Joshua Receives a Special Inheritance – Joshua 19-21

Joy: You’re listening to Season 2 of the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  This is Episode #75 and today we’ll read  Joshua  chapters 19-21 together.   The scouts return to Shiloh and the dividing of the land between the tribes is completed.  Joshua receives a special inheritance, the Cities of Refuge are named, and space for the Levites is specified.

Welcome

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Season 2!  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me – from the beginning – simply reading God’s word together.  We built some spiritual muscles in 2020 with just the New Testament.  But this year we’re going all out, cover-to-cover, Old Testament and New.  So, whether with your first cup in the morning, your commute to work, or as the last thing on your mind before sleep, God’s Word will equip you for every good work.  I’m really glad you’re here!

Joshua Chapter 19

Simeon’s Inheritance

The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of his descendants by their clans, but their inheritance was within the inheritance given to Judah’s descendants. Their inheritance included

Beer-sheba (or Sheba), Moladah, Hazar-shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth-marcaboth, Hazar-susah, Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen — thirteen cities, with their settlements; Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan — four cities, with their settlements; and all the settlements surrounding these cities as far as Baalath-beer (Ramah in the south).

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Simeon’s descendants by their clans. The inheritance of Simeon’s descendants was within the territory of Judah’s descendants, because the share for Judah’s descendants was too large. So Simeon’s descendants received an inheritance within Judah’s portion.

Zebulun’s Inheritance

The third lot came up for Zebulun’s descendants by their clans.

The territory of their inheritance stretched as far as Sarid; their border went up westward to Maralah, reached Dabbesheth, and met the brook east of Jokneam. From Sarid, it turned due east along the border of Chisloth-tabor, went to Daberath, and went up to Japhia. From there, it went due east to Gath-hepher and to Eth-kazin; it extended to Rimmon, curving around to Neah. The border then circled around Neah on the north to Hannathon and ended at Iphtah-el Valley, along with Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem — twelve cities, with their settlements.

This was the inheritance of Zebulun’s descendants by their clans, these cities, with their settlements.

Issachar’s Inheritance

The fourth lot came out for the tribe of Issachar’s descendants by their clans.

Their territory went to Jezreel, and included Chesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En-gannim, En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. The border reached Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth-shemesh, and ended at the Jordan — sixteen cities, with their settlements.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar’s descendants by their clans, the cities, with their settlements.

Asher’s Inheritance

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher’s descendants by their clans.

Their boundary included Helkath, Hali, Beten, Achshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal and reached westward to Carmel and Shihor-libnath. It turned eastward to Beth-dagon, reached Zebulun and Iphtah-el Valley, north toward Beth-emek and Neiel, and went north to Cabul, Ebron, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as greater Sidon. The boundary then turned to Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre; it turned back to Hosah and ended at the Mediterranean Sea, including Mahalab, Achzib, Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob — twenty-two cities, with their settlements.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Asher’s descendants by their clans, these cities with their settlements.

Naphtali’s Inheritance

The sixth lot came out for Naphtali’s descendants by their clans.

Their boundary went from Heleph and from the oak in Zaanannim, including Adami-nekeb and Jabneel, as far as Lakkum, and ended at the Jordan. To the west, the boundary turned to Aznoth-tabor and went from there to Hukkok, reaching Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and Judah at the Jordan on the east. The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En-hazor, Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh — nineteen cities, with their settlements.

This was the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali’s descendants by their clans, the cities with their settlements.

Dan’s Inheritance

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan’s descendants by their clans.

The territory of their inheritance included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir-shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene-berak, Gath-rimmon, Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the territory facing Joppa.

When the territory of the descendants of Dan slipped out of their control, they went up and fought against Leshem, captured it, and struck it down with the sword. So they took possession of it, lived there, and renamed Leshem after their ancestor Dan. This was the inheritance of the tribe of Dan’s descendants by their clans, these cities with their settlements.

Joshua’s Inheritance

When they had finished distributing the land into its territories, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them. By the Lord’s command, they gave him the city Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, which he requested. He rebuilt the city and lived in it.

These were the portions that the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads distributed to the Israelite tribes by lot at Shiloh in the Lord’s presence at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So they finished dividing up the land.

Joshua Chapter 20

Cities of Refuge

Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Tell the Israelites: Select your cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that a person who kills someone unintentionally or accidentally may flee there. These will be your refuge from the avenger of blood. When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before the elders of that city, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. And if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not hand the one who committed manslaughter over to him, for he killed his neighbor accidentally and did not hate him beforehand.

“He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to his own city from which he fled.”

So they designated Kedesh in the hill country of Naphtali in Galilee, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. Across the Jordan east of Jericho, they selected Bezer on the wilderness plateau from Reuben’s tribe, Ramoth in Gilead from Gad’s tribe, and Golan in Bashan from Manasseh’s tribe.

These are the cities appointed for all the Israelites and the aliens residing among them, so that anyone who kills a person unintentionally may flee there and not die at the hand of the avenger of blood until he stands before the assembly.

Joshua Chapter 21

Cities of the Levites

The Levite family heads approached the priest Eleazar, Joshua son of Nun, and the family heads of the Israelite tribes. At Shiloh, in the land of Canaan, they told them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that we be given cities to live in, with their pasturelands for our livestock.” So the Israelites, by the Lord’s command, gave the Levites these cities with their pasturelands from their inheritance.

The lot came out for the Kohathite clans: The Levites who were the descendants of the priest Aaron received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half the tribe of Manasseh.

Gershon’s descendants received thirteen cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

Merari’s descendants received twelve cities for their clans from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

The Israelites gave these cities with their pasturelands around them to the Levites by lot, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

Cities of Aaron’s Descendants

The Israelites gave these cities by name from the tribes of the descendants of Judah and Simeon to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because they received the first lot. They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak) with its surrounding pasturelands in the hill country of Judah. But they gave the fields and settlements of the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

They gave to the descendants of the priest Aaron:

Hebron, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir with its pasturelands, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, Holon with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, Ain with its pasturelands, Juttah with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands — nine cities from these two tribes.

From the tribe of Benjamin they gave:

Gibeon with its pasturelands, Geba with its pasturelands, Anathoth with its pasturelands, and Almon with its pasturelands — four cities. All thirteen cities with their pasturelands were for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Cities of Kohath’s Other Descendants

The allotted cities to the remaining clans of Kohath’s descendants, who were Levites, came from the tribe of Ephraim. The Israelites gave them:

Shechem, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, Kibzaim with its pasturelands, and Beth-horon with its pasturelands — four cities.

From the tribe of Dan they gave:

Elteke with its pasturelands, Gibbethon with its pasturelands, Aijalon with its pasturelands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands — four cities.

From half the tribe of Manasseh they gave:

Taanach with its pasturelands and Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands — two cities.

All ten cities with their pasturelands were for the clans of Kohath’s other descendants.

Cities of Gershon’s Descendants

From half the tribe of Manasseh, they gave to the descendants of Gershon, who were one of the Levite clans:

Golan, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands in Bashan, and Beeshterah with its pasturelands — two cities.

From the tribe of Issachar they gave:

Kishion with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, Jarmuth with its pasturelands, and En-gannim with its pasturelands — four cities.

From the tribe of Asher they gave:

Mishal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, Helkath with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands — four cities.

From the tribe of Naphtali they gave:

Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Hammoth-dor with its pasturelands, and Kartan with its pasturelands — three cities.

All thirteen cities with their pasturelands were for the Gershonites by their clans.

Cities of Merari’s Descendants

From the tribe of Zebulun, they gave to the clans of the descendants of Merari, who were the remaining Levites:

Jokneam with its pasturelands, Kartah with its pasturelands, Dimnah with its pasturelands, and Nahalal with its pasturelands — four cities.

From the tribe of Reuben they gave:

Bezer with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands — four cities.

From the tribe of Gad they gave:

Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands — four cities in all. All twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari’s descendants, the remaining Levite clans.

Within the Israelite possession there were forty-eight cities in all with their pasturelands for the Levites. Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasturelands; this was true for all the cities.

The Lord’s Promises Fulfilled

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side according to all he had sworn to their ancestors. None of their enemies were able to stand against them, for the Lord handed over all their enemies to them. None of the good promises the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. Everything was fulfilled.

Close

I hope you kept that map handy for this episode. But aside from tracing borders, the highlight of this episode is the final paragraph; Deuteronomy 21:43-45.  God kept the promises He made to the Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Everything was fulfilled.  I encourage you to read those three verses again.  Heck, I encourage you to read those verses every time you feel discouraged so that you can be reminded again and again, that the Lord your God will keep all of His promises to you too.  Everything will be fulfilled.  Share a little encouragement at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray that by spending time in His Word every day, you will by changed.  Visit me at Lifting Her Voice.com with your comments and questions.  And don’t forget to visit the Blog page while you’re there.  If you like the podcast, it would be great if you’d give it a five-star review and share it with everyone you know.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you tomorrow!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.