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Joshua 13 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
As you read through the inheritance distributed to the different tribes, you will notice that the Levites receive no land. It is mentioned twice in this chapter.
Only to the tribe of Levi he did not give an inheritance; the offerings by fire to the LORD, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as He spoke to him
Joshua 13:14
But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had promised to them.
Joshua 13:33
This is not a snub of the Levites, but rather, a privilege. They were chosen for special ministry in the tabernacle and were assigned adjacent lands scattered around the tribes in 48 different places. Their inheritance would not be the land, but the sacrifices brought to God. By scattered them among the cities, they would be easily accessible to all tribes.
Even more fascinating is the fact that this duty of sacrifice was coupled alongside having the Lord himself be their inheritance. It plainly says, “the God of Israel is their inheritance, as He had promised to them.”
As Christians, we can find great significance in this. From a worldly perspective, the Levites would be the poorest of all the tribes. From a spiritual perspective, they would be rich beyond comprehension. They had a calling and a duty so important that their inheritance was a direct relationship with God himself. This is truly a foreshadowing of what we have today as Christians. As Paul writes in Ephesians 1…
He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:9-12 NASB
We have obtained an inheritance in Christ, and have now been given an administration suitable to the fullness of the times. Namely, making Jesus Christ known to all people! This is an amazing connection where we can see the consistent nature of God. Rejoice knowing that you, like the Levites, have been given Christ as your inheritance.