旧约 - 约书亚记(Joshua)第13章

When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.
"This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and Geshurites:
from the Shihor River on the east of Egypt to the territory of Ekron on the north, all of it counted as Canaanite (the territory of the five Philistine rulers in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron--that of the Avvites);
from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, from Arah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek, the region of the Amorites,
the area of the Gebalites; and all Lebanon to the east, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
"As for all the inhabitants of the mountain regions from Lebanon to Misrephoth Maim, that is, all the Sidonians, I myself will drive them out before the Israelites. Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you,
and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh."
The other half of Manasseh, the Reubenites and the Gadites had received the inheritance that Moses had given them east of the Jordan, as he, the servant of the LORD, had assigned it to them.
It extended from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and included the whole plateau of Medeba as far as Dibon,
and all the towns of Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon, out to the border of the Ammonites.
It also included Gilead, the territory of the people of Geshur and Maacah, all of Mount Hermon and all Bashan as far as Salecah--
that is, the whole kingdom of Og in Bashan, who had reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei and had survived as one of the last of the Rephaites. Moses had defeated them and taken over their land.
But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.
But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the offerings made by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.
This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Reuben, clan by clan:
The territory from Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Gorge, and from the town in the middle of the gorge, and the whole plateau past Medeba
to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth Baal, Beth Baal Meon,
Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath,
Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth Shahar on the hill in the valley,
Beth Peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth Jeshimoth
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In addition to those slain in battle, the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced divination.
The boundary of the Reubenites was the bank of the Jordan. These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Reubenites, clan by clan.
This is what Moses had given to the tribe of Gad, clan by clan:
The territory of Jazer, all the towns of Gilead and half the Ammonite country as far as Aroer, near Rabbah;
and from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir;
and in the valley, Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth and Zaphon with the rest of the realm of Sihon king of Heshbon (the east side of the Jordan, the territory up to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth).
These towns and their villages were the inheritance of the Gadites, clan by clan.
This is what Moses had given to the half-tribe of Manasseh, that is, to half the family of the descendants of Manasseh, clan by clan:
The territory extending from Mahanaim and including all of Bashan, the entire realm of Og king of Bashan--all the settlements of Jair in Bashan, sixty towns,
half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth and Edrei (the royal cities of Og in Bashan). This was for the descendants of Makir son of Manasseh--for half of the sons of Makir, clan by clan.
This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho.
But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.
约书亚记第十三章   第 13 章 

  书 13-19 章 > 终于可以分地了!他们要怎么样来分呢── 

  13-19 章 这卷书余下的十二章,讲述十二个支派拈阄分应许之地的情形。首先是利未支派不可有地业,因为他们要全力服事百姓,不得去经营自己的私业( 13:14 ; 21 )。其次是吕便,迦得,与玛拿西半支派,已经得到约旦河东之地了,那是摩西所答允他们的(参民 32 )。另外犹大与约瑟支派(以法莲与玛拿西半个支派),已经领受了他们祖宗雅各在四百五十年以前应许给他们的地(参创 48:22 ;书 15-17 章)。这样,其余的几个支派拈阄分所剩之地( 18 章)。 

  从雅各最初对他众子的祝福(参创 \cs15 49 ),以及摩西给十二支派的祝福看来,(参申 33 )各支派所要得的土地,已经大致明了。他们二人的祝福,皆有预言性质,尽管约书亚为余下的几个支派拈阄决定这地的分配,所拈出的结果却与雅各和摩西预言的相同。 

  书 13:1> 人老了,事奉神是有心无力了──真的吗? 

  13:1 约书亚年纪渐老──这时介乎八十五至一百岁之间。不过,神仍有工作给他做。我们的社会常常高举年轻力壮的人,将老人放在一边。其实,老人的经验满有智慧,如若给他们机会,鼓励他们去做的话,他们确实是有用之材。基督徒绝不可从事奉神的职务上退休。过了退休年龄的人,不要以为年老使自己不能事奉神,或为自己找藉口。 

  待征之地 

  书 13:7> 哪里是神给我们的“应许之地”?我们有没有去占领? 

  13:7 迦南地之中,还有许多以色列人未得之地,但是神的计划是要他们继续向前去得那地,将那地也归在各支派所占的地中;祂的心意是要他们征服全地。神知道未来,祂既然领导你,就知道摆在你前面的胜利。当年以色列人仍需出征作战,如今我们为自己的“未得之地”,也需面对试炼,力战而得。 

  什么是我们的“未得之地”?可能是海外宣教,将圣经译成新的语言文字,本地新的宣教工作,尚未得救的群体或机构,没有揭发的公众问题,或是道德上的争论,生活中没有承认的罪,或者是未充分开发的人力与物力。神要你去征服什么地方,那个地方就是神对你的“应许之地”。只要成全神吩咐我们去完成的任务,将来就会得新天新地为产业(参启 21:1 )。 

  13:13 以色列人在迦南定居以后,遭遇到许许多多的问题,其中一个原因,就是他们没有把那地的所有居民全赶出去。剩下来信奉异教的百姓,好像瘟疫一样,令他们苦难不息,士师记记载了这些事件。以色列人没有将生活中的罪恶完全除尽,现代的基督徒,也常常未将自己生活中的罪完全除掉──二者都会有同样悲惨的后果。请再读出埃及第二十章中的十条诫命,然后扪心自问,我是否容忍犯罪的习惯与想法?我是否同意,认为做到一半就算够好?我是否严以责人,宽以恕己? 

  书 13:15-23> 在约旦河东居住的支派有── 

  13:15-23 每个支派所分得的土地,和那个支派始祖的性格常常有很微妙的关系。例如,约瑟的品格敬虔(参创 49:22-26 ),他的后裔以法莲与玛拿西这两个支派就得到迦南地之中最肥沃、出产最丰富的土地。犹大甘愿亲自代替弟弟便雅悯被留下,换取兄弟的安全(参创 44:18-34 ),他的后裔就得到迦南地中最大的一分,最后建立了南国犹大,成了大卫王朝的基地。吕便因为与父亲的妾侍同寝(参创 49:4 ),所以在这段经文中说,他的后裔只得到荒凉的地区。 

  书 13:29> 玛拿西支派为什么分为二? 

  13:29 玛拿西支派一分为二。他们有许多人选择在河东定居下来,因为那地特别适于牧放牛羊(参民 32:33 ),其余的人则喜欢在河西之地居住,所以这支派就分为两半。 

  书 13:33> 神不给利未支派地业,是因为── 

  13:33 利未支派被分别出来,专心事奉神,他们需要更多的时间与流动性,而其他有地的支派则做不到这点。如果给利未人土地的话,就意味着叫他们负起更多的责任与义务,反而阻碍他们事奉神。因此神安排其他支派奉献财物,以供给利未人的需要(参民 35:2-4 ,那里讲到利未人从其他支派地业中得到城邑的情形)。──《灵修版圣经注释》