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Basically, what we have in chapter
18 to 21 is the remaining land to be divided, the cities of
refuge, and the cities for the Levites. So I just want to read
chapter 18, the first 10 verses, and then read chapter 21, the
last three verses, and then we'll get started. So Joshua chapter
18, beginning in verse 1. Now the whole congregation of
the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up
the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before
them. But there remained among the
children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their
inheritance. Then Joshua said to the children
of Israel, How long will you neglect to go and possess the
land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? Pick out
from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them. They shall rise and go through
the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come
back to me. And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall
remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph
shall remain in their territory on the north. You shall therefore
survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to
me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our
God. But the Levites have no part
among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance.
And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received
their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses,
the servant of the Lord, gave them. Then the men arose to go
away, and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land,
saying, Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back
to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord in Shiloh. So the men went, passed through
the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities. And they came to Joshua at the
camp in Shiloh. Then Joshua cast lots for them
in Shiloh before the Lord. And there Joshua divided the
land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.
And then chapter 21, beginning in verse 43, so the Lord gave
to Israel all the land of which he had sworn to give to their
fathers. And they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The Lord
gave them rest all around. according to all that he had
sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies
stood against them. The Lord delivered all their
enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good
thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came
to pass. Amen." Well, as I said, this
deals with the remaining land, the cities of refuge, and then
the cities for the Levites. We're going to look at these
several chapters under these particular considerations. First,
the remaining land, chapter 18, verses 1 to 10, and then the
remaining tribes and divisions, 1811 to 1951. We won't look at
every jot and tittle there. The Cities of Refuge, Chapter
20, Verses 1 to 9. The Cities for the Levites is
Chapter 21, Verses 1 to 42. And then the Faithfulness of
God, Chapter 21, Verses 43 to 45. That's actually the theological
center of the book itself. It summarizes the entirety of
the book of Joshua. So let's look first at the remaining
land, chapter 18, verses 1 to 10. Notice the primary rallying
point where the children of Israel had been was in Gilgal. Now they're
in Shiloh. This is the first time Shiloh
is mentioned, at least as a formal gathering place. And it does
seem to be the centralized place for worship prior to the monarchy. So before the monarchy and before
the fact that Jerusalem became the central sanctuary, Shiloh,
is mentioned several times in Joshua and in Judges, and then
as well in 1 Samuel chapters 1 and 2, as the place where God
is worshipped. And then note the reference to
the tabernacle, again the first time mentioned here in the book
of Joshua. They're in Shiloh, they set up
the tabernacle of meeting there. If you look at 1951, You see
another reference to the tabernacle. It's as if it's bracketing this
entire section. It teaches us the centrality
of God. It teaches us the centrality
of God's house and the fact that the people rally around that. Verse 51 of chapter 19 speaks
of Shiloh there before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting. And then the report is given
in verse 2 that the land was subdued. Again, not something
new to us in our studies here in Joshua. Several times along
the way we see the land had rest from war. The land was subdued,
though not perfectly. We see there's pockets and places
along the way where there hasn't been the eradication of Canaanites,
that does set the stage for what will happen later in the book
of Judges. But here specifically in verse
2 it says, the land was subdued before them. And then this problem
is given in verse 2, but there remained among the children of
Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance.
So if you've been doing the math along the way, that's how many
tribes are left. There's the seven that have yet
to receive their tribal allotments. And then that brings us to Joshua's
instruction in verses 3 to 10. Notice their danger. Verse 4,
I'm sorry, verse 3. Then Joshua said to the children
of Israel, how long will you neglect to go and possess the
land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you? So it's
something of a rebuke. It's something of a chiding.
The Lord had given this land to the children of Israel. That's
highlighted again in verse 3. We see it throughout the Pentateuch.
We saw it throughout our studies in the book of Deuteronomy. We
see it here in the book of Joshua, this idea that the land is a
gift, it's grace, it's God's mercy to his people. Well, they
still needed to act upon that. You know, sovereignty does not
destroy responsibility. The fact that God gives this
gift to these people doesn't mean that they need to neglect
to go and possess the land. Rather, the fact that God gives
them this as a gift is the motivation for them to not neglect but to
rather go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers
has given you. The seven tribes were not acting
on the promise of God. What do we call that when people
do not act upon the promise of God? We call that unbelief. We have a different story when
we see Caleb, for instance, the daughters of Zelophehad, and
later when we see the Levites. They knew that God had promised,
they knew that God had spoken, and so they plead that promise
and they go and pursue the particular gift that God has promised to
that. This is a display of unbelief. How long will you neglect to
go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers
has given you?" These seven tribes were just milling about. These
seven tribes are in a land that had been subdued. They're in
a land that now has rest from the war And yet, they're not
taking their tribal allotments. Unbelief and perhaps some ingratitude. When God gives a gift, he wants
us to gratefully and thankfully and happily receive it and then
act upon it. And as well, there might be something
of a complacency involved. In other words, they like the
way things are going, right? If we go and start to carve up
the land, that means further or added responsibility. A commentator
by the name of Ellison says the slackness blamed by Joshua may
well have been due to an unwillingness to settle down. He says, it was
fine to have a promised land, but the reality showed the need
for learning new skills and engaging in hard work. That is for many
the disappointing side of God's gifts. They are always given
that we may serve the better. Even His rest is linked with
a yoke, according to Matthew 11, 28 to 30. Come to me, all
you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And
then the Lord Jesus says, take my yoke upon you. This idea of
sovereignty not diminishing man's responsibility is vividly displayed
in 2 Peter chapter 1. If you want to turn there for
a moment, we see a similar or at least an analogy to what we
find here with these seven tribes. The Lord God has promised to
your fathers, the Lord God has brought you into this land, you
have gained victory and supremacy in the land, the land is now
subdued of all of the enemies, not They're all eradicated, but
the land is in a position of having been conquered and subdued. You need to not neglect. You
need to go and take the land. Notice in 2 Peter 1 verse 2,
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God
and of Jesus our Lord. As, notice verse 3, His divine
power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious
promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine
nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust." I mean, what a statement of God's grace! What an ascription
of God's kindness! What a gift that has been given
to us! He has given to us, verse 3,
all things that pertain to life and godliness. Now notice in
verse 5, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue. to virtue knowledge, to knowledge
self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance
godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness
love. You see, the fact that God begraced
us does not mean that we lay on the couch. The fact that God
gives them this land, they are not to neglect the reality that
they are to go and take the land, carve it up, and possess various
allotments for the various tribes in Israel. These things are held
constantly before us in the Scriptures. God's grace does not diminish
our response or our responsibility to those blessed gifts that the
Lord has given to us. So back to Joshua chapter 18,
the man of God, the leader of Israel here chides them or reproves
them. How long will you neglect to
go and possess the land? There is a dangerous laxity,
to use Dale Ralph Davis's term, a dangerous laxity that has settled
in to these seven tribes. And so Joshua is motivating them. Joshua is calling them to action.
Joshua is telling them to do what God the Lord has commanded
in terms of carving up the land. Back to Joshua 18, we see the
unity of Israel is stressed again in verses 5 to 7. We have seen
this over and over and over again. The author does not want us to
lose sight of the fact that Israel is 12 tribes. He doesn't want
us to lose sight of the fact that this is a unified people.
that the people of God stand or fall together. This is stressed
in verse 5. They shall divide it into seven
parts. Judah shall remain in their territory
on the south. They've already gotten their
tribal allotment. And the house of Joseph shall remain in their
territory on the north. They've gotten their tribal allotment.
You shall therefore survey the land in several parts and bring
the survey here to me that I may cast lots for you here before
the Lord our God. But the Levites have no part
among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance.
And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, there's those
three, Transjordan tribes. You see? He is stressing the
unity of Israel. Every time he rehearses the reality
that these several persons or these several tribes have already
received their allotment, there is theology behind it. He's not
just repeating himself just to repeat himself. He is stressing
the unity of God's people. That these seven tribes are part
of the twelve tribes of Israel. And this is held before us continuously
here in Joshua's book. And then the authority of God
Almighty is stressed in this whole procedure. Notice several
times, verses 6, 8, and 10, he says that this will be done before
the Lord. Before the Lord our God. It is
the authority of God Most High. Remember the lot is cast into
the lot, but it's every decision is from the Lord. We mustn't
ever forget that with reference to this gift of the land, the
Lord God is sovereign, not only in granting, but the Lord God
is sovereign in partitioning and in carving it up for the
people of Israel. And then the response to Joshua
is in verses 8 to 10. These mapmakers, essentially
is what they are, cartographers, they go out, they survey the
land, they write it down in their books, they bring it back to
Joshua and then Joshua according to verse 10 cast lots for them
in Shiloh, here it is, before the Lord and there Joshua divided
the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions. So that's what is stipulated
with reference to the remaining land And that brings us to the
remaining tribes and divisions. This is chapter 18, verses 11
to chapter 19, verse 51. Woodstra says, verse 3, remember
back in verse 3, I just went over it several times, the reality
that the Lord God has given, or the Lord God of your fathers
has given you this land. Woodstress says verse 3 has once
again recalled the significance that the allotment has within
the scheme of the book of Joshua. The rationale for more lengthy
boundary descriptions lies therefore in the awareness that these boundaries
give concrete shape to the promises of God. So as they go through
these tribal allotments, that's what's being fleshed out. The boundaries give concrete shape
to the promises of God. And so basically what we have
in chapter 18, verses 11 to 28, the tribe of Benjamin. Chapter 19, verses 1 to 9, we
have the tribe of Simeon. 19, 10 to 16, Zebulun. Issachar
in 1917 to 23, Asher 24 to 31, Naphtali 32 to 39, and then Dan
in verses 40 to 48 in chapter 19. So the remaining land, Joshua
tells the seven tribes they need not neglect, rather they need
to go in and possess the land. These cartographers or mapmakers
go out, they survey the land, they write it down in the book,
they bring it back to Joshua at Shiloh. Joshua then brings
it before the Lord, or they cast the lot, and then this is the
report. This is how the land. is to be
distributed among the Israelites. And that brings us to chapter
19 verses 49 and 50. Now the immediate context in
this section is 18.1 to 19.51. But the larger context begins
back in 13. Remember, 13-1 and following,
13-1 to 1951, is the division of the land, the tribal allotments
of the land. And you remember in that larger
context, we have seen Caleb, And he's a positive example of
faithfulness. After Caleb, the next sort of
example that we see is a negative one. And that was the Josephite
tribes. Remember in chapter 17, they're
kind of whiny. This isn't enough land for us.
Joshua said, well, then go and take more. They said, well, wait
a minute. They've got chariots, and they're
big and strong. And Joshua sends them out and
says, Go and take the land. So we've got Caleb who's positive. We've got the Josephite tribes
who are positive. We come into chapter 18, we have
these seven tribes just sort of sitting on their hands. Another
negative. But it ends on a positive note
with Joshua. We have Caleb, positive, Josephite,
negative, seven tribes, negative, Joshua, positive. The bookend
of this large section is on the faithfulness of these two spies
that went in Numbers 13 and 14 and did what they were supposed
to do. They believed God and they wanted to act upon the promises
of God. So when we get to 1949, it says,
when they had made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance,
according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance
among them to Joshua, the son of Nun. According to the word
of the Lord, they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath-serah,
in the mountains of Ephraim, and he built the city and dwelt
in it. These were the inheritances which
Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of
the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided
as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord at the door of
the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing
the country. So we need to understand or appreciate
this. We've got Caleb, we've got Joshua. Remember a couple of weeks ago,
or perhaps I think it was when we were in 14, I quoted from
Ralph Davis, and how he said that this would have been a help
for the time of the judges. The book of Joshua would have
stood as a helpful encouragement to the people of Israel to conduct
themselves in the manner of Caleb and Joshua. Don't follow the
Josephite tribes. Don't follow these seven tribes
that are sitting around on their hands. Rather, follow these two
men of God who have a pedigree of faithfulness that goes all
the way back to Kadesh Barnea in Numbers 13 and 14 when they
originally went out to spy out the land. So again, it's not
just history, it's not just boundaries, it's not just cities, it's theology,
it's encouragement, it is to strengthen the people of God
and to cause them to grow in faith. Davis says it this way
with reference to 49 and 50, which by the way, if I haven't
commended this to you enough, please get Davis's commentary
on the book of Joshua. I think you'll find it very helpful
and very encouraging. He says, so 1949 to 50, is no useless tailpiece. Though the notes are not visible
in the text, it's really music. It is simply, great is thy faithfulness
in a different key. It is a standing witness to the
fact that the majority may be neither faithful nor right, Numbers
13, 14. It is a witness to the fact that
Yahweh keeps his promises even if he must preserve his two faithful
men from Anakim chariots and high waters to do so. There are
lots of lots in chapters 14 to 19. That's what he calls his
discussion of 17 and 18 or 18 and 19, lots of lots. Lots of parcels, right? Lots of lots. He says, there
are lots of lots in 14 to 19. As they begin with Caleb, so
they close with Joshua. What a fulfillment of Numbers
13 and 14. There is far more theology in
Hebron and Timnath-serah than one usually hears. So when you
study this particular section of the book of Joshua, what is
being held out to us is what faithfulness looks like in terms
of God's people. Not to say these other tribes
are necessarily the worst things that ever lived, but those Josephite
tribes, they grumbled. These seven tribes didn't act
upon the promise of God. It was an expression of unfaithfulness. It was an expression of ingratitude. The faithful man of God, the
faithful woman of God, receives the promises of God and acts
upon them, just like Caleb does, just like the daughters of Zelophehad,
and just like we'll see in a few moments, the Levites. They remember
what God has spoken and they plead that promise and then they
act upon it by the grace of God. There are lessons here. for us
as Christian people living in this world that the Lord God
has given us in this sack shed. That brings us third to the cities
of refuge, chapter 20, verses 1 to 9. Chapter 20, verses 1 to 9. Remember the cities of refuge.
They're spoken of back in Exodus 21. Numbers 35, 9 to 34 is probably
the longest development of the cities of refuge. They're told
again, Deuteronomy 4, 41 to 43, but then again in Deuteronomy
19, verses 1 to 13. The cities of refuge played a very important
part in the nation of Israel." Notice
the command, verses 1 and 2. The Lord also spoke to Joshua,
saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint for
yourselves cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you through
Moses. So he hearkens back to that law
given previously in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The land is now
being possessed by the people and so they have to carve out
or they have to specify these cities of refuge. The purpose
is given in verses 3 to 6, a reminder, if you will, concerning the doctrine
or the cities of refuge. The first thing we need to understand
with reference to the purpose for these cities of refuge, it's
to highlight the justice of God. You see, when God sends his people
into the land of Canaan, they're not supposed to live like Canaanites. They're not supposed to be a
law unto themselves. They're not supposed to engage
in barbarism, child sacrifice, homosexuality. all manner of
wickedness and lawlessness. They have a code spoken by the
God of Israel on the mounts called Sinai. It is a decalogue. It is ten words. They are supposed
to live in those boundaries. When they transgress those boundaries,
there is a judicial system in place to punish transgressors. There is a judicial system in
place to protect the innocent. There is a system in place so
that society can be a decent and orderly place where people
can raise families, where they can have jobs, where they can
go to worship, where they can engage like civilized human beings,
like image bearers of the living God. And so when we come to this
situation of the cities of refuge, we need to think in terms of
justice. One of the points of justice
that jumps out at us is that God makes a distinction between
murder and manslaughter. Murder and manslaughter are two
different things. Murder assumes intent. Murder has to do with malice
of forethought. I have hatred or enmity in my
heart toward a person, and then I end his or her life. With reference
to manslaughter, the idea here is accidental death. The biblical
example is if I'm swinging my ax and my neighbor's next to
me, and the axe head flies off and falls on his head and kills
him, I didn't have premeditation. I didn't have evil intent. I
didn't have malice in my heart. So as a result of having committed
this particular act, the cities of refuge are established so
that I can flee there and escape the Avenger of Blood. The Avenger
of Blood would be a family member to the party that was dead. they
would be the ones to go out and try and put to death the one
who killed their loved one. But as well, when we get to this
idea of the cities of refuge, it's not that any criminal could
just wander in. I mean, what a convention that
would be, right? You go out and you rob a liquor
store and you shoot the owner in the head, and then you run
to the city of refuge and say, oh, I really didn't do anything
wrong. There's a hearing. There's a judicial process. Notice
the text. Verse 3, the slayer who kills
a person accidentally or unintentionally may flee there and they shall
be a refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he flees to
one of those cities and stands at the entrance of the gate of
the city and declares his case in the hearing of the elders
of that city. You see, there is a process. We saw this when we went through
the Book of Deuteronomy. It wasn't the case that this
was a convention for a murderer so he could escape justice. There
was a hearing. The elders heard it. They would
weigh the witness testimony. Remember, there were two or three
witnesses in any capital offense or any capital crime. So it was
all done on the up and up. So the justice of God is being
held out in these cities. There is a distinction between
murder. There's a distinction between murder and manslaughter.
As well, there is a juridical process that is given here and
specifies that there is a hearing and there is a judgment rendered. Then notice the end of verse
4. They shall take him into the city as one of them and give
him a place that he may dwell among them. Then if the avenger
of blood pursues him, they shall not deliver the slayer into his
hand because he struck his neighbor unintentionally but did not hate
him beforehand. You see, if he was a manslayer,
not a murderer, I know manslaughter sounds pretty brutal. It's hard
to say manslaughter in a pleasant way. You know, it just bespeaks
terror. But manslaughter is the conventional
term for an unintentional act of homicide. There's no malice. There's no intent there to do
murder. And so in this instance, if he's
gone, he's been hurt, the elders render the verdict, he stays
in the city of refuge, and the slayer, the avenger of blood,
cannot kill him. But you notice something about
this convention. The man has to stay in the city
of refuge. That's not his home, is it? I
mean, if he kills unintentionally over here and he has to run to
this city of refuge, he has to stay in that city of refuge until
something happens. He has to stay in that city of
refuge until the high priest dies, which probably underscores
the reality that for death, whether it be murder or accidental homicide,
the only ransom is blood. In this case, it's not the man
who committed the accidental homicide, but there is somebody
who dies. When the high priest dies, then
the man is free to leave the city of refuge and go back to
his home. So on the one hand, it is a protection
for him. But on the other hand, there
is a bit of deprivation to him. And all of this to say this,
the value of the image of God is highlighted in these cities
of refuge. OK? Not only for the man who
accidentally committed a homicide, his life is protected in the
city of refuge, but for the person who died. Because the man must
stay there until the death of the high priest, until some blood
has been shed. This does highlight the reality
of the sanctity of life in the image of God. Davis says it this
way we can clearly see that the concern with these cities assumes
a the preciousness of the unintentional manslayer's life, right? If you
accidentally kill your neighbor, you shouldn't be put to death.
That is God's justice. You are an innocent person in
terms of malice, and in terms of intent, and in terms of a
hatred in your heart. So you shouldn't be put to death.
The city of refuge is there for you. He says, but we may not
so clearly see that the slain man's life is presumed sacred
as well. For the city of refuge is not
only a place of safety for the manslayer, but also of exile. Things have to change. Even when
you accidentally kill somebody, there's value in that person
who's been accidentally killed. And your life is going to be
disrupted as a result. If anything, it should teach
us to make sure ax heads are securely fastened on our handles. It ought to teach us that we
ought to drive in an appropriate manner. It ought to teach us
that we ought to exercise ourselves with responsibility because if
we kill the life of an image bearer, even if it was unintentional,
it's still a bad thing. I mean to hit somebody with your
car and send them into eternity would be a very difficult thing
to have to live with. He goes on to say, he, the manslayer
that is in the city of refuge, enjoys protection but also suffers
penalty. He cannot, assuming the case
was decided in his favor, return to his hometown and resume normal
life. He must stay in the city of refuge
until the death of the current high priest. Now that could have
been a month, it could have been a year, it could have been several
years, right? But you're in a city that's not
yours. He says Trent C. Butler, this
is a commentator in the Word Biblical Commentary series, no
relation to Jim Butler. Trent C. Butler says, the city
is at the same time refuge and prison. Such is the costliness
of destroying human life. Even when that life is taken
unintentionally, the consequences of that wrong must be carried. Life made in God's image always
remains exceedingly sacred. That was a very wonderful observation. on this particular passage. He
shall dwell in that city until he stands before the congregation
for judgment and until the death of the one who is high priest
in those days. Then the slayer may return and
come to his own city and his own house to the city from which
he fled. So you see there's a process.
What is built in to Israel as a body politic is a system of
justice. This is why the Canaanites are
being dispossessed from the land. Canaanites had relations with
animals. Canaanites engaged in sodomy. Canaanites murdered each other.
Canaanites offered their children as sacrifices to their gods.
Canaanites took no regard to human life. So the Lord God says,
when you get in there and you dispossess those Canaanites from
the land, things must be different under your watch. Things must
be different when the people of God, covenanted with God,
occupy the land. They need to do so in a just
and in a righteous manner. These cities of refuge aren't
some throwback to an archaic way of living, but rather they
speak to the issues of justice and liberty and righteousness
and decency that we as a society have all but forgotten. And then
he highlights the particular locations in verses 7 to 9. Remember, they had to be available. You didn't hide the cities. They
had to have an accessibility. These things would happen. These
things would be necessary. put these cities in places where
they could be reached so that if a man accidentally killed
somebody he could run there and he could find refuge, he could
find protection, he would not lose his life. He may lose some
liberty for a time but he would not lose his life and at the
death of the high priest he would be able to return home once again. Verse 9 summarizes the cities
of refuge. These were the cities appointed
for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwelt
among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee
there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until
he stood before the congregation. And then the next section, verses
1 to 42, is the cities for the Levites. Notice, verses 1 to
3, their claim. Then the heads of the fathers'
houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua
the son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the
tribes of the children of Israel. And they spoke to them at Shiloh
in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord commanded through Moses
to give us cities to dwell in, with their common lands for our
livestock. So the children of Israel gave
to the Levites from their inheritance, at the commandment of the Lord
these cities and their common land." So the precedent is in
Numbers 35 verses 1 to 8, these cities for the Levites. The precedent is further established
or at least seen or illustrated in Joshua 13 and 14. They've been told along the way
that the Levites do not get a tribal allotment. They will get cities
in the land to be sure, but they don't have a piece. If you look
at your map, the division of the land, you don't see a big
circle or a big square or a big shape that says Levi in the middle
of it. They did not get that in terms
of a tribal allotment. their inheritance was the Lord
himself. Notice as well, like Caleb, I've
already mentioned, and like Zelophehad's daughters, the Levites plead
the promise of God. They come, they say, the Lord
commanded through Moses. We want what God commanded. We
want what God promised. That's not presumption. That's
faith. When we take God at His word
and we bring His promises to Him, He can't but bless. That's what it's all about. When
you pray, you plead the promises of God. I remember reading a
Spurgeon sermon. He talks about the decrees and
our pleas. They kind of meet each other
on the way. What God promises, we pray back,
and there's this blessed unity between the two, and God gives
to His people. And then something else that
we need to appreciate here. Notice verse 2, the Lord commanded
through Moses to give us cities to dwell in with their common
lands for our livestock. The Levites were charged with
spiritual labor. This, however, did not diminish
the need for physical sustenance. The Levites were charged with
spiritual labor. This did not diminish the need
for physical sustenance. They did not live on love and
fresh air, did they? They didn't live on the blessing
of God's people. They lived in cities, and they
needed land for their livestock. The Levites needed these things
in order to sustain their bodies. So just because they engage in
the spiritual does not mean that they're disembodied spirits.
Rather, they need breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They need
clothes. They're not in the eschaton strumming
harps and flying around with wings. You see why Paul in the
New Testament says that those who preach the gospel will live
from the gospel? Not necessarily driving big shiny
cars and big houses and all the things that Benny Hinn has, but
neither should they be living in a dumpster. The Levites come
to Joshua and say, God commanded, we need these things. Then as
well, notice verse 3, the children of Israel gave to the Levites
from their inheritance at the commandment of the Lord these
cities and their common lands. The determination is made in
verses 4 to 8 and the identification in 9 to 42. But consider the
Levites living in the cities. would have a good effect upon
the people. One of the tasks of the Levites,
according to the book of Deuteronomy, was to be teachers of the law. Calvin says they were appointed
as a kind of guardian in every district to retain the people
in the pure worship of God. They should have had a positive
effect upon the people. They would teach. They would
encourage. They would exhort. They would
press upon the people the necessity for corporate worship and all
those things. He says, it is true, they were
everywhere strangers or sojourners, but still it was with the very
high dignity of acting as stewards for God and preventing their
countrymen from revolting from piety. This is the reason for
stating so carefully how many cities they obtained from each
tribe. They were everywhere to keep
watch and preserve the purity of sacred rights unimpaired. another man by the name of Hugenberger. I think that's the proper pronunciation.
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. doesn't sound that
much different than local churches being taught by faithful shepherds,
right? The same idea. God isn't, you
know, he doesn't use these means that are outlandish and, you
know, beyond our reach. He uses things that are quite
simple and very appropriate for the people of God. Whether you're
in Old Covenant Israel or you're in New Covenant Israel, the means
that God has ordained are primarily or essentially the same. You
need lots of the word, you need worship, you need the house of
God, you need those things for your health, your well-being,
and for your prosperity as God's holy people. So that's the cities
of the Levites. We won't read all of those. And
then notice the last few verses in chapter 21. As I said, this
is the theological heart of the book. So the Lord gave to Israel
all the land of which he had sworn to give to their fathers.
And they took possession of it and dwelt in it. Isn't that what
we just studied? That verse, verse 43, summarizes
chapters 13 to 19, right? Isn't that exactly what happens
in chapters 13 to 19? So the Lord gave to Israel all
the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and
they took possession of it and dwelt in it. Verse 44, the Lord
gave them rest all around according to all that he had sworn to their
fathers. And not a man of all their enemies
stood against them. The Lord delivered all their
enemies into their hand. Doesn't that summarize chapters
1 to 12? They enter the land and they
conquer the land. You see, verses 43 to 45, if
you have this down, you've got the whole book of Joshua. So
that if your children or your grandchildren ever say to you,
or somebody you meet on the street ever says, what's that book of
Joshua all about? All you gotta do is go right
here, because this is exactly what that book of Joshua is all
about. And then it's underscored with
a summary of the whole, verse 45. Not a word failed. Literally, there were no falling
words. No misspent words. Not a word
failed. of any good thing which the Lord
had spoken to the house of Israel all came to pass." That's it. That's what Joshua is all about.
You ever wonder? There it is. There's your answer.
Before we leave this particular passage, note verse 44. Something
that we need to appreciate. He says, the Lord gave them rest
all around according to all that He had sworn to their fathers.
And not a man of all their enemies stood against them. The Lord
delivered all their enemies into their hands. The presence of
peace does not come without the defeat of the opposition. The
presence of peace does not come without the defeat of the opposition. Now, I think, unfortunately,
New Testament Christians miss this. It's good that Yahweh said
to our Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies
your footstool. You see, we need to appreciate
the justice of God. We need to appreciate the judgment
of God. And we need to appreciate the
reality that all of his enemies are going to be subdued. This is as much a new covenant
theme as it is here. You do not have possession of
the land. You certainly don't have rest
in the land until your enemies are destroyed, until their throats
are cut, and their heads are bashed in and they're bleeding
in a ditch. That's when you get rest. You say, well, that doesn't sound
like a New Covenant theme. May I direct you to 2 Thessalonians
1. 2 Thessalonians 1 at verse 6. The Apostle Paul, well, let's
back up to verse 3 so we can get the context. We are bound
to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because
your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of
you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of
you among the churches of God for your patience and faith and
all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest
evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer." Now
somebody out there in internet land tuning in might have thought
that was some bizarre imagery to talk about throats cut and
heads bashed in. Well, that's what they did in
Canaan to dispossess the land of their enemies. And I would
submit that that was a walk in the park for the enemies of God
compared to what Paul says here in 2 Thessalonians 1.6. He says, since it is a righteous
thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble
you. And to give you who are troubled
rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with
his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those
who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified
in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because
our testimony among you was believed. So you see, in verse 44, in Joshua
21, it gives us this principle, that God the Lord destroys the
enemies of the Lord and of his people. And it is based on that,
or that's one part of his comprehensive plan, to bring peace to his people. This is what the Apostle is saying
here to the Thessalonians. This is what John speaks of in
Revelation 21. Have you ever wondered why in
the midst of Revelation 21 and 22, these descriptions of the
new heavens and the new earth, we get this snapshot of what
the wicked get? Revelation 21, some of the most
glorious language in terms of the new heaven, new earth coming
down out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And in Revelation 21.8, but the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all
liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death. Now, probably there's
a bit of a warning there. for any professing Christian
that was tampering or entertaining the idea of maybe turning back
or recanting. But there is a promise of blessing
there. The new Jerusalem is going to
be glorious because the enemies of God are gone. The new Jerusalem
is going to be glorious because there's no abortionists there.
Because there's no God-hating rebels there. Because there's
nobody that's going to cut the throat of a believer because
he's a believer. So we see in the midst of these
descriptions of the New Jerusalem, it is imperative to understand
the enemies are gone. They've been dealt with. They
have been excluded. They are not going to menace
and affect the people of God. This is an important theme or
an important principle that we need to understand with reference
to peace. In order to achieve peace, God
must deal with his enemies. And we see that ultimately in
the cross, but we see that in the new heavens and the new earth.
which I think to some degree Joshua 21, 44 does foreshadow
or at least intimates that there is a day coming, that rest, that
Sabbath rest that waits for the people of God is going to be
marked by a peace such that there are no enemies, there are no
threats, there is no hindrance whatsoever between God and his
people communing forever and ever together. That is a blessed
reality. The Psalter makes clear a demarcation
between the righteous and the unrighteous. Much of modern hymnody
doesn't get. You're not singing about God's
judgment upon the wicked in the modern hymns, especially the
Jesus is my boyfriend sort. You hear nothing of the psalmist
crying out to the Lord God Almighty for the vengeance of the Lord
to be targeted on his people. C.S. Lewis was wrong. The imprecatory
Psalms are for us. They are for the church. They
are the prayers of God's people. We need to understand them. We
need to take them. And we need to, with the Apostle
Paul, Romans chapter 12, he says, do not avenge yourselves, but
give place to wrath. How does the Christian do that,
but at the throne of grace, praying the Psalms of David, that God
will indeed take care of his enemies, just like he did in
Canaan with those who molested the people of God in the Old
Covenant. Well, that's Joshua 21. 18 to 21, why don't we close in
prayer? Our Father, we thank you for
your word and we thank you for your grace and we thank you that
you have made us your friends. What a terrifying view that the
godless have for the future, Lord. We thank you for your grace
and mercy. We thank you for the Lord Jesus.
We thank you, God, that you made him who knew no sin to be sin
for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
We just pray now that you would go with us, that you would help
us to learn the lessons of the possession of the land in Joshua.
And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
