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Joshua 12

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1 Nämä olivat ne maan kuninkaat, jotka israelilaiset voittivat ja joiden maan he ottivat omakseen tuolla puolella Jordanin, auringonnousun puolella, maan Arnon-joesta aina Hermonin vuoreen saakka ja koko itäpuolisen Aromaan:

2 Siihon, amorilaisten kuningas, joka asui Hesbonissa ja hallitsi maata Arnon-joen rannalla olevasta Aroerista ja jokilaakson keskikohdalta, ja puolta Gileadia, Jabbok-jokeen saakka, joka on ammonilaisten rajana,

3 ja Aromaata aina Kinerotin järveen, sen itärantaan, saakka ja Aromaan mereen, Suolamereen, sen itärantaan, saakka, Beet-Jesimotin tienoille, ja etelään päin Pisgan rinteiden juurelle saakka.

4 Ja he ottivat omakseen Oogin, Baasanin kuninkaan, alueen, hänen, joka oli viimeisiä refalaisia ja asui Astarotissa ja Edreissä

5 ja hallitsi Hermonin vuorta, Salkaa ja koko Baasania gesurilaisten ja maakatilaisten alueeseen saakka ja toista puolta Gileadia, Hesbonin kuninkaan Siihonin alueeseen saakka.

6 Herran palvelija Mooses ja israelilaiset olivat voittaneet heidät; ja Herran palvelija Mooses oli antanut maan omaksi ruubenilaisille ja gaadilaisille ja toiselle puolelle Manassen sukukuntaa.

7 Ja nämä olivat ne maan kuninkaat, jotka Joosua ja israelilaiset voittivat tällä puolella Jordanin, länsipuolella, Libanonin laaksossa olevasta Baal-Gaadista aina Seiriin päin kohoavaan Sileään vuoreen saakka, ja joiden maan Joosua antoi Israelin sukukuntien omaksi, heidän osastojensa mukaan,

8 Vuoristossa, Alankomaassa, Aromaassa, Rinnemaissa, Erämaassa ja Etelämaassa, heettiläisten, amorilaisten, kanaanilaisten, perissiläisten, hivviläisten ja jebusilaisten maan:

9 Jerikon kuningas yksi, lähellä Beeteliä olevan Ain kuningas yksi,

10 Jerusalemin kuningas yksi, Hebronin kuningas yksi,

11 Jarmutin kuningas yksi, Laakiin kuningas yksi,

12 Eglonin kuningas yksi, Geserin kuningas yksi,

13 Debirin kuningas yksi, Gederin kuningas yksi,

14 Horman kuningas yksi, Aradin kuningas yksi,

15 Libnan kuningas yksi, Adullamin kuningas yksi,

16 Makkedan kuningas yksi, Beetelin kuningas yksi,

17 Tappuahin kuningas yksi, Heeferin kuningas yksi,

18 Afekin kuningas yksi, Lassaronin kuningas yksi,

19 Maadonin kuningas yksi, Haasorin kuningas yksi,

20 Simron-Meronin kuningas yksi, Aksafin kuningas yksi,

21 Taanakin kuningas yksi, Megiddon kuningas yksi,

22 Kedeksen kuningas yksi, Karmelin juurella olevan Jokneamin kuningas yksi,

23 Doorin kukkuloilla olevan Doorin kuningas yksi, Gilgalin seudun pakanain kuningas yksi,

24 Tirsan kuningas yksi. Kaikkiaan kolmekymmentä yksi kuningasta.

   

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Exploring the Meaning of Joshua 12

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

Joshua 12: The kings who were defeated by Joshua.

This chapter lists the kings who were defeated by Moses on the other side of the river Jordan, and those defeated by Joshua in the land of Canaan. Moses defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Joshua defeated 31 kings, and this chapter names their cities one by one.

We might well wonder: what is the use of such a chapter for us? But here it is, included in the Word of God. We will suggest two ways in which this chapter gives us a spiritual message to work with:

First, the sheer number of kings who opposed Israel represent, in a general way, the many things that prevent us from dedicating ourselves to the Lord’s teachings.

Secondly, the many names of the towns that the Israelites defeated are all significant in identifying the various situations we encounter in our spiritual lives (See Swedenborg’s Arcana Caelestia 2009[9]). For example “Joshua” means ‘God is victory’, something we can come to understand as we choose to turn against evil. We can do that because the Lord fights for and with us; we cannot do that alone.

For every heaven there is a corresponding hell (See Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell 588). If mercy is something of heaven, hell is to do with cruelty and all that goes with it. If innocence is of heaven, hell is to do with intended harm and all that goes with that. Evil is unspeakably precise.

Joshua defeated thirty-one kings. The number thirty stands for combat and also for ‘remnants’, which are deep-seated feelings of good and truth given the Lord gives us during our childhood, to help us combat evil in adult regeneration. Thirty-one would seem to suggest combat going on even past thirty (Arcana Caelestia 5335).

The names of the cities of these kings are given, and each name represents a quality. ‘Israel’ was the name given to Jacob by the Lord, after he had wrestled all night with the angel of God and had prevailed (see Genesis 32:24-28). “Israel” means ‘striving with God’ and also ‘a prince with God’, and it became the name of the people of Israel.

As examples, we will look at three Canaanite cities which fought Israel, and explore the spiritual meaning of their names.

1. The king of Jarmuth, means ‘being downcast by death’. Viewing life only in terms of its inevitable end does terrible things to our sense of purpose, hope and trust. Defeating Jarmuth helps us see that death is a transition into eternal life, and our means of passing from this life into our fullest life.

2. The king of Aphek, means ‘tenacious fortress’. We can quite readily see that evil can be exactly like a tenacious fortress. Evil will hang on like grim death and refuse to let us go. Evil will attempt any number of devious tactics to break us down or undermine our faith. The last thing it will do is to see that we’re resolved, and then finally give up.

3. The king of Taanach, which means ‘sandy, hard to cross’. This might remind us of dangerous quicksands, or the way in which we stumble trying to walk through sand. Again, sometimes evil can appear to give us safer passage on solid ground, before we realize that it is the hells ensnaring us.

Bible

 

Ezekiel 45

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1 Moreover, when you shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an offering to Yahweh, a holy portion of the land; the length shall be the length of twenty-five thousand [reeds], and the breadth shall be ten thousand: it shall be holy in all its border all around.

2 Of this there shall be for the holy place five hundred [in length] by five hundred [in breadth], square all around; and fifty cubits for its suburbs all around.

3 Of this measure you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary, which is most holy.

4 It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to Yahweh; and it shall be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary.

5 Twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth, shall be to the Levites, the ministers of the house, for a possession to themselves, [for] Twenty rooms.

6 You shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and twenty-five thousand long, side by side with the offering of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.

7 [Whatever is] for the prince [shall be] on the one side and on the other side of the holy offering and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy offering and in front of the possession of the city, on the west side westward, and on the east side eastward; and in length answerable to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border.

8 In the land it shall be to him for a possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; but they shall give the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

9 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Let it suffice you, princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute justice and righteousness; dispossessing my people, says the Lord Yahweh.

10 You shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.

11 The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of a homer, and the ephah the tenth part of a homer: its measure shall be after the homer.

12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs. twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

13 This is the offering that you shall offer: the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat; and you shall give the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley;

14 and the set portion of oil, of the bath of oil, the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, [which is] ten baths, even a homer; (for ten baths are a homer;)

15 and one lamb of the flock, out of two hundred, from the well-watered pastures of Israel--for a meal offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make atonement for them, says the Lord Yahweh.

16 All the people of the land shall give to this offering for the prince in Israel.

17 It shall be the prince's part to give the burnt offerings, and the meal offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meal offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.

18 Thus says the Lord Yahweh: In the first [month], in the first [day] of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish; and you shall cleanse the sanctuary.

19 The priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it on the door posts of the house, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court.

20 So you shall do on the seventh [day] of the month for everyone who errs, and for him who is simple: so you shall make atonement for the house.

21 In the first [month], in the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.

22 On that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering.

23 The seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to Yahweh, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering.

24 He shall prepare a meal offering, an ephah for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

25 In the seventh [month], in the fifteenth day of the month, in the feast, shall he do the like the seven days; according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meal offering, and according to the oil.