Page 94 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies - Textbook w videos short

Dan’s most famous son was Samson. In
those days, the fighting between Israel and
the Philistines was fierce, and Samson’s lack
of godly integrity ruined Dan’s chance to
take a firm hold of its assigned territory.

Not long after Samson died, the leaders of
Dan sought another place to live (Judges
18). Five spies were sent throughout the
land. Far to the north, at the base of Mt.
Hermon, the spies found an unprotected
and isolated people. Dan sent an army
against the unsuspecting residents of Laish,
destroying the people and their city. The
city was rebuilt and renamed “Dan.” A The high place of pagan worship at Dan. Once the tribe moved far to the
telling moment in this episode comes when north, they drifted further and further away from the religious beliefs of
the spies return with a message for their Jerusalem. When the kingdom was divided, Israel’s King Jeroboam
people. erected a golden calf at Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-30).

“When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God
has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing whatever.” - Judges 18:10, emphasis added.

Claiming that God had put a different territory in the hands of Dan’s people was a false claim. Dan
was, at that moment, living in the place God had assigned them. Leaving that place would be an act
of direct disobedience and leave Jerusalem vulnerable to attack.

Even so, the people of Israel quickly accepted Dan’s new residence. The standard for describing the
whole of Israel became “from Dan to Beersheba” in the remainder of the Old Testament.

When Jeroboam rebelled and took over leadership of the Northern Kingdom, he set up two golden
calves at Dan and Bethel in an effort to keep his people from worshiping in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:25-30)

Interestingly, Dan is missing from the list of Israel’s tribes in Revelation. From a practical standpoint,
Dan’s new position in the far north caused the tribe to be the first to face invading Assyrian and
Babylonian forces from the north. The effort to escape the constant threat of destruction proved to be
disastrous. In time, no tribe faced more violence and deportation than Dan! From a spiritual standpoint,
Dan’s disobedience and refusal to repent serves as an object lesson for all of us. When a person refuses
to acknowledge sin and repent, that person’s name will not be recorded in God’s Book of Life.

Tyre and Sidon

Two coastal cities in modern-day Lebanon played a major role in
biblical history.

The two areas were originally assigned to Asher (Joshua 19:24-30) but
were never conquered by Israel. Nevertheless, there was much

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