Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father, we thank you oh so much for the beautiful day and the awesome opportunity to be able to gather together in your house and to get into your word. Help us now as we do that to understand and apply it in the right way, build our faith and trust in you and in your word. Be with us now as we pray in Jesus' precious holy name, amen. Continuing our chronological study of the word of God, we're in Joshua chapter 20, pick it back up here. We see these are the last of the divisions of the properties and so forth that he gets into and also the death of Joshua by the end of the book of Joshua. But in chapter 20, we see it read, the Lord also spake unto Joshua saying, speak to the children of Israel saying, appoint out for you cities of refuge. Wherefore I spake unto you by the hand of Moses, that the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither, and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. And when he that doeth flee unto one of these cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place that he may dwell among them. And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand, because he smote his neighbor unwittingly, and hated him not before time. And he shall dwell in that city until he stand before the congregation for judgment. And until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days, then shall the slayer return and come unto his own city and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled." So if you kill somebody accidentally or with no intention of killing them, You can flee to these cities for refuge and basically you still have to stay there for quite some time. But it isn't in a prison at least, as it continues. And they appointed Kadesh in Galilee in the Mount Naphtali. and Sechem in Mount Ephraim and Kir Jethoba, which is Hebron in the mountain of Judah. And on the other side, Jordan, by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben and Remoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation." Right into chapter 21. Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. And they spake unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The Lord commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle, and the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance at the commandment of the Lord these cities and their suburbs. So as you continue reading on through most of chapter 21, you see the list of the various families and the suburbs and cities, the areas that they are given to dwell in. and have their families at while they served the Lord in the priesthood. And go all the way over to chapter 21 and verse 42, we see the conclusion of this. These cities were everyone with their suburbs, round about them, thus were all these cities. And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers, and they possessed it and dwelt therein. And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers. And there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel. All came to pass." We see Joshua's blessing in chapter 22. Then Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gaddites and half the tribe of Manasseh and said unto them, ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you and have obeyed my voice and all that I commanded you. As you remember, these tribes chose to get their inheritance on the other side, Jordan, but the soldiers, the men that were capable of battle went with the rest of the children of Israel across Jordan to clear the land. So that's what he's referring to here. In verse 3, ìYe have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren as he promised them. Therefore now return ye and get you unto your tents and unto the land of your possession which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan. but take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them and sent them away and they went to their tents. Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession of Bashan, but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side, Jordan, westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them. And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, whereof they were possessed according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. And when they came unto the borders of Jordan, that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see it. Now this building of this altar is going to be very confusing to the rest of the children of Israel as we see this unfold. They take it as an insult, they take it as a sacrilege that they're building an additional altar. But we see how this, as I say, unfolds in potentially a very bad situation, but they work it out in the end as it continues. And the children of Israel heard say, behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan and the borders of Jordan at the passage of the children of Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go up to war against them. So quickly they were willing to go up and war against their close relatives because of the building of this altar. And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Ged, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and to the land of Gilead and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him 10 princes of each chief house, a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel. And each one was a head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel. And they came unto the children of Reuben. At least they sent these representatives to go check things out first before bringing all the troops in and slaughtering their relatives. as it reads again, and they came unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, and to the land of Gilead. And they spake with them, saying, Thus saith the whole congregation of the Lord, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the Lord? is the iniquity of pure too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, but that ye must turn away this day from following the Lord, So he's saying wasn't it bad enough that the judgment that came upon them because of the error of Peor when he brought in some of that paganism, some of the idols and so forth and had possession of them and hid it and then wound up causing a plague that really upset a lot of folks and hurt a lot of folks and killed some folks. It continues, "...and it will be, seeing ye rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel." Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, wherein the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us, but rebel not against the Lord, nor rebel against us in building you an altar beside the altar of the Lord our God. Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, commit a trespass in the accursed thing? And wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel, and that man perished not alone in his iniquity? Then the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel, The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know. If it be in rebellion or if in transgression against the Lord, save us this day. that we have built us an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer thereon burnt offerings or meat offerings, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the Lord himself require it. And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing saying, in time to come, your children might speak unto our children saying, what have ye to do with the Lord God of Israel? For the Lord hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad, and ye have no part in the Lord, so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the Lord. Therefore, we said, let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice. but that it may be a witness between us and you and our generations after us that we might do the service of the Lord before him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings that your children may not say to our children in time to come, ye have no part in the Lord. Therefore said we that it shall be when they should say to us or to our generations in time to come that we may say again, behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord. Notice, behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord. which our fathers made not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but it is a witness between us and you." Basically, this altar was built as a memorial and representation of their belief and trust and faith in the Lord. There's God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord and turn this day from following the Lord to build an altar for burnt offerings or for meat offerings or for sacrifices beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle. And when Phinehas the priest and the princes of the congregation and the heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them. So they were satisfied with their explanation and what this altar represents and what it would be used for and not used for. And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest said unto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh, this day we perceive that the Lord is among us because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord. Now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. And Phanehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the prince's return from the children of Reuben and from the children of Gad out of the land of Gilead and to the land of Canaan to the children of Israel and brought them word again. And the thing pleased the children of Israel and the children of Israel blessed God and did not intend to go up against them in battle to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, for it shall be a witness between us that the Lord is God. A misunderstanding there that come very close to being a war, but was explained and settled all that dispute. A memorial being built, not an altar being built for the use of the sacrifices is what that was all about. But the children of Israel were able to get it all worked out, figure out what was going on, and not have any battle there amongst themselves. All right, right on into chapter 23. And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age. And Joshua called for all Israel and for their elders and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers and said unto them, I am old and stricken in age. And ye have seen all that the Lord your God hath done unto all these nations because of you. For the Lord your God is he that hath fought for you. Behold, I have divided unto you by a lot these nations that remain to be an inheritance for your tribes from Jordan with all the nations that I have cut off even to the great sea westward. And the Lord your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight, and ye shall possess their land, as the Lord your God hath promised unto you. Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left, that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you, neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them. Now he's warning them about those, like the ones that they had made a treaty with and were charging them tribute and were allowing them to stay, which they were not supposed to do any of that and they were supposed to get rid of them. But he's giving them a caution here, don't fall into the trap of paganism. But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong, but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. Else, if ye do in any wise go back and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, or go in unto them, and they to you, know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you, but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you." That warning that would come upon them if they don't abide by what the Lord's told them to do, clean house. They didn't clean house and all these problems come upon them. And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth, and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you. All are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof that wanted it to come to them. And then here in verse 15, therefore it shall come to pass that as all good things are come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you, so shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things until he hath destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and have gone and served other gods and bowed yourselves to them, Then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you." And we know this is fulfilled. They go against the Lord, they turn into the paganism, and that's what happens when they wind up being conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians and taken into captivity and scattered, all because of their disobedience. All right, right on into chapter 24. And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Sechim, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nacor. and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood and led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau, and I gave unto Esau Mount Seir to possess it. But Jacob and his children went down into Egypt, which they were not supposed to do, but they did. I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt according to that which I did among them. And afterward I brought you out, and I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came unto the sea. And the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red Sea. And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and brought the sea upon them and covered them and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt and you dwelt in the wilderness a long season." They dwelt there because that was part of the judgment of their lack of faith when they had the first opportunity to go back into the promised land. And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side of Jordan, and they fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I would not hearken unto Balaam, therefore he blessed you still, so I delivered you out of his hand. And he went over Jordan and came unto Jericho, and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I delivered them, into your hand, and I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites before, but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them, and the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat. Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth. And put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord." A quick and brief recap of the journey of the children of Israel right from Abraham to the point that he's speaking right here with Joshua. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." That's an awesome statement there. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt from the house of the bondage, which did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way wherein we went and among all the people through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites, which dwelt in the land. Therefore will we also serve the Lord, for He is our God.' And Joshua said unto the people, You cannot serve the Lord for he is a holy God, he is a jealous God, he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins if ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods. Then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that he hath done you good." Over and over he's telling them, you best keep it right, you best serve the Lord. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord. And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen you, the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. Now therefore put away, saith he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your hearts unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, the Lord our God will we serve and his voice will we obey. So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and set them a statute and ordinance in Sechim. And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us. It shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God. So Joshua let the people depart every man into his inheritance. And it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Temnath Sidra, which is in the Mount Ephraim and on the north side of the hill of Geyash. And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua and which had known all the words of the Lord that he had done for Israel. And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground, which Jacob brought, excuse me, which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamar, the father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of silver, and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. And Eleazar the son of Aaron died, and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim." Thus concluding the book of Joshua. As you can note there, Joshua is accounted for writing the book of Joshua, but there's no way he could have finished this last chapter because he's dead. So a scholar, a high priest, or someone considered a scribe, would have finished those last statements there that we find in the Book of Joshua. There's no record that I've been able to find the name of such a scholar or scribe that has done that, but it is credited to one of the ones that was there working with Joshua very closely at the time. Whether it was the high priest that finished those last notes there, Eleazar, or Phanehas, or one of the others, But we know that it is Word of God and we can count on it being accurate and true. And then we get over into the book of Judges, we see it picking up after the death of Joshua. And some of the things that the children of Israel get into, the things they do right and the things they do wrong, and the ones that are given control over the tribes to carry them into battle, such as the tribe of Judah is given the task of being the leaders. the religious leaders as well as the military leaders. We'll close here and we'll pick it back up in Judges next time. Let's pray. Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father, we thank you oh so much for the time you've given us to get in there and study a little bit of this history. Help us to learn from it. Help us to learn from the mistakes of the others so we don't repeat those mistakes. To keep our faith and our trust totally in you. Nothing else but totally in you. We thank you oh so much for the blessings you pour upon us when we do such a thing as we pray in Jesus' precious holy name, amen. Thank you.