Joshua 18-20; Psalm 55:12-23; 1 Corinthians 9

Joshua 18
1-10 Territories of the Remaining Tribes

• Joshua instructs the 7 tribes who have not yet claimed their land to hurry up!
• Three men from each tribe are to go throughout the land, write a description of it, divide it 7 ways, bring the descriptions back to Joshua, and he will cast lots on their behalf.
• They do so, and return to Joshua in Shiloh.
• 1st Lot: Territory of Benjamin - Between Judah and Joseph (14 towns)
  

Joshua 19

• 2nd Lot: Territory of Simeon - Within the boundaries of Judah (18 towns with villages)
• 3rd Lot: Territory of Zebulun (12 towns)
• 4th lot: Territory of Issachar (16 towns)
• 5th lot: Territory of Asher (22 towns)
• 6th lot: Territory of Naphtali (19 towns)
• 7th lot Territory of Dan (17 towns)
• Israelites gave to Joshua Timnath-serah in the hill country Ephraim, which he had asked for.

Joshua 20
1-9 Cities of Refuge

• Person guilty of manslaughter must explain his case to the elders before being allowed into the city
• The fugitive remains in the city until a trial
• Cities: 1) Kedesh in Galilee (Naphtali); 2) Shechem in Ephraim; 3) Kiriath-arba (Hebron) in Judah; 4) Bezer in Reuben, east of the Jordan; 5) Ramoth in Gilead (Gad); 5) Golan in Bashan (Manasseh)

Psalm 55:12-23 - The real source of David's distress
"It is not enemies who taunt me - I could bear that...It is you, my...familiar friend."
"But I call upon God."
Betrayal of a friend: "With speech smoother than butter, but with a heart set on war."
"But you, O God, will cast them down into the lowest pit; the bloodthirsty and treacherous."

1 Corinthians 9 - The Rights of an Apostle

• Last verse of 8:13 is Paul's determination never to eat meat if it causes another to fall.
• Chapter 9 begins with: "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle?" It seems to be a break in continuity until you get to verse 12: "...we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ." The same principle as the marriage chapter; the same principle as the eating meat chapter. What is most important is the salvation of souls. If it takes celibacy, then that is what we must do. If it is not taking advantage of the rights we have, that is what we must do.
• Back to his defense in verse 1-7 - a list of Paul's "rights": to eat and drink; to marry; to receive material wages for preaching.
• However, he is not writing in order to paid for his preaching, because if he was paid, he wouldn't be able to boast! (Is this said with a bit of irony?)
  
• His reward is being able to make the gospel free of charge: He doesn't want to use his freedom to receive wages, because it's a greater reward to preach at his own expense. (It is more blessed to give than to receive, Acts 20:35)
• For the sake of the gospel, Paul adapts to those he is trying to teach, whether they're Jew or Gentile, strong or weak. He makes himself a slave to all, though he is free.
• In a race, only the self-disciplined win. So much the more so do we need self-discipline in striving for the most important reward of all: one that never perishes.