Joshua 21

“The Lord commanded through Moses that you give us towns to live in, with pasturelands for our livestock.”

Today’s chapter talks about the towns and pasturelands being given to the Levites from the Israelites out of their inheritance. Contrary to the rest of the tribes who were slack in asking for their land, the Levites who perhaps knew their duty better than the rest, were not needed to be called upon by Joshua, in that they were more forward in asking for their land.

What I took away from this was that when God commands something to take place, or if we’re called into action by God, we should not be slack but we are to take action and make it happen. Like a parent who wants to reward their child for acting in obedience, God wants to do the same for us. If a parent promises a reward for good behaviour to their child, and the child is obedient and worthy of the reward, the parent is then not upset when the child asks for their reward. In fact, the parent will be pleased to present their obedient child with their reward. In the same way, God is not upset with us when we ask for our reward from Him.

On another note, I thought that it was interesting that the Levites were spread among all the other tribes, and not kept together. I found a commentary by Matthew Henry that indicated this:

“They were made to see that the eyes of all Israel were upon them, and therefore it was their concern to walk so that their ministry may not be blamed. Every tribe had its share of Levite’s cities. Thus God did graciously provide for keeping up religion among them, and that they might have the word in all parts of the land.”

Just as eyes were on the Levites, as Christians, we have many eyes on us. How is our walk? Are we walking in a way that is noticeably different to others? Are we influential to those searching for answers? God planned for the Levites to be dispersed throughout the Israelites as an example to them and to keep up religion among them. We too, are to be like the Levites living in our towns and cities, upholding and living out the laws of God for others to see.