Toward the Sea and Maralah - Joshua 19:11

In the book of Joshua, we learned how, “the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid”, and in chapter nineteen and verse eleven of Joshua we learn how, “their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah” where we read,

And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, 

and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;

The verse reads, “And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, …” Joshua or the writer began with the words, “and their border” which means “and their, the tribe of Zebulun’s, edge, circuit and boundary” “went up toward the sea” or “arose and ascended to the large body of water”, “and Maralah” whose name means “trembling” and was “a town or landmark on the border of Zebulun”, “and reached to Dabbasheth” which means “and met, entreated and encountered Dabbasheth whose name means ‘a hill-place’ and was a town on the border of Zebulun”. Joshua or the writer shared how the boundary of the territory given to the children of Zebulun stretched to the large body of water, “Maralah” and to “Dabbasheth”. 

 

The verse continues, “… and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;” Joshua or the writer added the words, “and reached to the river” which means “and stretched forth to the flowing water” “that is before Jokneam” or “that exists in front and in the presence of Jokneam whose name means ‘the people lament’ and was a city of Canaan conquered by Joshua and in the territory of Zebulun but allotted to the Merarite Levites and located Mount Carmel”. Joshua or the writer shared how the land given to the “tribe of Zebulun” encountered the flowing water that exists in the presence of “Jokneam”. 

When we consider the words in this verse, we learn how the boundary to the territory given to the people of “Zebulun” ascended to the large body of water, “Maralah” and stretched toward “Dabbasheth”. The boundary also extended toward the flowing water that was in front of “Jokneam”. These place may not be familiar to us, but they were to the people of “Zebulun”. God gave these locations to the “tribe of Zebulun” so they could raise their families, worship Him and enjoy their lives living in His presence. God blessed them with this land, and He will bless us when we yield our lives to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was raised from the dead after three days. When we put our faith, trust and reliance upon 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 so we bless Him as we live and give worship to Him wherever we are in the world. (See John 3:16: 16:13; Acts 1:8: Revelation 4:11)

Next time we learn how the border, “turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chislothtabor”, 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".