SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 14

CITIES OF SAFETY

THE LEVITICAL CITIES AND THE CITIES OF REFUGE

From Numbers 35

Adonai gave Moses further Instructions while the people of Israel remained on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from Jericho. [Tell the people that they must share their inheritance with the Levites,] Adonai said. [This inheritance will be cities where the Levites may live and surrounding lands where they may keep their cattle, flocks and other livestock. This pastureland shall extend from the wall of each Levitical city fifteen hundred feet, giving them a parcel of land around each city which is three thousand feet wide in both directions. Six of the cities which you give the Levites will become Cities of Refuge. Whenever a person kills someone, he may take refuge in one of these cities until he is proven guilty. You also shall give the Levites forty-two other cities, so there will be a total of forty-eight Levitical cities, along with the surrounding pasturelands. These cities will be scattered throughout the tribal inheritances. Larger tribes which have many cities will give more of them to the Levites, while smaller tribes will give them fewer cities. When you arrive in the land, the Cities of Refuge will be set aside for anyone who may kill someone accidentally. The relatives of the slain man may want to take revenge and try to kill the accused person. But the accused person must not be turned over to the avenger until he has had a fair trial before the people. Three Cities of Refuge will be in Canaan, west of the Jordan River and three will be east of the Jordan River. They shall be places of refuge for both Israelites and strangers, whether they are permanent residents or simply visitors in the land. There are several obvious cases of murder, such as striking one down with an instrument of iron or stone or even a weapon of wood. When such is the case, it will be considered murder and the avenger may kill the murderer when he meets him. It also will be considered murder when someone stabs another or throws something that kills another or waits in ambush to kill another or hits another man so that he dies and these things are done because of hatred or enmity. Then the avenger shall put the murderer to death when they meet. But if someone is accidentally killed by stabbing or by a stone thrown without intent to kill or in some other way without anger or malice, the congregation will judge whether or not it is murder and whether or not the avenger may kill the person who is accused. If the people judge that it was an accident and not murder, then the accused person may be protected from the avenger by living in a City of Refuge until the death of the High Priest. The man must remain in the city. If he leaves and the avenger kills him outside the City of Refuge, it will not be murder. After the High Priest dies, the man will be free to return to his home and lands. These Laws will remain in effect throughout all generations. Murderers must be put to death, but there must be more than one witness to the murder. No one may be executed because of the testimony of only one person. A murderer must die and cannot be spared by the payment of ransom. A person who has fled to a City of Refuge cannot buy his freedom to return home before the death of the High Priest. The land will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. The only just punishment for murder is execution; never a payment of money. You must not pollute the land where you will live, for I Adonai will be living there with you.”

COMMENTARY

LIFE THEY LEFT BEHIND: THE LEVITES COMPARED TO EGYPTIAN PRIESTS

When the Israelite tribes were each given territory to settle in, the tribe of Levi was not given one particular place. Instead, forty-eight cities scattered throughout the territories of the other tribes were to belong to them. Thirteen of these were especially set apart for the Levite priests, the descendants of Aaron. The land allocated to the Levites included about a mile of pastureland around each city. In this way, though they had no territory of their own, they could own livestock and farmland while they performed their duties among all the people of Israel. Six of these cities were special {Cities of Refuge.} Someone falsely accused of murder or who had murdered accidentally could find refuge there and be given a fair trial. When the Ark was taken into battle against the Philistines and captured, the Israelites began to worship at small local altars, usually set on hills and called {high places.} Aaron’s descendants, scattered throughout the land of Israel, served as the priests at those shrines. Other Levites served as judges in disputes involving matters of religious and local Laws. They were also teachers and enforcers of religious Law. Compared to the Levites in Israel, the priests of Egypt held an incredible amount of power and wealth. Whenever a pharaoh or any wealthy person built a temple or set up a fund to ensure comfort in his life after death, the Egyptian priests demanded a large share in return for maintaining the temple throughout the person’s life and promising to maintain it after his death. They asked for; and received; such things as the lands around the temple, cattle and slaves to farm the land and for themselves. Egyptian priests also owned shipyards and ships, whole towns, vineyards, orchards and sometimes took all the spoils of war. At one point in ancient Egyptian history, the priests owned one person out of every fifteen and one acre out of every eleven. The Levites in Israel were neither weak nor poor. But they did not live like masters and kings.

God is telling us women to be friends with our husbands and children.

But as strange as it sounds, I see that being friendly with my husband and children won’t come naturally to me. I must be “trained.”

Read more in today’s newsletter…
https://archive.aweber.com/new....sletter/awlist642586

THE TESTAMENT OF ISSACHAR

CHAP. II.

1 KNOW ye therefore, my children, that in the last times your sons will forsake singleness, and will cleave unto insatiable desire. [Prov 27:20]

2 And leaving guilelessness, will draw near to malice; and forsaking the commandments of the Lord, they will cleave unto Beliar. [Jeremiah 2:5-13; 15:6]

3 And leaving husbandry, they will follow after their own wicked devices, and they shall be dispersed among the Gentiles, and shall serve their enemies. [James 1:14-16]

4 And do you therefore give these commands to your children, that, if they sin, they may the more quickly return to the Lord; For He is merciful, and will deliver them, even to bring them back into their land. [1 John 5:2-4, Deut 5]

5 Behold, therefore, as ye see, I am a hundred and twenty-six years old and am not conscious of committing any sin.

6 Except my wife I have not known any woman. I never committed fornication by the uplifting of my eyes. [ Matt 5:28]

7 I drank not wine, to be led astray thereby; [Isaiah 28]

8 I coveted not any desirable thing that was my neighbour's. [Deut 5:21]

9 Guile arose not in my heart; [Psalm 32:2]

10 A lie passed not through my lips. [Exo.20:16]

11 If any man were in distress I joined my sighs with his,

12 And I shared my bread with the poor. [James 2:8-9, Prov 22:9]

13 I wrought godliness, all my days I kept truth. [Psalm 119]

14 I loved the Lord; likewise also every man with all my heart. [1 John 5:2-4]

15 So do you also these things, my children, and every spirit of Beliar shall flee from you, and no deed of wicked men shall rule over you; [Ephesians 6, James 4:7]

16 And every wild beast shall ye subdue, since you have with you the God of heaven and earth and walk with men in singleness of heart.

#churchisinapostasy #catholics #repentance #thoughtprovoking #covetousness #greed #lust #keepthecommandments #obedience #chooselife

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Goeie dag??

Hoop dit gaan goed daar met jou ??
Hier is die video opname van die skrifgedeeltes vir die week ? 
Ek glo die Woord sal ook vreugde en vrolikheid in jou en jou geliefdes se harte wees ? 
Baie seën vir die week wat voorlê?

Vrede vir jou

Thought for Today: Sunday January 29:

Being a parent is hard, every child is different and every day may bring fresh challenges. But see your child as a gift from Elohiym. He entrusted them to you. Let them know you love them, teach them right from wrong, make and spend time with them. But, be an example of faith, pray with them, read the Bible with them and let them see that Moshiach is important to you. With YHVH’s help, you can be the parent that they need – whatever the circumstances.

SERIES F --- WILDERNESS WANDERINGS --- LESSON 13

BOUNDARIES OF THE LAND

HOW THE LAND WAS TO BE DIVIDED

From Numbers 34

Once more Adonai gave Moses special Instructions which he was to share with the people of Israel. [When you enter the land of Canaan, I will give you all of it for your inheritance,] Adonai said. [This will include the entire land within these borders: The southern border, starting at the Dead Sea, will continue past the Ascent of Akrabbim, then to Zin, past a southernmost point below Kadesh-barnea. From there it will go to Hazar-addar, then on to Azmon and from there it will follow the Wadi-el-Arish {the River of Egypt} northward to the Mediterranean Sea. This entire southern section of land will stretch along the border of Edom to the Wilderness of Zin. The western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. The northern border will go eastward from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, from which you will draw a line to Hamath, then on to Zedad and Ziphron until you reach Hazar-enan. The eastern border will proceed from Hazar-enan southward to Shepham, then to Riblah on the east side of Ain. Then it will reach down until it touches the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. From there the border will proceed southward along the Jordan River until it ends at the Dead Sea. These are the borders of the land you are to possess. It is to be divided among the nine and a half tribes, except the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh, which have already received their inheritance east of the Jordan River.] Adonai also Instructed Moses concerning the leaders who would divide the land. [These are the names of the men I have chosen to divide the land. In addition to Eleazar the priest, one leader from each tribe: Caleb the son of Jephunneh from Judah, Shemuel the son of Ammihud from Simeon, Elidad the son of Chislon from Benjamin, Bukki the son of Jogli from Dan, Hanniel the son of Ephod from Manasseh, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan from Ephraim, Elizaphan the son of Parnach from Zebulun, Paltiel the son of Azzan from Issachar, Ahihud the son of Shelomi from Asher and Pedahel the son of Amminhud from Naphtali.] These were the leaders whom Adonai chose to divide the Promised Land, the land of Canaan, among the people of Israel for their inheritance.

COMMENTARY

LIFE THEY LEFT BEHIND: EGYPTIAN WARFARE

From the earliest years, Egypt had its own army. As the empire grew, it came to owe much of its power to the strength and effectiveness of the army. It was carefully organized under a chief army commander, who was either the pharaoh or his son, the crown prince. There were officers in charge of supplies, accounts, records, communication and military operations. The basic unit was the foot soldier, who fought with knife, spear, club and the like. The standard bearers and the commander of the archers were higher in rank than the regular soldiers. The charioteers were considered an elite group. Often the Egyptians would lie in hiding and ambush an enemy army, catching it by surprise. Sometimes they would blockade an armed or fortified city and put it under siege, attacking it for days on end until it surrendered. At night soldiers tried to place ladders against the city walls so they could climb into the city. Sometimes they hacked at the wall with axes, trying to break it down. Egyptian strategy was often very clever and successful. For example, they would invade Canaan before the harvest, when stores from the previous year were almost gone. They would surround a town or city and prevent anyone from leaving. Before long the people would surrender because they were starving. The Egyptian army often took the sons of the rulers of the conquered cities as hostages. They were treated well and raised as Egyptians. When they were adults, these men were appointed rulers of their home city. The native people were more willing to accept them than they would someone foreign and these rulers were now friendly to Egypt. Other prisoners were taken too, sometimes hundreds or even thousands. These were handcuffed and marched back to Egypt, where they were usually made into slaves. Before the Egyptian army withdrew from the scene of a successful battle, they built garrisons and forts. They were named in honour of the pharaoh. The ruins of many of these have been discovered in Palestine.