People of the World where are you going? Turn back to God! Back to your faithful principles!
ISRAEL’S UNFAITHFULNESS
Israel’s Unfaithfulness. Then the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and worshiped and served the Baals,
and they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and they bowed down to them, and offended and provoked the LORD to anger.
CHOOSE WHOM YOU WILL SERVE
Choose whom you will serve “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; remove the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the [Euphrates] River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
THE COVENANT RENEWAL AT SHECHEM
Choose Whom You Will Serve. If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
JOSHUA’S CHARGE TO ISRAEL’S LEADERS
Joshua’s Charge to Israel’s Leaders. And you have seen all that the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; for the LORD your God is He who has been fighting for you. Jos 23:3
THE EASTERN TRIBES RETURN HOME
The Eastern Tribes Return Home. And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brothers, as He has promised them; so turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the [east side of the] Jordan.
CITIES AND PASTURLANDS ALLOTTED TO LEVI
Cities and Pasturelands Allotted to Levi. Then the heads of the households of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel.
They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us cities to live in, with their pasture lands for our cattle.”
So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance these [forty-eight] cities and their pasture lands, in accordance with the command of the LORD.
THE CITIES OF REFUGE
The Cities of Refuge. The LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
“Speak to the Israelites, saying, ‘Designate the cities of refuge (asylum), of which I spoke to you through Moses,
so that the person (manslayer) who kills any person unintentionally, without premeditation, may flee there, and they shall be your refuge from the blood avenger.
ALLOTMENT OF THE REMAINING LAND
Allotment of the remaining land. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.
And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
THE ALLOTMENT FOR MANASSEH
The Allotment for Manasseh. Now this was the lot (allotment) for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, were allotted Gilead and Bashan, because he was a man of war.
THE ALLOTMENT FOR JUDAH
The Allotment for Judah. Now the lot (allotment) for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families reached [southward to] the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin at its most southern part.
Their southern border was from the lower end of the Salt (Dead) Sea, from the bay that turns southward.