SCRIPTURE: Joshua 21:1-45
OBSERVATION:
1. The levites, whose task is to serve as spiritual leaders in the community, have their practical needs addressed by begin given towns for their families and pasture for their flocks. They lived among the other tribes, as a visible reminder to the rest of the people of the centrality of their relationship with God.
2. This passage ends with saying that the Lord gave them victory and rest, fulfilling all His promises? On the Lord’s part this is true; where the people obeyed the Lord, He blessed them with victory and rest. The problem is they did not obey God in all areas, so many of the Canaanites ending up staying, and ultimately distracting and defeating the Israelites. The Lord fulfilled His promises, but His people did not.
APPLICATION:
1. Sometimes ministers are described as modern-day priests/levites, serving as spiritual leaders in the community, having their practical needs taken care of (salary, housing), and serving as a visible reminder to the rest of the people of the centrality of their relationship with God. Paul seems to suggest this about spiritual leaders (1 Corinthians 9:7-14, 1 Timothy 5:17-18). There is some truth to this but…
2. Christ-followers are the modern-day priests/levites. The New Testament describes all disciples as priests (1 Peter 2:4-5,9, Revelation 1:5-6, Revelation 5:10). We all have the “priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:16). We do not pay someone to do God’s work for us, we are saved and called to do the Lord’s work. The purpose of church/spiritual leaders is to equip believers to do the priestly service (Ephesians 4:11-13).
3. As modern-day priests/levites, our task is to be a visible reminder to the rest of the world of the centrality of their relationship with God, and their need to be reconciled to God through Jesus. The inheritance (property, resources, gifts) that we receive is to care for our material needs while fulfilling our priestly duty.
4. All of the Lord’s promises come true, always. Where we do not see the success or blessing that we hoped for, the reason is (a) we have misapplied the promises, assuming that God promised us something that He didn’t, or (b) we have not followed through our own end of the ‘deal’. We need to spend more time clarifying what God has called us to, and promised us, and then doing that faithfully, obediently. Many (not all) of our woes are self-imposed.
PRAYER:
Lord, I do have a calling, I am set apart for the priestly duty of proclaiming the good news to others. This is not my calling as a minister, but as a Christ-follower. Help me to trust that You will provide for my needs, and help me to fulfill my calling. Amen.
What stood out to me in this passage was the repetition of City of Refuge, villages and pasture lands. The Levites inheritances were divided up into cities, villages and pasturelands. More or less, the religious leaders were called out to plant themselves in the diversity of the lands – to become cityfolk, village folk and country folk. God has a desire for all to hear and to be reached. God is very thorough …
Then what about the whole concept of setting up a City of refuge … what a concept that was – our churches need to be a place of refuge – non-judgemental and able to refuge those, yes, even those who are undeserving. We have plenty to work on!
Vs. 43-45 tell us that all that God had promised was fulfilled as was and is always the case! This reveals to me that in His time what God has promised to each and every one of us will also come to be.
Forgive me LORD for my impatience. It is Your will, Your time – NOT mine! Grant to me the kind of faith and trust in You that runs deep into my being – unstoppable; unshakeable! Help me by Your Holy Spirit’s equipping to live out each day with this unstoppable trust and faith so that Your work, Your Kingdom, You, O LORD may be revealed. You are my all in all. Everything I need for each day, You graciously and abundantly provide. How awesome, how wonderful, how mighty, how gracious, how faithful You are!
The people were settled in the land and the priests asked for the lands promised by the Lord. It was from God and not from man. Their inheritance was a God thing and not left to the whims of man so that they could easily do their work of the gospel and not working for an income. Today we too need to look after those who proclaim the gospel so they may be focussed on their task and not on their physical needs.
Their inheritance was among the people – all the tribes. This way the gospel was among all His people showing them and telling them how to live. Live and do this if you desire to have true life! As the Word was in all parts of the land so we too need to see that His Word is in all past of the land. His Word needs to be central in our lives.
The people had received their inheritance from the Lord. The priests had received their cities from the Lord. God had fulfilled all His promises. Now they needed to live for Him. In Him they were conquerors. In Him I too am more than a conqueror.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet,
And a light unto my path.
When I feel afraid,
Think I’ve lost my way,
Still You’re there, right beside me.
Nothing will I fear,
As long as You are near.
Please, be near me to the end