Text:  Joshua 19:10-16

10. And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families; and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid;

11. And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam;

12. And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chislothtabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,

13. And from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Remmonmethoar to Neah;

14. And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon; and the outgoings thereof are in the valley of Jiphthahel;

15. And Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem; twelve cities with their villages.

16. This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

KEY VERSE: Joshua 19:10

“And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families: and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid.”

MESSAGE

As God delivered the final fulfilment of His promise to Abraham, namely to give his descendants the vast land of Canaan, He also ensured a rancour-free division of the territory among the tribes of Israel. But He exhorted His people not to allow a cohabitation with the inhabitants of the cities they were displacing. He told them not to absorb their culture, religion and general way of life, as that would turn them into spiritual captives.

The tribe of Zebulun, Jacob’s tenth son, ignored this divine admonition and suffered dearly for it. Their land had twelve cities, including our Lord’s birthplace, Bethlehem. It also stretched to the banks of the Jordan River, making the territory fertile, arable and conducive to prosperous economic enterprise. But as they thrived, the descendants of Zebulun ignored the injunctions of God and became idolatrous.

It is impossible to have all-round success when one shuns God’s word. Material prosperity may set in. But it will be short-lived, given the absence of the will of God in the equation. The Bible says, it is His presence that gives “fulness of joy” with “pleasures for evermore”.

As we go out today, we need to reflect on the plans we have rolled out. Have our objectives, the means to achieve them and our programmes been weighed in the balance of God’s word? If we are sincere in turning over our outing into the hands of the Lord, He will guide us so that we will not fall into the deadly traps of friendship with the world.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Present your outing today for heaven’s approval.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Genesis 38-40

Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM). It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.