The Assignments Made at Shiloh (Josh. 18:1-19:51)

10/28/2009 9:11 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  The assignments made at Shiloh

 

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Joshua 18:1-19:51

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Then the whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there; and the land was subdued before them.

    “2 ¶  There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. 3  So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, "How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you? 4  "Provide for yourselves three men from each tribe that I may send them, and that they may arise and walk through the land and write a description of it according to their inheritance; then they shall return to me. 5  "They shall divide it into seven portions; Judah shall stay in its territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay in their territory on the north. 6  "You shall describe the land in seven divisions, and bring the description here to me. I will cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. 7  "For the Levites have no portion among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. Gad and Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh also have received their inheritance eastward beyond the Jordan, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them." 8  Then the men arose and went, and Joshua commanded those who went to describe the land, saying, "Go and walk through the land and describe it, and return to me; then I will cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh." 9  So the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities in seven divisions in a book; and they came to Joshua to the camp at Shiloh. 10  And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel according to their divisions.”

            Deuteronomy 12:5-7 says that God will select a place for the tabernacle to be placed once Israel is in the land:  “5 ¶  "But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. 6  "There you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7  "There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you.”  As I read in verse one of chapter eighteen of Joshua it says that the sons of Israel went to Shiloh and it was there that they set up the tabernacle.  The tabernacle would remain there until David moved it to Jerusalem as recorded in 2 Samuel six, however it was taken by the Philistines for a short time and then they returned it because of all the destruction God did because they had stolen it.

            In the first portion of this chapter Joshua is very upset with the other seven tribes that did not claim their inheritance and then he tells them to take three men from each of these remaining tribes to go out and take inventory of the remaining land with it’s cities and then they are to return to him and then lots would be cast before the Lord to determine which tribe would get which land.  The remaining portion of chapter eighteen and all of chapter eighteen give a description of the lands given to the remaining tribes.  Benjamin, being the brother of Joseph his territory was assigned adjacent to Ephraim and Manasseh as described in chapter eighteen verses eleven through twenty-eight  Simeon shared his inheritance with Judah as described in 19:1-9 and this was prophesied in Genesis 49:5-7 by Jacob:  “5 ¶  "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. 6  "Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. 7  "Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.”  This also describes why Levi would not get an inheritance like the other tribes.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I want to be like Judah and Caleb and by faith claim my inheritance that I have in the Lord by faith and not be like the seven tribes that Joshua had to condemn for not claiming their inheritance that the Lord had already given them.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Listen to the first three chapters of Ephesians to be reminded what my inheritance is in Christ.
2. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
3. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
4. Praise the Lord that my eyes are better than they were before.
5. Put on the spiritual armor and use it today to be protected by the Lord:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.

 

10/28/2009 9:44 AM