The Book Of Joshua. Day 44, The Land West Of The Jordan: The Allotment For Zebulun

A couple of days ago in our study there were seven tribes of Israel who had not yet been allotted territory in the promised land. Joshua has been parceling it out according to how the lot falls. The first lot fell to the tribe of Benjamin and the second lot fell to the tribe of Simeon. The third lot falls to Zebulun.

"The third lot came up for Zebulun according to its clans: The boundary of their inheritance went as far as Sarid." (Joshua 19:10) Zebulun was one of the sons of Jacob by his wife Leah, but Issachar was born to Jacob and Leah before Zebulun. Yet this tribe is assigned its territory before Issachar. I'm not sure why this is but it's interesting to note that when bestowing prophetic blessings upon his sons prior to his death, Jacob pronounced Zebulun's blessing before Issachar's, saying, "Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon." (Genesis 49:13) When Moses blessed the tribes of Israel before his death he also placed Zebulun's blessing before Issachar's, saying, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents. They will summon peoples to the mountain and there offer the sacrifices of the righteous; they will feast on the abundance of the seas, on the treasures hidden in the sand." (Deuteronomy 33:18-19) 

The Bible now describes the borders of the land of Zebulun. "Going west it ran to Maralah, touched Dabbesheth, and extended to the ravine near Jokneam. It turned east from Sarid toward the sunrise to the territory of Kisloth Tabor and went on to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued eastward to Gath Hepher and Eth Kazin; it came out at Rimmon and turned toward Neah. There the boundary went around on the north to Hannathon and ended at the Valley of Iphtah El. Included were Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah and Bethlehem. There were twelve towns and their villages." (Joshua 19:11-15) The Bethlehem of verse 15 is not the one which lay within the territory of Judah (called Bethlehem of Judah or Bethlehem of Judea). The Bethlehem which lay within the tribe of Zebulun was known as Bethlehem of Galilee. 

"These towns and their villages were the inheritance of Zebulun, according to its clans." (Joshua 19:16) We will again insert the map we've been using so we can point out the location of Zebulun.

Zebulun is near the upper left side of the map in dark purple.

The book of Judges will tell us that Zebulun, like the other tribes, will not completely drive out the Canaanites living within its borders. "Neither did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron or Nahalal, so these Canaanites lived among them, but Zebulun did subject them to forced labor." (Judges 1:30) Incomplete obedience to the word of God will cause many of the Israelites to fall into idolatry later on in the Bible. Subjecting the Canaanites to forced labor was not what the Lord said to do; instead He warned them if they did not rid the land of these heathen idolaters they would "cause you to sin against Me" and that their false gods would "be a snare to you". (Exodus 23:33) As the saying goes, "If you die down with dogs you will get up with fleas." The pagan Canaanites were able to be a bad influence on some of the Israelites, which would not have happened if the land had been completely rid of the Canaanites.

But the Lord is merciful. He forgave the tribe of Zebulun (and the other tribes) for their incomplete obedience just as He forgives you and me when we repent of failing to fully follow through. Galilee lay within the borders of Zebulun and through the prophet Isaiah the Lord pronounced a blessing upon the land of Zebulun, saying that in the future He would honor Galilee and that it would be said of this region: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2) This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus of Nazareth (Nazareth being located in Lower Galilee) first preached in the region of Galilee. He began His ministry by calling to the people of Galilee and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."