Take Two:Joshua 20-21, Proverbs 11

In Joshua 20-21, two major themes are undertaken. All of the land has been subdued and...for the most part...conquered and occupied by God's people. Remember...there are still a number of Canaanites, etc in the land...and we will see the effect of their presence and influence in the coming chapters.

Chapter 21 lists the 48 cities that were deeded over to the Levites...the ministers of God. God provided land and pasture for the tribe of Levi...not in a region as He did for the other tribes... but among all of the tribes from a gift by the tribes themselves. This allowed for the Levites to be among the people they served and to have their needs met. The same is true today. There is a movement among contemporary thinkers that if we all attended "house churches" led by non-professional leaders...then we could put to better use resources for the sake of missions, etc. While, at times, this is an effective strategy..it is certainly not the only or even the optimum approach to ministry. God's plan to reach the nations is not contingent upon our resources or accelerated by our super-cool insights. God's plan is, as always, perfect...and the key to successful participation in this plan is to know and do the will of God...not create new approaches based on our ingenuity.

Chapter 20 explains the reason for 6 of the cities that were given to the Levites. These cities were called "cities of refuge." In the context which the Bible was written, it was expected that a life would be required for a life. If a person was killed...a member of his clan would be honor bound to slay the killer. The tradition lives on in parts of Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama today :-) . In the event that the killer acted without malice, he could flee to a city of refuge and plea for mercy. In doing so, he would be granted safety until his case could be heard before the congregation. He was not absolved for the crime necessarily...but was given safety and protection until he could answer for the crime which he was accused of. His safety was assured...not by the goodwill of the people in the city of refuge...but by the command of God Himself.

Isn't it interesting that God provided a place of refuge to consider ones sins and seek justice...among His own people? This is why the church is to be a "safe" place for people to come and find help today. The church does not absolve people of sin or shield them from justice. It is a place for a person to run for refuge...and the place is provided by God.

Proverbs 11:2 is the takeaway today. The issue is not a "false humility" or a "put on" regarding how we talk or act. It is a sense of dependence. When we become proud...we stop seeking answers and help. We start relying on our own wisdom, provision, and direction. This leads to destruction. When we recognize that our best laid plans are not as good as God's we humble ourselves before Him. We seek to know His plans and counsel...because we acknowledge that He alone has the key to life abundant. This is the thrust of the proverb and is the key to walking righteously before God.

Grace,