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約書亞記 21

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1 那時,利未人的眾族長來到祭司以利亞撒和嫩的兒子約書亞,並以色列各支派的族長面前,

2 迦南的示羅對他們:從前耶和華藉著摩西吩咐我們城邑居住,並城邑的郊野可以牧養我們牲畜

3 於是以色列人耶和華所吩咐的,從自己的地業中,將以下所記的城邑和城邑的郊野了利未人。

4 為哥轄族拈鬮:利未人的祭司、亞倫的子孫,從猶大支派、西緬支派、便雅憫支派的地業中,按鬮得了十三座城。

5 哥轄其的子孫,從以法蓮支派、但支派、瑪拿西半支派的地業中,按鬮得了座城。

6 革順的子孫,從以薩迦支派、亞設支派、拿弗他利支派、住巴珊的瑪拿西半支派的地業中,按鬮得了十三座城。

7 米拉利的子孫,按著宗族,從流便支派、迦得支派、西布倫支派的地業中,按鬮得了十二座城。

8 以色列人照著耶和華摩西所吩咐的,將這些城邑和城邑的郊野,按鬮分利未人。

9 猶大支派、西緬支派的地業中,將以下所記的城了利未支派哥轄宗族亞倫的子孫;因為他們拈出頭一鬮,

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11 猶大地的基列亞巴和四圍的郊野了他們。亞巴是亞衲族的始祖。(基列亞巴就是希伯崙)。

12 惟將屬城的田地和村莊了耶孚尼的兒子迦勒為業。

13 以色列人將希伯崙,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,了祭司亞倫的子孫;又他們立拿和屬城的郊野,

14 雅提珥和屬城的郊野,以實提莫和屬城的郊野,

15 何崙和屬城的郊野,底璧和屬城的郊野,

16 亞因和屬城的郊野,淤他和屬城的郊野,伯示麥和屬城的郊野,共座城,是從這支派中分出來的。

17 又從便雅憫支派的地業中給了他們基遍和屬城的郊野,迦巴和屬城的郊野,

18 亞拿突和屬城的郊野,亞勒們和屬城的郊野,共座城。

19 亞倫子孫作祭司的共有十三座城,還有屬城的郊野。

20 利未支派中哥轄的宗族,就是哥轄其的子孫,拈鬮所得的城有從以法蓮支派中分出來的。

21 以色列人將以法蓮地的示劍,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,了他們;又他們基色和屬城的郊野,

22 基伯先和屬城的郊野,伯和崙和屬城的郊野,共座城;

23 又從但支派的地業中給了他們伊利提基和屬城的郊野,基比頓和屬城的郊野,

24 亞雅崙和屬城的郊野,迦特臨門和屬城的郊野,共座城;

25 又從瑪拿西半支派的地業中給了他們他納和屬城的郊野,迦特臨門和屬城的郊野,共兩座城。

26 哥轄其的子孫共有座城,還有屬城的郊野。

27 以色列人又從瑪拿西半支派的地業中將巴珊的哥蘭,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,給了利未支派革順的子孫;又給他們比施提拉和屬城的郊野,共兩座城;

28 又從以薩迦支派的地業中給了他們基善和屬城的郊野,大比拉和屬城的郊野,

29 耶末和屬城的郊野,隱干寧和屬城的郊野,共座城;

30 又從亞設支派的地業中給了他們米沙勒和屬城的郊野,押頓和屬城的郊野,

31 黑甲和屬城的郊野,利合和屬城的郊野,共座城;

32 又從拿弗他利支派的地業中將加利利的基低斯,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,給了他們;又給他們哈末多珥和屬城的郊野,加珥坦和屬城的郊野,共座城。

33 革順人按著宗族所得的城,共十三座,還有屬城的郊野。

34 利未支派米拉利子孫,從西布倫支派的地業中所得的,就是約念和屬城的郊野,加珥他和屬城的郊野,

35 丁拿和屬城的郊野,拿哈拉和屬城的郊野,共座城;

36 又從流便支派的地業中給了他們比悉和屬城的郊野,雅雜和屬城的郊野,

37 基底莫和屬城的郊野,米法押和屬城的郊野,共座城;

38 又從迦得支派的地業中,將基列的拉末,就是誤殺人的逃城和屬城的郊野,給了他們;又給他們瑪哈念和屬城的郊野,

39 希實本和屬城的郊野,雅謝和屬城的郊野,共座城。

40 利未支派的人,就是米拉利的子孫,按著宗族拈鬮所得的,共十二座城。

41 利未人在以色列人的地業中所得的城,共四十座,並有屬城的郊野。

42 這些城四圍都有屬城的郊野,城城都是如此。

43 這樣,耶和華將從前向他們列祖起誓所應許的全以色列人,他們就得了為業,在其中。

44 耶和華照著向他們列祖起誓所應許的一切話,使他們四境平安;他們一切仇敵中,沒有一在他們面前站立得住。耶和華把一切仇敵都交在他們中。

45 耶和華應許賜福給以色列家的一句也沒有落空,都應驗了。

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 21

Napsal(a) New Christian Bible Study Staff, Julian Duckworth

Joshua 21: The cities of the Levite priests and the end of the settlement.

In this chapter, the last remaining part of the settlement was completed: the provision for the Levites, the priests of Israel. This tribe had been appointed priests because only they had answered the call, “Who is on the side of the Lord?” when the Israelites had been worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness (see Exodus 32:26).

Much of the chapter is spent listing the cities given to the three sons of Aaron, who was appointed high priest. Each extended family of Aaron’s sons was given about sixteen cities. It seems very significant that a lot of these cities were the same ones given to the other tribes, and were also the cities of refuge.

Levi’s name means ‘joined’, which is very suitable for the Levite priests, who received cities in every tribal territory. This meant that the presence of priests was everywhere (see Swedenborg’s work, Arcana Caelestia 342).

Spiritually speaking, this distribution is a wonderful illustration that our spirit lives throughout our whole body. Every part of us is alive! Every single thing in our body, from one blood cell to our heart and lungs, is maintained by our spirit, which itself is maintained by the influx of the Lord’s life. The function of everything in our body is in a perfect correspondence with the kingdom of heaven.

So, spiritually, the Levites stand for the presence of the Lord everywhere, in everything. This underlines the point that everything in the natural world - even the cities and territories described in this chapter of Joshua - reflect something about God and heaven (see Swedenborg’s Apocalypse Revealed 194). But there is another important meaning for the distribution of the priestly Levites in cities all through the tribal territories: we must keep on acknowledging that everything is a blessing from the Lord, that everything we do is for God, and that the Lord alone does what is truly good (see Swedenborg’s work, Divine Providence 91).

After the distribution of cities to the Levites, Israel was fully established in the land of Canaan. The rest of this chapter is a consolidating statement which is worth including in full:

v43. “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.

v44. The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

v45. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”

These are words of fulfillment, culmination, assurance and blessing. Everything here traces back to the Lord. The Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, granted them victory over their enemies, and gave them the Land of Canaan; the Lord had spoken in complete truth. “All came to pass.”

This final statement is a promise of our own capacity for regeneration and spiritual progress. We are able to overcome our natural desires and selfish states; we have been established in our life with the ability to understand and do what is good. In devoting ourselves to the Lord, we find strength to see that He will never fail us, and will change us for the better. ‘All came to pass’ is our affirmation that our life is always under God’s care and providence (Arcana Caelestia 977).

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Arcana Coelestia # 977

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977. THE INTERNAL SENSE

The subject here being the regenerate person, let a brief discussion follow of the nature of a person who is regenerate in contrast to someone who is not. From this contrast the nature of each one may be known. With the regenerate person there is a conscience concerning what is good and true. From conscience he does what is good and from conscience thinks what is true. The good he does is the good of charity, and the truth he thinks is the truth of faith. With one who is not regenerate there is no conscience. If there is any it is not a conscience about doing good stemming from charity or for thinking truth deriving from faith. Instead it derives from some love involving self or the world, and is therefore a conscience that is false, or not genuine. With the regenerate person there is joy in performing anything according to conscience but anxiety when compelled to perform or think anything contrary to it, which is not the case with someone who is not regenerate. Most people do not know what conscience is, still less what performing anything according to conscience or contrary to conscience is. They know only of performing it in accordance with things favouring their own loves, which for them is the source of joy, while acting contrary to those things brings them anxiety.

[2] With the regenerate person there is a new will and a new understanding. This new will and new understanding are his conscience - that is, they comprise his conscience, by means of which the Lord works the good that stems from charity, and the truth of faith. With someone who is not regenerate there is no will but instead evil desire, and a resulting inclination towards all that is evil. Nor is there any understanding, only reasoning and a resulting decline into all that is false. With the regenerate person there is celestial and spiritual life, but with someone who is not regenerate only bodily and worldly life. Man's ability to think and to understand what good and truth are comes from the Lord's life by way of remnants, mentioned previously. And this also gives him the ability to reflect.

[3] With the regenerate person the internal man is master and the external the servant, but with someone who is not regenerate the external man is master, and the internal remains quiescent as though non-existent. The regenerate person knows, or is capable of knowing if he reflects on the matter, what the internal man is and what the external, whereas someone who is not regenerate is totally ignorant on the subject. Nor is he capable of knowing even if he did reflect on the matter, for he does not know what the good and truth of faith deriving from charity are. These contrasts show the nature of a person who is regenerate and of someone who is not, and that the difference between them is like that of summer and winter, or of bright light and thick darkness. Consequently the regenerate is a living man, while the unregenerate is a dead man.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.