look at tomorrow, but it leads us into the book of Judges quite well. Joseph is dead and his bones will be buried. Joshua will die and he will be buried and Eleazer the high priest will die and he will be buried. While Phineas the son of Eleazer remains and has zeal for the LORD, there is no leader like Joseph or Moses or Joshua to rise up and lead the people to make sure they keep the covenant. All the people that we've kept an eye on to ask if this is one that the LORD promised to Adam and Eve in the Garden, the one that would crush the head of the serpent, sinned and died because they too were sinners. They were unable to save themselves, so they certainly could not save others. How then is God ultimately going to fulfil His covenant when we need someone better than Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb, and Eleazer combined? We'll get to that as we study more of the books of History and the books of Prophecy. Even though the people are in the Land, that is not the end for them, for we know there is a better Land and a better Rest that all those who are the people of His covenant will be a part of forever and ever when the kingdom of our God and of His Christ are established, and He, that is Jesus, will reign forever and ever (see Revelation 21 and 22). Until then, we will see Israel continue to do battle both externally with the wicked enemies of God that wish to draw them into idolatry, witchcraft and all kinds of evil and they will also battle internally with their own sin nature because even all these external forces cannot make them sin if they don't already desire to do so. We are in the same position today living in a perverse culture with all kinds of opportunity to sin, but each of us when we do sin cannot blame anyone other than ourselves, for when we sin it is because we were led away by our own sinful desires. Even if all the "Canaanites" around us were destroyed, we would still be inventors of all kinds of evil ourselves because by nature our hearts are naturally inclined to rebel against the LORD...that is the consequence of the Fall recorded in Genesis 3 and that is why all things need to be made new and all of us need to be "born again" as Jesus talks about in John 3. Joshua 23 English Standard Version Joshua's Charge to Israel's Leaders 23 A long time afterward, when the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, 2 Joshua summoned all Israel, its elders and heads, its judges and officers, and said to them, “I am now old and well advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake, for it is the LORD your God who has fought for you. 4 Behold, I have allotted to you as an inheritance for your tribes those nations that remain, along with all the nations that I have already cut off, from the Jordan to the Great Sea in the west. 5 The LORD your God will push them back before you and drive them out of your sight. And you shall possess their land, just as the LORD your God promised you. 6 Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, 7 that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, 8 but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day. 9 For the LORD has driven out before you great and strong nations. And as for you, no man has been able to stand before you to this day. 10 One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the LORD your God who fights for you, just as he promised you. 11 Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. 12 For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, 13 know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you. 14 “And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. 15 But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, 16 if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.” Much time passes between Joshua 22 and Joshua 23 so that Joshua is no well-advanced in years and knows that he is about to die. He summoned all of Israel, all the elders and heads (probably the tribal chiefs), and all the judges and officers so that he can give them one final message and charge from himself and from the LORD.
Joshua reminds them that they did not gain any of this by their own hand, but it is the LORD who fought for them and defeated their enemies and gave this Land to them as an eternal inheritance. However, their work was not finished because their inheritance was given to them before all the former inhabitants of the Land were driven out of the Land or killed. All the Land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (the Great Sea) was to belong to Israel and only to Israel. There were not to cohabitate with the other nations or give them any quarter nor intermarry with them nor serve their gods. Joshua warns the people and especially the leaders of the people that day to be careful to cling to the LORD and His Law and to be careful to do all that is written in it so that they will always be a people holy unto the LORD, set apart from all the other nations of the earth, and they are to walk blameless in His sight. Only then will the LORD continue to drive out all the remaining enemies from the Land, but if they break the covenant that the LORD made with them, then the LORD will use these enemies to punish them and torture them and even to kill them in the very Promised Land where they stand. Joshua warns them that he is about to die and he can no longer be the one to make sure that the people and the nation obey the Law, and that that people must understand that just as the LORD had given them all the blessings of the Law for their obedience, all the curses of the Law would come upon them if they became disobedient. Joshua specifically warned them about turning to the gods of the Canaanites because the LORD knew this is exactly what was going to happen. The people could not say to the LORD, "Why did you never warn us?" They will quickly turn to intermarrying with the pagan women, worshiping their gods, engaging in all kinds of sexual immorality, engaging in child sacrifice, and the LORD would allow the other nations like the Moabites, the Philistines, and Ammonites and all the others that people were supposed to destroy, but didn't to have victory over them (we'll get soon in the book of Judges). This will lead to one of Joshua's last statements before he dies, "Choose you this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." The nation of Israel as a whole will choose poorly as we enter into the time of the Judges, the Kings and the Prophets (the rest of the Old Testament), but the LORD will be faithful to keep his unconditional covenant that he made with Abraham even though the people are not faithful to keep the conditional covenant that the LORD mediated through Moses with His people. Joshua 22:10-34 English Standard Version The Eastern Tribes' Altar of Witness 10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.” 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them. 13 Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel. 15 And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, ‘What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD? 17 Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD, 18 that you too must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you too rebel against the LORD today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. 19 But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God. 20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.’” 21 Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel, 22 “The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today 23 for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance. 24 No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel? 25 For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.’ So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD. 26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice, 27 but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, “You have no portion in the LORD.”’ 28 And we thought, ‘If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, “Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.”’ 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!” 30 When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, “Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD.” 32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the chiefs, returned from the people of Reuben and the people of Gad in the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the people of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 And the report was good in the eyes of the people of Israel. And the people of Israel blessed God and spoke no more of making war against them to destroy the land where the people of Reuben and the people of Gad were settled. 34 The people of Reuben and the people of Gad called the altar Witness, “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.” The name of the LORD is central in this passage as we'll see it mentioned 29 different times here in these few verses. As we mentioned yesterday there was already some suspicion of the Trans-Jordan tribes and when the tribes that were given their allotment in Canaan heard that the Trans-Jordan tribes had built a massive altar on "Israel's" side of the Jordan River (notice that the nine-and-a-half tribes have already started to think of the Trans-Jordan tribes as not being a part of Israel and the boundary of Israel starting at the Jordan River and not including the land given to the Trans-Jordan tribes), then the people of Israel all gathered at Shiloh (where the Tabernacle was at) to make war against the Trans-Jordan tribes. For the rest of Israel assumed that they raised up this altar in some kind of rebellion or defiance of the LORD, either to worship false gods or to make their own place of worship so that they did not have to travel to the Tabernacle to worship in the place and way that God had ordained.
The people choose diplomacy before war and send Phinehas the son of Eleazar along with ten representatives--one from each of the nine-and-a-half tribes living in Canaan (including West Manasseh) to speak to the leaders of Reuben, Gad and East Manasseh. Their goal is to lay out the charges, as they see them, to call the Trans-Jordan tribes to repentance for the sake of all of Israel and to offer them a place to live in Canaan if that would help them to be connected to the LORD and LORD's people, for they saw this action as an act of either rebellion or idolatry. At the same time that these men went to seek a diplomatic option, all of the fighting men gathered their armies together to make war if necessary. The nine-and-a-half tribes are concerned that what the Trans-Jordan tribes did building another altar to the LORD would anger the LORD (for He had designated one altar and one place of worship with the Tabernacle) and that all of Israel would suffer for the actions of these two-and-a-half tribes. They point out how Achan's sin affected the whole congregation even though it was done in secret, and this action (which they presume to be sinful) is out in the open for everyone to see--even the other Gentile nations. How much more would the LORD's anger burn against them in this situation if this was open rebellion that was not dealt with swiftly and decisively? Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh answered and said that it was not as an alternate place of worship that they had built this altar, but as a witness to the nine-and-a-half tribes and to their descendants and to the Trans-Jordan tribes and their descendants that they were one people with one LORD and one common faith, and their land in the Trans-Jordan was also part of the Land that was promised by the LORD. They knew no other way to show their allegiance to the LORD other than to build a huge version of the Altar of the LORD that all could see from far away. It was not intended to be a sign of rebellion or an act of idolatry, but a symbol of unity and to remind everyone that the Jordan River was not the boundary between two different lands and two different peoples (the nine-and-a-half tribes had already made this mistake, so the Trans-Jordan tribes were right that they would need a physical reminder that the Trans-Jordan tribes were Israelites too). Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh were concerned that there would be viewed as having "no portion in the LORD" and might be excluded from the assembly of those that could worship in the Tabernacle (and later in the Temple). Phinehas and the ten chiefs of the nine-and-a-half tribes hear what Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh have to say, and their answer seems good in their eyes. Notice that nowhere in this passage did the congregation seek the opinion of the LORD either in going to war or in the offering of land to the Trans-Jordan tribes or even in accepting their answer. I think that it is telling that in all of this, all of these tribes have already started to do what was right in their own eyes and judge good and evil for themselves by how they perceive and hear things. It is quite possible that the LORD might have told them that while the intent was good, the existence of a second altar was not a good thing and that the altar needed to be torn down to prevent the temptation of idolatry. The LORD was the one that commanded that those that wanted their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River should get what they asked for after having leading the armies of Israel in battle for the conquest of Canaan--a land that they would have no portion in. The LORD might have had something to say to the nine-and-a-half tribes or to the two-and-a-half tribes or to both of them, but we don't know because neither of them ever asked the LORD's opinion. They just did what felt right to them. This is going to set us up for the book of Judges which will have the refrain "everyone did what was right in his own eyes." We're already seeing the seeds of that here and Joshua is still there to lead the people and to remind them of the LORD's covenant that they are to be careful to follow (one part of which is that they were always to seek the LORD's council before making either war or treaty). Joshua 22:1-9 English Standard Version The Eastern Tribes Return Home 22 At that time Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you and have obeyed my voice in all that I have commanded you. 3 You have not forsaken your brothers these many days, down to this day, but have been careful to keep the charge of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. 7 Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half Joshua had given a possession beside their brothers in the land west of the Jordan. And when Joshua sent them away to their homes and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your tents with much wealth and with very much livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and with much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the LORD through Moses. The time has come for the Trans-Jordan tribes to be released to go back to the inheritance that they chose for themselves on the eastern side of the Jordan River. They were only to be careful to obey the commandments of the LORD and to cling to Him and serve Him with all their heart and soul (Joshua's paraphrase of The Greatest Commandment).
First Joshua sent back the tribes of Reuben and Gad who had all chosen their inheritance before entering the Promised Land, and then Joshua turned to the half-tribe of Manasseh that also chose their inheritance in the Trans-Jordan, and he also told them to go back to their tents and their families with all the wealth they had accumulated. The Reubenites, Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left Shiloh in the land of Canaan and departed for the land of Gilead (the name they gave to the Trans-Jordan area they chose as their inheritance), and they possessed that land by the command of the LORD given through Moses. I won't spoil it for you, but there is going to be immediate tension and conflict though part of the peaceful resolution offered is that the Trans-Jordan tribes could cross over the Jordan and the children of Israel would gladly give them their inheritance from the land of Canaan among their brothers. We'll talk more about that tension that nearly led to open war next time. Joshua 21 English Standard Version Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi 21 Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, “The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So by command of the LORD the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance. 4 The lot came out for the clans of the Kohathites. So those Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest received by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, thirteen cities. 5 And the rest of the Kohathites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Ephraim, from the tribe of Dan and the half-tribe of Manasseh, ten cities. 6 The Gershonites received by lot from the clans of the tribe of Issachar, from the tribe of Asher, from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 7 The Merarites according to their clans received from the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 8 These cities and their pasturelands the people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites, as the LORD had commanded through Moses. 9 Out of the tribe of the people of Judah and the tribe of the people of Simeon they gave the following cities mentioned by name, 10 which went to the descendants of Aaron, one of the clans of the Kohathites who belonged to the people of Levi; since the lot fell to them first. 11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (Arba being the father of Anak), that is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, along with the pasturelands around it. 12 But the fields of the city and its villages had been given to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as his possession. 13 And to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands, 14 Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 15 Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 16 Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands—nine cities out of these two tribes; 17 then out of the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, 18 Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands—four cities. 19 The cities of the descendants of Aaron, the priests, were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. 20 As to the rest of the Kohathites belonging to the Kohathite clans of the Levites, the cities allotted to them were out of the tribe of Ephraim. 21 To them were given Shechem, the city of refuge for the manslayer, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 22 Kibzaim with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands—four cities; 23 and out of the tribe of Dan, Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, 24 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—four cities; 25 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Taanach with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands—two cities. 26 The cities of the clans of the rest of the Kohathites were ten in all with their pasturelands. 27 And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands—two cities; 28 and out of the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 29 Jarmuth with its pasturelands, En-gannim with its pasturelands—four cities; 30 and out of the tribe of Asher, Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 31 Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands—four cities; 32 and out of the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands—three cities. 33 The cities of the several clans of the Gershonites were in all thirteen cities with their pasturelands. 34 And to the rest of the Levites, the Merarite clans, were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, 35 Dimnah with its pasturelands, Nahalal with its pasturelands—four cities; 36 and out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahaz with its pasturelands, 37 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands—four cities; 38 and out of the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 39 Heshbon with its pasturelands, Jazer with its pasturelands—four cities in all. 40 As for the cities of the several Merarite clans, that is, the remainder of the clans of the Levites, those allotted to them were in all twelve cities. 41 The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. 42 These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities. 43 Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. 44 And the LORD gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the LORD had given all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass. I linked to the passage the Eleazer, the High Priest, and the Levites reference here in yesterday's journal article. The LORD promised them not only the six cities of refuge, but also 42 other cities for a total of 48 cities, along with the surrounding pasture land for them to dwell in. The cities were to come from all twelve tribes, but those with more land and more cities were to give more to the Levites than those that had less. The names of all the cities are given here in this passage, but I will give a summary of the number of cities that each tribe gave according to the commandment of the LORD.
Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin: 13 cities for the Kohathites (these were the sons of Aaron). Ephraim, Dan, and West Manasseh: 10 cities for the rest of the Kohathites (also sons of Aaron) Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and East Manasseh: 13 cities for the Gershonites Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun: 12 cities for the Merarites These make the 48 cities promised to the Levites by the LORD. Six of these cities were designated as Cities of Refuge in chapter 20 (what we talked about yesterday). The Levites received all these cities and all their surrounding pasture land so that they and their families would have a place to live, but these cities also became places that the poor knew they could go to for food as there were offerings that were to be given to the Levites and stored in these cities so that when the Sabbath year came every seven years, and it was time to let the Land rest, there would be storehouses of food for the people, and during the years between the Sabbath years, there would always be enough to take care of the poor so that the people of God would never need to go hungry or have any need to beg. The people gave generously not only to take care of the Levites and their families who were in full-time service to the LORD, but they also gave so that all their fellow Israelites would have everything they needed and that the Name of the LORD would never be blasphemed by the nations for letting His people, who are called by His name, go without the food they needed (only during times of judgment did He do this when they were being disobedient and He needed to get their attention somehow, so He had to remove the blessings He had given to them so they did not think that His blessing validated the evil they were doing). For some context on each of these families and clans, here's a geneology of the families of the Levites from Exodus 6:16-25: Exodus 6:16-25 English Standard Version 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans. Each of these families had a specific role with specific gifts of service and specific duties to perform for the people and in the LORD's service. For more information on their duties they performed (some of this might help explain why they got certain cities for it was very important for some to live near the Tabernacle/Temple), please see Numbers 3 and 4 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+3-4&version=ESV). So then, everything that the LORD promised about the inheritance of the Land had been fulfilled and everyone received their allotments, including the Levites who were given their 48 cities from among the Land allotted to the Twelve Tribes. Everyone had everything that they were promised so that the vow that the Eastern Tribes made to Moses and to Joshua had now been fulfilled, and we will see them cross back over the Jordan River next time and return home to their portion they had chosen for themselves in the Trans-Jordan. God has been faithful to keep His Word even though the people have not yet done everything He commanded of them, but He wants Joshua to see the fulfillment of this covenant before Joshua dies, and Joshua is about to give his last sermon to the people very soon. Joshua 20 English Standard Version The Cities of Refuge 20 Then the LORD said to Joshua, 2 “Say to the people of Israel, ‘Appoint the cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through Moses, 3 that the manslayer who strikes any person without intent or unknowingly may flee there. They shall be for you a refuge from the avenger of blood. 4 He shall flee to one of these cities and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and explain his case to the elders of that city. Then they shall take him into the city and give him a place, and he shall remain with them. 5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they shall not give up the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor unknowingly, and did not hate him in the past. 6 And he shall remain in that city until he has stood before the congregation for judgment, until the death of him who is high priest at the time. Then the manslayer may return to his own town and his own home, to the town from which he fled.’” 7 So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, and Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8 And beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, they appointed Bezer in the wilderness on the tableland, from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead, from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan, from the tribe of Manasseh. 9 These were the cities designated for all the people of Israel and for the stranger sojourning among them, that anyone who killed a person without intent could flee there, so that he might not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, till he stood before the congregation. As I mentioned at the end of yesterday's journal article, you might want to read Numbers 35 so that you understand why these six cities of refuge are being chosen from among the allotments that have just been made and why there are an additional 42 cities that will be chosen for the Levites in chapter 21. This is all to fulfill the command that the LORD gave to the people through Moses so that the Levites had a place for them to live and some ability to raise their own crops to care for their animals. Though they were entitled to their portion of the tithes and offerings, this would not always be enough to provide for them because the people would not always be faithful in making their required tithes and offerings. If the people were being faithful, then this grain that the Levites grew could be used to not only to care for themselves, but also for the poor and needy among them.
Today's passage though is specifically about the six cities of refuge that served a special purpose in what we might call the criminal justice system. Verses 1 through 6 spell their purpose out for us, but it's given in a longer format in the passage that I linked to in Numbers 35 along with the conditions for when the accused should be protected and in which cases the accused should be found guilty of manslaughter or murder and put to death under the Law. These are not a place for anyone to run to any time that their life was in jeopardy for committing a capital crime (one that was punishable by the death penalty). It was only in the case of manslaughter where a determination of intent, malice, and/or gross negligence needed to be made to determine whether the accused could be protected by the city of refuge or not. These cities of refuge do point us to a greater substitutionary atonement that would be made for us through Christ though. All of us were under the death penalty and and God is the avenger that should be able to require our life from us for breaking His Law--and we've all done so willfully so that we deserve no protection. However, Jesus interceded as High Priest for us and took the guilt and the punishment upon himself as the high priest does in this case so that when Jesus died, our sin debt and guilt debt was paid in full. We see that here that the accused only needed to stay in the city of refuge for as long as the life of the high priest who heard his case. After that, he was free to go. Jesus provided a better atonement for those who had committed sin volitionally and with malice and intent, and yet we are still allowed to experience the blessings of being at peace with God is we are in Christ--just like the manslayer had to stay within the boundaries of the city of refuge, we are only safe because we stay "in Christ." Those who choose to try to live their life outside of the protection that only Christ can provide are living in constant fear (a fear that is justified) that they are under the wrath of God and that He might be out for vengeance at any moment. There is no place where you can hide from Him other than the one place of safety and protection that He has provided for. Jesus is our City of Refuge, but since He will serve as High Priest forever and ever and will never die again, we continue to dwell in Christ so that "He who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of Christ in Him." |
Daniel WestfallI will mostly use this space for recording my "journal" from my daily devotions as I hope to encourage others to read the Bible along with me and to leave a legacy for others. Archives
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