March 13: Joshua 21:13 – 23:16
Lots
more town names today. Did you notice the town of Shechem in the inheritance of
the Kohathite clans? Their relative, Levi, was one of the two sons of Jacob
that killed all the men there after they raped Dinah. They obviously knew the
story – I wonder what they thought as they took over that town.
I
love verse 21:45 – every one of God’s promises were fulfilled! Oh what a
wonderful time that must have been for the people of Israel!
As
the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh are finally sent home,
Joshua’s advice if pertinent to them and to us: be careful to follow the
commandments to “love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his
commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your
soul.” (Joshua 22:5). But then comes a huge miscommunication/misunderstanding.
How
quickly we jump to conclusions without seeking the truth! The rest of the
Israelites were ready to wipe them out for building an altar, presuming they
were already worshipping other gods. While I commend the Israelites for their
avid defense of God, if they would have just asked about it there would have
been much less drama. And if the residents of the east side of the Jordan would
have communicated their intent that would have avoided a lot of chaos.
So
the men of these three tribes were on the west side of the Jordan for at least
5 years. Did they get time off to go see their families? How did the rest of
those tribes, who remained on the west, get by without the men in the prime of
their lives? How difficult was it for everyone to adjust having them back?
TOMORROW’S TEXT: Joshua 24; Judges 1-2
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