Bible Reading Plan

Author: Jon Green

  • Judges 5

    Judges 5

    Read Judges 5

    The Song of Deborah

    5 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song:

    2 “When the princes in Israel take the lead,
        when the people willingly offer themselves—
        praise the Lord!

    3 “Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
        I, even I, will sing to the Lord;
        I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.

    4 “When you, Lord, went out from Seir,
        when you marched from the land of Edom,
    the earth shook, the heavens poured,
        the clouds poured down water.
    5 The mountains quaked before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
        before the Lord, the God of Israel.

    6 “In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,
        in the days of Jael, the highways were abandoned;
        travelers took to winding paths.
    7 Villagers in Israel would not fight;
        they held back until I, Deborah, arose,
        until I arose, a mother in Israel.
    8 God chose new leaders
        when war came to the city gates,
    but not a shield or spear was seen
        among forty thousand in Israel.
    9 My heart is with Israel’s princes,
        with the willing volunteers among the people.
        Praise the Lord!

    10 “You who ride on white donkeys,
        sitting on your saddle blankets,
        and you who walk along the road,
    consider 11 the voice of the singers at the watering places.
        They recite the victories of the Lord,
        the victories of his villagers in Israel.

    “Then the people of the Lord
        went down to the city gates.
    12 ‘Wake up, wake up, Deborah!
        Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
    Arise, Barak!
        Take captive your captives, son of Abinoam.’

    13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
        the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
    14 Some came from Ephraim, whose roots were in Amalek;
        Benjamin was with the people who followed you.
    From Makir captains came down,
        from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s staff.
    15 The princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
        yes, Issachar was with Barak,
        sent under his command into the valley.
    In the districts of Reuben
        there was much searching of heart.
    16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens
        to hear the whistling for the flocks?
    In the districts of Reuben
        there was much searching of heart.
    17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan.
        And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
    Asher remained on the coast
        and stayed in his coves.
    18 The people of Zebulun risked their very lives;
        so did Naphtali on the terraced fields.

    19 “Kings came, they fought,
        the kings of Canaan fought.
    At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,
        they took no plunder of silver.
    20 From the heavens the stars fought,
        from their courses they fought against Sisera.
    21 The river Kishon swept them away,
        the age-old river, the river Kishon.
        March on, my soul; be strong!
    22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
        galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.
    23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
        ‘Curse its people bitterly,
    because they did not come to help the Lord,
        to help the Lord against the mighty.’

    24 “Most blessed of women be Jael,
        the wife of Heber the Kenite,
        most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
    25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;
        in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
    26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
        her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
    She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
        she shattered and pierced his temple.
    27 At her feet he sank,
        he fell; there he lay.
    At her feet he sank, he fell;
        where he sank, there he fell—dead.

    28 “Through the window peered Sisera’s mother;
        behind the lattice she cried out,
    ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
        Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
    29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
        indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
    30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:
        a woman or two for each man,
    colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
        colorful garments embroidered,
    highly embroidered garments for my neck—
        all this as plunder?’

    31 “So may all your enemies perish, Lord!
        But may all who love you be like the sun
        when it rises in its strength.”

    Then the land had peace forty years.

    Go Deeper

    This chapter is commonly referred to as “Deborah’s Song.” This poetic piece is a song of victory coming off of the defeat of Sisera and his army in the previous chapter. In their plight, Deborah and Barak praise the Lord for His faithfulness and action on their behalf.

    One theme we notice early on throughout this song is that of the “willing volunteers.” The poets call the people to “praise the Lord” (v. 2) in response to those willing and faithful people who offer themselves. That call is echoed in verse nine. From there, we read example after example of those who were faithful in aligning with the Lord’s work in freeing Israel from their oppressors. We see the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, Issachar, and Naphtali were all willing volunteers for the Lord’s cause. The tribes and the surrounding creation served the Lord in this liberation of His people. “From the heavens the stars fought, from their courses they fought against Sisera. The river Kishon swept them away” (v. 20-21).

    We can pick up on a theme that is present throughout Judges. The people who stood with God in the battle to free His people are the ones who love the Lord and accept the reality they are His. People like Jael, someone who likely never thought she’d be involved in the battle, played an integral role in finishing the fight. Even Barak, who we see was reluctant in Judges 4, accepts this call to stand with the Lord. In contrast with those who stood against the Lord (or did nothing), we see these willing volunteers.

    What does this mean for us today? As we see throughout this song, it is ultimately God who seeks His people and saves them from evil. So why should Israel’s leaders and people do anything? He invites us to be active participants because He deeply wants us to be along with Him for the adventure! He calls us to follow Him because He genuinely wants us to join Him. He doesn’t need us. He doesn’t tolerate us. He desires us as the loving Father He is. There is somewhere He wants to work where He calls you to join. How will you respond?

    Questions

    1. Reflect on a time where the Lord asked you to “join in” on His work in the world. How did you respond?
    2. In light of that response, what are you glad you did? What could you have done differently?
    3. In what ways do you believe the Lord is calling you to “join in” in your everyday life? How can you learn from the past?

    By the Way

    In Hebrews 11, what is often referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” the author of Hebrews is sharing Biblical examples of those who lived by faith. Look at Hebrews 11:32. While he only gets mentioned by name, notice that Barak made it in. Even in his hesitance, the outcome was living in faith. If you’ve ever felt like Barak, don’t be afraid, he still is remembered as a man who walked in faith.

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  • Judges 4

    Judges 4

    Read Judges 4

    Deborah

    4 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, now that Ehud was dead. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. Sisera, the commander of his army, was based in Harosheth Haggoyim. 3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the Lord for help.

    4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. 5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided. 6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”

    8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

    9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 There Barak summoned Zebulun and Naphtali, and ten thousand men went up under his command. Deborah also went up with him.

    11 Now Heber the Kenite had left the other Kenites, the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ brother-in-law, and pitched his tent by the great tree in Zaanannim near Kedesh.

    12 When they told Sisera that Barak son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor, 13 Sisera summoned from Harosheth Haggoyim to the Kishon River all his men and his nine hundred chariots fitted with iron.

    14 Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” So Barak went down Mount Tabor, with ten thousand men following him. 15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.

    16 Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim, and all Sisera’s troops fell by the sword; not a man was left. 17 Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was an alliance between Jabin king of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite.

    18 Jael went out to meet Sisera and said to him, “Come, my lord, come right in. Don’t be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket.

    19 “I’m thirsty,” he said. “Please give me some water.” She opened a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

    20 “Stand in the doorway of the tent,” he told her. “If someone comes by and asks you, ‘Is anyone in there?’ say ‘No.’”

    21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.

    22 Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple—dead.

    23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites. 24 And the hand of the Israelites pressed harder and harder against Jabin king of Canaan until they destroyed him.

    Go Deeper

    A lot happens in today’s reading, so before jumping into what the passage means let’s quickly review our characters. Jabin is the Caananite king ruling over Israel, Sizer is his army commander, Deborah is our current resident judge and prophet, Barak is the leader of Israel’s troops, and Heber and Jael are two Israelites who pitched their tent away from the other members of the tribes. There are a lot of people and moving pieces, so when needed, refer back to this list to keep straight who is doing what. With this knowledge, reread today’s passage, keeping track of who does what.

    The first verse of this chapter has a phrase that we will be seeing a lot over the next few weeks: “The Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight.” An important word in that phrase is “again.” This has already happened (and will continue to happen throughout the rest of this book and the history of Israel). They were wicked and disobedient people, who really only turned to God when they absolutely needed it. When reading over Israel’s constant failures, we can be reminded of our own shortcomings and need for God’s mercy and grace. His repeated short-term redemption in this book serves to prove His unconditional and reckless love for us, and point to His long term redemption plan fulfilled in Jesus.

    This chapter also shows God’s ability and desire to use anyone who is available and willing  to be used. It would be a miss to ignore the fact that Deborah was a female, and not just that, but the only female judge in the book. There are many examples of God-fearing women being vessels for the Lord throughout the Bible, doing what it took to protect His people and His promises, and the women mentioned in Judges 4 are no exception. God uses whoever He wants, whenever He wants. While reading the rest of the book of Judges, pay close attention to the traits that make each judge unique and different from the other judges that God used to protect and lead His people. 

    Questions

    1. Who was your favorite character in today’s reading? Why?
    2. What does this chapter teach us about humanity?
    3. What does this chapter teach us about God?

    By The Way

    This victory against Jabin and Sizer was so great that King David references it in Psalm 83:9- “Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon.”

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  • Judges 3

    Judges 3

    Read Judges 3

    3 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

    5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

    Othniel

    7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 9 But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

    Ehud

    12 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13 Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.

    15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

    The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

    20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

    24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

    26 While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

    28 “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. 29 At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. 30 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

    Shamgar

    31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

    Go Deeper

    Today’s chapter is a great demonstration of the power of the Spirit of God. Each of the judges in this chapter were ordinary people, but God raised them up and used them to alter the course of a nation. How did they do this? Verse 10 says, “The Spirit of the LORD was upon him.” These judges did marvelous things because they allowed the Spirit to work through them. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. An oxgoad is a stick with a pointed end and a flat end. The pointed end was for poking an ox so it would start moving, and the flat end was used to remove dirt from the plow. An oxgoad was a normal tool used for everyday work. There is no one on earth that could take this tool and kill 600 people. But by allowing the Spirit to work through him, Shamgar did just that. If we fully surrender and allow the Spirit to work in our lives, imagine what everyday tools we could use to lead people to Jesus and glorify God.

    Judges 3 teaches us about God’s faithfulness and steadfast love. “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God” (v. 7), and so God allowed for them to be conquered and enslaved. For eight years, the people of Israel lived in slavery and never sought God. But as soon as they cried out to the Lord, He delivered them and restored Israel. After being restored, Israel forgot God again, and again He handed them over to be conquered.

    This time, it took eighteen years for them to cry out to God. Again, the Lord restored Israel. Israel had not simply made one mistake, but rather a lifetime of mistakes. Years and years of Israel spitting in God’s face and worshiping idols. But when Israel was desperate and cried out, God saved. This cycle displays God’s love and faithfulness. No one is disqualified from God’s love. Israel had been faithless for years and years. However, as soon as Israel realized their error and called out to the Lord, He was faithful. In the same way, no matter what we have done, God is quick to save. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

    Questions

    1. What is your “oxgoad” that the Lord could use in a radical way?  
    2. What will it take for you to fully surrender to the Spirit of God?  
    3. Have you ever felt unlovable? How can you remind yourself that even when you feel unlovable, God loves you so very much? 

    Pray This

    Lord, allow me to fully surrender to Your Spirit today. Give me faith like Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar so I can be used for Your good. Spirit, use my life circumstances and my oxgoad to do marvelous work for Your Kingdom. Help me to listen to and obey Your call. Posture my heart to worship You because of Your faithfulness and love, even when I do not deserve it. Remind me, Father, that You are good even when I do not always see it. Jesus, I love You and want to grow closer to You. Amen.

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  • Judges 2

    Judges 2

    Read Judges 2

    The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

    2 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’”

    4 When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, 5 and they called that place Bokim.“ There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

    Disobedience and Defeat

    6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.

    8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres“ in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

    10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

    16 Then the Lord raised up judges,“ who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

    20 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

    Go Deeper

    Yesterday we saw the failure of the tribes to eliminate the Canaanites from the Promised Land when they kept them as slaves. Today we see how that failure impacted generations of God’s chosen people. God had made a covenant with Israel to set it apart and protect its people, as long as they followed Him. But when the Israelites disobeyed God, that protection was removed. The good news? God never abandons His people; there is always redemption and forgiveness available.

    If you have read even a little bit of the Old Testament it can seem like a frustrating cycle of obedience and disobedience, over and over and over again. If we’re honest, it’s easy to slip into an attitude of judgment wondering how these people don’t learn their lesson. Just within the period of history discussed in this chapter, there are seven cycles of rebelling against God, losing His protection, finding deliverance, living under God’s authority and freedom, and once again returning to the worship of false gods like Baal. Verse 10 tells us that after Joshua died, a whole generation grew up and “neither knew the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.”

    It’s a little mind boggling to think that these are the same people that had been delivered in such miraculous ways, yet they did not teach the next generation to love and follow God. Even the relatively “small” disobedience to keep Canaanites as slaves led to the introduction of Canaanite idols in Israelite culture. The worship of these idols (the gods of fertility, love, and sensuality) led to horrors like temple prostitution and child sacrifice. Keep in mind, in Exodus 20 when God gave His people the ten commandments, God reminded the Israelites who He was, what He had done for them, and then gave the first two rules: have no other gods before Him and don’t make idols for themselves.

    While the sins of the Israelites seem like sins of a different level that we would never participate in, the root of the sin is exactly like us. The Canaanite idols seemed more attractive to God’s people, because it fed their immediate desires and cravings and offered more short-term, but misguided, benefits. They could do what they wanted, whenever they wanted, and still be in obedience to a god. And in doing so, led entire generations of people away from the very One who delivered them from bondage. If that starts to make you squirm in your seat a little bit, well you’re not alone.

    We have a responsibility to honor and love God, but also to teach the next generation to love and follow Him as well. (Deut. 6:6-9) If we don’t tell our children, grandchildren, friends and family about God and all that He has done for us, we have a perfect picture in Judges 2 of the resulting outcome: a nation of people that seek immediate gratification and that live outside the protection of their Creator. Let’s do our best to pass a love for God, His Son, and His truth to those entrusted to us today.

    Questions

    1. In what ways do you worship a false idol by feeding your immediate desires?
    2. Have any false idols in your life led those following you astray?
    3. Try to identify and name any false idols, write them down, and make action steps for removing them from your life so that you can bring up a generation of Christ-followers.

    A Quote

    “May the Lord help us to get and stay on the path of progressive sanctification–rather than the path that Israel chose of Progressive Canaanization.” Explaining the Book Commentary on Judges 2.

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  • Judges 1 + Introduction

    Judges 1 + Introduction

    Judges Preview

    The book of Judges gives us a glimpse into an interesting period in Israel’s history. At this point, Israel had no king and they instead had these “judges” appointed to oversee different factions of Israel after the death of Joshua. Dr. Thomas Constable, a retired seminary professor, describes the judges as “a cross-mixture between a mayor, a marshal, a prophet, and a general.” While God would eventually raise up kings later on in Israel’s history (see 1 Samuel), He would raise up judges in the meantime to lead Israel for specific seasons.

    A theme throughout the book of Judges is that because Israel had no king, people did what was right in their own eyes. Even though Israel had strong leadership in the past (like Moses) and God had given them the 10 Commandments (and the rest of the Law) to know how to live within God’s standards, time after time Israel wandered away from God. While the book of Joshua is the story of Israel when they (for the most part) faithfully follow God, Judges shows the inverse of that. 

    Some of the stories that we will read over the next 21 chapters will be really heavy. The consequences of sin often are. Judges is a historical account of God’s people, both the good and the bad. Try to visualize what’s going on in each chapter. Each day as you open your Bible, take good notes. Read closely and carefully, paying special attention to the sequence of events that are unfolding before you.

    As we read this book, ask yourself each day what God is trying to teach you (and us) through these stories. Why did the Holy Spirit preserve this book? What was God trying to teach Israel and what is he trying to teach us today? Sit with the characters. Sit with the stories. Let’s learn from these ancient stories today.

    Read Judges 1

    Israel Fights the Remaining Canaanites

    1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?”

    2 The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.”

    3 The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, “Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.” So the Simeonites went with them.

    4 When Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

    7 Then Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have picked up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

    8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

    9 After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills. 10 They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. 11 From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

    12 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

    14 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

    15 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

    16 The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad.

    17 Then the men of Judah went with the Simeonites their fellow Israelites and attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed the city. Therefore it was called Hormah. 18 Judah also took Gaza, Ashkelon and Ekron—each city with its territory.

    19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron. 20 As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak. 21 The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.

    22 Now the tribes of Joseph attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 When they sent men to spy out Bethel (formerly called Luz), 24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, “Show us how to get into the city and we will see that you are treated well.” 25 So he showed them, and they put the city to the sword but spared the man and his whole family. 26 He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

    27 But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth Shan or Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their surrounding settlements, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. 28 When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. 29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them. 30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalol, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor. 31 Nor did Asher drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. 32 The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out. 33 Neither did Naphtali drive out those living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath; but the Naphtalites too lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, and those living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became forced laborers for them. 34 The Amorites confined the Danites to the hill country, not allowing them to come down into the plain. 35 And the Amorites were determined also to hold out in Mount Heres, Aijalon and Shaalbim, but when the power of the tribes of Joseph increased, they too were pressed into forced labor. 36 The boundary of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

    Go Deeper

    The beginning of Judges begins where the book of Joshua leaves off: with the death of Joshua. Israel is now without a leader, but they were given marching orders prior to Joshua’s passing. Joshua instructed the Israelites to drive out any inhabitants of their territorial lands and the Israelites had renewed their covenant with God. They agreed to forsake all other gods and worship and obey Yahweh (the one, true God) alone. If only it were that easy. As we will read throughout the book of Judges, that plan went awry pretty quickly.

    Their campaign to drive out the Canaanites began with promise as Judah drove out its enemies as they were supposed to. However, a couple of quick victories were followed by a stalled effort as they encountered something they didn’t expect: iron chariots (v. 19). But it wasn’t simply that Judah was outmatched militarily. Time and time again throughout Israel’s history, God had proven that didn’t matter as long as Israel trusted Him. It was their lack of faith that led them to an incomplete obedience. They lost their confidence and settled for less than what God asked of them. From this point forward, tribe after tribe fails to complete their assignment.

    By failing to purge the Canaanites from their land, the Israelites left the door open for themselves to walk in the ways of the Canaanites instead of Yahweh. When we leave Satan a foothold or when we cohabitate with sin (even just a little bit), we leave the door open for it to take over our lives. In the very next chapter of Judges, we will see the consequences of Israel’s disobedience. What was true for them is true for us today: sin always has consequences. Disobedience, partial obedience, and even delayed obedience all fall short of the complete obedience God is asking of us. While this chapter (and the rest of Judges) will feel heavy at times, it can also serve as a warning to us that we need to heed as we learn to fully submit to the work God has called us to do.

    Questions

    1. What were God’s specific instructions for Israel to follow? Why were these so important?
    2. When has a lack of faith in your own life prevented you from fully following what God is asking to do? 
    3. Can you think of an example in your own life where you are currently being disobedient, partially obedient, or your obedience is delayed? What are steps of faithfulness you can take today?

    Watch This

    As we dive into the book of Judges, check out this overview from The Bible Project!

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  • Joshua 24

    Joshua 24

    Read Joshua 24

    The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

    1 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

    2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

    5 “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. 7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

    8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. 9 When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

    11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12 I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

    14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

    16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

    19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

    21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

    22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

    “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

    23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

    24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

    25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

    27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God.”

    28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.

    Buried in the Promised Land

    29 After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 30 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

    31 Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

    32 And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

    33 And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

    Go Deeper

    Here we are shown two necessary characteristics of the Christian life: remembrance and decisiveness. Joshua begins this chapter by describing the faithfulness of God to the Israelites.  He reminds them that God has led them out of Egypt, defeated their enemies, and now given them a new land to live in. God has been good to His people. Now with this remembrance comes the need for action. 

    Joshua is nervous that the Israelites have taken God for granted. They just assume that God is their magical genie who will work wonders for them regardless of what they do. But God will not be mocked. He will not continue to be their God if they have chosen to serve other gods. Therefore, Joshua demands decisive action from the people. Will they choose God or not?

    This same pattern should be used in our own life. One of the most effective ways to renew our passion for Jesus today is remembering what He did for us yesterday. When we recall the faithfulness of Jesus during his life and His goodness throughout our own, we are encouraged to trust Him today. This practice that Joshua leads the Israelites through is one we should do frequently. How often do you take time to write down all of the things that God has carried you through? Instead of worrying about what He’ll do next, maybe you need to remember what He’s already done. 

    And when you see His past faithfulness, you’ll have a greater trust in His future faithfulness. So take some time today and bring to mind what God has done for you.  He’s been active in your life, even from before you were born. But His activity requires an active response. He deeply desires for you to respond to His love. Choose this day to let His faithfulness to you prompt you to live faithfully to Him.

    Questions

    1. What are the “Egypts” in your own life? What has God saved you from?
    2. What keeps you from remembering God’s faithfulness to you?
    3. Just like the Israeltes, what are “gods” in your life you need to forsake so that you can more fully serve the true Lord?

    Did You Know?

    Shechem (where Joshua gathers the tribes together) is modern day Tell Balata, a city in the Palestinian West Bank. It was the site where Abraham built an altar to God in Genesis 12:6-7, as did Jacob in Genesis 33:16-20.

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  • Rest Day + Family Guide (Joshua 18-Joshua 23)

    Rest Day + Family Guide (Joshua 18-Joshua 23)

    Rest Day

    Each Sunday is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence.

    Each Rest Day, we will have an additional element to help you dig deeper. Sometimes it will be extra resources to further your study, a video to watch, or a podcast to listen to. Sometimes we’ll have a verse to commit to memorize to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. 

    If you have kids, our Family Guide will help you discuss what you’re reading and learning with them! It’s a great opportunity for your family to read God’s Word together and review what we read the previous week!

    Watch Again: The Story of Joshua

    As we near the end of Joshua, re-watch this video from The Bible Project on Joshua!

    Family Guide

    Check out this week’s Joshua 18-23 Family Guide!

  • Joshua 23

    Joshua 23

    Read Joshua 23

    Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders

    1 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, 2 summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. 3 You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. 4 Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.

    6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

    9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. 10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

    12 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, 13 then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you.

    14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. 15 But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. 16 If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.”

    Go Deeper

    What wisdom would you try to impart to the world if you knew it was your last chance? 

    This is the premise of a lecture series at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, often referred to as “The Last Lecture.” In Joshua 23, we hear Joshua give his last lecture. Verse 8,  “But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.”   

    Hold fast. It means to bear down and fight through the storm; to cling to a belief when others deliver resistance.

    For the Israelites, this meant not following in the faulty footsteps of their forefathers, who created a golden calf to worship as they had in Egypt. It meant intimately knowing and diligently following the laws from God, completely avoiding close relationships with those who worshipped other gods, and surrounding themselves with true believers. The Israelites faith was strong, but unsteady, and Joshua urged them to withstand those who sought to distract them.  

    So what does “hold fast” mean for us? Our charge is not much different than that of the Israelites, but we get Jesus! Because of Jesus and His Holy Spirit actively working in and through us, “hold fast” becomes our battle cry. We are to intimately know Jesus’ love and diligently follow His example (Matthew 16:24). Our faith is not to be damaged by the workings of this world because we know that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). The Spirit’s power enables us to love those of this world and still remain faithful and steady to the one true God. We “hold fast” by focusing our eyes and hearts on Him, not looking to the overwhelming odds against us in fear on the right or the bickering arguments of propriety in pride on the left.  

    Just hold fast to Jesus!

    Questions

    1. What do you learn and observe about the character of God in this chapter?
    2. Why do you think Joshua was so repetitive and zealous in his instructions to the Israelites to remember God and hold fast to His commands? 
    3. What situations in your life make it difficult to hold fast to Jesus? What is one action step you can take to loosen your grip on your situation and tighten your hold on Jesus?

    By the Way

    There are noticeable parallels between Joshua’s final speech and Moses’ in Deuteronomy 31. Both include urges for Israel to press on and remain faithful as they move into the future.

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  • Joshua 22

    Joshua 22

    Read Joshua 22

    Eastern Tribes Return Home

    1 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh 2 and said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. 3 For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. 4 Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

    6 Then Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. 7 (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan, and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them, 8 saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze and iron, and a great quantity of clothing—and divide the plunder from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”

    9 So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

    10 When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan.11 And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, 12 the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go to war against them.

    13 So the Israelites sent Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.

    15 When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: 16 “The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? 17 Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! 18 And are you now turning away from the Lord?

    “‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community of Israel. 19 If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things, did not wrath come on the whole community of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’” 

    21 Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: 22 “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. 23 If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.

    24 “No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.

    26 “That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ 27 On the contrary, it is to be a witness between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings. Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’

    28 “And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness between us and you.’

    29 “Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.”

    30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. 31 And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us, because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.”

    32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites. 33 They were glad to hear the report and praised God. And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

    34 And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us—that the Lord is God.

     

    Go Deeper

    The land promised to the Israelites is now established. The proverbial dust has settled. The promise fulfilled. Each tribe staying the course until the last acre of land acquired. Not one person selfishly falling behind to enjoy their secured inheritance while the rest of the tribes fought to secure theirs. A job fully done. Faithfulness to the end. Family fighting for the desired goal. Family fighting for one another. 

    Each tribe now had possession and provisions. Final exhortations and goodbyes given. The two and a half tribes that lived on the east side of the Jordan river finally sent home to enjoy and rest in their inheritance given by God. But not before Joshua’s final commendation and instruction: 

    1. Love the Lord your God.
    2. Walk in obedience to Him.
    3. Keep His commands. 
    4. Hold fast to Him.
    5. Serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 

    And as it sometimes goes with family, the goodbyes aren’t even off the tongue before fighting for our families turns to fighting with our family. 

    Misunderstandings are inevitable. Family dynamics and expectations are often layered and complicated and missed. But, we can learn and apply wisdom to our relational misunderstandings from these strange names and often confusing rituals found on the holy pages of Scripture. Like Phinehas and the representatives of the western tribes we can hold in tension a readiness to courageously take a stand against sin and a readiness to listen for understanding. Courage to confront while believing the best in another. Like the western tribes we, as believers, move toward other believers in attempts to reconcile…not assume or alienate or abandon them. 

    This is the gospel. While we were still sinners, Christ moved into our world. Hating sin and loving people. He died a death we deserve so that we may be called children and friends of God and be part of His eternal family. He taught us how to be reconcilers. Let’s put His teaching into practice.

    Questions

    1. What do you learn from Joshua’s leadership in this chapter? 
    2. Why was it so important for the Israelites to be unified in their worship to God? Why is it important for us as believers to be unified?
    3. Is there someone in your life with whom you need to make a step toward reconciliation today? What action will you take to move toward them?

    Did You Know?

    There are multiple reasons Phinehas was chosen to go confront the wayward Israelites in Gilead. Not only was he the high priest over the whole nation, but he was also a prominent figure in their war with the Midianites (Numbers 25, 31). He had a lot of credibility built up with them, so he was a logical person to send.

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  • Joshua 21

    Joshua 21

    Read Joshua 21

    Towns for the Levites

    1 Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel 2 at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, “The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.” 3 So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

    4 The first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. 5 The rest of Kohath’s descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan and half of Manasseh.

    6 The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

    7 The descendants of Merari, according to their clans, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun.

    8 So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

    9 From the tribes of Judah and Simeon they allotted the following towns by name 10 (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

    11 They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 12 But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.13 So to the descendants of Aaron the priest they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, 14 Jattir, Eshtemoa, 15 Holon, Debir, 16 Ain,Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.17 And from the tribe of Benjamin they gave them Gibeon, Geba, 18 Anathoth and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

    19 The total number of towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

    20 The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

    21 In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, 22 Kibzaim and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands—four towns. 23 Also from the tribe of Dan they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, 24 Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.25 From half the tribe of Manasseh they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.

    26 All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

    27 The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

    from the half-tribe of Manasseh,Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshterah, together with their pasturelands—two towns;

    28 from the tribe of Issachar,

    Kishion, Daberath, 29 Jarmuth and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

    30 from the tribe of Asher,

    Mishal, Abdon, 31 Helkath and Rehob, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

    32 from the tribe of Naphtali,

    Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns.

    33 The total number of towns of the Gershonite clans came to thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

    34 The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:

    from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah, 35 Dimnah and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

    36 from the tribe of Reuben,

    Bezer, Jahaz, 37 Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

    38 from the tribe of Gad,

    Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, 39 Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands—four towns in all.

    40 The total number of towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, came to twelve.

    41 The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. 42 Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.

    43 So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44 The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

    Go Deeper

    Another chapter, another division of land. This chapter begins with the Levites coming to Joshua, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel to ask for the land that God had instructed Moses to give them. Over the next forty-ish verses, we see all the ways the land was divided up. The final verse in this chapter leaves us with an important reminder that sums up much of the book of Joshua: “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” God had been faithful to the Israelites, just as He had promised. Despite Israel’s shortcomings along the way, God protected and provided for His people. 

    It’s interesting to note that the Levites weren’t given one particular plot of land like the other tribes were. Instead, they were scattered about amongst 48 different towns (and pasture lands). The Levites were the teachers and instructors of the Law. Their role was to provide spiritual counsel to the rest of the people. Instead of the Levites going off and creating their own sect of society, removed from the rest of the world, they were dispersed all throughout the land. But why? They were needed to point people back to God. They were needed to explain what the Law meant. They were needed in society.

    In the same way that the Levites were the priests who were meant to be scattered around, we too are part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). As followers of Jesus, it is our responsibility to point people towards Him. We, too, need to be living among the rest of the world, rubbing shoulders with people far from God, explaining the Scriptures and the gospel to people that need to hear it. Another way to put it: We are to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16). It would have been easier for the Levites to form their own separate nation, but that’s not the role God had for them. As tempting as it may be for us as Christians to want to pull ourselves out of society and live a life only focused on ourselves, we have been given the opportunity to take the Good News to a world that needs to hear it.

    Questions

    1. Why is it so important for us to know that all of God’s promises to Israel were fulfilled?
    2. Why was it necessary that the Levites be in close proximity to the rest of Israel?
    3. How are you using your sphere of influence to impact those around you for the Kingdom? How are you being salt and light? 

    Did You Know?

    The pasturelands referenced throughout this passage refer to the common land on the outskirts of each city that were used for the grazing of livestock.

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