In this chapter, the Levites received land from the other tribes that the Lord promised them. The chapter begins, “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. They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The Lord instructed Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our cattle.” So by the command of the Lord the Levites were given as their inheritance the following towns with their pasturelands.” (Joshua 21:1-2)
The chapter continues, “The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan within the tribe of Levi, were given thirteen towns that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. The other families of the Kohathite clan were allotted ten towns from the territories of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
The clan of Gershon received thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
The clan of Merari received twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. So the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s command to Moses and assigned these towns and pasturelands to the Levites by casting sacred lots.” (Joshua 21:4-8)
The rest of the chapter identifies the specific towns, villages, and pasturelands given to each of the Levite clans and the priests. “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they conquered it and settled there. 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. All of the good promises that the Lord had given Israel came true.” (Joshua 21:43-45)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for always keeping your promises to us, and if we put you first, you will give us rest on every side. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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