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<p>We have here a very short and ready way taken for the dividing of the land among the twelve tribes, not so tedious and so far about as the way that was taken in Joshua’s time; for in the distribution of spiritual and heavenly blessings there is not that danger of murmuring and quarrelling that there is in the participation of the temporal blessings. When God gave to the labourers every one his penny those that were uneasy at it were soon put to silence with, <i>May I not do what I will with my own</i>? And such is the equal distribution here among the tribes. In this distribution of the land we may observe, 1. That it differs very much from the division of it in Joshua’s time, and agrees not with the order of their birth, nor with that of their blessing by Jacob or Moses. Simeon here is not <i>divided</i> in Jacob, nor is Zebulun a <i>haven of ships</i>, a plain intimation that it is not so much to be understood literally as spiritually, though the mystery of it is very much hidden from us. In gospel times old things have passed away; <i>behold, all things have become new</i>. The Israel of God is cast into a new method. 2. That the tribe of Dan, which was last provided for in the first division of Canaan (<a class="bibleref" title="Josh.19.40" href="/passage/?search=Josh.19.40">Josh. 19:40</a>), is first provided for here, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.48.1" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.48.1">Ezek. 48:1</a>. Thus in the gospel the last shall be first, <a class="bibleref" title="Matt.19.30" href="/passage/?search=Matt.19.30">Matt. 19:30</a>. God, in the dispensation of his grace, does not follow the same method that he does in the disposals of his providence. But Dan had now his portion thereabouts where he had only one city before, northward, on the border of Damascus, and furthest of all from the sanctuary, because that tribe had revolted to idolatry. 3. That all the ten tribes that were carried away by the king of Assyria, as well as the two tribes that were long afterwards carried to Babylon, have their allotment in this visionary land, which some think had its accomplishment in the particular persons and families of those tribes who returned with Judah and Benjamin, of which we find many instances in Ezra and Nehemiah; and it is probable that there were returns of many more afterwards at several times, which are not recorded; and the Jews having Galilee, and other parts, that had been the possessions of the ten tribes, put into their hands, in common with them, they enjoyed them. Grotius says, If the ten tribes had repented and returned to God, as the <i>chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin did, and the priests and Levites</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezra.1.5" href="/passage/?search=Ezra.1.5">Ezra 1:5</a>), they would have fared as those two tribes did, but they forfeited the benefit of this glorious prophecy by sin. However, we believe it has its designed accomplishment in the establishment and enlargement of the gospel church, and the happy settlement of all those who are Israelites indeed in the sure and sweet enjoyment of the privileges of the new covenant, in which there is enough for all and enough for each. 4. That every tribe in this visionary distribution had its particular lot assigned it by a divine appointment; for it was never the intention of the gospel to pluck up the hedge of property and lay all in common; it was in a way of charity, not of legal right, that the first Christians had all things common (<a class="bibleref" title="Acts.2.44" href="/passage/?search=Acts.2.44">Acts 2:44</a>), and many precepts of the gospel suppose that every man should know his own. We must not only acknowledge, but acquiesce in, the hand of God appointing us our lot, and be well pleased with it, believing it fittest for us. <i>He shall choose our inheritance for us</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.47.4" href="/passage/?search=Ps.47.4">Ps. 47:4</a>. 5. That the tribes lay contiguous. By <i>the border</i> of one tribe was <i>the portion</i> of another, all in a row, in exact order, so that, like stones in a
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