The Word for Today with Ray

Sunday, August 2, 2026

The Lot for the Kohathites - Joshua 21:4

In the book of Joshua, we learned, “then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. And they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle. And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse four of Joshua we learn how, “the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites” where we read,

And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.

The verse reads, “And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites: and the children of Aaron the priest, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the lot” which means “and the portion, recompense and destiny” “came out for the families” or “on behalf of the kinsmen, kindred and relatives” “of the Kohathites” which means “belonging to the Kohathites whose name means ‘assembly’ and were the descendants of Kohath who was the second son of Levi”: “and the children of Aaron the priest” or “and the offspring and progeny belonging to Aaron whose name means ‘light bringer’ and was the first high priest and spiritual leader and ruler as well as the brother of Moses”. Joshua or the writer shared how the first portion of land was given to the kinsmen and relatives of “Kohath” as well as the offspring of “Aaron”.

The verse goes on to say, “… which were of the Levites, had by lot out of the tribe of Judah, and out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Benjamin, thirteen cities.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “which were of the Levites” which means “that existed on behalf of the descendants of Levi whose name means ‘joined to’ and was the third son of Jacob by Leah and specially set aside by God for His service”, “had by lot” or “owned and possessed by portion and share” “out of the tribe of Judah” which means “from the clan and people group belonging to Judah whose name means ‘praised’ and was the son of Jacob by Leah and the tribe descended from Judah”, “and out of the tribe of Simeon” or “and from the clan and people group belonging to Simeon whose name means ‘hearkening’ and were the descendants of Simeon”, “and out of the tribe of Benjamin” which means “and from the clan and people group belonging to Benjamin whose name means ‘son of the right hand’ and was Jacob and Rachel’s youngest son and Joseph’s full brother and the progenitor of the tribe of Benjamin”, “thirteen cities” or “thirteen dwelling places or places of wakening”. Joshua or the writer said there were “thirteen dwelling places” that were given to the “Levites” from the people of “Judah, Simeon and Benjamin”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how the “Levites” from “Kohath” and the offspring of “Aaron” received thirteen dwelling places and their accompanying pasture lands from the “tribes” of “Judah, Simeon and Benjamin”. These locations would be used not only for the families of the “Levites”, but also as locations that were to bring continual awareness and worship of Jehovah God. (See Matthew 6:33) God owns everything, and we only use what belongs to Him. For this reason, we are to be aware that He alone has given the provision of salvation from the penalty of death for sins through His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. (See Romans 3:10, 23; John 3:16) When we submit ourselves to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and to empower us to live in keeping with that truth as we live and worship Him wherever we are in the world. (See Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 1:12)

Next time we learn how, “the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".

The Levites Given an Inheritance - Joshua 21:3

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. And they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse three of Joshua we learn how, “the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance” where we read,

And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance,

at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.

The verse reads, “And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the children of Israel” which means “and the offering and progeny belonging to Israel whose name means ‘God prevails” and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob” “gave the Levites” or “granted, bestowed, allotted and assigned to the Levites whose name means ‘joined to’ and were the descendants of Levi who was the third son of Jacob by Leah and the tribe specially set aside by God for His service” “out of their inheritance” which means “from their, the offspring of Israel’s, property, possession, share, portion and heritage”. Joshua or the writer said the offspring belonging to “Israel” provided dwelling places from their own portions and shares of land for the “tribe of Levi”.

The verse continues, “… at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “at the commandment” which means “at the charge and order” “of the LORD” or “belonging to Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God”, “these cities” which means “the following dwelling places” “and their suburbs” or “alongside and accompanied by their, the cities’, common and open land or pasture”. Joshua or the writer shared how the following dwelling places and their accompanying pasture lands were given to the “tribe of Levi” in obedience to Jehovah God.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover how “Eleazar, Joshua and the heads of the tribes of Israel” obeyed Jehovah God’s order through “Moses” to make provision for the “tribe of Levi”. Although the Levites were not to receive any “inheritance” within the promise land for themselves, they were to dwell among the people of Israel and lead them in spiritual practices and worship of Jehovah God. God loves people, and when He gave His Only Begotten Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be raised from the dead after three days, He made the way for everyone who believes and trusts in Him as their “Savior and Lord” to be forgiven of their sins, granted everlasting life and to receive His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us to worship and obey Him all the days of our lives. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Psalm 23:6)

Next time we learn how, “the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

The Levites Speak - Joshua 21:2

In the book of Joshua, we learned, “then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse two of Joshua we learn how the Levites, “spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan” where we read,

And they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.

The verse reads, “And they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and they spoke unto them” which means “and they, the Levites, uttered, declared and proclaimed to them, Eleazar, Joshua and the heads of the tribes” “at Shiloh” or “at the location named Shiloh which means ‘place of rest’ and was a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up” “in the land of Canaan” which means “within the region, territory, district and country belonging to Canaan whose name means ‘lowland’ and was the fourth son of Ham and the progenitor of the Phoenicians and of the various nations who peopled the seacoast of Palestine”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” the following words. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Levites” made the following declaration to “Eleazar, Joshua and the heads of the tribes” “at Shiloh” which was located within the territory of “Canaan”.

The verse goes on to say, “… the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “the LORD” which means “Jehovah who is the existing One and the proper name for the One True God” “commanded by the hand of Moses” or “charged and ordered through the power, might, strength and authority belonging to Moses whose name means drawn out and was the prophet, lawgiver and leader of the exodus” “to give us cities” which means “to grant, bestow and assign to us, the Levites, dwelling places” “to dwell in” or “to live and abide within”, “with the suburbs thereof” which means “accompanied by the common and open land or pasture of those dwelling places” “for our cattle” or “on behalf of our, the Levites’s, beasts and livestock”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “Levites” said Jehovah God ordered through the power and authority of “Moses” to bestow upon them dwelling places in which to live accompanied by their pasture lands on behalf of their livestock.

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how the “Levites” requested that their “tribe” be given locations in which to live and raise their livestock within the promise land of “Canaan”. Moses ordered this to be so, (See Numbers 35:2-8) and now was the proper timing for this distribution. The “Levites” were specially set aside by Jehovah God to carry out God’s spiritual services for the people of “Israel”, and they were to remind the people to make Jehovah God first in their lives and worship. (See Matthew 6:33) In a similar manner, God wants us to be in a spiritual, personal and intimate relationship with Him through His Son Jesus who was crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind and resurrected from the dead after three days. When we put our faith and trust in Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and equip us with His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and empower us to live according to that truth so we may testify of His presence and power wherever we are established within the world. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)

Next time we learn how, “the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

The Levites Come to Eleazar the Priest - Joshua 21:1

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “these were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person at unawares might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse one of Joshua we learn, “then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest” where we read,

Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;

The verse reads, “Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “then came near the heads” which means “at that time approached and entered closely the choice chiefs and chieftains” “of the fathers of the Levites” or “pertaining to the male progenitors and ancestors belonging to the descendants of Levi whose name means ‘joined to’ who was the third son of Jacob by Leah and the name of the tribe specially set aside by God for his service” “unto Eleazar the priest” which means “to Eleazar whose name means ‘God has helped’ and was the chief spiritual leader and ruler”. Joshua or the writer shared how the chiefs of the male progenitors belonging to the “Levites” approached “Eleazar” the spiritual leader and ruler.

The verse continues, “… and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel;” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and unto Joshua” which means “and to Joshua whose name means ‘Jehovah is salvation’ and was the son of Nun of the tribe of Ephraim and successor to Moses as the leader of the children of Israel and led the conquest of Canaan” “the son of Nun” or “the male offspring and progeny belonging to Nun whose name means ‘fish or posterity’ and was the father of Joshua the successor of Moses”, “and unto the heads of the fathers” which means “and to the choice chiefs and chieftains” “of the tribes” or “belonging to the clans and people groups” “of the children of Israel” which means “pertaining to the offspring and progeny belonging to Israel whose name means ‘God prevails’ and is the name of the the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”. Joshua or the writer said the “chiefs of the fathers of Levi” also approached “Joshua” and the chief male progenitors belonging to the offspring “of Israel”.

When we think through the words in this verse, we see how the leaders of the “tribe of Levi” approached “Eleazar the high priest, Joshua and the leaders of the tribes of Israel”. We shall discover the reason in our next verse, but for now let us consider the order of this method which was given to the people of Israel by Jehovah God. God is a God of order, and those in authority are to be obeyed when they align with His purpose and will. God wants us to learn to be obedient to Him and His ways especially when it concerns the salvation of our souls. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to be crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us the ability to obey Him when it is necessary to follow the lines of authority He established among men. (See John 3:15; Acts 1:8: Romans 13:1-7)

Next time we learn how the Levites, “spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Cities Appointed for All the Children of Israel - Joshua 20:9

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “the LORD also spoke unto Joshua, saying, speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge”, on behalf of a person who kills another person without prior malice, … “and on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh”, and in chapter twenty and verse nine of Joshua we learn how, “these were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger” where we read,

These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them, that whosoever kills any person at unawares might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.

The verse reads, “These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourns among them,” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “these were the cities” which means “the following existed as the dwelling places or places of wakening” “appointed for all the children of Israel” or “chosen and designated on behalf of each, every and the whole of the offspring and progeny belonging to Israel whose name means ‘God prevails” and is the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob”, “and for the stranger” which means “and on behalf of the sojourner, newcomer and foreigner” “that sojourns among them” or “who abides, dwells, remains and gathers in the midst and middle of them, the children of Israel”. Joshua or the writer shared how the previously named “cities of refuge” were chosen on behalf of the offspring of “Israel” and foreigners who were to live in their midst.

The verse goes on to say, “that whosoever kills any person at unawares might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “that whosoever kills any person at unawares” which means “so whatever person who slays any human being without knowledge, understanding, inadvertently or in ignorance” “might flee there” or “would be able to take flight, run and hurry there, the city of refuge”, “and not die” which means “and in no way or manner be killed, executed or put to death” “by the hand of the avenger of blood” or “through the means of the power, might and ability belonging to the kinsman-redeemer or revenger pertaining to bloodshed”, “until he stood before the congregation” which means “till such time he, the slayer, arose and was established in front of and in the presence of the assembly or gathering”. Joshua or the writer shared how the “cities of refuge” were appointed on behalf of the person who killed another person inadvertently so they could take flight to those locations and avoid being killed by a kinsman revenger till such time that they were brought to trial for the slaying.

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we learn that the “cities of refuge” were chosen not only for the people of “Israel”, but also for people who were foreigners in the midst of them. Should a person kill another person inadvertently, they could run to these “cities”, plead their cause and avoid being killed by the kinsman revenger until they were tried for their situation. God knows we have all sinned and come short of His glory, (See Romans 3:23) and those sins lead to death. (See Romans 6:23) He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and to be resurrected from the dead after three days. When we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and help us to rely upon Him as our “refuge” regardless of what comes into our lives. (See Psalm 24;2; John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8)

Next time we begin a new chapter learn, “then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Saturday, August 1, 2026

Bezer Assigned - Joshua 20:8

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “The LORD also spoke unto Joshua, saying, speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge”, on behalf of a person who kills another person without prior malice … “and they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah”, and in chapter twenty and verse eight of Joshua we learn how, “they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain” where we read,

And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.

The verse reads, “And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and on the other side Jordan” which means “and across or upon the opposite side of Jordan whose name means ‘descender’ and was the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approximately 200 miles (320 km)” “by Jericho eastward” or “beside or alongside Jericho whose name means ‘its moon’ and was a city five miles (8 km) west of the Jordan and seven miles (11.5 km) north of the Dead Sea and the first city conquered by the Israelites upon entering the promised land of Canaan in an eastern direction”, “they assigned Bezer” which means “they, the people of Israel, gave, bestowed, granted, ascribed, consecrated and dedicated Bezer whose name means ‘gold ore or remote fortress’ and was a city of refuge in Reuben in the downs on the east of the Jordan”, “in the wilderness” or “within the uninhabited land, open field or desert place” “upon the plain” which means “on the level country”. Joshua or the writer said “Bezer” was a “city of refuge” located across the “Jordan River” in an eastern direction in the desert level country.

The verse continues, “… out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.” Joshua or the writer added the words, “out of the tribe of Reuben” which means “from the clan or people group belonging to Reuben whose name means ‘behold a son’ and was “the eldest son of Jacob by Leah and the progenitor of the tribe of Reuben”, “and Remoth in Gilead” or “and Remoth whose name means ‘heights’ which was located within Gilead whose name means ‘rocky region’ and was “a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called 'Mount Gilead' or the 'land of Gilead' or just 'Gilead'. Divided into north and south Gilead” “out of the tribe of Gad” which means “from the clan or people group belonging to Gad whose name means ‘troop’ and was “seventh son of Jacob by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, and full brother of Asher, and the tribe of people who descended from Gad”, “and Golan in Bashan” or “and Golan whose name means ‘their captivity or their rejoicing’ and was a town of Manasseh in the heights of Bashan whose name means ‘fruitful’ and was a district east of the Jordan known for its fertility which was given to the half-tribe of Manasseh” “out of the tribe of Manasseh” which means “from the clan or people group belonging to Manasseh whose name means ‘causing to forget’ and was “the eldest son of Joseph and progenitor of the tribe of Manasseh”. Joshua or the writer shared how “Bezer from Reuben, Ramoth from Gad and Golan from Manasseh” were “cities of refuge” located on the eastern side of the Jordan river.

When we consider the words in this verse, we discover three more of the “cities of refuge” that were chosen and consecrated by the people of Israel. “Bezer, Ramoth and Golan” all became places to which a person could flee who kills another person accidentally. God wants to be our “city of refuge”, and we may come to Him through His Son Jesus who was crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind and resurrected from the grave three days later. When we surrender to Him as our “Savor and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth and help us to live according to that truth while we abide in His “refuge” like presence regardless of what is happening in our lives. (See Psalm 46:1)

Next time we learn how, “these were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…