1 00:00:14,099 --> 00:00:17,359 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast. 2 00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,100 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you. 3 00:00:24,900 --> 00:00:27,059 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:35,039 --> 00:00:44,240 So we have a longer lesson than normal tonight because we're finishing out the tribes 5 00:00:45,299 --> 00:00:53,000 and their inheritance and each one of them has kind of its own unique little story 6 00:00:53,000 --> 00:01:02,320 behind it. So we'll play it by ear, see how it goes. Depending on how long it takes, 7 00:01:02,380 --> 00:01:08,120 we'll determine whether we break into groups or not. How's that sound? 8 00:01:10,019 --> 00:01:19,480 All right, so let's open with prayer. Heavenly Father, we pause, Lord, at the end of this day, 9 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:26,280 Lord, and we just give you thanks, give you praise. We give you honor, Lord, for being able 10 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:34,079 to be here tonight, Lord, for being your children. We thank you for the opportunity to gather as 11 00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:41,280 believers, Lord, to gather freely. We thank you for the opportunity to come and learn of your 12 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:47,799 word, God, and dig deeper into Scripture, Lord, and just get your Scripture in our hearts, 13 00:01:47,799 --> 00:01:54,299 in our minds, Lord, that your text would be part of our lives and our walk and our very 14 00:01:54,299 --> 00:02:01,140 being, Lord, that you would be a part of us in that way. We pray tonight that as we learn 15 00:02:01,140 --> 00:02:08,400 and dig into your word, that we just grow not just in knowledge of you, but we draw closer 16 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:14,419 to you and learn more of you and build our relationship with you and therefore build our 17 00:02:14,419 --> 00:02:22,159 relationship with others. So we pray your Spirit would be here tonight, Lord, amongst us, Lord, 18 00:02:22,379 --> 00:02:29,319 to minister to us, minister life to us, and make your word come alive, Lord, here among your 19 00:02:29,319 --> 00:02:44,400 children. Amen. Okay, so we are in Joshua 19. We shifted around a little bit because I had 20 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:58,939 17, so now I'm finishing out with 19. So this will be the final, let's call it distribution of land 21 00:02:58,939 --> 00:03:10,479 to the tribes, to the 12 tribes of Israelite. And, you know, God isn't just giving land here, 22 00:03:10,479 --> 00:03:19,919 but He gives each tribe its own unique role, its responsibility, opportunity within the land. 23 00:03:20,060 --> 00:03:27,939 You'll see that there's different opportunity and different challenges. And the locations 24 00:03:29,359 --> 00:03:36,199 of each land are aligned with various prophetic words that came forth, 25 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:45,060 the culture of the tribe, and or the purpose that God has for them. So let's start out with verses 26 00:03:45,060 --> 00:03:53,900 1 through 9, and this deals with the tribe of Simeon. So the second lot came out for the tribe 27 00:03:53,900 --> 00:04:02,580 of Simeon, according to its clans. The inheritance lay within the territory of Judah. It included 28 00:04:03,219 --> 00:04:18,079 Beersheba, or Sheba, Maladah, Hazar, Shewal, Balah, Ezzam, Eltelad, Bethel, Hormah, Ziglag, 29 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:30,379 Beth Markaboth, Hazar, Suzah, Beth Laboth, and Sharahen, 13 towns and their villages. 30 00:04:31,519 --> 00:04:41,540 Ane, Reimann, Ether, and Ashen, four towns and their villages. And all the villages around these towns 31 00:04:41,540 --> 00:04:50,800 as far as Belaf, Beer, Rama, and Negev. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, 32 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:57,560 according to its clan. The inheritance of the Simeonites was taken from the share of Judah, 33 00:04:57,560 --> 00:05:05,120 because Judah's portion was more than what they needed. So the Simeonites received their 34 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:12,139 inheritance within the territory of Judah. So, just so we know what we're talking about, 35 00:05:13,259 --> 00:05:26,100 we are right here, okay? So all of this is Judah, and then Simeon is right here in the center. And 36 00:05:26,100 --> 00:05:31,600 we're going to talk a little bit about why that is. So, 37 00:05:34,900 --> 00:05:40,379 all the other territories, as you see, and as we'll talk about, are kind of these autonomous 38 00:05:40,379 --> 00:05:48,540 plots of lands, whereas Simeon is right within Judah. So this is one of the most interesting 39 00:05:48,540 --> 00:05:56,939 allocations that we have here. So Joshua tells us that Simeon's inheritance came 40 00:05:57,500 --> 00:06:06,139 out of Judah's portion because Judah's territory was large, but there's a lot more to the story 41 00:06:06,139 --> 00:06:13,879 than just that, as we know when there's little hints in text. So Simeon was the second eldest 42 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:22,339 son of Jacob. His inheritance was very unique because there was multiple 43 00:06:22,339 --> 00:06:32,740 prophecies that were spoken regarding him. In fact, Jacob had a prime. His dad had a prophecy 44 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:42,379 decades earlier. And I don't have slides for any of this. I have a couple maps 45 00:06:42,379 --> 00:06:51,500 that I want to look at here, so we're going to be constantly referencing the maps as we're talking 46 00:06:51,500 --> 00:07:01,019 through these. So in Genesis 34, this is a whole story here, and I'm not going to read 47 00:07:01,019 --> 00:07:07,959 all of these early writings, but I'll give you scriptures and you guys can dig in further 48 00:07:07,959 --> 00:07:18,079 on your own. But in Genesis 34, Simeon and his brother Levi responded to the defilement 49 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:30,819 of their sister Dinah by Shechem, who was the son of Hamor. And the scripture doesn't 50 00:07:30,819 --> 00:07:44,120 go into much detail as to defilement. When I first read it, I assumed they raped her, 51 00:07:44,759 --> 00:07:56,980 or he raped her. But that's not necessarily said very specifically in here. They came together and 52 00:07:56,980 --> 00:08:06,060 just defiled her because they were out of wedlock. There are some interpretations that 53 00:08:06,060 --> 00:08:17,540 says he just wanted to take her and have her as his own, so there was no sexuality there. 54 00:08:18,459 --> 00:08:25,939 So the word defilement, when we read it, it can have a lot of meaning for us, but it's not necessarily 55 00:08:26,740 --> 00:08:34,779 the first thing that comes to mind in scripture. So Simeon and his brother Levi responded like any 56 00:08:34,779 --> 00:08:44,799 good brothers would, of course, by murdering everyone and slaughtering the entire city 57 00:08:44,799 --> 00:08:53,700 where they lived. They deceived Shechem and his father. There's a whole story in this. If you 58 00:08:53,700 --> 00:09:00,879 want to read the whole story, it's an interesting story. He actually came to Jacob and said he 59 00:09:00,879 --> 00:09:09,679 wanted to marry Dinah. So the boy said, well, the only way you're going to be able to marry her 60 00:09:10,420 --> 00:09:20,059 is if you're circumcised like us. So Shechem and a bunch of the other warriors were circumcised, 61 00:09:20,059 --> 00:09:26,620 and then they took advantage of grown man circumcised, so they went in and just slaughtered 62 00:09:27,580 --> 00:09:35,940 everyone in the village. So as Jacob, and you can read that whole story, it's literally almost 63 00:09:36,460 --> 00:09:45,980 an entire chapter in there. And then Jacob, at the end of his life, really addressed this incident 64 00:09:45,980 --> 00:09:52,759 in detail again in Genesis 49, 5 through 7, and he's more or less prophesying, saying, 65 00:09:53,179 --> 00:10:03,460 Simeon and Levi are brothers, and I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel. 66 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:12,399 So that prophecy is fulfilled in a couple different ways. So Levi was scattered throughout, 67 00:10:13,039 --> 00:10:23,220 all throughout Israel as priests, and they were scattered into 48 cities all throughout 68 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:31,080 the Promised Land. So they literally were scattered throughout. Now, if you recall, 69 00:10:31,460 --> 00:10:38,639 they weren't given their tribal land like the other brothers were, but they were, 70 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,740 at the end, they were given basically cities to be in, and a lot of other responsibilities, 71 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:52,460 and their full blessing really was being, you know, being priests, you know, before God. Simeon 72 00:10:52,460 --> 00:11:02,220 received no independent territory, but instead their inheritance was carved out from within 73 00:11:02,220 --> 00:11:11,500 Judah's land, and then they were eventually just absorbed by Judah. So that was kind of the 74 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:20,320 ramifications. That's why Simeon's plot shows up here, and that's why out of all the 12 tribes, 75 00:11:20,740 --> 00:11:31,320 there is no tribe of Levi was primarily because of this incident. So if we think about, you know, 76 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:39,820 even though Simeon's past had consequences, you know, to what he did. What he did was not 77 00:11:39,820 --> 00:11:49,159 right in the eyes of God, but God did not fully remove either of them from his covenant. They 78 00:11:49,159 --> 00:11:55,360 still received the inheritance that they had. So, you know, God's discipline in their life, 79 00:11:55,360 --> 00:12:03,019 and in our life, can certainly change our path, can certainly change the trajectory that we're on, 80 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:11,679 but his faithfulness to his promise will always remain. So that's the first one, 81 00:12:12,159 --> 00:12:19,259 and again, as you can see, Judah is all the way down here to the south, and Simeon is located in, 82 00:12:19,620 --> 00:12:23,279 and some of these we already talked about, like Manasseh, and there was a few others, 83 00:12:23,279 --> 00:12:28,919 but we're going to hit the rest of these as we go through. So we're going to pick up again 84 00:12:28,919 --> 00:12:53,259 on verses 10 through 16. So the third lot came up from Zebulim, according to its clan. The 85 00:12:53,259 --> 00:13:02,200 Dabesath, and extended to the raven near the Jachneim. Again, all these names. 86 00:13:03,919 --> 00:13:11,399 It turned east from Sarad towards the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth, Tabor, 87 00:13:11,779 --> 00:13:20,740 and went on to the Dabereth and up to Jaffia. Then it continued eastward to Gath, Heifer, 88 00:13:21,299 --> 00:13:32,080 and Ethkazim. It came out at Ryman and turned toward Nia. There, the boundary went around 89 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:41,820 on the north to Hanathun and ended at the valley of Ithal. Included were Katah, 90 00:13:50,639 --> 00:14:00,360 Naphalal, Shimran, Adalah, and Bethlehem. Bethlehem's easy, right? There were 12 towns 91 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:06,899 and there were villages. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulim, 92 00:14:06,899 --> 00:14:11,279 according to its clan. So, 93 00:14:15,059 --> 00:14:22,679 once again, turn to our map here. When we're listening to the description in scripture, 94 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:30,879 it becomes almost impossible to visualize where this is, unless you're looking at a map. So 95 00:14:30,879 --> 00:14:45,120 we're all the way up top here. We're right below Asher and Napoli, or to the east of Manasseh and 96 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:51,659 Ishkar, close to the Mediterranean here. So we're going to talk a little bit about this. 97 00:14:51,799 --> 00:14:55,779 It's the purple. It's the purple one, if you're looking, if you're listening online. 98 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:09,379 So Jacob also prophesied about this, that Zebulim would dwell towards the seacoast 99 00:15:09,939 --> 00:15:22,500 and prosper through trade. So this was a great area. It occupied northern Galilee, 100 00:15:22,500 --> 00:15:29,159 which we're going to talk a little bit about. And although it did not necessarily extend 101 00:15:29,860 --> 00:15:37,200 all the way to the Mediterranean directly, it's set right and adjacent to the roots. 102 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:42,539 You remember we talked last week about the trade routes that Manasseh had? Basically, 103 00:15:43,519 --> 00:15:51,220 Zebulim bordered those trade routes. So they were like right in the midst of that inland 104 00:15:51,220 --> 00:16:00,039 regions that had all of that trade. So it was commercially a very important area. 105 00:16:00,919 --> 00:16:10,399 And Jacob had, again, prophesied about this in Genesis 49.13, says Zebulim will live by the 106 00:16:10,399 --> 00:16:18,139 seashore and become a haven for ships. His borders will extend towards Sidon. So again, 107 00:16:18,139 --> 00:16:26,399 this was decades and decades before this. Isaiah also foretold this, that the land of Zebulim 108 00:16:26,399 --> 00:16:36,919 and Naphtali would be the first to see the Messiah. So it's specifically written out in 109 00:16:36,919 --> 00:16:44,399 Isaiah 9.1-2. Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. 110 00:16:44,959 --> 00:16:51,139 In the past, he humbled the land of Zebulim and the land of Naphtali. 111 00:16:53,919 --> 00:17:01,919 But in the future, he will honor Galilee of the nations by the way of the sea beyond the Jordan. 112 00:17:02,460 --> 00:17:08,640 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light on those living in the land 113 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:17,079 of deep darkness the light has dawned. So Jesus was really the light that they're speaking of, 114 00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:23,019 and he fulfilled this prophecy by beginning his public ministry here. 115 00:17:23,579 --> 00:17:32,559 So if we skip ahead a little bit, this map shows that it's not broken out the same, 116 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:38,240 but this is at the Galilean area, which is the area that we're talking about here 117 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:48,680 with Zebulim and Naphtali. And if you remember, the majority of Jesus' ministry happened here. 118 00:17:49,299 --> 00:17:56,420 And as kind of a side note, a lot of the discussions we had last week about Manasseh 119 00:17:56,420 --> 00:18:05,259 and their land and how they just didn't step up to what God had them do, didn't drive the 120 00:18:05,259 --> 00:18:10,339 Canaanites out and all of that, but more or less partnered with them, this whole area 121 00:18:10,859 --> 00:18:19,220 would eventually yield to paganism. So if you remember when Jesus talked about going to 122 00:18:19,220 --> 00:18:30,379 the Decapolis, that's where just that horrible, almost unmentionable idolatry was going on. 123 00:18:30,660 --> 00:18:36,700 That's where the gates of hell were, where they had that level of child sacrifice. 124 00:18:37,180 --> 00:18:45,160 So when you think about a land that God had given as the promised land to one of these tribes, 125 00:18:45,500 --> 00:18:55,000 they let it go into this point of paganism, and it just goes to show how far things can go 126 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:02,779 when we're not following in that. So Jesus' ministry, his public ministry was primarily 127 00:19:02,779 --> 00:19:10,299 in this area. Matthew 4, 12 through 14 says, when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, 128 00:19:10,619 --> 00:19:17,619 he withdrew to Galilee, leaving Nazareth. He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake 129 00:19:17,619 --> 00:19:24,539 in the area of Zebulim and Naphtali to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah. 130 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:34,759 So this region was highly spoken about in Scripture and specifically in prophecy. 131 00:19:35,900 --> 00:19:45,259 And the way I saw this is God chose what seemed to be a relatively ordinary region, 132 00:19:46,519 --> 00:19:52,680 and it became the birthplace of Jesus' ministry. And of course, he foresaw all of this 133 00:19:53,640 --> 00:20:01,960 back then, and it reminded me of what God can do with the ordinary. He can bring greatness 134 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,460 out of the ordinary and often the overlooked, overlooked places. 135 00:20:08,099 --> 00:20:18,619 So let's keep going here. Verses 17 through 23, and this speaks to Ishkar. 136 00:20:18,619 --> 00:20:27,660 So the fourth lot came out for Ishkar, according to its clan. Their territory included Jezreel, 137 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:42,740 Kezuloth, Shunem, Haphirim, Sheon, Anorath, Rabith, Kishion, Ebez, Remeth, Enganim, 138 00:20:43,380 --> 00:20:55,279 Enhadah, and Beth Perez. The boundary touched Tabor, Shazom, and Beth Shemesh, and ended 139 00:20:55,279 --> 00:21:02,440 at the Jordan. There were 16 towns in their villages. These towns in their villages were 140 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:11,460 the inheritance of the tribe of Ishkar, according to its clan. So Ishkar was a fertile valley. 141 00:21:12,740 --> 00:21:22,480 And it was geographically very, very important. Ishkar receives much of the Jezreel valley, 142 00:21:23,859 --> 00:21:33,519 most likely, according to history, the richest farmland, the richest agricultural land in Israel, 143 00:21:34,019 --> 00:21:40,579 meaning that they were able to grow grains and have vineyards for wine, olive groves, 144 00:21:40,579 --> 00:21:49,359 livestock. So it had all of this just prosperous agriculture, not just for their consumption, 145 00:21:49,559 --> 00:21:56,660 but also, again, for trade, knowing that it was a really important. So if we look up here 146 00:21:56,660 --> 00:22:06,920 as to where Ishkar was, that's in red right here next to Zerbil. And again, they both are 147 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:17,539 on this pathway of trade that Manasseh had, which was in place and still being utilized by 148 00:22:17,539 --> 00:22:25,160 the Canaanites. So if you remember, Manasseh, instead of removing the Canaanites, they instead 149 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:33,799 partnered with them in many ways because it was a prosperous area. And it's quite certain that 150 00:22:33,799 --> 00:22:42,619 Ishkar was using those same trade routes to move grain and olives and grapes for wine 151 00:22:42,619 --> 00:22:52,460 and all of these things out to the Mediterranean Sea. So Jacob compared Ishkar to a strong donkey, 152 00:22:53,419 --> 00:23:03,819 not glamorous, but certainly dependable and hardworking. So Genesis 49, 14 through 15 says, 153 00:23:04,819 --> 00:23:14,099 Ishkar is a raw-boned donkey lying down among the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his 154 00:23:14,099 --> 00:23:21,480 resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden 155 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:32,640 and submit to forced labor. So they received an abundance in their land, an incredibly prosperous 156 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:43,240 land, but there's an indication here that later they would serve the stronger powers and 157 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:53,440 understanding that comfort sometimes produces a lackadaisical attitude. Sometimes it's a compromise 158 00:23:53,440 --> 00:24:00,460 that goes on. But when we think of it, the kingdom principle that God has, which we know 159 00:24:00,460 --> 00:24:09,160 from Luke 12, from everyone who has given much, much is expected. So Ishkar was given this 160 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:19,599 just wonderful land, this prosperous land, with God's intent that they would multiply that fruit 161 00:24:19,599 --> 00:24:30,359 and it would just be a blessing really to all of Israel. But it's not necessarily, it doesn't 162 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:39,200 go into great detail, but we can imagine that it had something to do with the Canaanites. 163 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:47,299 And again, that whole area eventually becoming part of the Decapolis. 164 00:24:49,940 --> 00:25:00,160 24 through 31 deals with the tribe of Asher. So the fifth lot came out for the tribe of Asher, 165 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:11,420 according to its clan. Their territory included Helcath, Hali, Baten, Akshaf, Al-Amakalak, 166 00:25:12,380 --> 00:25:24,319 Ahmad, and Mishal. On the west, the boundary touched Carmel, Shreor, Libath, Lib-Nath. 167 00:25:25,279 --> 00:25:35,200 It then turned east towards Beth-Dagam, touched Zebulim and the valley of Iptha-El, and then 168 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:48,779 north to Beth-Amak and Nihil, passing Kabul on the left. It went to Abdan, Rahab, Haman, and Kanath. 169 00:25:50,039 --> 00:26:01,240 As far as Greater Sidon, the boundary then turned back toward Ramah and went towards the fortified 170 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:10,339 city of Tyree, turned towards Hashah, and came out at the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Aksib, 171 00:26:11,220 --> 00:26:21,039 Amah, Apek, and Rahab. There were 22 towns and their villages. These towns and villages were 172 00:26:21,039 --> 00:26:28,720 the inheritance of the tribe of Asher, according to its clan. So again, Asher had this prosperity 173 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:35,500 along the coastal line, the northwest coast excellent farmland, 174 00:26:36,140 --> 00:26:44,779 you know, much like the previous one, olive groves and trade and all of that, and as you can see, 175 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:54,220 it is right up along here. So it literally goes right along the Mediterranean Sea. So they had 176 00:26:54,220 --> 00:27:01,900 this trade line here, and I'm assuming this all in here would have been the fertile area down 177 00:27:02,620 --> 00:27:14,059 south as this whole area was considered the valley, and it goes far, far north. It's one of the two 178 00:27:15,319 --> 00:27:22,160 furthest northern regions, but this was they would have had shipping and docks and all of those 179 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:29,819 things along the Mediterranean that would have made for, you know, very, very prosperous trading 180 00:27:29,819 --> 00:27:40,740 and a lot of wealth in that area. So in Deuteronomy 33, 24, to 25, Moses really 181 00:27:42,299 --> 00:27:48,700 speaks of what a blessing Ashar is. So it says, most blessed of sons is Asher. 182 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:56,519 Let him dip his foot in oil, your sandals shall be iron and bronze, 183 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:07,420 and as your days, so shall your strength be. So a little bit of explanation here, 184 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:14,299 so when you say, you know, dip his foot in oil is, you know, it's widely understood as in a reference 185 00:28:14,299 --> 00:28:22,640 to abundance, you know, olive oil, the groves in the territory that he had. So, you know, olive oil, 186 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:29,400 you know, would have been this blessing. It's also reminiscent of the spirit and healing and all of 187 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:36,279 that sort of thing. It was so much, it was used for so much more back in Bible time. So the 188 00:28:36,279 --> 00:28:45,079 northwest region of Canaan was ideal for olive groves, making Asher one of Israel's wealthiest 189 00:28:45,079 --> 00:28:50,839 tribes. So as they grew and made olive oil, that would have most certainly been a big part of 190 00:28:50,839 --> 00:28:59,559 their trade with the ship. So iron and bronze likely points to strength and security and 191 00:28:59,559 --> 00:29:07,900 possibly the natural resources that fortified their terrain. The blessing paints, you know, 192 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:17,119 a beautiful picture of prosperity, stability, and enduring strength for them. But yeah, what a great 193 00:29:17,119 --> 00:29:23,400 piece of land right there on the Mediterranean Sea. And then Jacob also had a blessing for them 194 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:34,400 in Genesis 4920, Asher's food shall be rich and he shall yield royal delicacies. So both Jacob and 195 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:43,660 Moses emphasize the abundance and the prosperity of Asher and what the future would hold for them, 196 00:29:43,660 --> 00:29:52,259 which aligns perfectly with the land that was allotted. It's almost as if they knew 197 00:29:52,259 --> 00:30:01,000 what was going to happen here in Joshua 19. So, but again, this is a familiar story 198 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:07,440 that we just keep hearing time and time again. Asher failed to drive out the Canaanites 199 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:16,960 from many of the cities. So Judges 1, 31 through 32 says, 200 00:30:17,759 --> 00:30:27,619 nor did Asher drive out those living in Echah, or Sedon, or Ahalab, or Akazib, or Helaba, 201 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:36,839 or Afek, or Rahab. The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land 202 00:30:36,839 --> 00:30:43,319 because they did not drive them out. Again, very similar. We went into a lot more detail 203 00:30:43,319 --> 00:30:50,200 with this last week with the tribe of Manasseh and what they had done. And that, 204 00:30:50,359 --> 00:31:00,759 it really follows the storyline of the trade here. So this whole trade line that goes 205 00:31:00,759 --> 00:31:10,740 you know, Manasseh, east and west territories and the trade line went from the center here, 206 00:31:11,519 --> 00:31:15,380 basically the center of the Promised Land, which is the Jordan, the Jordan River, 207 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:21,079 all the way out to the Mediterranean. So these were strongholds that the Canaanites had. 208 00:31:21,759 --> 00:31:25,640 And again, I don't want to, I don't want to rehash what we talked about 209 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:35,240 last week, but it wasn't that they didn't have the ability to do it. It wasn't like they didn't have 210 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:43,720 the strength in numbers to do it. And it's not like the Canaanites were more powerful than them. 211 00:31:43,839 --> 00:31:52,319 Yes, they were strong military, militant, tribal forces, very well established in the area, 212 00:31:52,319 --> 00:32:02,359 but it was more out of the idea that, wow, why would we wipe them out completely 213 00:32:03,119 --> 00:32:08,960 when they can be such a good resource for us? They have all of these things 214 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:14,839 already established. We can just kind of be working with them. And what's the harm 215 00:32:14,839 --> 00:32:22,680 in all of this? So that was the attitude of basically all the tribes that were along 216 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:28,960 this trade line and Asher just being one of them. 217 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:37,720 An interesting tidbit that some of you may be familiar with and some of you may not, 218 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:48,380 but Anna the prophetess mentions the tribe of Asher and she was in the time of Jesus 219 00:32:48,380 --> 00:33:07,700 and prophesying at the beginning of his life. So it's a beautiful mention of Asher in the New 220 00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:17,160 prophet Anna, the daughter of Peniel of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had lived 221 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:23,680 with her husband seven years after their marriage and then was a widow until she was 84. 222 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:31,880 She never left the temple but worshiped night and day fasting and praying. Coming up to them 223 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:39,680 at the very moment she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking 224 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:47,740 forward to your redemption of Jerusalem. So she was talking about Jesus. So centuries after 225 00:33:47,740 --> 00:33:55,480 the northern tribes had largely disappeared, they were all gone by now. God preserves this 226 00:33:55,480 --> 00:34:02,700 faithful woman, this prophetess from Asher to witness the arrival of the Messiah. It's 227 00:34:02,700 --> 00:34:10,679 one of those things that can just easily be overlooked when you're reading scripture 228 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:18,039 but now when you have a little history behind Asher and what it meant, you can read into 229 00:34:18,039 --> 00:34:27,400 that just a little bit more. So Asher's story illustrates again a timeless principle 230 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:34,139 and something that we've just been encountering over and over again. God can bless us with 231 00:34:34,139 --> 00:34:42,519 abundance like he did with Asher, like he did with so many of these territories, can bless them 232 00:34:42,519 --> 00:34:50,440 with abundance, but the true measure of success is not what we possess and it's not what we have. 233 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:59,219 It's whether our prosperity is used to bless others and whether it deepens our relationship 234 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:12,500 with God. You know, if we use it just strictly for our own gain, we're not using it. We're not 235 00:35:12,500 --> 00:35:19,639 when God blesses us with something like he did with Asher here, the whole reason 236 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:25,960 behind blessing isn't so that we can hoard it and just become self-absorbed with it. 237 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:36,019 The purpose is for the kingdom, to bless the kingdom and those around and in the kingdom. 238 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:49,239 Verses 32 through 39, Nafateli. So the sixth lot came out of Nafateli according to its clan. 239 00:35:49,860 --> 00:35:57,460 Their boundaries went from Hellath to the large tree of Zennium, passing Adami, 240 00:35:58,420 --> 00:36:08,400 Nakeb and Jebneel to Lakhum and ending at the Jordan. The boundary ran west through Asnoth, 241 00:36:08,539 --> 00:36:19,179 Tabor, and came out of Hukuk. It touched Zebulim on the south, Asher on the west, and the Jordan 242 00:36:19,179 --> 00:36:28,340 on the east. The fortified towns were Ziddim, Zir, Hamath, Rakath, Kynareth, 243 00:36:29,099 --> 00:36:43,900 Adama, Ramah, Hazar, Kedesh, Edri, and Hazar. Iron, Midagel El, Horem, Beth Anath, and Beth Shemesh. 244 00:36:44,780 --> 00:36:51,940 There were 19 towns and their villages. These towns and villages were the inheritance of the tribe 245 00:36:51,940 --> 00:37:05,199 of Nafateli according to its clan. So this was a mountainous area and if we look here, 246 00:37:06,939 --> 00:37:20,059 where are we here? Up in here. I have another map. So with this map, what do they call these maps? 247 00:37:21,559 --> 00:37:32,039 The ones where they show the topographical map. So you can kind of see there's another area down 248 00:37:32,039 --> 00:37:37,099 here in Ephraim we're going to be talking about in a little bit, but you can see this is all 249 00:37:37,639 --> 00:37:44,960 mountainous areas in here. So it's right above, right to the, I guess that would be the northeast 250 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:53,179 of the Sea of Galilee and just north of Zebulim and Ishikar, but it's a very, very mountainous 251 00:37:54,139 --> 00:38:08,639 mountainous area. Beautiful area from pictures that I've seen, but difficult terrain. So if 252 00:38:08,639 --> 00:38:16,239 you've ever tried to navigate on mountainous terrain, it has its challenges. It's beautiful 253 00:38:16,239 --> 00:38:25,039 and there's a lot of possibility there, but it can be challenged. So this area really becomes 254 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:34,940 Jesus' home region. Most of his miracles occur here because again, this is part of a northern 255 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:45,000 Galilee. So not much of a story here. There's not much that they talk about that they would have 256 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:56,320 done in this land. So it kind of leaves us hanging as to what their opportunities were and what their 257 00:38:56,320 --> 00:39:04,260 plans were there, but it was a beautiful area. It was a mountain and it was really going to be the 258 00:39:04,260 --> 00:39:12,260 home area of Jesus. So there could be more. I just couldn't find much on it 259 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:19,679 other than that. So let's continue with 40 to 48. 260 00:39:25,340 --> 00:39:31,679 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of Dan according. Now there's an easy name you pronounce. 261 00:39:31,679 --> 00:39:34,880 My goodness, why can't they all be like that easy? Dan! 262 00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:43,139 We're just not that lucky. The territory of their inheritance included Zora, 263 00:39:43,859 --> 00:39:59,559 Ashiel, Ir Shemesh, Shalalabim, Alon, Ithlan, Elan, Timna, Ekron, Alakha, Gibberthon, 264 00:39:59,559 --> 00:40:11,920 Balath, Jud, Benbarach, Gath, Rimang, Mi, Jachon, and Rachon, and the area facing Jopa. 265 00:40:13,099 --> 00:40:20,820 When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Lesham, 266 00:40:20,820 --> 00:40:29,500 took it and put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Lesham and named it Dan 267 00:40:30,580 --> 00:40:36,420 after their ancestor. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the tribe of 268 00:40:36,420 --> 00:40:45,360 Dan according to its clan. So this is a really interesting, interesting story. 269 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:58,400 So they had their challenges. So what was originally allotted to them was right down here 270 00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:10,280 east of Ephraim, just north of Philistia, and bordering right on the Mediterranean. So 271 00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:19,320 we can make some assumptions because, again, scripture's a little bit vague. So knowing that 272 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:30,039 this was the Philistine area, it was probably very challenging for them and they didn't necessarily 273 00:41:30,039 --> 00:41:38,460 want to deal with it. It said they had a difficult time possessing the land and wanted an easier way. 274 00:41:39,099 --> 00:41:49,219 So they ended up settling all the way up here in Dan. And we're going to talk 275 00:41:49,219 --> 00:42:00,000 just a little bit about how that happened. So we've heard many stories about the Philistines 276 00:42:00,559 --> 00:42:11,519 and they were a strong militant force. And scripture says that this land was given to them, 277 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:29,940 but they didn't again fully possess it. Judges 18 gives a very in-depth story on that. We're not 278 00:42:29,940 --> 00:42:40,539 north to take an easier city and then renamed it Dan. So the tribe of Dan basically exchanged 279 00:42:41,139 --> 00:42:47,360 what God had given them, the blessing and the inheritance that God had given them 280 00:42:47,940 --> 00:42:56,460 for something that was a bit more convenient. So Joshua kind of hints at this. Judges explains 281 00:42:56,460 --> 00:43:05,980 it a little bit more. So Joshua says, when the territory of the Dananites was lost to them, 282 00:43:08,679 --> 00:43:17,860 the Dananites went up and fought against Leshem. So this is a summary statement. It tells us that 283 00:43:17,860 --> 00:43:25,440 they were unable to secure or they didn't really want to go to the work of securing the land. 284 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:37,119 Judges 1.34 says the Amorites confined the Dananites to the hill country, not allowing 285 00:43:37,119 --> 00:43:46,139 them to come down into the plain. This explains why they struggled. They were being pushed back 286 00:43:46,859 --> 00:43:55,380 by the Amorites and later faced the Philistine pressure in the region as well. So again, 287 00:43:55,920 --> 00:44:03,480 Judges 18, it's a full chapter that tells the complete story. I'm not going to take the time 288 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:11,119 to read all that. I would encourage you to read it. But Dan was either unwilling or in their minds 289 00:44:11,119 --> 00:44:23,420 unable to fully possess the land. And how that works in their mind, you know, it's a bit hard for 290 00:44:23,420 --> 00:44:32,260 me to comprehend. After all, they would have seen to this point to what God had done for them and 291 00:44:32,260 --> 00:44:39,300 how God had been with them in battle and how God could deliver them from pretty much any 292 00:44:39,300 --> 00:44:46,079 circumstance if they would have had faith. But I think it's just human nature, you know, 293 00:44:46,179 --> 00:44:55,780 that we just become comfortable or really unwilling to do the work, much like Manasseh. 294 00:44:56,260 --> 00:45:04,500 They were unwilling to put in the work. They wanted to take the easy way out. So they basically 295 00:45:04,500 --> 00:45:12,079 went and took out a peaceful city and conquered it and settled there. And again, 296 00:45:12,739 --> 00:45:19,920 this was not God's plan for them. It was just not what God had had for them. 297 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:29,500 It wasn't his inheritance. It was just an easier alternative for them. And 298 00:45:31,220 --> 00:45:39,659 this illustrates for us, again, a reoccurring theme, you know, that's in Joshua. God gives them 299 00:45:39,659 --> 00:45:46,900 inheritance. The inheritance was difficult to possess. Instead of trusting God to help them 300 00:45:46,900 --> 00:45:52,199 take it, they choose an easier path. And this is just a reoccurring thing. And this decision, 301 00:45:52,199 --> 00:46:01,260 you know, once again, had long-term consequences. Judges 18 ends with Dan establishing an unauthorized 302 00:46:01,260 --> 00:46:09,719 shrine with idols. And later, Jaroboam would establish one of his golden calves at Dan. 303 00:46:09,960 --> 00:46:20,039 It's in 1 Kings 12, 28 to 30, making it a lasting center for idolatry. So again, 304 00:46:22,199 --> 00:46:30,219 this is up in an area where, you know, God meant for all of this stuff to be his land. 305 00:46:31,079 --> 00:46:37,980 And one of the things that just keeps coming back to me and back to me as I read through this is, 306 00:46:37,980 --> 00:46:49,980 you know, God has promises for us, and God has blessings for us, and God has a better way 307 00:46:49,980 --> 00:46:58,139 for us, but he never says that it's going to be easy. He never says that this is going to be 308 00:46:58,139 --> 00:47:08,219 a cakewalk for us. And for us to think that it's going to be easy is just, it's a naive 309 00:47:08,219 --> 00:47:14,019 point that we would have. Matthew 7, you know, tells us that it's a narrow road and it's a 310 00:47:14,019 --> 00:47:22,920 difficult road, but the easy road is what leads to destruction. So this is, again, 311 00:47:23,039 --> 00:47:29,960 I believe a principle of the kingdom, that God has these things for us, 312 00:47:30,059 --> 00:47:34,400 but we have to do our part, and we have to put in the work. 313 00:47:37,139 --> 00:47:46,360 So, at the end here, 49 through 51, when they had finished dividing the land into its allotted 314 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:55,300 portions, the Israelites gave Joshua, son of Nun, an inheritance among them, as the Lord had commanded. 315 00:47:55,940 --> 00:48:04,880 They gave him the town he asked for, Timnath Serah, in the hill country of Ephraim, 316 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:15,820 and he built up the town and settled there. These are the territories that Elazar, the priest, 317 00:48:17,179 --> 00:48:24,100 Joshua, son of Nun, and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel signed by Lot at Shelah in the 318 00:48:24,409 --> 00:48:32,309 presence of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meetings, and so they finished dividing the land. 319 00:48:36,790 --> 00:48:38,889 So, we're looking at 320 00:48:48,030 --> 00:48:55,110 Ephraim, right here. So it's right above Judah, right above Benjamin, 321 00:48:55,710 --> 00:49:00,010 right in between the original Dan and then just east of the Jordan River. 322 00:49:00,730 --> 00:49:11,269 And from what I've gathered, it looks like Joshua settled right around in here, right below where 323 00:49:12,410 --> 00:49:18,789 the big words are. It says it's in the mountainous areas. I tried to do a little bit of research as 324 00:49:18,789 --> 00:49:28,530 to exactly where Timnath Serah in the hill country was, and that's about where it said it was. 325 00:49:29,250 --> 00:49:37,289 So, you know, what should feel like kind of the climax feels a little bit, you know, 326 00:49:37,970 --> 00:49:45,469 anticlimactic, you know, where Joshua was kind of just, you know, relegated to this small little area. 327 00:49:46,070 --> 00:49:53,809 But this is such an awesome piece of scripture here because, you know, Joshua waits and everyone 328 00:49:53,809 --> 00:50:06,769 receives their blessing first, and only then does he receive his. You know, Joshua was the head of 329 00:50:06,769 --> 00:50:14,670 Israel at this point in time. He could have, you know, taken his portion first, but instead he chose 330 00:50:14,670 --> 00:50:21,329 to be last. And it immediately reminded me of, you know, the story of Matthew 20, you know, 331 00:50:21,670 --> 00:50:27,530 laborers, you know, where Jesus said, so the last will be first and the first will be last. So, 332 00:50:27,530 --> 00:50:36,550 Joshua becomes this perfect picture of servant leadership. You know, he's the leader, but he's 333 00:50:36,550 --> 00:50:46,130 choosing then to take that place of humility and not only be last, but really out of all of this 334 00:50:46,130 --> 00:50:57,829 land. He just takes this small little area and settles there. So, as I was reading through this, 335 00:50:58,030 --> 00:51:05,510 it was just so interesting to me, you know, that every tribe received, you know, their land that was 336 00:51:05,510 --> 00:51:11,909 suited to them for their calling. None of them received everything. None of them received, 337 00:51:11,909 --> 00:51:18,130 you know, what they would consider the ideal land. Some were in the mountains, some were in the 338 00:51:18,130 --> 00:51:25,630 valleys, some were on trade routes, some were in farmland, some were on coastlines. But, 339 00:51:26,570 --> 00:51:35,269 you know, God aligned their inheritance and their land with the uniqueness of who they were, 340 00:51:35,269 --> 00:51:43,170 because all of them, you know, you look at how it's laid out here, you know, with the 12 tribes, 341 00:51:43,369 --> 00:51:52,869 all in these unique areas, all of them able to serve the entirety of Israel with the blessing 342 00:51:52,869 --> 00:51:59,849 that God had given them to serve each other reminded me of the 1 Corinthians 12 that the body 343 00:51:59,849 --> 00:52:07,389 has many members, each with different gifts and functions. Just as each tribe had a unique 344 00:52:07,389 --> 00:52:14,889 inheritance, we as believers all have unique gifts that are entrusted to us. We have unique 345 00:52:14,889 --> 00:52:22,730 abilities. We have unique giftings within us to be able to bless the body as a whole. 346 00:52:22,730 --> 00:52:31,210 So when we think about, you know, the faithfulness that God wants to instill in us to be able to bless 347 00:52:31,210 --> 00:52:39,289 those around with the measure that He has given us, it's a huge, you know, it's a huge responsibility. 348 00:52:41,010 --> 00:52:48,550 You know, this whole chapter was a reminder to me, you know, that God is faithful in what 349 00:52:48,550 --> 00:52:56,650 He has promised, not only in what He gives, but in where He gives it and the places that He gives 350 00:52:56,650 --> 00:53:03,489 and how He gives it. You know, each inheritance in the tribe was different, yet each was very, 351 00:53:03,489 --> 00:53:12,969 very intentional. So in the same way, God has placed each of us with very unique gifts in a 352 00:53:12,969 --> 00:53:20,570 body where we are to serve in a workforce where, you know, God has given us gifts to share with 353 00:53:20,570 --> 00:53:30,190 others in a community where we can share the blessing that He's given with those around us. 354 00:53:34,309 --> 00:53:39,789 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss His Word. 355 00:53:40,349 --> 00:53:45,050 Don't forget to join us for Worship Live Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern 356 00:53:45,050 --> 00:53:49,030 on YouTube. Be blessed and have a great day!