SERIES G --- THE PROMISED LAND --- LESSON 21

ONE PEOPLE

THE ALTAR CALLED WITNESS

From Joshua 22

One day Joshua brought the soldiers of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh before him. Here is what he told them. ‘You have done all that Moses, Adonai’s servant, commanded you. You have also obeyed all the orders that I have given you. You have fought for your fellow Israelites for a long time and you have been careful to do what Adonai asks of you. Now there is peace, for our conquest has been successful, as Adonai promised it would be. You may go back to the land assigned to you east of the Jordan River, the land which Moses, Adonai’s servant, gave you. Continue to obey Adonai and to follow the Commandments Moses gave you, to love Adonai your YHVH and to walk in all His ways, to keep His Commandments, to go with Him always and to serve Him with all your heart and soul.’ After Joshua blessed them, he sent them away to their tents. When Moses had assigned the land to Manasseh, he had given Bashan to half of the tribe; Joshua later gave land west of the Jordan River to the other half of the tribe. When Joshua sent them away with his blessing, he said, ‘you are going home with much wealth; cattle, silver, gold, bronze, iron, beautiful clothing. Share your wealth, which you took from your enemies, with your relatives at home.’ The soldiers of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh left the people of Israel at Shiloh and journeyed toward their home in Gilead, the land which Adonai had given them through Moses. When they reached the Jordan River country, they built a large altar by the river. When the news of this large altar reached the other people of Israel, they were very angry, for they thought this was a sign of rebellion. They gathered at Shiloh and made plans to go to war against these tribes. Before going out to fight, they sent a group of ten tribal chieftains, one from each tribe, along with Phinehas, son of Eleazar the priest, to talk to the people of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. ‘Why are you turning away from Adonai?’ they demanded. ‘The people of Israel want to know! Why have you built an altar to show your rebellion against Adonai? Wasn’t the sin at Peor a lesson? We still are not completely cleansed from that sin, even though a plague came upon us. If you turn away from Adonai, don’t you realize that He will punish all of us? If the land where you live is unclean, then come back with us to Shiloh and possess land there. But don’t rebel by building a second altar when there is already the one true altar at the tabernacle at Shiloh. Didn’t Achan the son of Zerah show you how that when one-man sins, the whole congregation of Israel is punished?’ The people of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh answered the men who had come to see them. Here is what they said. ‘Adonai knows and we want Israel to know, that what we did was not rebellion. If it was, then let us die today! Let Adonai send vengeance if we built this altar as a place for offerings. No, we built this altar because we were afraid that someday your children might tell our children that they have no right to worship Adonai because we live on the other side of the Jordan River. Your children might force our children to stop worshiping Adonai. We thought we should build an altar to be a witness between us and between our children, that we also may worship Adonai. If it should ever happen that your children should say such things, then we or our children can point to the altar as a witness between us. We certainly do not want to rebel against Adonai or turn away from Him by building an altar for sacrifice in addition to the altar at the tabernacle in Shiloh.’ When Phinehas and the others heard this, they were very pleased. ‘Now we know that Adonai is in our midst,’ said Phinehas, ‘for you have not turned against Adonai. You have spared our people from sinning by going against you.’ Phinehas and the others went home to tell the people of Israel what they had learned. The Israelites were so happy to hear this report that they praised YHVH and stopped their plans to make war and destroy the land of Reuben and Gad. The people of Reuben and Gad called the altar ‘Witness,’ for they said ‘it stands as a witness between our people that Adonai is YHVH of all of us.’

COMMENTARY

MANY ALTARS, MANY YHVHS

The men from the tribes that had settled on the east side of the Jordan River faithfully fought with their brothers in the battle for Canaan. When they returned to their homes, they built a great altar near Gililoth. The altar was not for sacrifice, but was to prove to future generations that the people on the two sides of the river were one people who worshiped one god. The Israelite leaders had good reason to be frightened when they discovered the ways of their Canaanite neighbours. They were afraid that their people would adopt the religion of their Canaanite neighbours who had many altars and worshiped many gods. At prayer times, the smoke of incense drifted from the roofs and hilltops, where Canaanites set their altars. The worshipers chose high places, believing that the incense vapours carried their prayers to the gods. Often these altars were simple rectangular blocks of stone with a depression in the top to hold the incense. Far more elaborate were the incense stands of pottery or bronze. Lions, bulls and twisting snakes on these stands constantly reminded the worshiper of the life-giving strength and fertility of the gods. One common type of stand looked like a many-storied house or shrine. Windows in the sides allowed the heavy smoke to escape. After living in Canaan for many years, some Israelites began practicing Canaanite rituals. In their idol worship they even used altars that looked like the one in the tabernacle. This violated YHVH’s Commandment that His people should worship no idols.

We're studying the Torah portions this year. Please join the Zoom and participate! A sample:

Moses bowed to Jethro. When that is translated into Greek, it's proskuneo, the same word that often used for worship. It shows that showing honor is not always equated with worship.

At the end of chapter 19, in the mix of the tumult, Yahweh tells Moses to warn the people not to come up. He had just established boundaries of holiness. One would not think the people would be so bold as to encroach, but how often do we encroach on holiness?

The zoom link is at our home page. We go live at 1pm central every Shabbat. https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

We're studying the Torah portions this year. Please join the Zoom and participate! A sample:

Moses bowed to Jethro. When that is translated into Greek, it's proskuneo, the same word that often used for worship. It shows that showing honor is not always equated with worship.

At the end of chapter 19, in the mix of the tumult, Yahweh tells Moses to warn the people not to come up. He had just established boundaries of holiness. One would not think the people would be so bold as to encroach, but how often do we encroach on holiness?

The zoom link is at our home page. We go live at 1pm central every Shabbat. https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Happy Sabbath!~

Thought for Today: Shabbat February 11:

As you sit quietly in YHVH’s presence, let Him fill your heart and mind with thankfulness. This is the most direct way to achieve a thankful stance. If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at Elohiym’s Love poured out for you on the cross. Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that Love. This remembrance builds a foundation of gratitude in you, a foundation that circumstances cannot shake. As you go through this day, look for the tiny treasures strategically placed along the way. YHVH lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day. Look carefully for them and take them one-by-one. When you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a beautiful bouquet. Offer it up to YHVH with a grateful heart. Receive Elohiym’s Peace at the end of this day when you lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind.

BIBLE STUDY LESSON 20

SERIES G --- THE PROMISED LAND

CITIES FOR THE LEVITES

THE CITIES OF THE LEVITES

From Joshua 21

One day the Levites sent a delegation of their leaders to Shiloh to talk to Eleazar the priest and Joshua and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel. [Adonai gave a Command through Moses that we should receive cities where we might live, along with pasturelands for our cattle.] The people of Israel obeyed Adonai’s Command and gave the following cities, along with pasturelands, to the Levites. The cities were assigned by casting lots, as the other tribes had received their inheritance. These are the people who were Levites and their assignments:

THE PRIESTS; MEMBERS OF THE KOHATH DIVISION, DESCENDANTS OF AARON

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon: Hebron in the Judean hills {a City of Refuge, also called Kiriath-arba after Arba, the father of Anak}, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Am, Juttah and Beth-shemesh. Caleb retained the fields of Hebron, as well as its surrounding villages. These cities, along with pasturelands, were given to the Levites. From the tribe of Benjamin: Gibeon, Gaba, Anathoth and Almon, along with pasturelands.

THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE KOHATH DIVISION

From the tribe of Ephraim: Shechem {a City of Refuge}, Gezer, Kibzaim and Beth-horon. From the tribe of Dan: Elteke, Gibbethon, Aijalon and Gath-rimmon. From the half-tribe of Manasseh: Taanach and Gath-rimmon. The other members of the Kohath Division received a total of ten cities, along with surrounding pasturelands.

THE DESCENDANTS OF GERSHON

From the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan, in Bashan {a City of Refuge} and Beeshterah. From the tribe of Issachar: Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth and En-gannim. From the tribe of Asher: Mishal, Abdon, Helkath and Rehob. From the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee {a City of Refuge}, Hammoth-dor and Kartan. The descendants of Gershon received a total of thirteen cities, along with surrounding pasturelands.

THE MERARI DIVISION

From the tribe of Zebulun: Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah and Nahalal. From the tribe of Reuben: Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth and Mephaath. From the tribe of Gad: Ramoth {a City of Refuge}, Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer. There were twelve cities, along with the surrounding pasturelands, given to the Merari Division of the tribe of Levites. The total of all cities, with their pasturelands, given to the Levites was forty-eight.
Adonai’s promise to Israel, to give to Israel the land He had promised their ancestors, was fulfilled. Having conquered the land, the people of Israel settled there to live. There was peace, as Adonai had promised, for none of the other people were strong enough to fight the Israelites. Adonai helped the Israelites conquer their enemies and gave them all that He had promised. Not one promise failed; all came true.

COMMENTARY

LEVITICAL CITIES

The final act of dividing the land was to designate cities where the Levites, who served YHVH at the tabernacle, could live. With this done, the people rejoiced. Every promise that YHVH made to them had been kept! The tribe of Levi did not inherit territory. Its members were given forty-eight cities by the other tribes and they lived scattered throughout the land. But the arrangement suited their needs very well. All priests were Levites and it was their duty to teach and enforce religious Law. Living this way kept them in close touch with all of the tribes. The cities were required to be at least fifteen hundred feet in diameter. In addition, the Levites received at least fifteen hundred feet of pastureland outside the city walls. Because they had no other property, special laws protected what the Levites owned. If poverty forced an ordinary Israelite to sell his house in a walled city, he could buy it back within a year; in an un-walled town, it could be redeemed in one year or after fifty, during what was called the Jubilee Year. A Levite could always buy his property back. If he did not, then during the Jubilee Year it was returned to the Levite community as a whole. The pasturelands around the Levitical cities could not be sold for any reason whatsoever. Thus, the Levites were set apart as a special tribe among the Israelites.