In these chapters the cities given to the Levites, including the cities of refuge, are described.

• Remember that the Levites were to be satisfied with being priests unto God (Joshua 18:7). Nevertheless, they required food and lodging just as much as the other tribes. Those who benefited from the Levitical ministry were to minister to the Levites in their physical needs.
• How many times have we read about these cities of refuge? God wants to make sure that men receive a fair trial.  And you can be sure that on judgment day, your trial before God will be fair.
• 48 cities were declared to be Levite cities (Joshua 20:41).
• Joshua 21:43-45. God had kept His promises to the ancestors of Israel, even though they had been unfaithful to Him.

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Meditation Points:

• A word to slackers (Joshua 18:3).  How long will you procrastinate? Go and get what belongs to you! Is there a lesson here for modern believers who live neutralized or defeated spiritual lives?
• Seven tribes had not settled yet (Joshua 18:2). Each tribe was to send 3 scouts out to survey the land and report back to Joshua.  After the 21 men returned from spying out the land, Joshua divided it by lot to the seven tribes.
• The portion given to Judah was more than they required, so part was given to the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:9). On the other hand, the portion given to Dan was too little, so they had to advance farther.
• After all the land was apportioned, the tribes gave land to Joshua (Joshua 19:49).
• Did you hear anyone complain that his “lot” in life was unfair?

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Meditation Points:

• Joshua 16:10; Joshua 17:13. We should never think that we are so strong in the Lord that we can control sin ourselves. Israel thought that forcing the Canaanites into servitude was a good idea; but they would find this unresolved issue to be a constant irritation in subsequent generations. When we think that we are strong enough to keep our own lusts on a leash, we soon find out that the leash we’ve made is insufficient for the task. When God says to mortify the deeds of the flesh, He doesn’t mean to lock them up and keep them in a box.
• Joshua 17:14-18. If you think you are so strong, why don’t you do more for the Lord?

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Caleb’s conquest is mentioned again in Joshua 15:13-19. When Othniel accepts the challenge to fight and to receive Caleb’s daughter for his wife, the bride-to-be asks her father for well-watered land, too. Daughters often know how to manipulate their fathers. Remember Pharaoh’s daughter who took a contraband Hebrew baby, and Rachel who successfully stole her father’s idols.

The following map will provide a general idea of where the various Israelite tribes settled.

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