09-Israel’s New Mission

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Let’s recap what we have learned so far about Israel’s history. As you know, history is prophecy. It behooves us to understand our ancient Israelite history and up to today because Israel has a 3500 years history. Also, remember that the scripture was written for, about and to Israel, and particularly to the final generation who need to understand the past so we won’t repeat the same mistakes.

1 Corinthians 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

We learned about the pattern of our ingathering which was created with the Israelite crossing over the Jordan river. They crossed over the river with Joshua. We will cross over with Yeshua. There will not be a rapture as the Christian false doctrine asserts.

We learned that Israel must be fully aligned with YHVH’s law and His agenda, now our own. Sin must punished (Achan) because sin affects everyone in the Kingdom and can even get people killed who have nothing to do with the sin. This goes against the religious grain of people today but has its fulfillment in reality. In an army, if 1 soldier disobeys orders from above, he can get his entire platoon or company killed. That is the reality in warfare even today.

We learned YHVH extends salvation to everyone even Canaanites through offering peace to the cities before attacking them. Some of the Canaanites accepted the peace terms to become tributaries and servants of Israel. One city-state, Gibeon, approached Israel in the wrong way which caused initial confusion in Israel’s leaders but was soon made right when they made the Gibeonites into wood cutters and water carriers. This was a demotion from being servants since servants can be household servants. The Gibeonites, however, were relegated to outdoor work and were considered not suitable for being household servants. Thus, we learned there is a right and wrong way to approach the Kingdom. We do it on YHVH’s terms, not our own. Yeshua spoke about the right and wrong ways to enter His Kingdom.

Another lesson learned is that YHVH goes before us even when He gives us difficulties to test and strengthen us.

Now we will see the success of Israel’s wars with the Canaanites people. These successes begin on the east side of the Jordan river even before the 13 tribes crossed over, the 11 tribes plus the split tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh.

THE EAST SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER

Joshua 12:1  Now these are the kings of the land, whom the children of Israel struck, and possessed their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, and all the Arabah eastward:
Joshua 12:2  Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and ruled from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the middle of the valley, and half Gilead, even to the river Jabbok, the border of the children of Ammon;
Joshua 12:3  and the Arabah to the sea of Chinneroth, eastward, and to the sea of the Arabah, even the Salt Sea, eastward, the way to Beth Jeshimoth; and on the south, under the slopes of Pisgah:
Joshua 12:4  and the border of Og king of Bashan, of the remnant of the Rephaim, who lived at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,
Joshua 12:5  and ruled in Mount Hermon, and in Salecah, and in all Bashan, to the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
Joshua 12:6  Moses the servant of Yahweh and the children of Israel struck them. Moses the servant of Yahweh gave it for a possession to the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

THE CONQUERED AREA EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER

THE WEST SIDE OF THE JORDAN RIVER

Joshua 12:7  These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the children of Israel struck beyond the Jordan westward, from Baal Gad in the valley of Lebanon even to Mount Halak, that goes up to Seir. Joshua gave it to the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions;
Joshua 12:8  in the hill country, and in the lowland, and in the Arabah, and in the slopes, and in the wilderness, and in the South; the Hittite, the Amorite, and the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
Joshua 12:9  the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;
Joshua 12:10  the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;
Joshua 12:11  the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;
Joshua 12:12  the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;
Joshua 12:13  the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;
Joshua 12:14  the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;
Joshua 12:15  the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
Joshua 12:16  the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;
Joshua 12:17  the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;
Joshua 12:18  the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lassharon, one;
Joshua 12:19  the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;
Joshua 12:20  the king of Shimron Meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;
Joshua 12:21  the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;
Joshua 12:22  the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one;
Joshua 12:23  the king of Dor in the height of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one;
Joshua 12:24  the king of Tirzah, one: all the kings thirty-one.

THE CONQUERED AREA WEST OF THE JORDAN RIVER

DIVIDING THE LAND

Joshua 13:1  Now Joshua was old and well advanced in years. Yahweh said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed.

Joshua must now pass his authority as Moses did. As YHVH spoke to Moses, now He speaks to Joshua.

Deuteronomy 31:14  Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, your days approach that you must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the Tent of Meeting, that I may commission him.” Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting.

Moses passed his authority to Joshua but who will Joshua pass his authority to? The individual tribes. Once their territories come to them, it will be their responsibility to continue pushing out the remaining “ites”. If each tribe conquers each little pocket of people, the whole land will be completely under Israelite control after Joshua dies.

Joshua may lead the Israelites to the Promised Land but it was up to them to keep it. In other words, after Joshua divided the land and the tribes began to conquer the remnant of the Canaanites still left in their territories, they must act as one, they must put “echad” into action, something which happened only for a short time under Kings Saul and David later on. Israel’s lack of oneness would be the cause of the many sins of Israel for hundreds of years.

Joshua 13:2  “This is the land that still remains: all the regions of the Philistines, and all the Geshurites;
Joshua 13:3  from the Shihor, which is before Egypt, even to the border of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; the five lords of the Philistines; the Gazites, and the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avvim,
Joshua 13:4  on the south; all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the border of the Amorites;
Joshua 13:5  and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad under Mount Hermon to the entrance of Hamath;
Joshua 13:6  all the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, even all the Sidonians. I will drive them out from before the children of Israel. Just allocate it to Israel for an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
Joshua 13:7  Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

Some people make the argument that scripture now contradicts itself because it said in Joshua 11:23:

Joshua 11:23  And Joshua took the whole land, according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

Now in Joshua 13:2, YHVH is telling Joshua there is yet land not yet conquered. Why the discrepancy? It is because Joshua 11:23 recounts the successes of war with command. They conquered everything YHVH sent them to, i.e. the main capital cities of the city-states, the coalitions. After the battles of Jericho and Ai, Israel was met with coalition armies: Adoni-Zedek and his 4 allies in chapter 10, Jabin of Hazor who came with an untold number of allies in chapter 11. Along the way, Israel fought battles with individual city-states, too. All of these were what YHVH them to do – no more and no less. Thus, they successfully conquered all that YHVH told them to. Yet, this left small pockets of people, those who were most likely farmers and craftsmen not trained in war. First, an army goes after the capitals and militaries and then later those who hands are not trained for war.

The peoples listed in Joshua 13:2-6 were those who had likely been vassal cities and protected by the kings of those which fell in the first incursion. Now, Israel has had a period of rest from war. Some scholars believe this period was about 7 years until YHVH told Joshua it was time to prepare for his death by dividing the land to the tribes, leaving them to finish the conquest.

Joshua 13:13  Nevertheless the children of Israel didn’t drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this day.

This statement is viewed as failure on the part of Israel’s army. It can viewed as that these people accepted peace terms with Israel. This is not given as sin by YHVH. It is simply a statement of fact. YHVH has been faithful to tell us when Israel has sinned along the way, so we need not read something into this that is not there. However, we will find that the tribes failed to continue in righteous war which is likely because they began to accept heathen religious practices after Joshua died.

Joshua 13:8  With him [Manasseh from verse 7] the Reubenites and the Gadites received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of Yahweh gave them:
Joshua 13:9  from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain of Medeba to Dibon;
Joshua 13:10  and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, to the border of the children of Ammon;
Joshua 13:11  and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan to Salecah;
Joshua 13:12  all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei (the same was left of the remnant of the Rephaim); for Moses attacked these, and drove them out.
Joshua 13:13  Nevertheless the children of Israel didn’t drive out the Geshurites, nor the Maacathites: but Geshur and Maacath live within Israel to this day.

David later married a princess from Geshur, and his son Absalom was born of her (2Sa_3:3). Absalom returned to Geshur and used it as a place to plot against his father David (2Sa_13:37-38; 2 Samuel, 14:23; 2 Samuel 14:32).

The Maachathites may have come from the Maachah mentioned in Gen_22:24, who was a nephew of Abraham. Later, when Sheba rebelled against David, he fled and may have taken refuge in one of the cities of the Maachathites (2 Samuel 20:14-15).

Joshua 13:14  Only he gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. The offerings of Yahweh, the God of Israel, made by fire are his inheritance, as he spoke to him.

REUBEN’S INHERITANCE EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER

Joshua 13:15  Moses gave to the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their families.
Joshua 13:16  Their border was from Aroer, that is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, and the city that is in the middle of the valley, and all the plain by Medeba;
Joshua 13:17  Heshbon, and all its cities that are in the plain; Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
Joshua 13:18  Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
Joshua 13:19  Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar in the mount of the valley,
Joshua 13:20  Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, Beth Jeshimoth,
Joshua 13:21  all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.
Joshua 13:22  The children of Israel also killed Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, with the sword, among the rest of their slain.
Joshua 13:23  The border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and its villages.

GAD’S INHERITANCE EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER

Joshua 13:24  Moses gave to the tribe of Gad, to the children of Gad, according to their families.
Joshua 13:25  Their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, to Aroer that is near Rabbah;
Joshua 13:26  and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpeh, and Betonim; and from Mahanaim to the border of Debir;
Joshua 13:27  and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan’s bank, to the uttermost part of the sea of Chinnereth beyond the Jordan eastward.
Joshua 13:28  This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and its villages.

MANASSEH’S INHERITANCE EAST OF THE JORDAN RIVER

Joshua 13:29  Moses gave an inheritance to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was for the half-tribe of the children of Manasseh according to their families.
Joshua 13:30  Their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the villages of Jair, which are in Bashan, sixty cities.
Joshua 13:31  Half Gilead, Ashtaroth, and Edrei, the cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were for the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even for the half of the children of Machir according to their families.
Joshua 13:32  These are the inheritances which Moses distributed in the plains of Moab, beyond the Jordan at Jericho, eastward.
Joshua 13:33  But Moses gave no inheritance to the tribe of Levi. Yahweh, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he spoke to them.

WHY MANASSEH RECEIVED TWO TERRITORIES

I want to jump ahead of the text here to explain why Manasseh received the largest territories on both the east and west sides of the Jordan river.

Joshua 17:1  This was the lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph. As for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

Bashan is the ancient, biblical name used for the northernmost region of the Transjordan during the Iron Age. It is situated in modern-day Syria. Its western part, nowadays known as the Golan Heights.

Gilead or Gilad is the ancient, historic, biblical name of the mountainous northern part of the region of Transjordan. The region is bounded in the west by the Jordan River, in the north by the deep ravine of the river Yarmouk and the region of Bashan, and in the southwest by what were known during antiquity as the “plains of Moab”, with no definite boundary to the east.

BASHAN AND GILEAD

The east is a natural boundary of desert. Back then, armies did not attack from the east. They attacked from the north (Assyria, Syria, Babylon, Greece, Rome) and south (Egypt).

Don’t confuse the open east with the “children of the east”. The nation of Israel was never attacked by the “children of the east”. This term was used in a general way designated the inhabitants of the country East of Israel. However, one of the tribes, Reuben, had a war with the Hagrites from the east.

1 Chronicles 5:10  In the days of Saul, they [the families of Reuben] made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they [the families of Reuben] lived in their [the Hagrites’] tents throughout all the land east of Gilead.

In the last days, once the 12 tribes have been restored, Isaiah says:

Isaiah 11:13  The envy also of Ephraim will depart, and those who persecute Judah will be cut off. Ephraim won’t envy Judah, and Judah won’t persecute Ephraim.
Isaiah 11:14  They will fly down on the shoulders of the Philistines on the west. Together they will plunder the children of the east. They will extend their power over Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon will obey them.

The “Philistines on the west” is Gaza. The “children of the east” that will be plundered is Edom and Moab, the two safe territories set aside for the Revelation 12:6 woman. The “chief of the children of Ammon” in Daniel 11:41 will have escaped, yet somehow there will be help for those in Edom and Moab for YHVH’s Revelation 12:6 woman.

Joshua 17:2  So this was for the rest of the children of Manasseh according to their families: for the children of Abiezer, for the children of Helek, for the children of Asriel, for the children of Shechem, for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida. These were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph according to their families.
Joshua 17:3  But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
Joshua 17:4  They came to Eleazar the priest, and to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the princes, saying, “Yahweh commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” Therefore according to the commandment of Yahweh he gave them an inheritance among the brothers of their father.
Joshua 17:5  Ten parts fell to Manasseh, in addition to the land of Gilead and Bashan, which is beyond the Jordan;
Joshua 17:6  because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the sons of Manasseh.

The lesson here is:

Matthew7:7  “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.

Matthew 7:11  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Joshua 17:7  The border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, which is before Shechem. The border went along to the right hand, to the inhabitants of En Tappuah.
Joshua 17:8  The land of Tappuah belonged to Manasseh; but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.
Joshua 17:9  The border went down to the brook of Kanah, southward of the brook. These cities belonged to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook, and ended at the sea.
Joshua 17:10  Southward it was Ephraim’s, and northward it was Manasseh’s, and the sea was his border. They reached to Asher on the north, and to Issachar on the east.
Joshua 17:11  Manasseh had three heights in Issachar, in Asher Beth Shean and its towns, and Ibleam and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns.
Joshua 17:12  Yet the children of Manasseh couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
Joshua 17:13  When the children of Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out.

Manasseh in verse 9 received a second territory west of the Jordan river because the daughters of Zelophehad asked for their own inheritance in their father’s name in Numbers 26. In the chronology of the Book of Numbers in chapter 32, Reuben and Gad then came and asked for territory east of the Jordan river. Manasseh did not ask for territory there yet Moses gave Manasseh territory on the east side of the Jordan river, as well. Why? Some speculation may be that Moses may have put a faithful tribe with these two tribes that were sometimes not so faithful or perhaps Manasseh’s military strength was great along with the fact that Ephraim could easily be entreated to come to fight with them. Joshua 17 further says:

Joshua 17:14  The children of Joseph [Ephraim and Manasseh] spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given me just one lot and one part for an inheritance, since we are a numerous people, because Yahweh has blessed us so far?”
Joshua 17:15  Joshua said to them, “If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest, and clear land for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim; since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you.”

Joshua 17:16  The children of Joseph said, “The hill country is not enough for us. All the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth Shean and its towns, and those who are in the valley of Jezreel.”
Joshua 17:17  Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, that is, to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, “You are a numerous people, and have great power. You shall not have one lot only;
Joshua 17:18  but the hill country shall be yours. Although it is a forest, you shall cut it down, and it’s farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

Manasseh’s position on the northern border of the east side of the Jordan river would be protection for Israel when being attacked from the north. Later on, though, Manasseh, Gad and Reuben would become Assyrian captives along with people from the other tribes during the Assyrian captivity. This happened because of sin. Again, the lesson is that Israel and Israelites are strong when there is no sin but we are weakened when there is sin.

Let me explain something about how invaders took people captive in those days. The invading armies, Assyria and Babylon, did not take every member of the tribes captive. These armies took the princes and nobles along with a few workers  like “smiths”, Strong’s H2796, but left behind the poor people and farmers. Invading armies also planted gentile populations in Israel. This is one reason why there is no “pure” Jacobite DNA from shortly thereafter to today. As Judah and those left from the northern house wars intermarried with the gentiles, the DNA of Jacob became polluted.

One last word about Manasseh. Today, we see the remnant of Manasseh in the Jordanian family name “Manaseer”. This is one of the wealthiest families of Jordan. I have been told they are billionaires!

There is another map of Israel which is for Israel’s future that I will address in an upcoming teaching.

We stop here for now. Joshua will now divide the land among the tribes. This will be done by lot. We will see this in the next chapters. Let us learn the lessons of spiritual warfare from these physical wars of Israel. Let us continue fighting until all is conquered within us!

There will be no teaching next week because we will be in Jerusalem for Shavuot. We will be back the following on June 22^nd, YHVH willing.