Crossing the Divide

 Joshua 22:25 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.”’

When some of the tribes of Israel settled on the eastern side of the Jordan, there was a natural divide between the tribes - such a divide that it seemed to divide into two nations.  When it came time for the soldiers of Israel to return home to that side, they wanted to make sure they stayed one united nation. So they build an altar of witness. In fact, they named it "Witness."  Much like the piles of stones they had been leaving along their journey, this was to serve as a reminder of who they were and how they had gotten there. They made it clear it was not a second or different Tabernacle, dividing them, but a reminder to unify them. May the things we devise do the same.

A Place to Call Home

Joshua 21:20 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.

The one tribe without an allotted territory was that of Levi, as they had been called to serve God as priests and their assistants.  But God did give them cities scattered throughout the other tribal allotments. That did two things: it gave them the security of a place to live, and it gave a Levitical representation to each tribe. These forty-eight cities were scattered appropriately among the tribes by size and space, with each clan of the Levites having others in their clan in the same region, providing variety, yet unity. Wherever we are as God's people we need such balance.

To the Sea...

 

Joshua 19:24 The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans. 25 Their territory included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, 26 Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west it touches (H)Carmel and Shihor-libnath, 27 then it turns eastward, it goes to Beth-dagon, and touches Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtahel northward to Beth-emek and Neiel. Then it continues in the north to (I)Cabul, 28 Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, Kanah, as far as (J)Sidon the Great. 29 Then the boundary turns to Ramah, reaching to the fortified city of Tyre. Then the boundary turns to Hosah, and it ends at the sea; Mahalab,[a] Achzib, 30 Ummah, Aphek and Rehob—twenty-two cities with their villages. 31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Asher according to their clans—these cities with their villages.

After covering the more important tribes, Joshua assigns each tribe their territory and cities belonging to it. Again, it is easy to get caught up in the names of the places and how to pronounce and spell them, but some of the important details are in the plain simple English, like the boundary ends at the sea (verse 29), referring to the Mediterranean.  What becomes abundantly clear in the history of Israel is they never quite made it all the way.  The coastal cities (and other boundaries) were always a challenge.  How many of God's promises to we never fully realize because we never fully obey?

The Little Brother

Joshua 18:21 Now the cities of the tribe of the people of Benjamin according to their clans were Jericho, Beth-hoglah, Emek-keziz, 22 Beth-arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Chephar-ammoni, Ophni, Geba—twelve cities with their villages: 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpeh, Chephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zela, Haeleph, Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath-jearim—fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the people of Benjamin according to its clans.

After allotting the land designated for Judah, Joshua then allotted land for the largest tribes: Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. The third tribe allotted land was Benjamin, the only full brother of Judah. It was land in the core of Israel and bordered by Judah, in a sense very well-protected.  It is no surprise that this was the one tribe that joined with Judah when the rest of Israel rebelled and withdrew in the divided kingdom.  Israel also chose their first king, Saul, from Benjamin, which is like many things we do in life - choosing almost what God wants. They should have known their king was to be from Judah (as mentioned yesterday).

First Dibs

Joshua 15:20 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the people of Judah according to their clans. 21 The cities belonging to the tribe of the people of Judah in the extreme south, toward the boundary of Edom, were Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, 22 Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, 23 Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, 24 Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, 25 Hazor-hadattah, Kerioth-hezron (that is, Hazor), 26 Amam, Shema, Moladah, 27 Hazar-gaddah, Heshmon, Beth-pelet, 28 Hazar-shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, 29 Baalah, Iim, Ezem, 30 Eltolad, Chesil, Hormah, 31 Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, 32 Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon: in all, twenty-nine cities with their villages.

Last time we noted the areas allotted to the tribes of Israel east of the Jordan by Moses, and the areas yet to be inhabited west of the river by the rest of the tribes.  After giving a specific city to Caleb for his faithfulness, the first tribe listed is Judah.  You don't need to memorize all the names above for a spelling test, but do realize that Judah is mentioned first.  There is a reason for that. Judah had become the spokesman for the brothers and the promise of One to come someday was given through the line of Judah. It was never a pride or show-off kind of thing, but there was an understanding that Judah was first in line.

Yet to Be Completed...

Joshua 13:24 Moses gave an inheritance also to the tribe of Gad, to the people of Gad, according to their clans. 25 Their territory was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the Ammonites, to Aroer, which is east of Rabbah, 26 and from Heshbon to Ramath-mizpeh and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir, 27 and in the valley Beth-haram, Beth-nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, having the Jordan as a boundary, to the lower end of the Sea of Chinnereth, eastward beyond the Jordan. 28 This is the inheritance of the people of Gad according to their clans, with their cities and villages.

At first glance, one must ask: "Wait! Wasn't Moses already dead?" The answer is "yes." This chapter takes place when Joshua is old and he and God are reviewing what lands have been occupied and what lands were yet to be taken by Israel.  Some were set as an inheritance yet not received as of that time. But wasn't that Joshua's job? Yes, but God has a way of finishing our jobs for us when we do not see them completed. He keeps working after we are gone, just as he had with Moses, and now Joshua.  God put it this way in verse 6: I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Only allot the land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you. God gives us our part to do, but it is His promise to fulfill, not ours. 

The Longest Day - More Stones

Joshua 10:24 And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25 And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26 And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27 But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

Often called "The Day the Sun Stood Still", this battle was another memorial for Israel. The Amorites were among some of the most vile and wicked inhabitants of Canaan. Having seen and heard what God had been doing to nations along their path, the king of Jerusalem had other kings join him to attack Gibeon, which now was an ally of Israel. The battle was long and hard, but God brought them through. Notice how Joshua uses this victory to pass on the challenge God had given him at his call: Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. God is able to take you through the longest struggle.