Deuteronomy 1:1-18 - Faithful Leading into the Kingdom

Deuteronomy 1:1-18

The Previous Command to Enter Canaan

1 These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. 2 It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. 3 Now it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel according to all that the LORD had given him as commandments to them, 4 after he had killed Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.

5 On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying, 6 “The LORD our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’

Tribal Leaders Appointed (Exodus 18:13–27)

9 “And I spoke to you at that time, saying: ‘I alone am not able to bear you. 10 The LORD your God has multiplied you, and here you are today, as the stars of heaven in multitude. 11 May the LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you! 12 How can I alone bear your problems and your burdens and your complaints? 13 Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.’ 14 And you answered me and said, ‘The thing which you have told us to do is good.’ 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and made them heads over you, leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, leaders of tens, and officers for your tribes.

16 “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’ 18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do.

This book begins with Moses speaking to all Israel on the side of the Jordan in the wilderness, before they entered the promised land.  It is a book reiterating the law given to Moses by the LORD on Mount Sinai in the wilderness journey out of the bondage of Egypt as representative of sin’s enslavement and God’s deliverance of grace through the sea as a type of baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1-2, Hebrews 11:29, Jude 1:5) and salvation planned from the beginning for all God’s people.  In that land of Moab, Moses explained the Law and the edict to leave Horeb (another name for Mount Sinai where God gave the commandments on tablets of stone to the people through Moses) and begin the arduous journey through the desert towards the land promised to their forefather Abraham as he passed through Canaan over four hundred years before.  God had set that occupied land before them to conquer and possess, dispossessing the ungodly idolatry and immorality of those enemies of the LORD and entering into their inheritance.  The true occupiers of the land now known as Israel are the descendants of those peoples not completely eradicated from the land then as commanded by God, not the descendants of the people of God.  History as recorded by the LORD in scripture makes this very clear if not argued with anger and violence to reclaim that which had been taken by God and given to another as He chose (Psalm 135:6) as the owner of all creation.  This was the promised land deeded to “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.”  Moses told them how faithful God was to fulfill the promise to multiply them as the stars in heaven with the promise to expand their numbers ever more to worship and glorify His name in all (Genesis 18:18, 26:4, Psalm 33:8, Isaiah 52:10) the earth.  Moses had too many of them to properly deal with as their appointed leader, so they chose others to come alongside to assist in the work of ministering the law to the people and settle judgments among them, just as elders do now in the church with teaching, exhorting, and disciplining when required.  The latter was set by the Lord and we follow it still to faithfully lead His chosen ones into the promised heavenly kingdom to come.  This account then records the Faithful Leading into the Kingdom by God at the hand of Moses until the Law as our schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24-25) led us to Christ.

Numbers 36:1-13 - The Commandments and Judgments

Numbers 36:1-13

Marriage of Female Heirs

1 Now the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the chief fathers of the children of Israel. 2 And they said: “The LORD commanded my lord Moses to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. 3 Now if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

5 Then Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying: “What the tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks is right. 6 This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’ 7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance.”

10 Just as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad; 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to the sons of their father’s brothers. 12 They were married into the families of the children of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

13 These are the commandments and the judgments which the LORD commanded the children of Israel by the hand of Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

The final commandments and judgments of this book numbering the people of God entering the promised land ended with the last one as a question of inheritance.  The question needing a ruling on from the LORD through the word of Moses was whether the sole remaining heirs of a tribe (who were female) who were to inherit married into another family tribe; would they then lose their original family inheritance and have it absorbed into the husband’s family’s estate?  Their inheritance would be taken away and not remain divided as originally intended by God if this loophole was not clearly defined and closed by the word of the LORD.  To keep the inheritance from changing hands, Moses commanded that the daughters should marry within their own familial tribes to avoid this situation so that the land of their inheritance should not change hands to another tribe.  Every family of each tribe was to keep their own inheritance in this way.  These particular women who were affected therefore married their cousins to keep their rightful inheritance in the promised land of milk and honey assigned to them (Numbers 27:1, 7) by God.  The book ends with the declaration that these and all previous rulings and instructions were the commandments and judgments of the LORD communicated as law through Moses (John 1:17) as a shadow and picture of the grace and truth of the promised heavenly country to come by Jesus Christ as the Word of God (John 1:1-2) whose judgment on the world (John 9:39, 16:8-11) and commands for life (John 12:50) everlasting are given for our eternal inheritance (John 5:24, Acts 26:18, 2 Timothy 4:18, 1 Peter 1:3-4) in Himself and not the former law (Galatians 3:18, Romans 4:16-17, 8:16-17) as with Moses and the physical promised land because the law only pointed to Christ and our inheritance (Galatians 3:24-26) in Him.  These are the Commandments and Judgments of God to Israel and to us in the fullest realization in Christ Jesus for our eternal inheritance of eternal life (John 12:50, 1 John 5:11-13); His gospel is our eternal commandment and judgment of saving grace.  Amen! 

Numbers 35:1-34 - Cities for Priests and Accidental Killers

Numbers 35:1-34

Cities for the Levites

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying: 2 “Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities. 3 They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. 4 The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.

6 “Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities. 7 So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land. 8 And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”

Cities of Refuge (Deuteronomy 19:1–13; Josh. 20:1–9)

9 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. 12 They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment. 13 And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. 14 You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

16 But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, 21 or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 ‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, 23 or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments. 25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.

29 ‘And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. 31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. 32 And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest. 33 So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.’”

The Levitical priests were allotted their own inheritance in forty-two cities and some surrounding land for their animals.  The priests also had six refuge cities given specifically for protecting manslayers who were suspected of murder and needed protection until due process ascertained their innocence or guilt.  They were the protectors of the accused who could flee vigilante justice to a safe place until the judge ruled for or against their cases of manslaughter or premeditated murder.  The accused were safe until then.  If they were found innocent of murder, they would have to live in those cities of refuge or risk vengeance from those wanting to hold them accountable for the unintended death they caused.  The only way they could safely leave was when the high priest who presided over their trial died; then they could return home safely.  Those found guilty of intentional murder as proven by more than one witness to the crime, however, were to face the immediate death penalty to hold them accountable and satisfy justice for the families of the victims.  This was the basis for our laws on murder and manslaughter with the exception of the prison sentence length being determined by the death of the high priest instead of a set number of years in our punitive system for manslaughter and the swift and certain death penalty for intentional murderers.  They were instructed by the LORD to keep their land clean by atoning for the shed blood like Abel’s by Cain (Genesis 4:8-9) in the very first murder long ago.  The law here was not to mark the murderer like Cain () and let him live, but to atone for the lifeblood shed to cleanse the Lord’s land in which they dwelt.  The intent was to prevent murder and keep the promised land undefiled by such destruction of God’s creation of men and women made in His image, for that was an affront on Himself by the intentional destruction of anyone.  Those who say the death penalty is inhumane are correct only in the sense that it it above that ungodly, a crime against our Creator and not just mankind, in the willful killing of anyone outside of war.  The cites of refuge were intended not to protect people evading the laws of the land as we see now, but only for suspected murderers who might be proven innocent of murder and accountable for manslaughter only.  They are not what we see today, in other words.  Our laws therefore were originally based on Old Testament laws, but have deviated from them significantly since the LORD has been ignored as the basis for them to punish the guilty and protect the innocent for His sake and of the value of lives created in His image and not for a “humane” reason apart from His will and honor. 

Numbers 34:16-29 - Promised Allotted Places

Numbers 34:16-29

The Leaders Appointed to Divide the Land

16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. 

18 And you shall take one leader of every tribe to divide the land for the inheritance. 19 These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh; 20 from the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud; 21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon; 22 a leader from the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli; 23 from the sons of Joseph: a leader from the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod, 24 and a leader from the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan; 25 a leader from the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach; 26 a leader from the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan; 27 a leader from the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi; 28 and a leader from the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”

29 These are the ones the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance among the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

The priest Eleazar and Joshua the successor to Moses were appointed to divide promised land of Canaan deeded to Abraham (Genesis 12:5, 7, 24:7, Exodus 3:8) long before according to the set boundaries of the LORD among the familial tribes of Israel.  They took one leader of each family that were selected by God alongside them to do the assignments of the LORD to the people.  We see that God uses men to enact His plans among His people and chooses the leaders of them by His will, just as elders are appointed and pastors given gifts and callings to lead the chosen people in Christ through His word towards the promised heavenly land (Hebrews 11:16, 12:22, 13:14) which He has assigned to them individually (John 14:2-3) and as a (1 Peter 2:5) whole.  God Himself divided the inheritance of eternal life to us and has appointed shepherds to lead the way home into that promised land without the presence of sin or idolatry as with the original people of Canaan displaced in the original promised land on earth.  True milk and honey will be given by the hand of the Lord in the one to come, one which will never be lost due to idolatry and immorality as with Israel.  This is our promised allotted inheritance in Christ Jesus which we anticipate with eager (Philippians 3:20) desire. 

Numbers 34:1-15 - Appointed Places in the Promised Land

Numbers 34:1-15

The Appointed Boundaries of Canaan

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its boundaries. 3 Your southern border shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom; then your southern border shall extend eastward to the end of the Salt Sea; 4 your border shall turn from the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and be on the south of Kadesh Barnea; then it shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon; 5 the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the Sea.

6 ‘As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your western border.

7 ‘And this shall be your northern border: From the Great Sea you shall mark out your border line to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor you shall mark out your border to the entrance of Hamath; then the direction of the border shall be toward Zedad; 9 the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your northern border.

10 ‘You shall mark out your eastern border from Hazar Enan to Shepham; 11 the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; the border shall go down and reach to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth; 12 the border shall go down along the Jordan, and it shall end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding boundaries.’”

13 Then Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying: “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. 14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and the half-tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, across from Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

The boundaries of each inheritance were established within the overall promised land of Canaan by the LORD and communicated through Moses.  It is vital to understand that no man decided this promised land nor the boundaries within it for these people.  It was God alone who gave Israel this kingdom on earth and it cannot be taken away from them with the excuse that they stole it from the inhabitants which God had judged for their idolatry and immorality and then taken it away from them to give to His own.  The modern day argument that the land was not from Israel therefore falls flat before the throne of God in His sovereignty as King of kings who owns the entire world and every nation on it.  The borders were set in the beginning and then within those limits was divided by lots to the tribes of Israel by name as He decided and deeded to them.  In the kingdom of God in Christ to come after the entirety of earth is judged, the people of the Lord will be allotted places (John 14:2-3, Matthew 25:34, 1 Peter 1:4) in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12, 21:2-3) brought down from heaven to earth for our inheritance with Him, and those rejecting the gospel will be like the former inhabitants of Canaan who worshipped false gods and loved their temporal loves and kingdoms more than the eternal.  Thanks be to God for His grace and our inheritance in Christ Jesus, His Son and the one who has granted us a place in His new Kingdom on Earth of the heavenly land promised to us by faith in His work and person who promised these things.  These are our appointed places in the promised heavenly land which we will one day receive as our inheritance in Jesus Christ. 

Numbers 33:50-56 - Final Words for the Promised Land

Numbers 33:50-56

Instructions for the Conquest of Canaan

50 Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; 53 you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 

54 And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 

55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. 56 Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’”

Final words were uttered by the LORD God to tell the people before entering the Promised Land as they stood by the Jordan across from the city of Jericho.  He told them these things after first bringing their long journey of how they arrived there to their remembrance.  He had reminded them of their failures and His grace through every step along the way that they might recall His faithfulness to them and their accountability to act on His words of instruction they were about to receive again.  When they crossed over the river into Canaan promised to them through Abraham, they were to remember to drive out the ungodly idol worshippers who rejected the LORD that the land would be for these who worshipped the living God.  They were to utterly destroy the idols there of stone and molded images of false worship to include their high places which were elevated places such as on hills or mountains used by the Canaanites there for false worship with their sacrifices, incense, and rituals to manmade gods like Baal.  They were to completely dispossess those living there and settle the land given to them by their Creator who granted that land to the people He chose and who were called to follow and worship Him and not false gods of their own passions and imaginations.  They were not called to steal the land nor commit genocide to obtain it, because it belonged to God and given to whom He wished to do so, contrary to human reasoning of the ungodly idol worshippers of then or today.  This inheritance promised to Abraham and his offspring through Jacob called Israel was divided fairly between each familial group of Israel’s sons in a size-proportionate manner.  These parcels of land were devised by lots cast for divine choice that appeared to be by chance as rolling of the dice, but were made by God’s sovereign hand to bring the results according to His plan.  The warning was given to them not to hold back and to completely drive the ungodly out of the land or face the consequences.  Those who they did not drive away would stay to be irritants like thorns to harass and cause grief to them there in that land meant to be solely for them and not the former inhabitants.  They would then suffer repercussions from God for their disobedience in the same manner as was meant for the ungodly there.  We see this is what happened, unfortunately, in the future history of Israel there.  Do we learn from this that we might also drive ungodly idols and associations from our own lives when we come to Christ and His kingdom within us after we are delivered from sin in the grace of His salvation?  Or do we disobey like they did and suffer the consequences of the sinful inhabited of our hearts and minds that we allow to remain?  Or do we instead drive them out to leave room for the sole worship of our Lord who we worship in the temples (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) of these bodies and not allow the high places of the world around us to remain as thorns (Matthew 13:22) to harass us and keep us from obedient worship and service to God alone?  May we instead conquer our hearts by mortifying our sinful desires (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5) and thoughts to drive out the former inhabitants of sin from them.  These are our final words of instruction to prepare us before we die and enter the promised land of the heavenly kingdom to come. 

Numbers 33:1-49 - Testimonies: A Record of the Journey

Numbers 33:1-49

Israel’s Journey from Egypt Reviewed

1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the LORD. And these are their journeys according to their starting points:

3 They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. 4 For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the LORD had killed among them. Also on their gods the LORD had executed judgments.

5 Then the children of Israel moved from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6 They departed from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 7 They moved from Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth, which is east of Baal Zephon; and they camped near Migdol. 8 They departed from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, went three days’ journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and camped at Marah. 9 They moved from Marah and came to Elim. At Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there.

10 They moved from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11 They moved from the Red Sea and camped in the Wilderness of Sin. 12 They journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 They departed from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 They moved from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.

15 They departed from Rephidim and camped in the Wilderness of Sinai. 16 They moved from the Wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah. 17 They departed from Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 They departed from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 They departed from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez. 20 They departed from Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah. 21 They moved from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 They journeyed from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 They went from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 They moved from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 They moved from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 They moved from Makheloth and camped at Tahath. 27 They departed from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 They moved from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 They went from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 They departed from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31 They departed from Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan. 32 They moved from Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Hagidgad. 33 They went from Hor Hagidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 They moved from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 They departed from Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber. 36 They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. 37 They moved from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom.

38 Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 Now the king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.

41 So they departed from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 They departed from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 They departed from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 They departed from Oboth and camped at Ije Abarim, at the border of Moab. 45 They departed from Ijim and camped at Dibon Gad. 46 They moved from Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim. 47 They moved from Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 They departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 49 They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth as far as the Abel Acacia Grove in the plains of Moab.

Here Moses recorded a record of the journey as Israel sojourned out of bondage in Egypt through the desert wilderness of the Sinai peninsula for forty years.  Moses had written down all the starting points of their journeys by God’s command as a reminder of how far they had come as well as providing us a historical record of their lives as they went through many toils and troubles along the way.  This account also records the death of Aaron at the forty year mark as they arrived by the Jordan River near the land promised to Abraham and his descendants who then stood ready to enter and obtain the promises of God.  This is also an example for we who are in Christ to look back and make note of the markers of our own journeys as we follow the Lord who sanctifies us (Philippians 1:6) along the way.  We can look back and record these events and people with our victories and failures alike, providing us a sense of awe in the work and leading of our Lord by His Spirit through growth by His word and the places He put us in for varying amounts of time with special people in those places whom He has used in our growth and our influence on theirs.  These living testimonies of His grace will one day be seen by all as our books are opened (1 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:12) for all to hear read on His return for judgment and accountability, lifting our hearts in the recollections of grace and form of our conformity to the Son of God (2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 3:2) who leads us all the way home.  It is good therefore to look back at our own journeys as we sojourn from our memories of His calling, and to the moment of our transformative salvation as a new birth, and then through the trials and tribulations of our growth along each place we are led to and from, even putting it all down on paper as a testimony of grace fleshed out in each of us to recall and share His work in those testimonies.  It is wonderful to look back as we look forward in anticipation (Romans 8:25, Philippians 3:20-21, Hebrews 9:27-28) of the promised heavenly land (Hebrews 11:13, 16, 12:22) to come!  Our testimony of God’s grace is the record of our journey to Christ and then in Christ through our sanctification of this new life which we can reflect on and share to encourage one another, and so is worthwhile to write down now to consider all these wonderful things.  This is humbling and inspiring to us and to one another, knowing these testimonies of grace in our wanderings will all be read on that Day in His presence at last among all whom He has called.  Yes, these things were recorded of God’s people led out of bondage by Him as a journey through the wilderness to the promised land, which is to us as a foretaste of glory divine in our own sojourning in Christ.

Numbers 32:1-42 - Fighting for the Inheritance

Numbers 32:1-42

The Tribes Settling East of the Jordan (Deuteronomy 3:12–22)

1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, 2 the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.”

6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? 7 Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? 8 Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them. 10 So the LORD’s anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, 12 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.’ 13 So the LORD’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone. 14 And look! You have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel. 15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

16 Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

20 Then Moses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the LORD for the war, 21 and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the LORD until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the LORD and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth.”

25 And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; 27 but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, just as my lord says.”

28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them: “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. 30 But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

31 Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the LORD has said to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan.”

33 So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. 34 And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, 35 Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, 36 Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, 38 Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

39 And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. 41 Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. 42 Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben wanted their inheritance where they were, a perfect grazing land for their livestock, not wanting to go on to cross the Jordan with the rest of Israel to claim their inheritance in the promised land.  They promised to fight for the inheritance of all the people who did cross over and then return back across the Jordan to their land if granted by the LORD through Moses.  At first Moses thought that would discourage and even destroy the rest of the people as in the wild when they stayed back from entering the promised land, but the children of Gad and the children of Reuben assured him that they had every intention of fighting alongside the rest to encourage them all to press forward into battle to gain their inheritance as well.  The condition was given that if these did not cross over to assist in winning the land, theirs would be forfeit and they would then also have to cross over and live in Canaan across the river with the rest of their brothers.  They agreed and promised that they would indeed go into the land armed to win the land for their brethren and then keep their inheritance on the east side of the river where the grazing was best for their livelihood, though still east of this new Eden (Genesis 4:16), a land flowing with (Exodus 3:8) milk and honey, a respite after toiling in the dust of Egypt and the bleak wilderness.  Do we then use this example to labor with those going across the waters of the oceans to fight the good fight of the gospel, such as the foreign missionaries, by assisting them in body or in prayer and provisions, even if we return and they labor on without our presence?  May we also wage this spiritual warfare that others may cross over with us and enter into the promised heavenly land of eternal abundance set before us (Hebrews 12:1-2) in Christ as we fight for the inheritance given by grace, knowing the battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:15, Proverbs 21:31, Isaiah 41:10, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58) and not in our own efforts apart from His work in and through each of us, whether in the fray or behind the lines.  These things show how Israel’s Fighting for the Inheritance of the promised land and our involvement in fighting the good fight of the gospel have much in common.

Numbers 31:25-54 - Dividing up the Spoils of War

Numbers 31:25-54

Division of the Plunder

25 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 26 “Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation; 27 and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28 And levy a tribute for the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep; 29 take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the LORD. 30 And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.” 31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

32 The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately. 36 And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; 37 and the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five. 38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was seventy-two. 39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the LORD’s tribute was sixty-one. 40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41 So Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

42 And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought— 43 now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44 thirty-six thousand cattle, 45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46 and sixteen thousand persons— 47 and from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

48 Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses; 49 and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. 50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD.” 51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments. 52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the LORD, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels. 53 (The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) 54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

This division of the spoils followed the war against the Midianites after the children of Israel had unlawfully taken the men and women whom they had been ordered to annihilate to stop the immorality and idolatry by taking the women to themselves and not just the female children who were still innocent of these divine crimes.  Now that they set this straight with God as communicated through Moses, they were free to divide the spoils among the tribes of those who went into the fray and among those who had to stay behind.  The Levites also received a tithe of the whole as well.  Amazingly enough, not one of Israel’s army had perished.  The officers in charge of the armies reported this and brought the spoils of jewelry as atonement for their sins, presumably either for taking spoils of gold for them or for having to,shed so much blood in case they did so with impure motives or selfish aims.  The offerings of the officers were mad into articles for the temple, dedicated to the LORD God.  As we fight the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18) of the gospel of Jesus Christ, do we offer back our gain into the lives of those we minister to, or do we need to confess selfishness in keeping the fruits to ourselves instead of investing (2 Timothy 2:2) in others?  The battle belongs to the Lord (1 Samuel 17:47, 2 Chronicles 20:15) and all we have is His which we offer back as the spoils of this cosmic war for the souls of men and women who all need to be set free from idolatry and immorality to enter the promise heavenly land after the final judgment on sin reigning now on this earth.  The spoils of the divine battles then are the souls of men and women offered up to the Lord by His atonement for each one on the cross.  May we share equally in these! 

Numbers 31:1-24 - Holy Vengeance and Purification

Numbers 31:1-24

Vengeance on the Midianites

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian. 4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. 11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.

Return from the War

12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? 16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. 19 And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. 20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses: 22 Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. 24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

The LORD called for a holy vengeance of retribution against the ungodly who had intentionally and cunningly led Israel astray before.  This included killing Balaam who caused them to sin (Revelation 2:14) as being instrumental in Balak’s attacks through evil counsel and which sins of idolatry through immorality were committed with (Numbers 25:1-3) the faithless idolaters of that land.  God did not demand genocide nor ethnic cleansing, but spiritual cleansing from these who were opposed to His morality and worship.  This is also the reason behind the killing of the occupiers of the promised land of Canaan so the chosen people of the LORD could inhabit the country promised to Abraham for all His people as those idolaters who were opposed to Him were commanded to be driven out (Numbers 33:52, 53-54) and destroyed.  This was also to be the last battle for Moses before he was gathered to his people beyond the grave.  However, the army did not understand or obey the command to kill all but the children in their campaign; they brought back the grown women for themselves, the same women who previously led the people into worship of their dead gods of stone and wood from earthly origins carved by godless men.  They then killed them all but the young virgin girls to be raised in a godly culture, who had not been led into idolatry and immorality yet.  If the people of God wanted wives from these people, it would have to be ones brought up in the admonition of the LORD and not in pagan practices.  The army then had to stand outside the camp for purification from all the bloodshed for a week before entering in again after washing their stained clothing before coming back.  The precept was also introduced that only metals which could be purified through fire could be kept as spoils of war.  Only purified and righteous gain was permitted so that the corrupting influence of the ungodly would not taint the people called to be holy (Leviticus 19:1-2, 20:7-8, 1 Peter 1:15-16) as and because He is holy.  They were to keep His statutes, not worship statues or have intimate relationships with those not intimate with their LORD God, just as we are called to live in holiness (Romans 6:12-13, 1 Corinthians 6:15, 16-17, 19-20) of body and soul.  In the final judgment there will be holy vengeance on those opposing the gospel and accountability for those living for sinful gain in the passing pleasures of sin when we should instead be pursuing holy purification from within and without to honor Him.  May we then fight the good fight according to His word and not the culture around us as we prepare for the heavenly promised land in all holiness of our conformity to Christ in our sanctification.