Sermon Tone Analysis

We’ve seen Joshua commissioned to lead the people into the Land

We’ve seen the crossing of the Jordan

We’ve seen the taking of Jericho, Ai, Southern and Northern lands

We’ve seen the Lord subdue the inhabitants of the Land for His people to be at rest in the Land

CITIES IN THE LAND

Cities of Refuge

Joshua 20:7-9 - The cities that were set apart

The Priest is holy and his death is a symbol of atonement

Joshua ((2) Specific Instructions (20:4–6))

It is not specifically stated what removed the manslayer’s guilt.

He was sentenced to a period of exile in the city of refuge, away from his home, and he could not return home until the high priest died.

Many have argued that the high priest’s death marked a period of amnesty ushering in a new era.

However, a more probable explanation is that since the high priest represented the sacrificial system, his death atoned for the sins of the manslayer.

No ransom was to be accepted for a murderer or for a manslayer (Num 35:30–31).

Only on the occasion of a death—the high priest’s—was the manslayer free to leave.

As Greenberg states, “The sole personage whose religious-cultic importance might endow his death with expiatory value for the people at large is the high priest.”

In Numbers 35, the high priest is mentioned as having been anointed with “holy oil” (v.

25), which would tend to support his position as the acceptable “sacrifice.”

For Christians, the typological associations with the death of Jesus Christ—the great High Priest whose death atones for their sins—are certainly visible here.

Levitical Cities

Joshua 21:4-42 - The Levitical City allotments

Completion of Giving of the Land

God fulfilled every promise

GO WITH THIS...

I’m a Levite

You’ve heard me talk about this slide which is a picture of how I see the activity of the local church functioning

Within the activity of the church is an understanding of the authority structure given to the Body of Christ

I make the correlation between the priestly leadership given to Israel and the local church today to make this point.

In my vocational ministry role, I am a Levite.

Any vocational minister has forsake the opportunity to earn a living in the world, but rather be dependent in some form on his brothers and sisters in Christ for the Lord’s provision

This is exactly what was happening when the people of Israel received the Land…the Levite had no inheritance, but out of the inheritance of Levi’s brothers and sisters, they were taken care of with cities and pastureland among the territories (4*12 = 48) … 4 = Potentially a symbol of a room, or a space, or a Kingdom

If vocational ministers are Levites and not priests, then who are the priests but every believer in Jesus?

GO WITH THIS...

I’m a Levite

We are Priests

We are all priests and ministers of the New Covenant...

Ministers of Reconciliation

This is I give myself the title of LEAD MINISTER rather Pastor or Senior Minister, etc.

A holy priesthood...

GO WITH THIS...

I’m a Levite

We are Priests

God fulfills all His promises

Jesus is the fulfilment of every promise God made to his people

Jesus is the perfect version of every leader that came before Him

He’s a better Adam

a better Noah

a better Abraham

a better Jacob

a better Joseph

a better Moses

a better Joshua

a better David

Jesus is God’s answer to every promise and his death has paid for all our sin.

The truth is...WE are like the manslayer on the run from the avenger of blood… the penalty of sin has chased us to a city of refuge and what we found out when we got there was that the great high priest has died for our sin and we are free!