In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families: and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph. And their border on the north side was from Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the goings out thereof were at the wilderness of Bethaven. And the border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lies on the south side of the nether Bethhoron”, and in chapter eighteen and verse fourteen of Joshua we learn how, “the border was drawn there” where we read,
And the border was drawn there, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lies before Bethhoron southward; and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.
The verse reads, “And the border was drawn there, and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lies before Bethhoron southward;” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and the border” or “and the edge, circuit or boundary” “was drawn there” which means “was delineated, extended and traced out in that place”, “and compassed the corner of the sea southward” or “and turned about or encircled the edge or extremity belonging to the large body of water, the Mediterranean Sea, in the southern direction”, “from the hill” which means “separate and apart from the rising above the plain” “that lies before Bethhoron southward” or “in front and in the presence of Bethhoron whose name means ‘house of hollowness’ and was the lower location of two towns by that name in Ephraim which was in the southern direction”. Joshua or the writer shared how the boundary traced out and delineated on behalf of the “tribe of Benjamin” encircled the edge of the Mediterranean Sea in a southern direction and was separated and apart from the rising above the plain in front of “Bethhoron” also in a southern direction.
The verse goes on to say, “and the goings out thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter..” Joshua or the writer continued with the words, “and the goings out thereof” which means “and the ends or extremities belonging to the boundary” “were at Kirjathbaal” or “existed in the location of Kirjathbaal whose name means ‘city of Baal’ and was a city on the northern boundary of Judah and on the western and southern boundaries of Benjamin”, “which is Kirjathjearim” which means “that exists as Kirjathjearim whose name means ‘city of forests’ and was a city on the northern boundary of Judah and on the western and southern boundaries of Benjamin”, “a city of the children of Judah” or “a dwelling place or place of waking belonging to the offspring and progeny pertaining to Judah whose name means ‘praised’ and was the son of Jacob by Leah”: “this was the west quarter” which means “that land existed as the edge, extremity and western side”. Joshua or the writer shared how the extremity of the boundary of the land given to the “tribe of Benjamin” was at “Kirjathbaal” that existed as “Kirjathjearim’ which was a dwelling place for the “tribe of Judah” in the western direction.
When we think through the words in this verse, we learn how there were boundary lines stretched out for the people of “Benjamin” which encircled the Mediterranean Sea from the rising above the plain known as “Bethhoron” in a southern direction and had extremities that were in the location of “Kirjathbaal” otherwise known as “Kirjatchjearim” which was a location for the people of “Judah” in the “western quarter” of the land. Line by line and boundary by boundary the inheritance for the people of “Benjamin” was being delineated even as Jehovah God promised. God is true and faithful to His word, and because He loves us, He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days. When we surrender our lives to 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 give us the ability to live according to that truth so our ways will be pleasing to Him in whatever boundaries He places us in the world. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Revelation 4:11)
Next time Joshua or the writer says, “the south quarter was from the end of Kirjathjearim”, 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".
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