MEMORIAL DAY

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In Christ, Mark

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Nearly 141 years ago, the United States was recovering from a long and bloody Civil War. Those who survived returned home weary and battle scarred, many severely wounded or disabled. Many never made it home with over 646 thousand Union forces and nearly 134 thousand Confederates losing their lives, all this within the boundaries of this great nation.

Our nation’s participation in armed conflict didn’t stop there. The Spanish-American War, World Wars 1 and 2, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq would follow and approximately another 625,000 would give their lives. And the death toll has not stopped yet…every day our servicemen and women continue to die in service to God and country.

While looking at these figures, it’s important for us to not lose sight that those who have died in conflict are more than just numbers. Each person had a life, a future they looked forward to, and a family back home that they loved and missed while in the midst of war. There was a human being just like you and me behind every casualty…and it would be inhumane to reduce them to a mere statistic. For their value was far greater than a number…their act of courage and sacrifice deserving of greater recognition, remembrance, and honor.

This was the mindset of Harry Welles, a small town drug store owner who worked and lived in Waterloo NY in 1886. He had watched those tired, wounded Civil War veterans come home and had listened intently to their stories as they shared their first-hand battlefield accounts. He marveled at their bravery and devotion to duty, feeling impelled to do something to ensure that the courageous soldiers would not become an afterthought…to ensure they would always be remembered and honored.

And so he sprang to action, rallying local businesses and government leaders to close all shops in town each May 5th in memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in the war. On that day, flowers, wreathes, and crosses were laid on the graves of the Northern soldiers in Waterloo’s cemetery.

Elsewhere, retired Major General Jonathan Logan was putting together a separate ceremony, this one honoring all veterans who had survived the war. On May 30th, 1868, the ceremony involved a parade through town that stopped at the cemetery where flags were placed at the graves of fallen soldiers. It was a solemn occasion that residents named "Decoration Day". In his address that day, General Logan would state, "The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country and during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, hamlet, and churchyard in the land. In this observance, no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."

From that day on, the northern states paused for commemoration annually on May 30th while the southern states would remember their dead on a different day. These ceremonies evolved to include children reading poems and singing civil war songs while veterans would go to schools wearing their medals and uniforms to tell students about their war experiences. Then the veterans would take their traditional march through the streets followed by all the town’s people, still stopping at the cemetery and decorating graves. Photographs of soldiers were taken standing next to the graves of fallen comrades and rifles were shot in the air in salute.

Fast forward to the 20th century and 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed Waterloo, New York, the birthplace of Memorial Day, exactly 100 years after the first commemoration. Since that time, just as they had done before, town’s people still walk to the cemeteries and hold memorial services, decorating graves with flags and flowers. Then they walk back to the park in the middle of town near a monument dedicated to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines and listen to the reading of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address followed by Retired Major General Logan's Order # 11 designating Decoration Day.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared Memorial Day a federal holiday and changed the day of celebration to the last Monday in May. Since then, cities and towns across the United States have followed the lead of Waterloo, establishing special ceremonies to not only pay respect to the nation’s servicemen and women but also to loved ones who have died. Church services, visits to the cemetery, flowers on graves, or even silent tributes mark the day with dignity and solemnity.

All and all, it’s a day of reflection…a day of remembrance for those who have passed, some having paid the ultimate sacrifice…protecting and securing our nation’s freedoms by laying their lives down for others and a cause greater than themselves.

In reflecting on this matter of sacrifice, I can’t help but also remember what happened more than 2,000 years ago, long before the United States came into existence…long before our Civil War. It too was a time of conflict and hardship…a time of turmoil and change…a time where people battled against one another within a promised land that God had given His chosen people…a time and place when one Man was sent from Heaven to earth to step forward and freely sacrifice Himself in service to humanity, paying the ultimate of all ultimate sacrifices.

This man, Jesus Christ, was the very definition and model of the word “service”, never hesitating to teach, preach, heal, guide, convict, and love anyone He encountered. His life wasn’t about what He could do for Himself – not for wealth He could amass or success and popularity He could gain. Rather, He - empowered by God with His very authority, power and might – willingly chose to make Himself poor so that through His poverty we might be made rich (2 Corinthians 8:9) and in doing so, showed us that it is much better to give than receive (Acts 20:35). Through His willingness to die in our place, Jesus modeled His own words by showing that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for His friends (John 15:13)…and He did view us as His friends even though it was our sins led Him to die for our sake.

Go back and remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. All seemed to be well as He received honor and respect that was normally shown toward kings. The long awaited Messiah who had been predicted since the days of the prophets had come but who could have guessed at that point that the same people who waved palm branches while shouting, "Hosanna, Hosanna!", would soon be shouting "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"

Indeed, Jesus found few friends present on the day of His crucifixion minus his mother, John, and many other women who had traveled with Him during His ministry. He received no thanks for all He had done for His beloved people…people He healed, taught, exorcised, and even resurrected in a few cases. No, after His arrest, wrongful conviction, bloody beating, and unjust death sentencing, Jesus, the Son of God, was forced to participate in His own death march to Golgotha, known as the Place of the Skull.

Once there, the gathered crowds neither paid Jesus homage or showed an ounce of gratitude. They weren’t ready to witness His death so to one day honor His passing with flowers of sympathy and respect. Rather, they came for the spectacle of His public execution, to see first-hand the death sentence they had demanded from the Roman governor Pilate.

As Jesus carried His own cross to Golgotha, these people lined the streets that He struggled to navigate, spitting on His blood stained body and hurling words of insult and derision. Indeed, the depths of sordid human behavior and failure were on full display as Jesus reached Calvary’s hill where nails would be driven through His hands and feet into the rugged, wooden cross before He was hoisted up to hang in agonizing pain while inching toward death.

But while this was a place typically immersed in the darkness of suffering and death, we know Jesus used it to shine His light brighter than He ever had prior, putting His absolute mercy, compassion, and grace on full display while performing the ultimate act of forgiveness. You’ll remember that He looked to Heaven and asked His Father God to forgive those who had physically and emotionally assailed Him for they knew not what they were doing (Luke 23:34).

And so our Savior Jesus lived, loved, and served through His life and He did so willingly all the while well knowing His fate… knowing that pain, humiliation, betrayal, sadness, and death awaited Him…and yet, He carried on. He could have saved Himself…He could have chosen to desert His mission. But He didn’t for within Himself, He had an incomprehensible love for something greater than Himself…namely us. You see, saving all mankind meant far more than saving Himself…the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the One.

When it was all said and done, Jesus gave up His breath in death on the cross so He could breathe eternal life into a people who were walking down the path of sinful self annihilation. For three days after dying, God resurrected His Son in power, ushering in a sure hope of salvation for anyone who would simply believe in Jesus as Savior (John 3:16).  

In the end translation, Jesus’ crucifixion and subsequent resurrection was the greatest victory in the greatest battle ever fought. His victory over the world, over sin, over death, and over Satan provided us with the opportunity for victory as well…all He requires is that we place our trust in Him.

Not only this Memorial Day - but every day - let us ever remember that Jesus was the One who first showed us the value of sacrificial service...service filled with courage, bravery, valor, and heroism. We must never lose sight that all that we are today, yesterday, and tomorrow is because of Him and we only love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). We also serve because He first served us and only understand sacrifice because He showed us what true sacrifice is all about.

Ultimately, we’re free because He – Jesus - paid the price for us. We live because He died.

Given this, thanks be to God for the indescribable gift of His Only Son (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GOD'S PROMISES NEVER FAIL

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the Lord said to Joshua: "Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.”

"When he flees to one of these cities, he is to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state his case before the elders of that city. Then they are to admit him into their city and give him a place to live with them. If the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the one accused, because he killed his neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. He is to stay in that city until he has stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho, they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. Any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

Now the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan and said to them, "The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock." So, as the Lord had commanded, the Israelites gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance:

The first lot came out for the Kohathites, clan by clan. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted ten towns from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half of Manasseh.

The descendants of Gershon were allotted thirteen towns from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.

The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, received twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.

So the Israelites allotted to the Levites these towns and their pasturelands, as the Lord had commanded through Moses.

From the tribes of Judah and Simeon, they allotted the following towns by name (these towns were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because the first lot fell to them):

They gave them Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), with its surrounding pastureland, in the hill country of Judah. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) But the fields and villages around the city they had given to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, as his possession.

So to the descendants of Aaron the priest, they gave Hebron (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Holon, Debir, Ain, Juttah, and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands—nine towns from these two tribes.

And from the tribe of Benjamin, they gave them Gibeon, Geba, Anathoth, and Almon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

All the towns for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

The rest of the Kohathite clans of the Levites were allotted towns from the tribe of Ephraim:

In the hill country of Ephraim, they were given Shechem (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Gezer, Kibzaim, and Beth Horon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

Also from the tribe of Dan, they received Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—four towns.

From half the tribe of Manasseh, they received Taanach and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands—two towns.

All these ten towns and their pasturelands were given to the rest of the Kohathite clans.

The Levite clans of the Gershonites were given:

from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan (a city of refuge for one accused of murder) and Be Eshtarah, together with their pasturelands—two towns;

from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion, Daberath, Jarmuth, and En Gannim, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

from the tribe of Asher, Mishal, Abdon, Helkath, and Rehob, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Hammoth Dor, and Kartan, together with their pasturelands—three towns.

All the towns of the Gershonite clans were thirteen, together with their pasturelands.

The Merarite clans (the rest of the Levites) were given:

from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam, Kartah, Dimnah, and Nahalal, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer, Jahaz, Kedemoth, and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands—four towns;

from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead (a city of refuge for one accused of murder), Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer, together with their pasturelands—four towns in all.

All the towns allotted to the Merarite clans, who were the rest of the Levites, were twelve.

The towns of the Levites in the territory held by the Israelites were forty-eight in all, together with their pasturelands. Each of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it; this was true for all these towns.

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Joshua 20 and 21

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Numbers, chapter 35, God gave the following guidance to Israel to adhere to once they had entered into His promised land:

"Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few." Numbers 35:6-8

In Joshua, chapter 18, we see the Lord reminding Joshua of His prior guidance saying:

“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood”.

And so Israel “set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. On the east side of the Jordan of Jericho they designated Bezer in the desert on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh”…six cities in all. These cities were designated as cities of refuge and “any of the Israelites or any alien living among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly” after which “he may go back to his own home in the town from which he fled."

As we see in the Numbers passage, the six cities of refuge were to be designated out of the cities given to the Levites. We see those cities designated in Joshua, chapter 19, after “the family heads of the Levites approached Eleazar the priest; Joshua, son of Nun; and the heads of the other tribal families of Israel at Shiloh in Canaan”. They said to them, "The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock" and “the Israelites gave the Levites…towns and pasturelands out of their own inheritance” just as God had commanded”.

You see, it was always God’s intention that the people of Israel who were selected to serve His temple would be taken care of properly although they weren’t to receive a portion of the inheritance. So after the allotment of towns with accompanying pastureland was given, the Levites had what God had promised.

As for the other Israelites, they had been given “all the land (God) had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there” with the Lord giving them “rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers”. This rest included peace because scripture tells us that “not one of their enemies withstood them” because “the Lord handed all their enemies over to them”.

We also see our passage offer us one other important point…perhaps the most important one of all. For we read that “not one of all the Lord's good promises to the house of Israel failed…every one was fulfilled”. Note here that God didn’t just make some of His promises come to be. Rather, ALL of His promises were fulfilled. He didn’t fail to keep any of them.

And the good news is that the same holds true today.

For we serve a Lord who makes and keeps His promises…a God who wants nothing but the best for His people but will also discipline any one of His children who blatantly disregard, disobey, and disrespect Him...like any good father would in regard to his own children.

In regard to the matter of God’s promises, consider these that we find in the scriptures:

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

Come near to God and He will come near to you. James 4:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8

…Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. John 14:3

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Friends, these are just some of the many promises our God has given us and there are actually so many more in the Bible…so many that someone could write volumes about them. And since ALL His promises are true, aren’t we so blessed to serve such a Lord as this? The answer is obviously “yes” so let us ever give thanks for Him and trust Him more today than ever, knowing that He never fails…just like His promises.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

HOLY PORTIONS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts.”

“Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north. After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them."

As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, "Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord."

So the men left and went through the land. They wrote its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts, and returned to Joshua in the camp at Shiloh. Joshua then cast lots for them in Shiloh in the presence of the Lord, and there he distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions.

The lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph:

On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the desert of Beth Aven. From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon.

From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.

The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel. It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben. It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah. It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary.

The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side.

These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides.

The tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, had the following cities:

Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, Kephar Ammoni, Ophni, and Geba—twelve towns and their villages.

Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah, and Kiriath—fourteen towns and their villages.

This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.

The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon, clan by clan. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah. It included:

Beersheba (or Sheba), Moladah, Hazar Shual, Balah, Ezem, Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susah, Beth Lebaoth, and Sharuhen—thirteen towns and their villages; Ain, Rimmon, Ether, and Ashan — four towns and their villages — and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath Beer (Ramah in the Negev).

This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, clan by clan. The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, because Judah's portion was more than they needed. So the Simeonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah.

The third lot came up for Zebulun, clan by clan:

The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid. Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam. It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, clan by clan.

The fourth lot came out for Issachar, clan by clan. Their territory included:

Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem, Hapharaim, Shion, Anaharath, Rabbith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, En Gannim, En Haddah, and Beth Pazzez. The boundary touched Tabor, Shahazumah, and Beth Shemesh, and ended at the Jordan. There were sixteen towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Issachar, clan by clan.

The fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher, clan by clan. Their territory included:

Helkath, Hali, Beten, Acshaph, Allammelech, Amad, and Mishal. On the west the boundary touched Carmel and Shihor Libnath. It then turned east toward Beth Dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah El, and went north to Beth Emek and Neiel, passing Cabul on the left. It went to Abdon, Rehob, Hammon, and Kanah, as far as Greater Sidon. The boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went to the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah and came out at the sea in the region of Aczib, Ummah, Aphek, and Rehob. There were twenty-two towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, clan by clan.

The sixth lot came out for Naphtali, clan by clan:

Their boundary went from Heleph and the large tree in Zaanannim, passing Adami Nekeb and Jabneel to Lakkum and ending at the Jordan. The boundary ran west through Aznoth Tabor and came out at Hukkok. It touched Zebulun on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan on the east. The fortified cities were Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Kinnereth, Adamah, Ramah, Hazor, Kedesh, Edrei, En Hazor, Iron, Migdal El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh. There were nineteen towns and their villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Naphtali, clan by clan.

The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan, clan by clan. The territory of their inheritance included:

Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh, Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Ithlah, Elon, Timnah, Ekron, Eltekeh, Gibbethon, Baalath, Jehud, Bene Berak, Gath Rimmon, Me Jarkon, and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa. (But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of their territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather.) These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, clan by clan.

When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua, son of Nun, an inheritance among them as the Lord had commanded. They gave him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. And he built up the town and settled there.

These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

And so they finished dividing the land.

Joshua 18 and 19

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Joshua, chapter 18 begins, we see where there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not received their allotment of Canaanite land…the inheritance promised to them by God. To correct the problem, Joshua took charge for we read that while the “whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh” and after they “set up the Tent of Meeting”, he (Joshua) asked them this:

“How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?”

He then followed this up with the following commands:

“Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me. You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north. After you have written descriptions of the seven parts of the land, bring them here to me and I will cast lots for you in the presence of the Lord our God. The Levites, however, do not get a portion among you, because the priestly service of the Lord is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan. Moses the servant of the Lord gave it to them."

Well, after the men were selected, Joshua tells them what to do, saying:

"Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord."

With this, the scriptures tell us that “the men left and went through the land”, writing “its description on a scroll, town by town, in seven parts” before returning to Joshua at the “camp at Shiloh”. Joshua then “cast lots for (the tribes)…in the presence of the Lord and…distributed the land to the Israelites according to their tribal divisions”.

The remainder of chapter 18 and all of chapter 19 detail what land was given to the remaining seven tribes who were selected by lot in the following order:

Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and finally Dan.

After the tribes had their land allotted, we read where “the Israelites gave Joshua…an inheritance among them” just as “the Lord had commanded”. Israel’s leader was given “the town he asked for, Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim” and the scriptures tell us that he “built up the town and settled there”.

In the last several chapters of Joshua that we have covered, we have seen the people of Israel finally get what God had promised for them all along…a piece of the land in Canaan where they could abide as His people. He had assured the Israelites that He would give them victory over anyone who opposed them in the Promised Land and He did just that for after the battles had ended, the Lord gave each tribe a holy portion…a blessing from Him to them.

Today, God is still in the business of giving us holy portions as He continues to show His willingness to bless His children well beyond the rich inheritance He promises us in Heaven when we place our belief and trust in His Son as Savior (John 3:16). Truly, if we would take the time to break our lives down to the most basic bare essentials, I think we can see where we should always have a persistent, consistent attitude of gratitude.

Here’s an example of what that might look like:

You wake up in the morning after receiving the gift of sleep. And with God’s holy portion of rest in hand, you give thanks.

After coming out of sleep, you take your first conscious breath of the day, once again realizing the Lord has given you a holy portion of air to breathe…and you’re grateful.

Further, just the fact that you are breathing and your heart is beating means you are alive. God has given you another holy portion of life, another day to live and love and learn. Just one more reason for thanksgiving.

You get out of bed and stand on your feet. You don’t take granted that you have two legs to stand on and as you walk towards the bathroom to get ready for the day, you praise God for granting you bodily support and the ability to walk.

Friends, I could go on and on…but you get the point. Unfortunately, we tend to look at the big things in life to label as God’s blessings…we want extra large holy portions. And when we do this, we tend to overlook the smaller (and equally important) smaller holy portions He provides every day.

My brothers and sisters, it’s high time we start to simplify our lives, more acutely raising our level of to just how very blessed we are. For if we focus on all the small ways that the Lord gifts us, we will see how they add up to show us how fortunate we truly are because we serve a Lord who does want the best for His children…and never ceases to give them holy portions that reveal His goodness and provision.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE DANGER IN NOT GETTING RID OF WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO GET RID OF

Can I pray for you in any way?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south.

Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Salt Sea, crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka. It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the sea. This is their southern boundary.

The eastern boundary is the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan.

The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, went up to Beth Hoglah and continued north of Beth Arabah to the Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben. The boundary then went up to Debir from the Valley of Achor and turned north to Gilgal, which faces the Pass of Adummim south of the gorge. It continued along to the waters of En Shemesh and came out at En Rogel. Then it ran up the Valley of Ben Hinnom along the southern slope of the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem). From there it climbed to the top of the hill west of the Hinnom Valley at the northern end of the Valley of Rephaim. From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim). Then it curved westward from Baalah to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah. It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount Baalah and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea.

The western boundary is the coastline of the Great Sea.

These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

In accordance with the Lord's command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb, son of Jephunneh, a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) From Hebron, Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai—descendants of Anak. From there, he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher." Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What can I do for you?"

She replied, "Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, clan by clan:

The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev toward the boundary of Edom were:

Kabzeel, Eder, Jagur, Kinah, Dimonah, Adadah, Kedesh, Hazor, Ithnan, Ziph, Telem, Bealoth, Hazor Hadattah, Kerioth Hezron (that is, Hazor), Amam, Shema, Moladah, Hazar Gaddah, Heshmon, Beth Pelet, Hazar Shual, Beersheba, Biziothiah, Baalah, Iim, Ezem, Eltolad, Kesil, Hormah, Ziklag, Madmannah, Sansannah, Lebaoth, Shilhim, Ain, and Rimmon—a total of twenty-nine towns and their villages.

In the western foothills:

Eshtaol, Zorah, Ashnah, Zanoah, En Gannim, Tappuah, Enam, Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, Shaaraim, Adithaim, and Gederah (or Gederothaim) — fourteen towns and their villages.

Zenan, Hadashah, Migdal Gad, Dilean, Mizpah, Joktheel, Lachish, Bozkath, Eglon, Cabbon, Lahmas, Kitlish, Gederoth, Beth Dagon, Naamah, and Makkedah—sixteen towns and their villages.

Libnah, Ether, Ashan, Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Aczib, and Mareshah—nine towns and their villages.

Ekron, with its surrounding settlements and villages; west of Ekron, all that were in the vicinity of Ashdod, together with their villages; Ashdod, its surrounding settlements and villages; and Gaza, its settlements and villages, as far as the Wadi of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.

In the hill country:

Shamir, Jattir, Socoh, Dannah, Kiriath Sannah (that is, Debir), Anab, Eshtemoh, Anim, Goshen, Holon, and Giloh—eleven towns and their villages.

Arab, Dumah, Eshan, Janim, Beth Tappuah, Aphekah, Humtah, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), and Zior—nine towns and their villages.

Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah, Jezreel, Jokdeam, Zanoah, Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah—ten towns and their villages.

Halhul, Beth Zur, Gedor, Maarath, Beth Anoth, and Eltekon—six towns and their villages.

Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—two towns and their villages.

In the desert:

Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En Gedi—six towns and their villages.

Judah could not dislodge the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day, the Jebusites live there with the people of Judah.

The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan of Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel. It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth, descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the sea.

So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.

This was the territory of Ephraim, clan by clan:

The boundary of their inheritance went from Ataroth Addar in the east to Upper Beth Horon and continued to the sea. From Micmethath on the north it curved eastward to Taanath Shiloh, passing by it to Janoah on the east. Then it went down from Janoah to Ataroth and Naarah, touched Jericho and came out at the Jordan. From Tappuah, the border went west to the Kanah Ravine and ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Ephraimites, clan by clan. It also included all the towns and their villages that were set aside for the Ephraimites within the inheritance of the Manassites.

They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day, the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

This was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh as Joseph's firstborn, that is, for Makir, Manasseh's firstborn. Makir was the ancestor of the Gileadites, who had received Gilead and Bashan because the Makirites were great soldiers. So this allotment was for the rest of the people of Manasseh—the clans of Abiezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Hepher, and Shemida. These are the other male descendants of Manasseh, son of Joseph, by their clans.

Now Zelophehad, son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua, son of Nun, and the leaders and said, "The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers." So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord's command. Manasseh's share consisted of ten tracts of land besides Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh.

The territory of Manasseh extended from Asher to Micmethath, east of Shechem. The boundary ran southward from there to include the people living at En Tappuah. (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the sea. On the south, the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam, and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach, and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth).

Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.

The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the Lord has blessed us abundantly."

"If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."

The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel."

But Joshua said to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh – “You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

Joshua 15, 16 and 17

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In chapters 15, 16, and 17 of the Book of Joshua, we find the scriptures providing additional information regarding the way land was divided up amongst the tribes of Israel. Chapter 15 details the allotment for Judah while chapters 16 and 17 describe the land given to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and through the verses found in these chapters, we gain great detail about who owned, including the carefully established boundaries and the towns and villages within.

In each of these chapters, we also are find a disturbing commonality for each tribe mentioned (Judah, Ephraim and Manasseh) failed to drive out all the Canaanites in their respective territories, instead co-existing with them while subjecting them to forced labor.

This created two big problems:

First of all, it went against what God had commanded.

“However, in the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you.” Deuteronomy 20:16-17

Here we find the Israelites receiving clear direction well before they crossed the Jordan River and there was left little doubt as to what God expected His people to do as they inherited “the cities of the nations” He was giving them. The people of Israel wasn’t permitted to “leave alive anything that breathes” and were to “completely destroy” but that’s not what they did and this led to the second problem:

It left Israel vulnerable to sin and temptation.

“Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 20:18

Here we see that the people of Israel told why they were to eliminate any and all people within the cities and lands because if any of the Canaanites were allowed to live among them, they would infect the Israelites with their sinful behavior and actions, behavior and actions that were detestable to God. And of course, this would lead to the Lord sending His wrath and judgment upon them.

And so the future issues that Israel would experience because of their disobedience were completely avoidable. I’m sure they thought they were doing the right thing at the time. After all, they could always use good forced labor but as we always see, things don’t work out when any person chooses to do what they think is right while disregarding God’s commands and expectations. In the case of the Israelites, the Canaanites did introduce their sinfulness into their culture and usher them into God’s disfavor as a result.

You know, if we think about it, we unfortunately do this a lot too. In fact, it seems at times that we haven’t learned much at all since the ancient people of Israel made their mistakes around 3,400 years ago. Too often, we say we’re going to correct a certain area in our life that needs changing but we end up failing and falling because we’re reluctant to fully surrender what’s causing us to sin and live outside of God’s expectations.

Here’s a few scenarios to illustrate this:

“I’m going to quit smoking but I’ll keep my cigarettes right over here for now. I also don’t think it will be a problem to go out to the designated smoking areas to still socialize with my friends. Just because they smoke doesn’t mean I have to.”

“I’m done drinking so I’m going to take this bottle of whiskey off the table and put it back in the liquor cabinet. As for the beers in the fridge, I’ll just push them to the back because you never know when a friend might drop in. And while I’m at the football game tomorrow, I think I can have one beer because I deserve a little treat once and awhile. One can’t hurt anything, right?”

“This time, I am not going to fail to keep my diet. In fact, the potato chips and sodas are going into the pantry. As for going out to eat, I think it will be fine to stop at McDonalds once and awhile to order a Big Mac and fries just as long as I don’t do it all the time.”

Finally…

“I’m going clean up the way I talk and stop cursing but I don’t see a problem with still watching movies and television shows with profanity. And I know my friends use foul language that’s them and not me. I still want to hang out with them.”

The common thread between all these is that each person is unwilling to completely get rid of the things they are trying to rid their lives from, leaving room for those things to eventually come back around to tempt us and take us back to where we were before we decided to change our lifestyle. If we really want to change, we need to fully give up what would cause us to do what we don’t want to do, leaving no remnant behind.

In regard to the smoker, this means throwing their cigarettes away for you can’t smoke what you don’t have.

As for the drinker and dieter, they need to get rid of any alcohol and fatty snacks and sugary sodas respectively.

As for cleaning up language, it would be important to ask the friends to refrain from using profanity in your presence. If they refuse, find new friends because they obviously have no respect for you.

Finally, find other programs to watch, preferably ones that honor and glorify the Lord. If there are none on, then be willing to just turn off the television. Identifying proper programming on shows or movies might require doing some research but it would be well worth it to support the changes you are trying to make.

Friends, the main point in all this is that we have a choice.

We can either decide to go all in with changing, committing ourselves to live as Jesus did…the way God wants us to live, or we can choose to hold onto some of our sinful pleasures or at least keep them available to engage in again, finding ourselves never quite able to overcome them.

Ultimately, God is watching us…watching to see what we do. He’s also waiting to step in and help anytime we need it…because there is nothing beyond the work of His hands and this includes helping us get rid of sinful/harmful behavior.

The first step comes in wanting to change and change forever. The second one is to allow God to help you change.

If you do this, know and trust He will help you become the person He wants you to be.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.