Read: Joshua 19:1-20:9; Luke 19:28-48; Psalm 88:1-18; Proverbs 13:12-14
Once the tribes came back from scouting out their land, they gave Joshua their maps. Yesterday, we read Benjamin’s allotment. Today we read of Simeon’s, Zebulun’s, Issachar’s, Asher’s, Naphtali’s and Dan’s. So seven tribes got their allotments and were sent to conquer their land.
Joshua was to have the town of his choice and he chose Timnath-serah which means “abundant portion”.
Seven cities of refuge were set up for the person who accidentally killed someone so they could have refuge until their trial. If they were ruled innocent, they were to live in the city of refuge until the death of the High Priest, then they could leave. If they were not ruled innocent they had to live on the run because the avenger of blood, which was the dead’s closest kin would come after him to kill him. God is the avenger of blood (Isaiah 1:24). Jesus is the High Priest and the murderer is us. Jesus died setting us free from our sin so that God doesn’t have to judge us.
In Luke, Jesus sent his disciples ahead to find a room for them to have the Passover seder in. He told them to get the donkey that they saw as soon as they came into Jerusalem. He gave them explicit instructions of what to do and what to say and it happened just as he said.
Jesus rode that donkey and ascended into Jerusalem from the southeast. The Passover temple lamb was making his descent from the northwest. As the Temple lamb came into Jerusalem, the people would lay palm branches for the lamb to walk on and sing the Hallel (Psalms 113-118). Psalm 118:26 says, “Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”.
There were about 2.5 million people ascending on Jerusalem at the time of Christ, so people were everywhere. The people who walked the path of Jesus couldn’t help but do the same thing for him that they did for the pascal lamb. When the Pharisees saw this happening, they rebuked Jesus for letting them praise him, but Jesus told them that if they didn’t praise him then the rocks would cry out.
Jesus threw out the money changers again. He did that on his first Passover in John 2 telling them not to make his Father’s house a house of merchandise and this time he tells them what to make it: a house of prayer.
Jesus taught the people while the Pharisees plotted his death.
Lord, help us not to allow our bodies to become temples of merchandise, but temples of prayer.
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