Joshua 21:28 demonstrates how the Lord’s faithful provision for the Levites served to keep the entire community focused on godly worship.
As the allotment of cities for the Levites continues in Joshua 21, we read: “and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,” (v.28). These cities were given to the Levites so that they would have places to live, serve, and cultivate livestock, while continuing in their priestly functions for the nation (Numbers 35:1-8). The tribe of Issachar descended from Issachar, one of the twelve sons of Jacob (born around 1850 BC), and its territory lay in the fertile Plain of Esdraelon in northern Israel. The Levitical cities within Issachar’s boundary allowed priests to remain close to the people they served, fulfilling the sacred duty of teaching the Law and offering sacrifices on behalf of the covenant community.
“Kishion with its pasture lands” was located in the region just south of the hill of Moreh. This area offered ample agricultural opportunities for the Levites, symbolizing God’s faithful provision for those who were fully dedicated to His service. “Daberath with its pasture lands,” meanwhile, sat near the base of Mount Tabor, an important landmark in Lower Galilee. In the centuries to follow, Mount Tabor would come to be seen by many believers as a potential site of Jesus’s Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), although other locations have been proposed. Regardless, the close proximity between Levitical towns and significant Israelite landmarks underscores God’s desire for His servants to dwell among His people and be visually and geographically connected to their worship.
The assignment of these cities teaches that God equips those whom He calls, offering them provision and a place of ministry. Through the Levites dwelling among the various tribes, Israel would remember that worship and devotion to God were at the center of their national identity. Generations later, New Testament believers would see a parallel in becoming a “kingdom of priests” (1 Peter 2:9), wherein all who follow Jesus serve as ministers and caretakers of God’s truth wherever they are planted.
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Joshua 21:28 meaning
As the allotment of cities for the Levites continues in Joshua 21, we read: “and from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with its pasture lands, Daberath with its pasture lands,” (v.28). These cities were given to the Levites so that they would have places to live, serve, and cultivate livestock, while continuing in their priestly functions for the nation (Numbers 35:1-8). The tribe of Issachar descended from Issachar, one of the twelve sons of Jacob (born around 1850 BC), and its territory lay in the fertile Plain of Esdraelon in northern Israel. The Levitical cities within Issachar’s boundary allowed priests to remain close to the people they served, fulfilling the sacred duty of teaching the Law and offering sacrifices on behalf of the covenant community.
“Kishion with its pasture lands” was located in the region just south of the hill of Moreh. This area offered ample agricultural opportunities for the Levites, symbolizing God’s faithful provision for those who were fully dedicated to His service. “Daberath with its pasture lands,” meanwhile, sat near the base of Mount Tabor, an important landmark in Lower Galilee. In the centuries to follow, Mount Tabor would come to be seen by many believers as a potential site of Jesus’s Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), although other locations have been proposed. Regardless, the close proximity between Levitical towns and significant Israelite landmarks underscores God’s desire for His servants to dwell among His people and be visually and geographically connected to their worship.
The assignment of these cities teaches that God equips those whom He calls, offering them provision and a place of ministry. Through the Levites dwelling among the various tribes, Israel would remember that worship and devotion to God were at the center of their national identity. Generations later, New Testament believers would see a parallel in becoming a “kingdom of priests” (1 Peter 2:9), wherein all who follow Jesus serve as ministers and caretakers of God’s truth wherever they are planted.