Jerusalem

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

JERUSALEM

Josh 18:11-28

11 The lot came up for the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan. Their allotted territory lay between the tribes of Judah and Joseph: 12 On the north side their boundary began at the Jordan, passed the northern slope of Jericho and headed west into the hill country, coming out at the desert of Beth Aven. 13 From there it crossed to the south slope of Luz (that is, Bethel) and went down to Ataroth Addar on the hill south of Lower Beth Horon. 14 From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath Baal (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side. 15 The southern side began at the outskirts of Kiriath Jearim on the west, and the boundary came out at the spring of the waters of Nephtoah. 16 The boundary went down to the foot of the hill facing the Valley of Ben Hinnom, north of the Valley of Rephaim. It continued down the Hinnom Valley along the southern slope of the Jebusite city and so to En Rogel. 17 It then curved north, went to En Shemesh, continued to Geliloth, which faces the Pass of Adummim, and ran down to the Stone of Bohan son of Reuben. 18 It continued to the northern slope of Beth Arabah and on down into the Arabah. 19 It then went to the northern slope of Beth Hoglah and came out at the northern bay of the Salt Sea, at the mouth of the Jordan in the south. This was the southern boundary. 20 The Jordan formed the boundary on the eastern side. These were the boundaries that marked out the inheritance of the clans of Benjamin on all sides. 21 The tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, had the following cities: Jericho, Beth Hoglah, Emek Keziz, 22 Beth Arabah, Zemaraim, Bethel, 23 Avvim, Parah, Ophrah, 24 Kephar Ammoni, Ophni and Geba — twelve towns and their villages. 25 Gibeon, Ramah, Beeroth, 26 Mizpah, Kephirah, Mozah, 27 Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah, 28 Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite city (that is, Jerusalem), Gibeah and Kiriath — fourteen towns and their villages. This was the inheritance of Benjamin for its clans.

NIV

This is the inheritance of the tribe of Benjamin. What is interesting here is that only the tribe of Manasseh had a little more people than the tribe of Benjamin. Yet, Benjamin received both the cities of Jericho and Jerusalem within its boundaries. Of course, there was not much left of Jericho, for the walls came tumbling down after all of Israel marched around it and shouted at the command of Joshua. But Jerusalem, the great city where everything important comes to pass. Yet Bethlehem, the city of David, where Jesus came into the world, is within Judah, which is why Jesus is referred to as the Lion of Judah. However, Jerusalem is the city where our salvation was secured. Jerusalem, within the tribe of Benjamin, was the last son of Jacob, who had the same mother, Rachel, as Joseph. Joseph resided over Egypt, only after Pharaoh, but Benjamin now resides over Jerusalem. Here is where God wanted his temple to be, where He would reside with His people, or at least, the symbol of His presence with His people. Of course, there is no physical building like the temple in Jerusalem, however, Jesus promised that if the temple were destroyed, he would rebuild it in three days. Of course, Jesus was speaking of his body as the temple of God. Still, we now have become the temple of the Holy Spirit, which happened because Jesus was raised up after three days and spent forty days showing himself to many before he ascended back to the Father so He could send the Spirit to reside within his people. We now represent the great temple of God, where everything important happens. God is transforming us into His likeness. Jerusalem is where Jesus paid the price for our sins, but this temple, this city of God, does not have to pay the price, and someday, because of Jesus, and what he did in Jerusalem, we will one day live in the new city of Jerusalem with our Lord Jesus, our Father, and the Spirit. Even though Benjamin was a small tribe, it played a significant role in the history of the people. Although we are but one small person,  one of lowly position, we play a significant role in the plan of God, as he has led us to the exact place we are for His exact purpose. Thank you, Lord, for using Benjamin giving him Jerusalem, and thank you, Lord, for using us and giving us the new Jerusalem.