The Book of Joshua – Part 17, Chapters 18 – 20

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – Psa 46:1

Study Aired June 24, 2023

Yet again, this study of Joshua chapters 18-20 continues identifying the geographical boundaries for the remaining tribes’ inheritances. God-inspired (hopefully) spiritual relevance will only be highlighted for study extracted from the inheritances of Benjamin, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan and Joshua. In his Foundational Themes in Genesis studies, Larry Groenewald has extensively detailed the understanding of these tribe’s names as he has with every Israelite name. Therefore, again, a Saint’s personal study into the meanings of the multitude of associated names could no doubt be revealing; however, I shall leave that up to the individual.

Allotment of the Remaining Land

Jos 18:1 And all the congregation of the sons of Israel gathered at Shiloh [shee-lo’

Shiloh [= place of rest. {refuge}1. he whose it is, that which belongs to him, tranquillity. 1. to be at rest, prosper, be quiet, be at ease. 1. a city in Ephraim and temporary home of the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle, the place where Samuel grew up and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there]. And the land was subdued before them. 

Only Christ provides the ultimate and final state of “rest” or “refuge” for humanity; thus, he is represented as Shiloh and highlighted by Judah, the earthy keeper of the oracles of God. 

Shiloh represented Christ and was a pivotal sanctuary city in Samaria, approximately 40 km (25 miles) north of Jerusalem before the first temple in Jerusalem was built (Jdg 18:31; 21:19; 1 Sam 1:3). More will be spoken about the sanctuary cities later in this study.

Jer 7:11 Has this house [Israel], which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I also have seen, says Jehovah. 
Jer 7:12 But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people Israel. 

Judah was given to hold that priestly state of governance, and his God-given power is symbolised by a lion’s cub, whose parent is a mighty male ‘lion’, Christ and His hierarchical female ‘lion’ under him, his wife, the Body of Christ. Who but his wife, a spiritual Jew, dares to rouse Him up in His timeliness. She learned Christ’s laws at His feet through the torturous exploits of old Israel and grows daily in obedience, knowing that “all things are yours [hers]” (1 Cor 3:21).

Gen 49:9 Judah is a lion’s whelp. My son, you have gone up from the prey. He stooped, he crouched like a lion; and like a lioness, who shall rouse him? 
Gen 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to him.

Son 8:1 Who could give You to me as my brother, who sucked my mother’s breasts? When I find You outside, I would kiss You; yea, they would not despise me.
Son 8:2 I would lead You, and bring You into my mother’s house. You would instruct me; I would cause You to drink spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
Son 8:3 His left hand would be under my head, and His right embrace me. 

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that outwardly in flesh; 
Rom 2:29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart; in spirit and not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

Jos 18:2 And there remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance. 
Jos 18:3 And Joshua said to the sons of Israel, How long will you fail to go in to possess the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers has given you?

Nothing much changes, as seen in Mark 9:14-20 when the disciples couldn’t cast out the unclean spirit when they didn’t have the Lord’s spirit given by His embrace and Shulamite received kisses.

Mar 9:19 He answered him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me! 

1Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession, so that you might speak of the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 

Jos 18:4 Give from among you three men for each tribe. And I will send them, and they shall rise and go through the land and map it according to the inheritance of them. And they shall come to me. 
Jos 18:5 And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall stay within their border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay within their borders on the north.
Jos 18:6 And you shall map the land into seven parts and bring it here to me, so that I may cast lots here for you before Jehovah our God. 
Jos 18:7 But the Levites have no part among you. For the priesthood of Jehovah is their inheritance. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of Jehovah gave them. 

The stage is set for the northern tribes to eventually be captured by Assyria and Judah by Babylon – though Assyria, Egypt, Sodom and Jerusalem symbolise the World’s collective by the name Babylon (Rev 11:8 particularly 16:19).

Jos 18:8 And the men arose and went away. And Joshua charged those who went to map the land, saying, Go and walk through the land, and map it, and come again to me so that I may here cast lots for you before Jehovah in Shiloh. 
Jos 18:9 And the men went and passed through the land, and mapped it by cities into seven parts in a book, and they came to Joshua, to the host at Shiloh. 
Jos 18:10 And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before Jehovah. And Joshua divided the land to the sons of Israel there, according to their divisions. 

Following begins the more detailed geographical inheritances of the eight tribes above, beginning with Benjamin and for your personal study. We will resume in Joshua chapter 20 studying the sanctuary cities. 

The Inheritance for Benjamin

Jos 18:11 And the lot of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin came up by their families. And the border of their lot came forth between the sons of Judah and the sons of Joseph. 
Jos 18:12 And their border on the north side was from Jordan. And the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward. And their boundary was at the wilderness of Beth-aven. 
Jos 18:13 And the border went over from there toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward. And the border went down to Ataroth-adar, near the hill that lies on the south side of the lower Beth-horon. 
Jos 18:14 And the border was drawn from there, and went around the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that is in front of Beth-horon southward. And its boundary was at Kirjath-baal; it is Kirjath-jearim, a city of the sons of Judah. This was the west quarter.
Jos 18:15 And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim; and the border went out westward, and went out to the spring of the waters of Nephtoah; 
Jos 18:16 and the border went down to the end of the mountain that is before the valley of the sons of Hinnom, which is the Valley of the Giants northward, and went down the valley of Hinnom to the side of the Jebusite on the south, and went down to En-rogel. 
Jos 18:17 And it was drawn from the north and went out to En-shemesh, and went out toward Geliloth, which is across from the ascent of Adummim, and went down to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben, 
Jos 18:18 and passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down to the Arabah. 
Jos 18:19 And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah northward. And the boundary was at the north tongue of the Salt Sea, at the south end of Jordan. This was the south border. 
Jos 18:20 And Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin, according to its borders all around, according to their families. 
Jos 18:21 And the cities of the tribe of the sons of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Beth-hoglah, and the valley of Keziz, 
Jos 18:22 and Beth-arabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel, 
Jos 18:23 and Avvim, and Parah, and Ophrah, 
Jos 18:24 and Chephar-haam-monai, and Ophni, and Gaba; twelve cities and their villages;
Jos 18:25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth, 
Jos 18:26 and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah, 
Jos 18:27 and Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah, 
Jos 18:28 and Zelah, Eleph, and Jebusi, which is Jerusalem; Gibeath, Kirjath; fourteen cities and their villages. This is the inheritance of the sons of Benjamin according to their families.

The Inheritance for Simeon

Jos 19:1 And the second lot came forth to Simeon, for the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was inside the inheritance of the sons of Judah.
Jos 19:2 And they had in their inheritance Beer-sheba, or Sheba, and Moladah, 
Jos 19:3 and Hazar-shual, and Balah, and Azem, 
Jos 19:4 and Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah, 
Jos 19:5 and Ziklag, and Beth-marcaboth, and Hazar-susah, 
Jos 19:6 and Beth-lebaoth, and Sharuhen; thirteen cities and their villages; 
Jos 19:7 Ain, Remmon, and Ether, and Ashan; four cities and their villages, 
Jos 19:8 and all the villages that were around these cities to Baalath-beer, Ramah of the south. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Simeon according to their families. 
Jos 19:9 The inheritance of the sons of Simeon was out of the portion of the sons of Judah. For the part of the sons of Judah was too much for them; therefore the sons of Simeon had their inheritance within their inheritance. 

The Inheritance for Zebulun

Jos 19:10 And the third lot came up for the sons of Zebulun according to their families. And the border of their inheritance was to Sarid. 
Jos 19:11 And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam, 
Jos 19:12 and turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrise to the border of The Flames of Tabor, and then goes out to Daberath, and goes up to Japhia, 
Jos 19:13 and from there it passes on along on the east to Gittah-hepher, to Ittah-kazin, and goes out to Rimmon-methoar, to Neah. 
Jos 19:14 And the border compasses it on the north side to Hannathon. And its edges were in the valley of Jiphthahel, 
Jos 19:15 and Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem; twelve cities with their villages. 
Jos 19:16 This is the inheritance of the sons of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages. 

The Inheritance for Issachar

Jos 19:17 The fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the sons of Issachar according to their families. 
Jos 19:18 And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem, 
Jos 19:19 and Hapharaim, and Shihon, and Anaharath, 
Jos 19:20 and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez, 
Jos 19:21 and Remeth, and En-gannim, and En-haddah, and Beth-pazzez. 
Jos 19:22 And the border reaches to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Beth-shemesh. And the edges of their border were at Jordan; sixteen cities with their villages. 
Jos 19:23 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages. 

The Inheritance for Asher

Jos 19:24 And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families. 
Jos 19:25 And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph, 
Jos 19:26 and Alammelech, and Amad, and Misheal; and reaches to Carmel westward, and to Shihor-libnath; 
Jos 19:27 and turns toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reaches to Zebulun, and to the valley of Jiphthah-el toward the north of Beth-emek, and Neiel, and goes out to Cabul on the left hand, 
Jos 19:28 and Hebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, to great Sidon; 
Jos 19:29 and the border turns to Ramah, and to the strong city Tyre. And the border turns to Hosah, and the boundaries of it are at the sea from the line to Achzib, 
Jos 19:30 and Ummah, and Aphek, and Rehob; twenty-two cities and their villages. 
Jos 19:31 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages. 

The Inheritance for Naphtali

Jos 19:32 The sixth lot came out to the sons of Naphtali, for the sons of Naphtali according to their families. 
Jos 19:33 And their border was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, to Lakum. And its boundaries were at Jordan. 
Jos 19:34 And the border turns west toward Aznoth-tabor, and goes out from there to Hukkok, and reached to Zebulun on the south side, and reaches to Asher on the west side, and to Judah on Jordan toward the sunrise. 
Jos 19:35 And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
Jos 19:36 and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor, 
Jos 19:37 and Kedesh, and Edrei, and En-hazor, 
Jos 19:38 and Iron, and Migdalel, Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities and their villages. 
Jos 19:39 This is the inheritance of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages. 

The Inheritance for Dan

Jos 19:40 The seventh lot came out for the tribe of the sons of Dan according to their families. 
Jos 19:41 And the border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Ir-shemesh, 
Jos 19:42 and Shaalabbin, and Ajalon, and Jethlah, 
Jos 19:43 and Elon, and Timnah, and Ekron, 
Jos 19:44 and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath, 
Jos 19:45 and Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gath-rimmon, 
Jos 19:46 and Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho. 
Jos 19:47 And the border of the sons of Dan came out too little for them. And the sons of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and lived in it. And they called Leshem Dan, after the name of their father Dan.
Jos 19:48 This is the inheritance of the tribe of Dan, by their families, these cities and their villages. 

The Inheritance for Joshua

Jos 19:49 When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their borders, the sons of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them. 
Jos 19:50 According to the command of Jehovah they gave him the city which he asked, Timnath-serah in mount Ephraim. And he built the city and lived in it. 
Jos 19:51 These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the sons of Israel divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before Jehovah, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And they finished dividing the land.

The Cities of Refuge

Steve Crook presents in this link an excellent study on the cities of refuge to further inspire spiritual understanding: Awesome Hands Part 170 – The Cities of Refuge

Jos 20:1 And Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying, 
Jos 20:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, Appoint cities of refuge for you, as I have spoken to you by the hand of Moses; 
Jos 20:3 that the manslayer who in innocence strikes anyone mortally, without knowing, may flee there. And they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 
Jos 20:4 And he shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city. And they shall take him into the city to themselves and make him a place, and he shall live with them. 
Jos 20:5 And if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, for he has struck his neighbor without knowing, and did not hate him in past time. 
Jos 20:6 And he shall live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest who is in those days. Then the manslayer shall return and come to his city, and to his house, to the city from where he fled. 
Jos 20:7 And they set apart Kadesh in Galilee, in the hills of Naphtali; and Shechem in the hills of Ephraim; and Kirjath-arba (it is Hebron) in the hills of Judah. 
Jos 20:8 And beyond the Jordan, at Jericho eastward, they gave Bezer in the wilderness, on the tableland out of the tribe of Reuben; and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad; and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh. 
Jos 20:9 These were the appointed cities for all the sons of Israel, and for the alien who was living in their midst, that he who had killed anyone without knowing might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation. 

The rich meaning and interpretation of the above verses are a major prophecy Christ introduced much later: one of forgiveness. Those verses point to Christ the King of His “city”, His Bride on a hill, the New Heavenly Jerusalem above, the mother of us all who is our refuge in Him.

Our dear brother Achan and his distraught family all died under the law of Moses for his sins. In fact, since “all things are yours”, the incredibly humbling and stressful imagery in our minds of all the harrowing torturous deaths from Cain until now is for our sakes. That reality gives us deep compassion, particularly for the World’s leaders (Jews who are not Jews; Rev 2:9) under Satan’s sway, hell-bent on making our lives miserable before killing us all.

Gen 45:8 So now, it is not you [Joseph’s brothers who sold him into Egypt] who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, lord over all his household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 
Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the Elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 

Jos 20:1 The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying, 
Jos 20:2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses: 

Babylon has “cities” (plural) of refuge; they are all ten sons of Jacob’s mixed multitude of wives preaching a different Jesus that they are now saved. Most humiliatingly, they all had to go to the “one” city”, their brother, Joseph representing Christ and his Wife, for refuge from the devasting drought. They represent Babylon today, eating her food and drinking her own water under the deluded joy of worshipping a different Jesus.

The Lord’s Bride has her husband as a singularly powerful refuge for the simple act of heartfelt acknowledgement of her sins without a great fanfare of sweaty works to prove her devotion to his laws. Upon her decreasing defilements to be acknowledged, she symbolically and geographically turns south to Jerusalem, to the Temple of God for the Feast of Tabernacles. The seven-day Feast of Tabernacles represents the One Thousand Year reign under the rod of iron, culminating in the “last great day”, the eighth day of the Feast representing the Lake of Fire refuge, merging the salvation of mankind.

Jer 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her [Israel’s] whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Jer 3:10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. 

Ironically, and if possible, it is enough to cause her Lord to become bitter against her.

Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 

Jer 3:11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah [who represent the Priests, who are us!].
Jer 3:12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north [notice that the rest of Israel is geographically in the north of the Promised Land compared to Judah and Jerusalem in its south], and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.
Jer 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 

Jos 20:3 That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood. 
Jos 20:4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them. 

Every one of the Lord’s Elects has, and from time to time, slain their biological family, Babylonians and even spiritual brothers. Sometimes unawares, yet mostly with the avoided niggling still small voice loudly proclaiming in spirit that what they are doing is wrong.

Isa 30:19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem [the refuge city of the Body of Christ]: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. 
Isa 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 
Isa 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. 

Poor brother Achan would have loved that arrangement. Indeed, the Lord’s Elect are outrageously blessed to “only acknowledge [their] iniquity”.

Jos 20:5 And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime [premeditated hatred and pursuit for vengence].

Christ is our avenger of blood who pursues after us and forgives us for our repented, unwitting and deliberate sins.

Blood, the physical essence of life, prefigures death to the Old Man and life to the New Man. If blood is spilt spiritually, it means the death of the truth or lies. Since the Elect metaphorically kill another person with the fiery sword of God’s word, that action results from them having killed us by their rejection of God’s word just as we killed Christ physically and spiritually – it all is figuratively spilling blood.

Num 35:33 So you shall not defile the land in which you are. For blood defiles the land. And the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of him that shed it. 
Num 35:34 So do not defile the land which you shall inhabit, in which I dwell. For I Jehovah dwell among the sons of Israel. 

Rom 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 
Rom 12:18 If it is possible, as far as is in you, being in peace with all men. 
Rom 12:19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 
Rom 12:20  Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. For in so doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head. 
Rom 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Jos 20:6 And he shall live in that city until he stands before the congregation for judgment, until the death of the high priest who is in those days. Then the manslayer shall return and come to his city, and to his house, to the city from where he fled. 

It is patently clear to the Lord’s people that they live in Christ who, as that “high priest”, died on the cross, depicting age-lasting unequivocal forgiveness to the first resurrection. The “manslayer” is a non-believer who cannot touch the Lord’s own, and he returns to Babylon, his city and house from which we, forgiven manslayers, likewise fled.

Jos 20:7 And they set apart Kadesh [= holy place] in Galilee, in the hills of Naphtali [= wrestling]; and Shechem [= back or shoulder] in the hills of Ephraim [= double ash-heap]; and Kirjath-arba [keer-yath’ ar-bah’ = city of Arba] (it is Hebron) in the hills of Judah. 
Jos 20:8 And beyond the Jordan [= descender], at Jericho [ = its moon] eastward, they gave Bezer [beh’-tser = gold ore or remote fortress] in the wilderness, on the tableland out of the tribe of Reuben [= behold a son]; and Ramoth [= heights] in Gilead [ = witness heap; stones] out of the tribe of Gad [to invade, attack]; and Golan [ = their captivity: their rejoicing] in Bashan [= fruitful] out of the tribe of Manasseh [= causing to forget].

We can deduce the interpretation regarding the theme of cities for refuge from the compilation of all those names of people and places.

The Lord’s holy people, his Elect, having wrestled in the half-light of the moon she represents, not by the strength of her shoulders and back that descended into becoming an ash-heap but arose as His sons to be set in high places, fruitful in her Lord and set as a stone memorial to this day. The entire saga of taking and then living in the Promised Land is rich in spiritual meaning.

Jos 4:8 And the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded. And they took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Jehovah spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they stayed, and laid them down there; 
Jos 4:9 even the twelve stones Joshua lifted up in the middle of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, stood. And they are there to this day. 

Today, those two stone monuments are likely strewn in unrecognisable disarray. However, the glory of its symbolism points to Christ, the immovable rock of our salvation, the Bride’s inheritance.

Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2 Therefore we will not fear when the earth changes, and when mountains are slipping into the heart of the seas. 
Psa 46:3 Let its waters roar and foam; let the mountains shake with the swelling of it. Selah. 
Psa 46:4 There is a river, its channels gladden the city of God glad, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. 
Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her at the turning of the morning. 
Psa 46:6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were shaken; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 
Psa 46:7 Jehovah of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 
Psa 46:8 Come, behold the works of Jehovah, who makes ruins on the earth; 
Psa 46:9 who makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire. 
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God! I will be praised among the nations, I will be praised in the earth. 
Psa 46:11 Jehovah of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. 

What wonderfully encouraging and emboldening words for the Elect, living in Christ, our refuge in whom we have laid hold!

Heb 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no greater, He swore by Himself, 
Heb 6:14 saying, “Surely in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply you.” 
Heb 6:15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 
Heb 6:16 For men truly swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 
Heb 6:17 In this way desiring to declare more fully to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, God interposed by an oath, 
Heb 6:18 so that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us, 
Heb 6:19 which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters into that within the veil, 
Heb 6:20 where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Elect of God’s refuge is Christ in the fiery furnace of refinement. Being purified by Christ, their fire, they are one in Him and the Father and exultantly live in fiery beauty forever.

Eze 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 

Eze 1:12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. 
Eze 1:13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 
Eze 1:14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 

Christ is our refuge, and His wife with Him becomes the refuge of the entirety of mankind in the Lake of Fire, where they, our children, acknowledge their iniquities and become beautiful colorful flashing stones of fire.