Joshua 21-22

You may ask, “What about chapter 21?” Well, in Chapter 21, we see the Levites - the only tribe NOT receiving a tract of land - given cities throughout the land of Israel. It shows that they would be the “glue” that would hold the people of God together. They were SCATTERED all over the country so they could UNIFY the Yahweh’s worshippers. Similarly, that should be the goal of every pastor! We aren’t THEE Levites… but, our role as elders, shepherds and overseers (1 Tim. 3 and Titus 3) of Christ’s church is to MAINTAIN it’s UNITY so that ALL it’s members (collectively/ locally, and universally) may worship Christ AS ONE!

And we will pick up on a most peculiar moment following the distribution of land next week. A matter of worship, different generation’s perceptions of worship, and overall perceptions and realities of worship in Chapter 22.

Ending point about the Levites in Ch. 21 - “All tribes worship God with the help of the Levites, who assist in the sacrifices and blessings. This point anticipates the allotment of the towns of the Levites in chapter 21, already mentioned in 14:4. By scattering throughout the land, they would also represent the unity of the people who worshipped the God of Israel.”

Richard S. Hess, Joshua: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 6, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 262–263.