Joshua 17 - 20

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We are going to attempt to cover a lot of ground today as we work our way through Joshua.

We pick up today in Ch 17 as the lot has fallen to Manasseh here in the PL. We remember of course that half the tribe of Manasseh took there inheritance on the east side of the Jordan

Map - slide

Read 17:1 - 3 the sons of Manasseh are allotted their cities.

Now as we get to vs 3 - 6 we find a very interesting section that relates to Jesus’ claim to the throne of David and Messiah.

Read 3 -6

Here we learn that there was a man of Manasseh named Zelophehad who had no sons, only daughters. The 5 daughters come to Joshua and Eleazer the Priest to remind them of what Moses had determined regarding their inheritance.

Look at ,

Without this obscure law families without sons, only daughters, would have no way to legally pass on their property. So how does this relate to anything you ask.

The curse of Jeconiah

Look at and following, the genealogy of Jesus. Basically it goes down through His ancestors from Abraham to Joseph.

Note in V16, “of whom” is in Hebrew in the feminine singular and signifies that Jesus is from Mary. This important because Joseph is Jesus’s legally father but not His biological father as Jesus was virgin born. So the genealogy in provides the legal claim to the throne of David through His step father Joseph.

But there is a big problem.

Look at . We see that Josiah begot Jeconiah or Coniah as he is sometime called. So what! you say, well turn to

-30

The New King James Version Chapter 22

24 “As I live,” says the LORD, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; 25 and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.

28 “Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol—

A vessel in which is no pleasure?

Why are they cast out, he and his descendants,

And cast into a land which they do not know?

29 O earth, earth, earth,

Hear the word of the LORD!

30 Thus says the LORD:

‘Write this man down as childless,

A man who shall not prosper in his days;

For none of his descendants shall prosper,

Sitting on the throne of David,

And ruling anymore in Judah.’ ”

You see Jeconiah was not a good guy or King for that matter. According to verse 30 no descendant of Coniah could rule on the throne of David. So all his descendants are cursed of which Joseph is one.

So Joseph fulfills the legal claim being a direct descendant of David through Solomon.

So how can Jesus be the messiah?

Look at beginning at v23.

Here we see another genealogy of Jesus Christ but we notice some differences. This one begins at Jesus and goes back through the generations to Adam.

Notice: v23  Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph..

The interesting thing here is that Heli was Joseph father in law, and actually the father of Mary.

So whose genealogy is this Mary or Joseph? Mary obviously.

Now notice, look at verse 31. We see this line comes from David but through Nathan another of David’s many sons. But here we have no mention of Coniah and there is no curse. So in between these two genealogies we see Jesus Christ having the legal claim to the through through Joseph and the spiritual claim through Mary.

So How does this relate to the daughters of Zelophehad? Interestingly enough, Mary the mother of Jesus had no brothers so her inheritance had a legal way to pass to Jesus.

One last note, Jesus Christ is the only human being that can ever make both the legal claim and the spiritual claim to the throne of David. Why? Something happened in 70 AD. The temple and the genealogical records were destroyed.

Ephraim and Manasseh ask for more

Read 14 - 18

E & M have a puffed up attitude. “We are a great people.”

They believe the deserve more than their lot.

Look at the map. In fact they have a huge lot between the two tribes.

V15 Joshua tells them if you are so great take the forest country where the giants are.

v16 what is the response of E & M in plain language? Its to hard, they have chariots of iron and there are giants!

V17-18 Joshua exhorts them and tells them, you can do it!

Application: If you feel you are under utilized and not appreciated do what you have been given to do first and then seek out difficult untouched places to serve. Perhaps volunteer for a ministry or job no one else wants and do it with all your might.

A lesson in accountability

Read 18:1 - 10

Israel assembles at Shiloh. A central place in the PL, a few miles north of Bethel.

7 tribes remain that have not received their inheritance.

Joshua, “how long will you neglect to go...” Why would they not want to take their inheritance? It appears that the 7 remaining tribes were responsible for asking for their possession in the land.

Application: Maybe like many in the church today these tribes did not want to find there place. They did not want the accountability of being pinned down. They wanted to float and go where they wanted instead of taking hold of a piece of the land and possessing it. Many in the church today are reluctant to take on a ministry and find their place to serve. Some in the body are reluctant to find a home church fellowship and float from church to church never putting down roots.

Joshua sends out 3 from each tribe to survey the land and break it into 7 pieces from which Joshua will draw lots and assign each tribe its inheritance.

V10 the lots are drawn.

Application: to find your place in the ministry check out what is going on, survey the children’s ministry, prayer meeting, home fellowships, worship team, convalescent home ministry, or something new. And then do it.

V11 - 28 Benjamin’s inheritance

v27 Jerusalem (Jebus) is part of Benjamin

Chapter 19 The last 7 lots

Simeon, entirely in Judah.

Zebulun

Issachar

Asher

Naphtali

Dan

Chapter 20 Cities of Refuge

Read 20: 1- 6

This was instituted by Moses back in .

Read

The city of refuge should give you a picture of something. Who or what?

Jesus is our city of refuge. We run to Him for safety!

Jesus as our HP never dies, He is eternal, therefore we are eternally safe while we abide in Jesus.

Safety is only guaranteed while we remain in the city. If we go outside the city of refuge we are in jeopardy. See -6