The ‘Good News’ is that for the most part ‘the land is resting,’—there are no more wars, battles or slaughtering of masses of people. The ‘Better News’ is that the Promised Land is divided but not in the sense of being divided in faith but divided by surveying and distributed to the Twelve Tribes of Israel and then some.
This is not a lesson in geography nor comprehension of geography except for the big picture. If it was Broome County and its sixteen towns I might be able to pass the test. I did find fascinating some of the designated landmarks to be used as borders: the champaign countries; the fountain of the sun, the city of woods, the torrents of Egypt, the most salt sea, and the great sea. Very fascinating!
But the math at times did not add up!
The cities of Juda—all the cities twenty-nine, and their villages in Luke Chapter 15. But than as they are given in more detail by geographical location type there are more than twenty-nine—Lowland (39); Mountain (38), and Desert (6)—the total is eighty-three? Minor issue unless you are a mathematician, or an engineer by training such as me!
I did checkout the overall scenario and yes, all Twelve Tribes of Israel were present and received property of the Promised Land to possess.
In addition Josue and Caleb, the two faithful original spies of the Promised Land were granted property. Hebron earlier to Caleb, now it was Josue’s time to receive:
The children of Israel gave a possession to Josue… in the midst of them, according to the commandment of the Lord, the city he asked for, Thamnath Saraa, in mount Ephraim: and he built up the city, and dwelt in it.
Then Caleb did something intriguing either to insure more land was conquered or that his daughter would be married off:
Not an arranged marriage per say but an interesting one in which Caleb promised his daughter in marriage to he that smite a city and take it. The son of his younger brother does so—a nephew marries the uncle’s daughter—so we have more than ‘kissing cousins’ here in biblical times.
But to Caleb the son of Jephone he gave a portion in the midst of the children of Juda, as the Lord had commanded him; Hebron
Caleb: He that shall smite Cariath-Sepher, and take it, I will give him Axa my daughter to wife. And Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Axa his daughter to wife.
Axa to Caleb: Give me a blessing: thou hast given me a southern and dry land, give me also a land that is watered. And Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.
Lots of laughs, as the daughter was not happy even in biblical times!
Yet still no land for the Levites—for the Levites have no part among you, but the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance.
But in summary, the Promised Land was all divided up and distributed:
These are the possessions which Elezar the priest, and Josue, the son of Nun, and the princes of the families, and of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed by lot in Silo, before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they divided the land.
In original biblical times one could avenge the killing of any kin by blood. Right, wrong or indifferent—guilt was assumed and judgment not needed to be given. God’s way though this to a higher sense of being was the use of refuge cities where guilt was no longer automatic and the sense of innocent and alive until a reasonable judgment evolved:
Appoint cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses that whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them; and escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of the blood… such things as prove him innocent: and so shall they receive him, and give him a place to dwell in… because he slew his neighbor unawares, and is not proved to have been his enemy two or three days before. And he shall dwell in the city, till he stand before judgment to give an account of his fact, and till the death of the high priest, who shall be at that time: then the manslayer return, and go to his own city and house from whence he fled.
These cities were appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the strangers, that dwelt among them” that whosoever had killed a person unawares might flee to them, and not die by the hand of the kinsman, coveting to revenge the blood that was shed, until he should stand before the people to lay open his cause.
The Promised Land divided; not a Lesson in geography or math but more so of history and ancestry.
Day 77: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Promised Land Divided; not a Lesson in Geography or Math….
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Josue Chapters 15-20
Bible Notes:
This Book is so called, because it was written in large part by Josue and is a history of the Jews under his rule. It records the Jewish conquest of the Promised Land, its final distribution, and the last address and death of Josue.
Josue Chapter 15: The territory of Juda; Othoniel wins Axa as his wife; Cities of Juda’ Lowland cities of Juda; Mountain cities of Juda; Desert cities of Juda; Jebusites are not annihilated.
Now the lot of the children of Juda by their kindreds was this:
Kindreds—a person’s relatives collectively; kinfolk; kin; a group of persons related to another; family, tribe, or clan; relationship by birth or descent, or sometimes by marriage; kinship; natural relationship; affinity.
These are the borders round about of the children of Juda in their kindreds… This is the possession of the tribe of the children of Juda by their kindreds.
But to Caleb the son of Jephone he gave a portion in the midst of the children of Juda, as the Lord had commanded him; Hebron
Caleb” He that shall smite Cariath-Sepher, and take it, I will give him Axa my daughter to wife. And Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Axa his daughter to wife.
Axa to Caleb: Give me a blessing: thou hast given me a southern and dry land, give me also a land that is watered. And Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.
Cities of Juda—all the cities twenty-nine, and their villages:
Lowland (39); Mountain (38), and Desert (6)—totals 83???
Gaza with its towns and villages…
But the children of Juda could not destroy the Jebusite that dwelt in Jerusalem: and the Jebusite dwelt with the children of Juda in Jerusalem until this present day.
Josue Chapter 16: Territory of the sons of Joseph; Territory of the Ephraimites; Chanaanites are not annihilated.
And the lot of the sons of Joseph fell from…
And Manasses and Ephraim the children of Joseph possessed it.
And the border of the children of Ephraim was according to their kindreds: and their possession…
This is the possession of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families. And there were cities with their villages separated for the children of Ephraim in the midst of the possession of the children of Manasses.
And the children of Ephraim slew not the Chanaanite, who dwelt in Gazer: and the Chanaanite dwelt in the midst of Ephraim until this day, paying tribute.
Josue Chapter 17: Territory of the Manassites; Possessions of the daughters of Salphaad; Boundaries of the territory of Manasses; Chanaanites are not driven out; Land of the children of Joseph increased.
And this lot fell to the tribe of Manasses (for he is the firstborn of Joseph)… these are the male children of Manasses the son of Joseph, by their kindreds.
…had no sons, but only daughters… The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses, that a possession should be given them according to the commandment of the Lord a possession amongst the brethren of their father…For the daughters of Manasses possessed inheritance in the midst of his sons…
Neither could the children of Manasses overthrow these cities, but the Chanaanites began to dwell in his land. But after that the children of Israel were grown strong, they subdued the Chanaanites, and made them their tributaries, and they did not kill them.
Children of Joseph to Josue: “Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to possess, whereas I am of so great a multitude, and the Lord hath blessed me?
Josue to the House of Joseph, to Ephraim, and Manasses: Thou art a great people, and of great strength, thou shall not have one lot only, but thou shalt pass to the mountain, and shall cut down the wood, and make thyself room to dwell in: and mayest proceed farther, when thou hast destroyed the Chanaanites, who, as thou sayest have iron chariots, and are very strong.
Josue Chapter 18: The tabernacle set up at Silo; Surveyors appointed to divide the land; Casting lots for the land; The territory of Benjamin; Cities of Benjamin.
And all the children of Israel assembled together in Silo, and there they set up a tabernacle of the testimony, and the land was subdued before them.
Subdue—to bring (land) under cultivation: to subdue the wilderness.
But there remained seven tribes of the children of Israel, which as yet had not received their possessions.
Josue: “How long are you indolent and slack, and go not in to possess the land which the Lord the God of your fathers hath given you? Choose of every tribe three men, that I may send them, and they may go and compass the land… divide it yourselves the land into seven parts… that I may cast lots for you before the Lord your God.”
For the Levites have no part among you, but the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance.
And he (Josue) cast lots before the Lord in Silo, and divided the land to the children of Israel into seven parts.
And first came up the lot of the children of Benjamin and their families…
This is the possession of the children of Benjamin by their borders round about, and their families.
And their cities were Jericho…Jebus, which is Jerusalem… twelve plus fourteen is twenty-eight cities… This is the possession of the children of Benjamin by their families.
Josue Chapter 19: Territory of Simeon; Territory of Zabulon; Territory of Issachar; Territory of Aser; Territory of Nephtali; Territory of Dan; Josue receives a portion.
And the second lot came forth for the children of Simeon by their kindreds: and their inheritance was in the midst of the possession of the children of…’
This is the inheritance of the children of Simeon according to their kindreds, in the possession and lot of the children of Juda: because it was too great, and therefore the children of Simeon had their possession in the midst of their inheritance.
And the third lot fell to the children of Zabulon by their kindreds: and the border of their possession was…
This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Zabulon by their kindreds, the cities and their villages (12).
The fourth lot came to Issachar by their kindreds… this is the possession of the sons of Issachar by their kindreds, the cities and their villages (16).
And the fifth lot fell to the tribe of the children of Aser by their kindreds, and their border was… this is the possession of the children of Aser by their kindreds, and the cities and their villages (22).
The sixth lot came out to the sons of Nephtali by their families… this is the possession of the tribe of the children of Nephtali by their kindreds, the cities and their villages (19).
The seventh lot came out to the tribe of the children of Dan by their families. And the border of their possession was… And the children of Dan went up and fought against Lesem, and took it: and they put it to the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt in it, calling the name of it Lesem Dan, by the name of Dan their father. This is the possession of the tribe of the sons of Dan, by their kindreds, the cities and their villages.
The children of Israel gave a possession to Josue… in the midst of them, according to the commandment of the Lord, the city he asked for, Thamnath Saraa, in mount Ephraim: and he built up the city, and dwelt in it.
These are the possessions which Elezar the priest, and Josue, the son of Nun, and the princes of the families, and of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed by lot in Silo, before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony, and they divided the land.
Josue Chapter 20: Cities of refuge for manslaughter; Six cities of refuge.
Appoint cities of refuge, of which I spoke to you by the hand of Moses that whosoever shall kill a person unawares may flee to them; and escape the wrath of the kinsman, who is the avenger of the blood… such things as prove him innocent: and so shall they receive him, and give him a place to dwell in… because he slew his neighbor unawares, and is not proved to have been his enemy two or three days before. And he shall dwell in the city, till he stand before judgment to give an account of his fact, and till the death of the high priest, who shall be at that time: then the manslayer return, and go to his own city and house from whence he fled.
These cities were appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the strangers, that dwelt among them” that whosoever had killed a person unawares might flee to them, and not die by the hand of the kinsman, coveting to revenge the blood that was shed, until he should stand before the people to lay open his cause.
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