Refuge and Influence (Part C)

Burn incense for Yahweh to minister to him give blessings in his name. What blessings bless you and keep you space to shine upon Gracia numbers chapter 6 that's the blessing they were to give people forever. Now the New Testament we have several. I like number six I prefer because it's just beautiful. My preference leading of the Spirit. I believe I've tried the others, but always come back to that one. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Joshua. Please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Joshua chapter 7 refuge and influence is the title of Pastor Rick message and he'll be teaching in Joshua chapter 21.

Simeon and Levi slaughter of Shechem. One of the most shameful events in the book of Genesis and even the Bible, Joshua built an altar at Shechem to have the people go up on Mount Grissom and mount the ball and pronounced the blessings on Grissom. The curses on the ball and this was the reading of the law.

And Joshua will give his farewell address. They are also in Joshua 24 so Shechem is a significant place. It means the shoulders and you know some of the Bible commentators have tried to take the names of the cities and apply it to Christ. The problem is, some of them you cannot get the definitions is not there to try to get down to the root word but I think that's forcing it but Shechem is one that works because upon his shoulders. It would we read in Isaiah 9 that his king's kingdom shall never rent have Ron mention here in verse 20. Now I come back to that as any avenger any kinsman ever caught up with someone who is fled to the city. While we don't have one of them catching up to them on the run, but we have is Abner.

Abner was Saul's general and in after Saul died. David embraced Abner and recruited him brought him over so I'm going to give you young since Shoaib is my cousin Woody's i.e. crazy Christian he was Islam. Joab was a nice is governmentally decided to kill and and you were dead.

It's going to kill yourself as Joab's coming anyway. Joab, Abner was being chased by Joab's younger brother and her younger brother catches up and Abner says back off young man I want to hurt you deal your brother, and he doesn't back off.

So just posted with the back of the stick and kills him, and he disguised no steroids, no, no gymnasium, just walked a lot of places and work with livestock and man so Joab, of course, we read in second Samuel chapter 3 Abner had returned to have run a city of refuge Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately and there stabbed him in the stomach so that he died for the blood of a shell brother the gate of the city is the beginning of the city. It's the City Hall asked with strategies for war or considered. It is worth city businesses.

Joab must've lured him out and inch probably didn't like talking little sick makes them going to get closer anyway, there is an example. He was in the city of refuge Joab would've been guilty of murder and and Joab in the end gets killed dies, violent death. Well, verse eight. Now and on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward they assigned. These are in the wilderness on the plane from the tribe of Reuben Ray Marth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad and go land & from the tribe of Manasseh.

This is modern-day Jordan, the kingdom of Jordan. This is on the Transjordan side, east of the Jordan River and again, and despite the importance of the cities in the Bible we don't find the mentioned again. But the work of Christ is the city of refuge to us. Verse nine. These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwelt among them whoever killed a person accidentally might flee there and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation we might have another name for the avenger of blood. The Grim Reaper is the role he would be playing but is a stranger also benefited from the loss of you were not a Jew in your you know on the job site you you could have been in Egyptian games is representative of what was in you actually kill the guy you completed the city of refuge, so goes that story now. Chapter 21.

Here we have the separation of the 48 Levitical cities because the Levites were were decentralized, they did not get territory of their own as a tribe but they did get parcels of land as individuals and they got these parcels in various cities assigned to them. These 48 cities that God directed them to give to to the. The other tribes to the Levites numbers 35 verse eight in the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel on the larger tribe, you should give many and from the smaller you shall give few each of give some of it cities to the Levites in proportion to the inheritance that each receives so he saying of the tribes, the land that they had each tribe had to give Levites some territory by giving them equal opportunity to contribute will come back to that moment. Verse 21 we have to do that also.

Just will get through it and it would be just too many verses left hanging. That's why these I do it when I see them coming back to it. Plus some. I like to make it difficult for people call her tone. The heads of the fathers houses of the Levites came near to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of nun, and to the heads of the fathers houses of the tribes of the children of Israel.

Verse two they spoke to them at Shiloh land of Canaan sing. Yahweh commanded through Moses to give us cities to dwell in with their common lands for our livestock will Shiloh you know never that that's now the center of worship Gill gal was the headquarters of Joshua with the temple was originally when he first crossed into the land. Shiloh was then determined to be the place of worship. And that's where it is the capital of the nation. You could say and so is Caleb and Zella fed his daughters in Leesville.

The Fed's daughters came and Caleb came to Joshua today, we've got land issues that have to be settled. We were promised, we will make a claim for the priest and the Levites. The priest are Levites with the Levites and are all priest if you if you understand that Erin was a Levite, but only his sons can be priest well anyway they can then now making that claim. The common land refers to the surrounding land pasture lands around the cities that they're getting in the cities work already there, they they dislodged the people the Canaanites that were there and they took the cities and their giving them the pasture land surrounding them. Those of the common lands in the latter times this became very important to the priest, so long as the people were obedient to the Lord, the priests were provided for and maintain their their calling, but as the Kings came along and even the people, and judges. All of this went crazy. David is the one that really began getting it back on track and Hezekiah was another one that worked on keeping these things the way they should be in the land. So here we are in America. We're looking at our our rights being attacked and eroding in just these demonic people and that's what they are because of things a state champion are not human. Human beings will come up with the stuff on their own. They may come up with stealing and lying and things like that.

But since this stuff is so bizarre and wicked that you know there there are demonic beings pulling the strings well when watching this happen and is very difficult to see it go away. Well that's how it was very often in Israel, you had these run Jeremiah, Isaiah fought like a dog to keep his right knee was very successful. Not 100%, but more successful. Jeremiah had to watch it all happen.

He wants.

He sat in the grotto in the cave outside the road to lamentation.

Jesus finally did, after all that we had going all the proofs and the arguments in the righteousness and almost finally did all the suffering and will Jeremiah right now is really not caught up with that stuff.

He is having the best time ever. Well, when the nation as I mentioned drifted from God. The Levites, they suffered greatly because their income was was based on mainly their vocation. What they receive from the temple and they had the lands to and in many instances they had to forsake the ministry because they defeated families and they would go to these pasture lands. They were given and they neglected the priesthood and the serving of the temple because of the popular demand the culture at the time this okay you younger believers to tell people I care about your cultures going now it's okay to say that to them is I belong to a different kingdom. My cyber dual citizenship. I'm here for now but I'll be there forever and is much better than all this junk you have going on here and how else are they going to learn because all the getting is one side of the story. This fool's paradise is so wonderful. I got Wi-Fi life is good anyway. Second Chronicles chapter 31. This is of course that magnificent scene with David is he is old is given the throne to Solomon, but he's got unfinished business and David is now normal politics, I'm gonna throw myself into worship going to use.

I'm still really am still looking but I'm going to use all my resources to build God's house to establish worship. He decentralizes and then he formalizes he does all the stuff and so we read this with David setting it up tomorrow. He commanded the people dwelt in Jerusalem to contribute support for the priest and the Levites that they might devote themselves to the law of Yahweh. That's what they were supposed that because that would save the people. Malachi, we come along and and they were stable, going to the motions, but their hearts weren't in it, it's what we call formal religion today where people go to church but they don't care the care they just heard. Yeah, I should be kinder to my neighbor the ones I like and that that kind of stuff when we come to you. We who are born again we hear God say something right. We don't push back on God will Malachi. They were pushing back and he called them out. Malachi asked him a question so you would Paul when he does bouncing around.

I'm excited so and Paul is doing moments he does a question answer format pieces. You know, is God marked what shall we say, send them to rescind that real reason to delete the questions because he knows he dealing with smart enough people to be able to answer the questions right way and is extracting from them.

Confessions will Malachi goes to that is is will a man rob God what moron was a real me. No one would say that in their right mind, and then he says, yet you rob me God speaking to the prophet, yet you rob me. But you say in what way have we robbed you, pray tell, that we don't use that now language. It's good for old movies with who says, pray tell, anyway. God says you in tithes and offerings. The priest can't function as priests because of you pastors can't pastor, not because of you because of you. You know many men enter the ministry.

They want to preach God's word. They want to do everything right and they start finding the they have to be politicians and and run for office all the time.

If somebody invites them something they have the gall oils the people I leave the church talk bad about them like that and all of a sudden their posture starts going down the backbones gone is hard and I'm not picking at any of God blessed me in the past really gave me an attitude adjusted don't care about what they say care about what I say you care about what I say. My people will care about what you say in your care about them is how it works but it is hard because you make relationships with people you love them and then what happens when it becomes a foot race to whose will is going to get done. We have to have that attitude says you know is much as I love you were better off without you. If that's how you feel, not with any hatred or malice door is always open to come back you your parents in the same way you let go.

Let your kids dictate to you. You kids go off to college to pick up dumb ideas they come back home you going to go and tell me more or you going to shut them down.

That's the stupidest thing ever heard. I paid for the what we see that happening with the parents caving to the kids… Mark on moral issues when they know better.

All right, we gotta get through this, verse three, so the children of Israel gave to the Levites from their inheritance at the commandment of the Lord.

These cities and their common land that Jacobs prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi, we read about it last session. He said that he would divide them in in Israel and stay scatter them in Israel.

Genesis 49 verse seven cursed be their anger that will Shechem thing, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for this cool I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

What was fulfilled and we talked about Simeon getting allotment within Judah, but then being scattered throughout the North. There is Levi. There is distributed as clans amongst the Jewish people, but there there there is sort of, you know, the redeemed themselves when they sided with Moses and they have this honorable position, but what appeared to be a curse proved to have within it a blessing cursed is there anger and yet here they are carrying the articles of the temple. The articles of the Lord think they were looking at things. Nobody else could look over touching things no one else could touch, so the presence of the Levites everywhere in the land God's intention was that it would serve as an unending influence. It would just be there. They were all over the place so we have the city of refuge, but that we have. Also this righteous influence.

It was constantly telling the people God is amongst you.

Several years ago is flying in to Houston and so tempted to make a corny joke so tempted. I'm not flying into Houston on looking out the window and I'm just noticing because it's this one flight pattern into Houston is the same lease several times I've flown it and I could just pick out the steeples so many of you know the devil is trying to change those into domes that influence that influence of the Bible in the land God shed his grace and on the purple mountains Majesty all amber waves of grain.

What a beautiful song. She wrote that an original going across the country. Look out the window in the train and she just you know compile what she saw into a beautiful song anyway. God's relationship with his people was stamped throughout the land by these Levitical cities scattered about. She did not have to go to Judah to find the Levite. They were all over the place and it should be that way with we Christians in the workplace have increased when everyone well fire alarm and next to the filing of the Christian law and you pull an interesting parcel verse four now the lot came from the families of the co-have fights and the children of Aaron the priest who were Levites at 13 cities by lot from the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Simeon and from the tribe of Benjamin. This decentralization of the tribe. The co-have fights are not the sons of Coronado coral belong to that clan, but Aaron and Moses were from co-half and this of course is spreading the Levitical influence which include include the priest in verse five. There's co-half mentioned the second son of Levi.

In verse six Gershom the first son of Levi and verse seven Marie, I the third son of Levi from them. The priest and the Levites, verse 13. Thus, to the children of Aaron the priest they gave head Ron with its common land city of refuge for the slayer and so this these were our night descendents of Aaron.

They were priest and have brought verse 16 Beth she mesh with its common land nine cities from two tribes when the Philistines won the ark in battle from the Jews. They are after seven months. Having the ark and a lot of drama in their lives. The symbiotic inspected Jews because they put her on a cart and they sent it back and assented any citizen other going to go towards the Jews at Beth she mesh or not, will best CMS was a Levitical town.

These are the very nature clan that was responsible for carrying the ark.

It was divine. They may have had some knowledge the Philistines of these things, but this was a divine act. The men who shoulder the ark of the covenant was to whom it was returned. First Samuel six, then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth she mesh that this Joshua about 400 years later, almost 5 and stood there, a large stone was there so they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. Levites took down the ark of the Lord the chest that was in it which were the articles of gold and put them in a large stone, then the minute that she missed. She mesh offered and made sacrifices same to the Lord. I should reread all that was truly one of the great lessons that my pastor, Pastor Chuck taught us about that incident is that when you put the presence of the Lord on a cart. It's where it doesn't belong consummate on boards and big wheels and many churches are run by boards and big wheels and not the pastors and the Levites were to carry the ark that does not diminish the role of a port, you gotta have an intelligent man capable men do so much for us you you you all don't know how many benefits as a church that you get because God has godly men that he sent here as there was no add put in the paper for them how they got to their position is divine and then your prayers.

Remember your board member stated that God appointed men there like tribal leaders anyway. Verse 41, all the cities of the Levites within the possessions of the children of Israel were 48 cities with their common lands, everyone verse 42 of the cities had its common land surrounding it, thus were all the cities so the landscape again of the nation was peppered with priests and Levites were what sort of men. What were these first Chronicles 23 the sons of Amram Aaron and Moses and Aaron was set apart. He and his sons forever, that they should sanctify the most holy things to burn incense before Yahweh to minister to him and to give the blessings in his name forever. What blessings the Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, be gracious to you numbers chapter 6 that's the blessing that they were to give to the people forever. Now the New Testament we have several of them. I like number six I prefer because it is just beautiful. My preference and leading of the Spirit. I believe I've tried the others, but always come back to that one. Not that the others diminished. Anyway, those of the God's servant centered service.

Verse 43 the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which he had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it and are there at the end of this at this moment right now there there there in the land, but lata's lot or witnessing material after the two witness from history is very helpful to share why the Bible can be trusted to what is trying to communicate from the book of Revelation talked about Satan's boys. You can trust the Bible, its prophecy is validated and the events of history.

So the Jews out the land in the land in the land now as a technology is coming about, to fulfill the Revelation that is witnessing material. We moved out of verse 44 deli gave them rest all around, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers, and not a man of all their enemies stood against them. Yahweh delivered all their enemies into their hand.

Verse 45. Not a word failed of any good thing which Yahweh had spoken to the house of Israel all came to pass, and we covered that in earlier sessions next session Joshua 22 Transjordan warriors were sent back across the Jordan to their lands give them my Moses what they may a blundering men who almost caused the Civil War. And of course the closing words Joshua not turn away from. Thanks for tuning into cross reference radio for this study in the book of Joshua cross reference is the teaching ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you're interested in more information about this ministry, please visit our website cross reference radio.com find additional teachings from Pastor Rick available there also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast by doing so you will be notified each new edition of cross reference radio.

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