Joshua 21

Bible Passage:  Joshua 21

As we near the end of Joshua, today’s chapter gives a listing of the various cities allotted to the Levites. This was an important chapter because it shows us that God keeps to His promises. Earlier during the days of Moses, the promise was made to the Levites that they would have land for their settlement amongst the rest of the 12 tribes (cf. Num 35:1-8).

The Levites were represented in groups, according to their respective forefathers of Kohath, Gershon, or Merari. They were a special people, set apart from the rest of the Israelite congregation for the priestly work of God. God spoke verily unto Moses in Num 3:44-46 that the Levites were to be sanctified for His holy work. The command was that they receive no fixed allotments of land parcels, but rather, to dwell amongst the rest of their brethren. In a way, they were amongst their brethren to serve as priests, being the channel through which others worshipped God. Despite this highly important work, their portion in the land of Canaan was to be a puzzling one.

Perhaps what might have been most difficult to grasp was that the Levites would have no real land to call their home. Imagine seeing all their other brethren obtaining their land inheritance while they stood alone with only partial land to dwell in. Surely, this was never going to be logically grasped with human reasoning.

With spiritual eyes however, we understand this in our True Church to refer to the rightly merited portions that the full-time workers of God should have. The other brethren ought to accept the will of God and offer their portions for the frontline workers of God. When everyone has received his/her share that God blesses them with, they must bring out a portion for the Levites. In this way, we might say that this “system” of God works perfectly, only because it is the way of God.

Unto the Levites however, it is the assurance that God made in Num 8:16 that mattered to them. They were “wholly given” to God’s purpose. Though without real earthly possessions, it was the true inheritance in God that mattered for them. God was their everlasting portion.

At the end of Joshua 21, the promise that was made many generations ago to Abraham began to take definitive shape. God’s word came to pass, with not one promise undelivered. To Israel, this was plainly visible all along with each victorious conquest they made. Now however, this was a necessary declaration that God was a promise-keeping God. And this is also our God.

Thou my everlasting portion,

More than friend or life to me,

All along my pilgrim journey,

Savior, let me walk with Thee.

“Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” – Josh 21:45