ministry as mission

Joshua 21:4-42 (JDV)

Joshua 21:4 The lot came out for the Kohathite clans: The Levites who were the descendants of the priest Aaron received thirteen cities by lot from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.
Joshua 21:5 The remaining descendants of Kohath received ten cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 21:6 Gershon’s descendants received thirteen cities by lot from the clans of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and half the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.
Joshua 21:7 Merari’s descendants received twelve cities for their clans from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun.
Joshua 21:8 The Israelites gave these cities with their pasture-lands around them to the Levites by lot, as Yahveh had commanded through Moses.
Joshua 21:9 The Israelites gave these cities by name from the tribes of the descendants of Judah and Simeon
Joshua 21:10 to the descendants of Aaron from the Kohathite clans of the Levites, because they received the first lot.
Joshua 21:11 They gave them Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron; Arba was the father of Anak) with its surrounding pasture-lands in the hill country of Judah.
Joshua 21:12 But they gave the fields and settlements of the city to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his possession.
Joshua 21:13 They gave to the descendants of the priest Aaron: Hebron, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture-lands, Libnah with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:14 Jattir with its pasture-lands, Eshtemoa with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:15 Holon with its pasture-lands, Debir with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:16 Ain with its pasture-lands, Juttah with its pasture-lands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasture-lands – nine cities from these two tribes.
Joshua 21:17 From the tribe of Benjamin they gave: Gibeon with its pasture-lands, Geba with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:18 Anathoth with its pasture-lands, and Almon with its pasture-lands – four cities.
Joshua 21:19 All thirteen cities with their pasture-lands were for the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
Joshua 21:20 The allotted cities to the remaining clans of Kohath’s descendants, who were Levites, came from the tribe of Ephraim.
Joshua 21:21 The Israelites gave them: Shechem, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture-lands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:22 Kibzaim with its pasture-lands, and Beth-horon with its pasture-lands– four cities.
Joshua 21:23 From the tribe of Dan they gave: Elteke with its pasture-lands, Gibbethon with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:24 Aijalon with its pasture-lands, and Gath-rimmon with its pasture-lands – four cities.
Joshua 21:25 From half the tribe of Manasseh they gave: Taanach with its pasture-lands and Gath-rimmon with its pasture-lands – two cities.
Joshua 21:26 All ten cities with their pasture-lands were for the clans of Kohath’s other descendants.
Joshua 21:27 From half the tribe of Manasseh, they gave to the descendants of Gershon, who were one of the Levite clans: Golan, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture-lands in Bashan, and Beeshterah with its pasture-lands – two cities.
Joshua 21:28 From the tribe of Issachar they gave: Kishion with its pasture-lands, Daberath with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:29 Jarmuth with its pasture-lands, and En-gannim with its pasture-lands – four cities.
Joshua 21:30 From the tribe of Asher they gave: Mishal with its pasture-lands, Abdon with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:31 Helkath with its pasture-lands, and Rehob with its pasture-lands – four cities.
Joshua 21:32 From the tribe of Naphtali they gave: Kedesh in Galilee, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture-lands, Hammoth-dor with its pasture-lands, and Kartan with its pasture-lands– three cities.
Joshua 21:33 All thirteen cities with their pasture-lands were for the Gershonites by their clans.
Joshua 21:34 From the tribe of Zebulun, they gave to the clans of the descendants of Merari, who were the remaining Levites: Jokneam with its pasture-lands, Kartah with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:35 Dimnah with its pasture-lands, and Nahalal with its pasture-lands – four cities.
Joshua 21:36 From the tribe of Reuben they gave: Bezer with its pasture-lands, Jahzah with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:37 Kedemoth with its pasture-lands, and Mephaath with its pasture-lands– four cities.
Joshua 21:38 From the tribe of Gad they gave: Ramoth in Gilead, the city of refuge for the one who commits manslaughter, with its pasture-lands, Mahanaim with its pasture-lands,
Joshua 21:39 Heshbon with its pasture-lands, and Jazer with its pasture-lands– four cities in all.
Joshua 21:40 All twelve cities were allotted to the clans of Merari’s descendants, the remaining Levite clans.
Joshua 21:41 Within the Israelite possession there were forty-eight cities in all with their pasture-lands for the Levites.
Joshua 21:42 Each of these cities had its own surrounding pasture-lands; this was the case for all the cities.

ministry as mission

The ESV Study Bible notes “The effect of taking cities and their pasturelands from each of the tribes would be to scatter the Levites throughout the whole of Israel. This distribution would facilitate the Levites fulfilling their duties” (p. 425).

These servants of God had to be where the people of God lived, so that they could minister to God’s people. Their holiness was defined by their not engaging in conquest. Rather, they focused on ministry. Each was important to God. Each is part of God’s mission.

Lord, show us how we can fulfill your mission.