What does the allocation of cities in 1 Chronicles 6:70 teach us? The verse in view “And from the half-tribe of Manasseh the rest of the clans of the family of the Kohathites received Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands.” — 1 Chronicles 6:70 Key truths at a glance • God keeps every detail of His word. • Ministers who forgo land inheritances are still fully provided for. • The whole nation shares responsibility for sustaining worship. • Geographic placement of Levites helps embed God’s truth in every region. God’s faithful provision for His servants • Numbers 35:2-3 foretold that the Levites would be given “cities to inhabit… and pasturelands.” 1 Chronicles 6:70 shows the exact fulfillment generations later. • Deuteronomy 18:1-2 reminds us that the Levites had “no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the LORD is their inheritance.” By handing them cities with fields, God tangibly proves that His promise to be their portion is not mere poetry. • The pasturelands mean daily bread: room for flocks, gardens, and family life. God’s care is practical, not abstract. Unity and mutual responsibility across the tribes • Aner and Bileam lay inside Manasseh’s territory, yet they are handed to Kohathite Levites whose ancestral home was in Judah (1 Chronicles 6:54-66). God weaves the tribes together so that no region operates spiritually alone. • This shared stewardship prevents tribal isolation and fosters national cohesion around worship. Compare Joshua 21:43-45, where every tribe participates in completing the allotments. • When believers today shoulder ministry costs together, the same principle of family solidarity endures (Galatians 6:6). Keeping worship central throughout the land • Scattering Levitical towns ensures that teaching, sacrifice guidance, and judgment rooted in God’s law are never far away (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). • The gospel pattern echoes this: Christ “gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers” so that saints everywhere can be equipped (Ephesians 4:11-12). A pattern for New Covenant ministry support • 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 appeals to the Old Testament temple system—Levites lived off the offerings—to argue that “those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” • The literal allocation of Aner and Bileam stands as a precedent: God’s people honor Him by materially sustaining those devoted to word and worship. Practical encouragement for today • Trust the Lord’s detailed care. If He arranged pasturelands for unnamed Kohathites, He certainly sees your needs (Matthew 6:32-33). • Support your church’s teachers joyfully; it is not charity but obedience to a biblical pattern. • Recognize that every congregation, small or large, plays a role in preserving and spreading God’s truth, just as every tribe hosted Levites. • Celebrate Scripture’s precision. Even an ancient real-estate record proclaims God’s faithfulness and wise design. |
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