Joel M Bradshaw

41The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands.–Joshua 21

A few things that stood out to me this chapter.

1. NAMES. The Levites had three clans: Kohath, Merari, Gershon. The priests had to be from the line of Moses’ brother Aaron, who was a Kohathite. So all priests were Kohathites, but specifically Aaron and his sons. All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. All priests were Kohathites, but not all Kohathites were priests. What’s the old saying? All bachelors are men, but not all men are bachelors!
2. SPREAD OUT. It was if God intentionally wanted the tribe dedicated to serve him with access to all of their brothers. Access to God wouldn’t be limited to one tribe. God was symbolically present with everyone.
3. CITIES OF REFUGE. We are also not surprise that the Levitical cities became refuge cities. The leaders of those cities would be the ones deciding the fate of the manslayers that came to them for refuge. It’s as if God intentionally wanted Levites there. People with no political or tribal land issue and who symbolically represented God.
4. PASTURELANDS. The Levitical cities would come with surrounding pasturelands much like every other city. This would make it so the ‘host’ tribe didn’t own the land right up to the city door. It also gave space for residents to graze flocks. The Levites’ inheritance was God, but the city would still function as normal. Evidently Levitical families and all else living there could still maintain some livestock. This is one more way God provided for Levi.

Have a blessed start to your week!–JMB