Joshua Chapter 21 Verses 1 – 3

•So you may recall the Levites received no “province” of land like the other tribes but I mean come one, they had to live somewhere, right?! So each of the other tribes gave certain cities from within their provinces to the tribe of Levi. And actually this worked out pretty well because this basically distributed priests throughout the entire nation of Israel.

•So check this out. The Levites were not to receive an inheritance of land on their own when they came into the Promised Land because why? Anyone remember? What was to be their sole inheritance? The Lord! The commandment given by God to Moses and recorded for us in Deuteronomy 18, we covered this back in Joshua 13:33…but commandment was given by God concerning cities for the Levites…turn over for a moment to Numbers 35, specifically verses 1 – 8.

•And so get this. Each tribe had been allotted land according to the Word of God. It was all settled, everyone had what was promised by God, except the Levites…and so what did they do? And I love this…they made their claim!! They asked! They pursued! They went after it!!

•It says here in verse 1 that, “The heads of the fathers houses of the Levites came near,” and literally in the Hebrew that word means to “get all up in someone’s business!” “God has spoken, it’s there in His Word…are y’all forgetting something!”

•Why is this important to point out? Turn over to James Chapter 4. Look at the first 3 verses! Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. And you might say right there, “STOP! Yes I do ask! I ask all the time…!” But continue…You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. BAM!

•Do you know that Jesus said, “Ask and it WILL be given you,” in Matthew 7:7 and that Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen?” Know what else? They were both completely honest! Both entirely correct! Can you believe it! HA!!

•So what’s the issue then? Well James started it…what are we asking for? Notice the foundation upon which the Levites affirm their claim…God’s Word! Are our requests in line with God’s Word, man? Maybe that’s why we haven’t asked…or maybe that’s why we don’t have…

•I love this…they know the Word of God, they believe the Word of God, they count on the Word of God and they step forward and ask in accordance with the Word of God…and verse three…so they received…that is Biblical name it and claim it! HA!

Joshua Chapter 21 Verses 4 – 42

•And so the cities of the Levites were given from within and among the tribes of Israel. Notice God’s design is not for the Levites, the priests to go off alone and have their own country but rather to be dispersed among the people. I love how Matthew Henry puts it, “Thus God set up a candle in every room of His house, to give light to all of His family…” (Who are the candles? Pastors? Leaders? You?)

Joshua Chapter 21 Verses 43 – 45

•Not a word failed. All came to pass. Again another stellar Matthew Henry quote, “God’s Word and His works mutually illustrate each other!” Man I love that! There is no difference, no delta, no variation whatsoever between God’s Word and God’s works!

•God promised to give them this land. They delayed it, an entire generation forfeited it, difficulty after difficulty had arisen from their unbelief…but ultimately the promise came from the One that cannot lie…so notice, any failure to fully possess what was promised, any delay, any difficulty, any loss…Achan, Moses, Korah, the entire generation in the wilderness, huge loss and suffering and toil and waste…all of that was never because God did not make adequate provision…was never because God was in any way unfaithful or not good but it was always because Israel refused to believe Him, to trust Him and to follow Him!

•The performance of God’s promises in accordance with His Word in our own lives, if at any time that seems to come short, we need to take a big step back, take a big breath in, and own it…and repent.

•Maybe that’s you tonight. Angry, bitter, unhappy, dissatisfied, anxious and hard…own it man. Have you asked God for a soft heart? Have you asked God to wake you up! Have you asked God to receive your repentance? Have you asked for salvation from hell and salvation from self? Have you asked amiss?

•God has been completely faithful to you. Even favorful for sure! He has made complete provision for you in all things that pertain to life and in all things that pertain to godliness…power, surety, strength, wisdom, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…victory!

•He has given all, He has given the life of His Son…Question tonight is…what do you possess?