Joshua 21

Joshua had successfully completed the first half of his divine commission: He had conquered the enemy and was in control of the land and the cities (1:1–5). Now he had to fulfill the second part of that commission and divide the land so that each tribe could claim their inheritance and enjoy what God had given them (v. 6). (See Num. 34–35.)

The word inheritance is found over fifty times in these nine chapters and is a very important word. The Jews inherited their land. They didn’t win their land as spoils of battle or purchase their land as in a business transaction. The Lord, who was the sole owner, leased the land to them. “The land must not be sold permanently,” the Lord had instructed them, “because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants” (Lev. 25: niv). Imagine having God for your landlord!

The “rent” God required was simply Israel’s obedience to His law. As long as the Jewish people honored the Lord with their worship and obedience, He would bless them, make their land productive, and keep their nation at peace with their neighbors. When Israel agreed to the blessings and curses at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (Josh. 8:30–35), they accepted the conditions of what is called “The Palestinian Covenant.” Their ownership of the land was purely the gracious act of God, but their possession and enjoyment of the land depended on their submission and obedience to the Lord. (See Lev. 26 and Deut. 27–30 for the details of the Palestinian Covenant.)

The Promised Land was a gift of God’s love, and if the Israelites loved the Lord, they would want to obey Him and please Him in the way they used His land (Deut. 4:37–39). Unfortunately, they eventually defied the Lord, disobeyed the law, and defiled the land, and God had to chasten them in the land of Babylon.

There were four main stages in the distribution of the land, and in each of these stages, you will find spiritual lessons for God’s people today who want to enjoy their spiritual inheritance in Christ. As you study these chapters, I suggest you consult a map of the Holy Land that shows the boundaries of the twelve tribes and the cities that are involved.

As we noted before, the tribe of Levi didn’t have territory assigned to it but was scattered throughout the land. This way, they could teach the people the law and influence each of the tribes to be faithful to the Lord. But the Levites needed places to live and pastures for their cattle. Thus God assigned forty-eight cities for them to live in, along with a specific amount of land for pasture (Num. 35:1–5). The pasture land could not be sold, but their houses could be sold, and the Levites even had special privileges for redeeming their property (Lev. 23:32–34).

The two lists of Levitical cities that we have— Joshua 21 and 1 Chronicles 6:54–81—do not always agree, but names of cities and spellings change over the years, and it’s possible that from time to time new cities were selected and old ones abandoned.

There were forty-eight Levitical cities, six of which were also cities of refuge. Each of the tribes contributed four cities, except Judah and Simeon, who together contributed nine, and Naphtali, who contributed three. The descendants of the three sons of Aaron—Kohath, Gershon and Marari—were assigned to the various cities, although other Jews also lived in them. In Numbers 26:62, the writer states that there were 23,000 Levites before Israel entered the land, a big crowd to distribute among forty-eight cities.

It was important that Israel have qualified and authorized people to minister in the tabernacle and later in the temple, and we must never minimize the teaching ministry of the priests and Levites (2 Chron. 17:7–9). Since the common people didn’t own copies of the Scriptures, it was important that the Levites identify with the people and explain the law to them. These Levitical cities were so located that nobody was too far away from a man who could help them understand and apply the law of Moses.

This long section in the book of Joshua closes with three wonderful affirmations:

First, God was faithful and gave Israel the land (Josh. 20:43). He kept the covenant that He made, first with Abraham (Gen. 12:7) and then with his descendants.

Second, God gave Israel victory over all their enemies and then gave them the rest from war (Josh. 20:44; see 1:13, 15; 11:23). What the ten unbelieving spies at Kadesh Barnea said could never happen did happen, because Joshua and the people believed God and obeyed His Word.

Third, God kept His promises (20:45). At the close of his life Joshua would remind the people of this (23:14), and Solomon reminded them of it when he dedicated the temple (1 Kings 8:56).

As the people of God, we can claim these assurances by faith. God’s covenant with us is not going to fail; God’s power and wisdom can give us victory over every foe; and God’s promises can be trusted, no matter what the circumstances may be.

The covenant of God, the power of God, the promises of God—these are the spiritual resources we can depend on as we claim our inheritance in Jesus Christ.