52The Lord said to Moses,
53"The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names.
54To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed.
- P114
62All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them. - P115
64Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai.
65For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
- P115
God assigns the Israelites’ inheritance based on the size of each tribe and clan: larger groups receive more land and smaller groups less, with the inheritance determined by lot. This process reflects God’s order and justice as well as His thoughtfulness and care for both larger and smaller groups. - P116
The land, which is a gift from God, must be preserved by each tribe as an inheritance for future generations. This serves as a lasting testament to God’s faithfulness, reminding even those who did not witness the exodus or the conquest of the promised land of His enduring goodness. - P116
Where we may easily fail to remember His goodness, God helps us rediscover Him through stories of His faithfulness in the lives of generations of believers. - P116
While the rest of the Israelites are counted for the conquest and distribution of the promised land, the Levites are counted for a different purpose. The Levite men are counted from the age of one because they are not to receive an allotment of land. Instead, they are to serve in the house of the Lord, faithfully mediating between Him and His people according to His instructions for worship. - P116
The second census of the new generation of Israelites concludes with the note that none of those counted in the first census are included in the second, except for Joshua and Caleb, who continued to trust God when those around them rebelled against Him. This serves as a reminder that while disobedience cuts us off from God’s blessings, obedience ushers us into them. - P116
Lord, I thank You for all that I have received from You. You have never given too little; You always provided exactly what I needed to faithfully carry out the mission You gave me. - P117
Help me to discern Your will that I may walk in obedience. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P117
The daughters of Zelophehad, who have no brothers, petition Moses for aninheritance in their father‘s name. God instructs Moses to grant their request,
establishing a precedent for women‘s inheritance rights in Israel. - P119
The law stipulates that if a man dies without sons, his inheritance can pass to hisdaughters, brothers, or closest relatives. - P119
|