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Joshua 18:1-19:511And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. 2And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. 3And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you? 4Give out from among you three men for each tribe: and I will send them, and they shall rise, and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me. 5And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north. 6Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God. 7But the Levites have no part among you; for the priesthood of the Lord is their inheritance: and Gad, and Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh, have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them. 8And the men arose, and went away: and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the Lord in Shiloh. 9And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh. 10And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the Lord: and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions. 11And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. 12And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven. 13And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Beth-el, southward; and the border descended to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Beth-horon. 14And the border was drawn thence, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Beth-horon southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath-baal, which is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter. 15And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim, and the border went out on the west, and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah: 16And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom, and which is in the valley of the giants on the north, and descended to the valley of Hinnom, to the side of Jebusi on the south, and descended to En-rogel, 17And was drawn from the north, and went forth to En-shemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the going up of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, 18And passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah: 19And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward: and the outgoings of the border were at the north bay of the salt sea at the south end of Jordan: this was the south coast. 20And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts thereof round about, according to their families. 21Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz, 22And Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Beth-el, 23And Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah, 24And Chephar-haammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities with their villages: 25Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, 26And Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah, 27And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah, 28And Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem, Gibeath, and Kirjath; fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families. 1And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families: and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah. 2And they had in their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, 3And Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Azem, 4And Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah, 5And Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, 6And Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages: 7Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages: 8And all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramath of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. 9Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon: for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them: therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them. 10And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid: 11And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam; 12And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia, 13And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goeth out to Remmon-methoar to Neah; 14And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon: and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthah-el: 15And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages. 16This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. 17And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families. 18And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, 19And Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath, 20And Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, 21And Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez; 22And the coast reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh; and the outgoings of their border were at Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages. 23This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages. 24And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families. 25And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, 26And Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath; 27And turneth toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthah-el toward the north side of Beth-emek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand, 28And Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto great Zidon; 29And then the coast turneth to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre; and the coast turneth to Hosah; and the outgoings thereof are at the sea from the coast to Achzib: 30Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages. 31This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. 32The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families. 33And their coast was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakum; and the outgoings thereof were at Jordan: 34And then the coast turneth westward to Aznoth-tabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon Jordan toward the sunrising. 35And the fenced cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth, 36And Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, 37And Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, 38And Iron, and Migdal-el, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages. 39This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages. 40And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families. 41And the coast of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, 42And Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah, 43And Elon, and Thimnathah, and Ekron, 44And Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, 45And Jehud, and Bene-berak, and Gath-rimmon, 46And Me-jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho. 47And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father. 48This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages. 49When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them: 50According to the word of the Lord they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim: and he built the city, and dwelt therein. 51These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel, divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country. (Joshua 18:1‑19:51)
How important it is that we recognize that God has a center for His people! In Israel’s day it was a geographical center which, alas, they neglected until they hardly knew where it was (Judges 21:1919Then they said, Behold, there is a feast of the Lord in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah. (Judges 21:19)), but today it is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ. How precious it is when we see Him as the gathering center for His own, “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20). But is this not often forgotten today when the names of organizations of men are put before the all-sufficient Name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Christians will gather in such and such a place because they like the preacher, instead of being exercised to be gathered by the Holy Spirit to Christ alone, in accordance with His precious Word. May we, like the disciples of old, ask, “Where wilt Thou?” Luke 22:99And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? (Luke 22:9). We will find the answer in the Scriptures of truth.
There in Shiloh, God’s center, the people were reminded that there was much of the land yet to be possessed, and Joshua sent out spies to see it, so that it might be divided among the seven remaining tribes. One feels that this too, has its application to us. It is when gathered in God’s appointed way, where His Spirit has liberty, that we learn what is ours in Christ. An ascended Christ has given gifts for the edification of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-167But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:7‑16)) and it is in the assembly, gathered as members of the body of Christ, that these precious truths are ministered. It is important that we recognize this, for while we ought to read the Word at home each day as food for our souls, this will not take the place of gathering together with the saints of God in the meetings.
It is beautiful to see that, since the children of Judah had a portion that was too large for them, they shared it with the children of Simeon. Surely this reminds us of our enjoyment of the things of God. Sometimes when meditating upon the precious things of Christ we find a portion that is too large for us. We just cannot contain it, and so we tell it to others, so that they may enjoy it with us. How lovely it would be if, when we came together with the saints of God, we all had a portion which we could share with our brethren in Christ. Let us not keep the good things God has given us to ourselves—though we do well to keep the faults of our brethren to ourselves, telling them to the Lord alone in prayer. Too often it works the other way, and we share the things that will do harm rather than good, and then fail to share the things which will make others “rejoice in the Lord.”
The children of Dan had a portion that was too small for them, we are told, so they went out to battle and fought against their enemies and took more land. It is a fine thing to see this energy of faith that claims the inheritance God has given. The sons of Joseph had complained because they had too little, and yet we do not read of their fighting for more, as Joshua told them to do. But here we do not read of the children of Dan complaining at all, but rather acting for God in the place He put them. How much better this was than complaining!
All this took place in God’s center at Shiloh. What lessons of faith and patience we learn there!
ML 05/31/1953