Joshua 21 - The Levitical Cities

Above Map source: http://dailytruthbase.blogspot.com/2011/10/numbers-32-36-do-to-others-or-god-will.html

Above Chart Source: Levitical Tribes Inheritance:
www.foundationsforfreedom.net/References/OT/Historical/Joshua/Joshua13-24/Joshua21.1-7_Special_Calling.html

The purpose of the tribe of Levite Tribe in the wilderness:
(www.koinoniafellowship.com/audio-video/message/joshua-20-21.html)

1. All throughout the forty years of the wilderness period of Israel's history, the tribe of Levi primarily served the worship life of the nation.
2. They always camped the closest to the tabernacle, literally surrounding the tabernacle as it moved through the wilderness.
3. They were gifted by God to minister to The Lord and His people in the tabernacle.
4. The Levites had responsibility for transporting the ark of the covenant from place to place. Even those who moved the furniture of the tabernacle had to be called by God to do it.
5. Remember, when the nation crossed the Jordan River, it was the Levites who stood all day in the bed of the Jordan River and held the Ark of the Covenant high.
6. The Levites were in charge of maintaining the tabernacle itself with all its cords and curtains and coverings.
7. They had responsibility for all of the sacred furniture of the tabernacle, all the vessels for worship and sacrifice, and all the poles and boards and bars that held the tent up.

The purpose of the Levites, now that they were in the Promised Land:
(www.koinoniafellowship.com/audio-video/message/joshua-20-21.html)

1. The tabernacle wasn't moving anymore; it was going to be settled first in Shiloh and later in Jerusalem.
2. They would serve in the temple, that place of unified corporate worship in the life of the nation.
3. They would assist in all of the great annual feasts and festivals, the high holy days for the nation.
4. They would lead musical worship in great choirs and orchestras, and become composers of psalms and hymns of praise for the nation.
5. They would be part of the sacrificial system as the problem with sin was dealt with in the life of the nation.

Why scatter them throughout the nation?
(www.koinoniafellowship.com/audio-video/message/joshua-20-21.html)

1. We see from Joshua 21, that God intended them to live in cities throughout the nation.
2. God didn't want the Levites concentrated around Shiloh, or eventually around Jerusalem.
3. Why? God ordained this so that they could model worship as a lifestyle and teach it as they traveled back and forth between their hometowns and the temple.
4. In addition to their worship leadership, they were to become living examples to the rest of the nation.
5. It made clear that the Levites didn't own the forty-eight Levitical cities or the grazing land around the cities.
6. They simply were to live in those cities side-by-side with the members of the tribes that owned the respective territories.

1 Chronicles 6:45-81 also lists the Levitical cities, but there are some differences because of changes in the city names. There were 48 Levitical cities, of which 6 were also cities of refuge. Each of the tribes contributed 4 cities, except Judah and Simeon, who together contributed 9 and Naphtali who contributed 3. The descendants of the three sons of Aaron (Kohath, Gershon and Marari) were assigned to the 48 cities, although other Jews also lived in them. Numbers 26:62 states there were 23,000 Levites before Israel entered the land.

Instead of receiving a whole portion of land, they would receive a city and a certain portion of its outlying areas to feed their flocks. They could not expand but were limited to their cities. We find that they were fairly equally distributed over the land of Israel, on both sides of the Jordan.

Aaron and the priests were descended from Kohath (Kohathites). Kohath means "congregation or obedient ". The Hebrew word for "priest" is "kohen", a word that continues today in the family name "Cohen". Kohath (verses 4-5) is first described, though second born. It seems that the more honored positions received their portions closer to Jerusalem, though it is not stated here. Aaron’s descendants received 13 cities all around Jerusalem which would later become the capital of Israel. Other Kohathites received a portion a bit further north. Only the Kohathites were responsible for the ark, sanctuary and its duties (Numbers 3:31-32).

Gershon’s descendants (verse 6) received cities in the northern part near where Jesus grew up in Galilee. They were responsible for the tabernacle’s coverings and screens (Numbers 3:25-26).

Merari’s descendants (verse 7) received property also in the north on both sides of the Jordan. They were responsible for the frames of the tabernacle (Numbers 3:36).

God redeemed Israel. He saved them from the angel of death at a cost. They were saved from death, but now they belonged to Him. The Lord later said that instead of taking the firstborn of each family as his own, he would take the whole tribe of Levi. The Levites were now His own. No one else could do what they were appointed to do. This special privilege was kept sacred and special. Later King Saul was severely reprimanded for making a sacrifice on an altar.

The Book of Joshua is about God redeeming the Land and is His next step in redeeming all creation.

What then was God’s special plan for the Levites? God’s representatives were scattered all about Israel, whether it was on the west bank or east bank of Israel. It didn’t matter if they were in the north or the south. The Levites would have various towns and the pasture lands around those towns. They were to be the "salt" of Israel.

• Matthew 5:13: “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

RELEVANT VERSES:

• Numbers 3:45: “Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the Lord.
• Numbers 35:1-8: While Israel was camped beside the Jordan on the plains of Moab across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses, “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites from their property certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands. These towns will be for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock. The pastureland assigned to the Levites around these towns will extend 1,500 feet from the town walls in every direction. Measure off 3,000 feet outside the town walls in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center. This area will serve as the larger pastureland for the towns. “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, where a person who has accidentally killed someone can flee for safety. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. In all, forty-eight towns with the surrounding pastureland will be given to the Levites. These towns will come from the property of the people of Israel. The larger tribes will give more towns to the Levites, while the smaller tribes will give fewer. Each tribe will give property in proportion to the size of its land.”
• Deuteronomy 33:10: They teach your regulations to Jacob; they give your instructions to Israel. They present incense before you and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.
• Joshua 14:3-4: Moses had already given a grant of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River, but he had given the Levites no such allotment. The descendants of Joseph had become two separate tribes—Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in with surrounding pasturelands for their livestock and all their possessions.
• 2 Chronicles 17:6-9: He was deeply committed to the ways of the Lord. He removed the pagan shrines and Asherah poles from Judah. In the third year of his reign Jehoshaphat sent his officials to teach in all the towns of Judah. These officials included Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah. He sent Levites along with them, including Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah. He also sent out the priests Elishama and Jehoram. They took copies of the Book of the Law of the Lord and traveled around through all the towns of Judah, teaching the people.
• Jeremiah 33:20-22: “This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”
• Ephesians 1:3-4: All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
• 1 Peter 2:5,9: And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. ... you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
• Revelation 1:5-6: and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

(1) Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.

• Why did the Levites have to remind the leaders of Israel that they were to set aside cities for them, especially when the cities of refuge had already been assigned? Notice that that their inheritance is based not on works but on grace - as is ours (Ephesians 2:8-9)! The principal of compensating ministers for the Lord apply today too:
  • 1 Corinthians 9:14: In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.

(2) They came to them at *Shiloh in the land of Canaan and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our **livestock.”

• *Shiloh became really sort of the first capital city in the new land. Later the capital was moved to Jerusalem but in the beginning, Shiloh was the place where the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle were established.
• **livestock: All of the Israelites were required to pay a "tithe" (10% of their income) to the Levites. That payment was often in the form of animals. The Levites needed places to live and places to keep their animals that were given to them.

(3) So by the command of the Lord the people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own grants of land.

(4) The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the *Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

• *Kohathite clan:
• Aaron was from that family, and his family (the priests) were given thirteen cities by lot, from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. This was appropriate, for Jerusalem (God's center) was on the borders of Judah and Benjamin, and Simeon was included in Judah. Thus, the priests would be near to God's sanctuary, to do service there. The priests were (typically) the worshipers, so that in the service of God they came first. The rest of the Kohathites were given ten cities by lot in Ephraim, Dan and Manasseh. Their service was connected with those things that speak directly of Christ, caring for the furnishings of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:4-15), so that Kohath's ministry would involve the blessedness of the position that all believers have "in Christ."
• The family of Kohath was the family from which the high priest should come. At this point, Shiloh was the place where the ark of the covenant which was in the area of Benjamin. But, at this point, little did they know that God would ultimately choose the city of Jerusalem to place His name. By giving them the thirteen cities to Kohath, it kept them near the place where the temple was ultimately to be built and the place where God was to be worshipped. And so God shows His advance work by having the lot for Kohath to come in this area.

(5) The other families of the Kohathite clan were allotted ten towns from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

(6) The clan of *Gershon was allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

• *Gershon: was the first son of Levi. Gershonites were given thirteen cities by lot from Issachar, Asher and Naphtali and the half tribe of Manasseh east of Jordan. Gershon means "a stranger there," speaking of that service for God that does not settle down in the world, but serves God without selfish, material motives. Gershon's service was connected with the curtains and coverings of the tabernacle, the hangings for the door and for the court. Thus the spiritual significance of Gershom's service is that of encouraging a godly walk through a world in which we are strangers, a walk that honors God, though the world does not understand.

(7) The clan of *Merari was allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

• *Merari was Levi's youngest son. The descendants of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulon, with surrounding lands (verses7-8). The service of Merari involved caring for the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars and sockets, pegs and cords with all their furnishings (Numbers 4:29-32). The boards speak of believers joined together by bars and sockets, and the pillars, of believers holding up hangings, etc. All of this indicates not only the walk of believers personally through the world, but of their united testimony as joined together by the power of the Spirit of God.

(8) So the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s command to Moses and assigned these towns and pasturelands to the Levites by casting sacred lots.

(9) The Israelites gave the following towns from the tribes of Judah and Simeon

• All the cities except Ain in verse 16 were in the territory which later became the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Levites had been distributed throughout the land but those in the northern area fled to Judah after the apostasy of Jeroboam.
  • 2 Chronicles 11:14: The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons would not allow them to serve the Lord as priests.

(10) to the descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, since the sacred lot fell to them first:

(11) Kiriath-arba (that is, *Hebron), in the hill country of Judah, along with its surrounding pasturelands. (Arba was an ancestor of Anak.)

• *Hebron is one of the most ancient cities in the world still existing. It was originally called Kirjath-Arba, " The city of Arba." It was afterwards known as Mamre. The area was long the favorite camping-ground of the patriarchs. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob dwelt here, and it was here that Abraham bought a tomb - the Cave of Machpelah. After the occupation of the land by the Israelites, Hebron became one of the cities of refuge. It was David's first capital.
  • 2 Samuel 2:1-4, 11: After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes,” the Lord replied. Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered. David’s two wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. So David and his wives and his men and their families all moved to Judah, and they settled in the villages near Hebron. Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. When David heard that the men of Jabesh-gilead had buried Saul, David made Hebron his capital, and he ruled as king of Judah for seven and a half years.
  • 2 Samuel 5:5: He had reigned over Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months, and from Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.
  • 1 Kings 2:11: David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

(12) But the open fields beyond the town and the surrounding villages were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.

(13-16) The following towns with their pasturelands were given to the descendants of Aaron the priest: Hebron (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and *Beth-shemesh—nine towns from these two tribes.

• *Beth-shemesh (house of the sun). This point is clearly determined by the account of the return of the ark by the Philistine lords from Ekron (1 Samuel 6:9-19). They returned the ark to Beth-shemesh,

(17-18) From the tribe of Benjamin the priests were given the following towns with their pasturelands: Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon—four towns.

• Anathoth: Jeremiah would be born there. It suffered greatly from the army of Sennacherib, and only 128 men returned to it from the Exile (Nehemiah 7:27; Ezra 2:23). It lay about 3 miles north of Jerusalem.

(19-21) So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were given to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. The rest of the Kohathite clan from the tribe of Levi was allotted the following towns and pasturelands from the tribe of Ephraim: *Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Gezer,

• *Shechem (shoulder) was the first spot where Abraham pitched his tent after entering Canaan. It was a prominent place in the days of the Patriarchs, and is frequently mentioned in the Book of Genesis. It became, four centuries later, the first great gathering place of the Israelites after their occupation of the Promised Land. (Joshua 8:30-35.) It was the first capital of the kingdom of Israel. It was called by the Romans Neapolis, and the Arabs have corrupted this into Nablus, its modern name. Near the city is the well at which Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman. Jacob's well and the tomb of Joseph are also close by in the valley.  Here also Jacob "bought a parcel of a field at the hands of the children of Hamor" after his return from Mesopotamia, and settled with his household, which he purged from idolatry by burying the teraphim of his followers under an oak tree, which was afterwards called "the oak of the sorcerer" (Genesis 33:19; 35:4; Judges 9:37). Here too, after a while, he dug a well, which bears his name to this day (John 4:5, 39-42). To Shechem Joshua gathered all Israel "before God," and delivered to them his second parting address (Joshua 24:1-15).

(22-24) Kibzaim, and Beth-horon—four towns. The following towns and pasturelands were allotted to the priests from the tribe of Dan: Eltekeh, Gibbethon, *Aijalon, and Gath-rimmon—four towns.

• *Aijalon (place of deer or gazelles) was a city west of Jerusalem and below the hills, in the low lands. The Danites failed to take it from the Amorites (Judges 1:35), although the men of Ephraim enslaved its inhabitants. Here Saul and Jonathan won a great victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 14:31). At one time it was held by the tribe of Benjamin (1 Chronicles 8:13). Rehoboam fortified it against the kingdom of Israel (2 Chronicles 11:10). In the days of King Ahaz it was captured by the Philistines (2 Chronicles 28:18). Its antiquity goes back to the Tell el-Amarna Letters, in which it is mentioned.

(25-38) The half-tribe of Manasseh allotted the following towns with their pasturelands to the priests: Taanach and Gath-rimmon—two towns. So in all, ten towns with their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clan. The descendants of Gershon, another clan within the tribe of Levi, received the following towns with their pasturelands from the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone) and Be-eshterah—two towns. From the tribe of Issachar they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En-gannim—four towns. From the tribe of Asher they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob—four towns. From the tribe of Naphtali they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), Hammoth-dor, and Kartan—three towns. So in all, thirteen towns with their pasturelands were allotted to the clan of Gershon. The rest of the Levites—the Merari clan—were given the following towns with their pasturelands from the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal—four towns. From the tribe of Reuben they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath—four towns. From the tribe of Gad they received the following towns with their pasturelands: Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for those who accidentally killed someone), *Mahanaim,

• *Mahanaima ("Two camps or hosts") near the Jabbok, beyond Jordan, where Jacob was met by the "angels of God," and where he divided his retinue into "two hosts" on his return from Padan-aram (Genesis 32:2). This name was afterwards given to the town which was built at that place. Here, Saul's son Ishbosheth reigned (2 Samuel 2:8, 12), while David reigned at Hebron. Here also, after a troubled reign, Ishbosheth was murdered by two of his own bodyguards (2 Samuel 4:5-7), who brought his head to David at Hebron, but were, instead of being rewarded, put to death by him for their cold-blooded murder. Many years after this, when he fled from Jerusalem on the rebellion of his son Absalom, David made Mahanaim his headquarters, and here he mustered his forces which were led against the army that had gathered around Absalom. It was while sitting at the gate of this town that tidings of the great and decisive battle between the two hosts and of the death of his son Absalom reached him (2 Samuel 17:24-27).

(39) *Heshbon, and Jazer—four towns.

• *Heshbon ("reckoning"). Heshbon was originally a Moabite town, and when the Israelites arrived from Egypt it was ruled over by Sihon, called both "king of the Amorites" and "king of Heshbon." The city was taken by the Israelites (Joshua 13:21,26). Heshbon, now Hesban, is twenty miles East of Jordan and 4000 feet above the stream as it enters the Dead Sea.

(40-43) So in all, twelve towns were allotted to the clan of Merari. The total number of towns and pasturelands within Israelite territory given to the Levites came to forty-eight. Every one of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it. So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.

• Between verses 42 and 43, the Septuagint (translation into Greek) adds "And Joshua ceased dividing the land . . . and the children of Israel gave a portion to Joshua: they gave him the city which he asked: they have him Thamnasachar in the mount of Ephriam. . . . And Joshua took the knives of stone, wherewith he circumcised the children of Israel that were born in the desert by the way and put them in Thamnaschar."
• The land was theirs even though they weren't occupying it. They were to move in gradually Exodus 23:30.
• God had promised four hundred and seventy-five years earlier to Abraham as he stood at Bethel and he looked to the north, southeast and west: After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. (Genesis 13:14-15). It is now four hundred and seventy-five years later and God has now kept His word. And standing again at Bethel at this point, every direction as far as you could see were inhabited by the tribes of Israel.

(44) And the Lord gave them *rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies.

• *Rest: The nations around them were leaving them in peace but God intended them to become righteous and at peace with Him. Thus their failure is seen in Hebrews 4:1;8: God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come.

(45) Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.

The Lord fulfilled His promise. Yes, there were parts that still needed to be conquered. God pointed them out to them. But, the land as a whole was given to them. They had rest on every side. Not one of their enemies could stand against them. That every promise that God made to them was important. What the ten unbelieving spies at Kadesh Barnea said could never happen did happen because Joshua and the people believed God and obeyed His Word.

God's promises did come true, but only to the point that the Israelites were willing to be obedient. Many, if not most, of God's promises are conditional. We must do our part in order for Him to do His part. The Israelites were unwilling to utterly destroy those that God commanded them to. As a result they later paid the price. But the promises where they kept their part of God's covenant, He kept His.

The very fact that Israel exists as a nation today is a testimony to the faithfulness of God in keeping His word. Read Ezekiel chapters 35-37, where God promises that in the last day, He will gather again His people who have been scattered all over the world.

Remember that the Israelite "priests" were a subset of the Levites. All of the Israelite priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. The Levites who were not priests were the "supporting casts" in that they helped the priests in their duties. It was the job of all the Levites to know God's laws and in particular, know the laws in relation to their particular duties. God held the Levites to a higher standard of knowing "right from wrong" (i.e., knowing God's laws) then the rest of the Israelites.

APPLICATION and LESSONS to LEARN:

1. Like the Levites, God has sprinkled His true believers amongst the unbelievers. He did not mean for us to separate ourselves and be like monks. We are to be like salt to restrain evil. We might think of the way salt is distributed throughout meat to preserve it. The meat is only preserved if the salt is rubbed into it. Let people know you are a Christian. Of course, then you cannot easily compromise. Everyone is watching you, expecting you to fail, hoping you won't.
2. We are also to be like light. Light to be effective must not be covered. Light stands for the revealing of truth. It goes along with the former. Jesus teaches both of them at the same time. The Levites would be distributed over all the land so that people would be reminded how they should live. The Christian is not only to keep the world from getting worse by being holy but also to bring God’s truth into the lives of others. If someone is sick or has a special need at work, we can on behalf of that person pray to the eternal and mighty God. People have a lot of needs. They pretend to be cool when they are with the majority of the people, but when they can find someone that they can trust, they share their heart. We might hear of the great needs of a person’s heart. Then as God’s priests we can both share what God thinks about such things and then pray for them. God spreads us throughout the world so that we can allow God’s love and light shine to all through our lives.
3. Unless we understand God’s plan, we will always misunderstand our circumstances!
4. If you really want to prove the truth of God and His Word, dare to live it out. First of all, become committed to Christ. You must resolve your purpose in life. Whom do you choose to live for? Secondly, start living as salt and light. We need to speak when our Lord prompts us. God has work for each one of us.
5. What has the Lord called you to do?
6. What "territory" has the Lord given you to minister?
7. Why did He plant you where you are today?
8. There were cities of Levites in each tribe. This shows us that God’s heart has always been for ALL His people, not simply for an elite that serve Him exclusively and on behalf of all the rest of the people. None of the people of Israel would have to travel far for moral guidance, for spiritual teaching and direction, or for a sense of connection to God. It was among them. Our role as believers in our world is to function the same way – to be in the midst of people seeking God.
9. The geography suggests that these cities were to be cities of witness, constantly reminding the unbelieving nations all around Israel about God who had saved that nation out of bondage in Egypt, sustained them in the wilderness, brought them into the land and led them in the conquest of the land he gave them. That's what we're to be! We are to be a place of witness to people in our community.
10. As the Levites were placed to be a witness to the unsaved nations around them, we are to be a presence in our communities for Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:20: So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
11. When we get close to people in our communities, and they are able to get close to us, they're going to see the credibility of our witness because of our Christ-likeness, or they'll see the hypocrisy of our lives!
12. Colossians 3:12-17: Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

NOTES:

• Unless otherwise noted, the scripture version used is the New Living Translation.
• Sources and References are on line at: http://joshua-biblestudy.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-references-and-sources.html