When we enter into the refuge of God we gain confidence because we can know that God is righteous and He will not let the wicked prosper. God will judge the intentions of all men and His anger will be kindled against the wickedness of the ungodly. How do we guard ourselves from the wickedness of our sinful nature? The sinful nature within each of us needs to be put to death once for all through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Only by His atonement can we be freed from the bondage of sin. As we cling to God we will be regenerated and the old paths we dwelt on will be tread less and less. Dependance upon God is the only way that hope can flourish in our lives are proven to be inadequate.

I encourage you to give up striving to live a life of perfection and let the Tide of Love extended from calvary overtake you and cleanse you from within. The grace that is at work will redeem, renew and restore you from the state of brokenness that eats away at your heart, mind, soul and strength. Will you accept the gift of God? Will you find your hope in Him? Will you?

In my post on Joshua 17 and 18 I wondered about the future of leadership of the Israelites. It was easy for me to imagine that once the people of Israel separated after entering the promised land they were on their own, but as I read chapter 21 it became apparent that God was placing leadership all throughout the promised land. When the Israelites laid out the camp in the wilderness the Levites camped “around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel.” Numbers 2:17  They stood between the Israelites and God’s wrath just as Jesus Christ is our mediator between God and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The Levites were given cities to dwell in and land to farm from among the inheritance the tribes of Israel. How was God using the Levites by placing them in all the cities throughout the promised land? Does this symbolize something similar to Numbers 2? The Levites also lived in the Cities of Refuge so they were used to protect the people who sought refuge and also hear the accusation. I love the verses at the end of Joshua 21 because they give a feel of what things were like.

So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He has sworn to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

Joshua 21:43-45

Do you ever jump to conclusions or have your mind made up before you even hear about an event? All too often it is easy to build up preconceived notions, ideas, and prejudices about people and situations. The time of departure for the tribes who claimed their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan to comes in chapter 22. Joshua exhorts the men to “be very careful to observe the commandments and the lay which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5 As the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh were heading home, near the Jordan river, they built a larger altar. The other sons of Israel thought that these men were already turning away from God. They were preparing to go to war because of the altar that was built. After Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, confronted the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh it was found out that the altar was not built for sacrifice but as a marker, memory, and witness to the tribes set apart from the rest of Israel across the Jordan that they are a to be in service to God. These men were concerned about how to instill a faith in God throughout the generations to come. It is all too easy to believe that we are able to build up our legacy for the future apart from God but in the end we need signs that point to God and our need for Him. This is exactly what the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh did on the shore of the Jordan. Lord please grant me the ability to build up markers that witness to your faithfulness to the generations that proceed after me.

The sons of Simeon received their inheritance from a portion of the territory which had been given to the sons of Judah had because it was too large for them. Why was it necessary to keep the cities occupied? Did the land and cites need to be occupied because they needed to be defended and maintained?

The sons of Dan received a territory but that increased because they fought the inhabitants of the land. Why do some of the sons of Israel drive out the inhabitants of the land and others choose not to? It is important to remember the word’s God spoke through Moses in Numbers 33:54-56, “You shall inherit the land by lot according to your families; to the larger you shall give more inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give less inheritance. Wherever the lot falls to anyone, that shall be his. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come about that those whom you let remain of them will become as pricks in your eyes and as thorns in your sided, and they will trouble you in the land in which you live.  And as I plan to do to them, so I will do to you.” It is clearly told that if the sons of Israel do not drive out the inhabitants of the land they inherit it will become a stumbling block and a thorn in their side. The place where the sons of Israel dwelt and lived needed to be free from stumbling blocks but the inhabitants that were left were left there caused problems. How does this apply to our lives to day? What things have you allowed into your house? Are these things a prick in your eye or a thorn in your side? The things that dwell within our lives need to be cast out just as the sons of Israel needed to cast out the inhabitants of the land.

The cities of refuge which were discussed in Numbers and Deuteronomy are established in Joshua chapter 20. I still find encouragement and amazement when I think about a city of refuge. The word refuge is not used too often in the culture today. What do you take refuge in? The image that fills my mind when I think of refuge is a warm blanket that I am wrapping around myself. I think the one thing that I take refuge in is Jesus Christ. He is the true place that I will find rest, peace, and hope for tomorrow.

Who fights for you? What strength is used to fight your battles? As I read Deuteronomy chapter 20 I saw a clear picture of the mindset of the Israelites when they were preparing for battle. The officers of the army go through the men and ask who of them is wholly ready for  battle. If there was anything that was holding them back from fighting they were told to stay home. The victory in battle was not in the number of men that could be fielded in battle but only upon God could victory be assured. I think about the battles that I wage in my own walk to follow God’s commands. Do I feel that my ability and skill are what allow me to overcome stumbling blocks? It is all too easy for me to forget that God is more than able enable me to overcome my battles. I need to rest in God’s power not mine just as the Israelite army did in chapter 20.

The book of Numbers concludes with chapter 36 with more discussion on inheritance among the people of Israel, namely the families of the sons of Joseph. Would a woman who obtained an inheritance from her father marry into a different tribe and so take the inheritance away from her family? It seems like such a trivial question by todays way of life but when land is all that you have and it is a precious inheritance you want to keep that land intact for your descendants. Moses tells the people of Israel that women will marry only people from their tribe and families so that there will be no transfer of inheritances.