Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Numbers 36:1) And 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 princes, the chief
fathers of the children of Israel.
The Israelites were in their last station in the plains of Moab before going over the Jordan River to take possession of their promised land. In the past couple of chapters and posts, God had been laying out some instructions through Moses about their boundaries and the makeup of their cities. At this point, the chief fathers of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, came forward to speak before Moses and the chief fathers of the children of Israel. Machir made up the half tribe of Manasseh that took its inheritance on their current side of the Jordan River.
(2) And they said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for 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."
The chief fathers of the families of Gilead, the son of Machir, the half tribe of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan, began by referencing the fact that Moses had been commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad to his daughters. Zelophehad, we were told in Numbers 27:1, was the son of Hepher who was the son of
Gilead, and therefore had also been a chief father of the family of Gilead. Now his inheritance belonged to his daughters.
(3) "And if they be married to any of the sons of the other
tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken
from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the
inheritance of the tribe in which they are received; so it shall be taken from the lot of our inheritance."
The chief fathers of the families of Gilead brought up the supposition that the daughters of Zelophehad might well marry a man from another tribe, and land from their tribe's inheritance would be taken away and added to the tribe into which each daughter of Zelophehad married.
(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 are received; so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers."
Normally, in the Year of Jubilee inheritances were to be restored to the original owners of them, but this would not be the case for the inheritances of the daughters of Zelophehad; theirs would remain with the tribe into which they had married, and would thus be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of the fathers of the families of Gilead, that is Machir, that half tribe of Manasseh that had its inheritance on the eastern side of the Jordan River.
(5) And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the
LORD, saying, "The tribe of the sons of Joseph has spoken well."
Moses then told the children of Israel that the Lord had said that what the fathers of the families of Gilead (the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph) had said was right and reasonable.
(6) "This is the thing which the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.'"
The Lord commanded that the daughters of Zelophehad marry only within the family of their father's, and theirs themselves, own tribe. There was to be no forced or arranged marriage; they could marry whomever they wished, but it had to be within their own tribe. Some Bible commentators say that the verse meant they could only marry within their father's family within the tribe, meaning the family of the Hepherites, Hepher being the father of Zelophehad. At this point, I don't see it that way. I believe it means they could marry into the family of their father's tribe, which would be the half tribe of Manasseh that was to dwell on the eastern side of the Jordan. This seems a very wise and reasonable command. For one thing, if God is the one directing whom they should marry, then how could the marriage fail? Even now isn't it God's best for Christians that they not be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14)?
(7) “So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not move from tribe to tribe; for every one of the children of Israel shall keep to himself the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers."
Doing as God commanded, Moses said, would allow each of the children of Israel to keep his inheritance of the tribe of his fathers, and ownership would not move from tribe to tribe.
(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 enjoy the inheritance of his fathers. (9) Neither shall the inheritance move from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance.”
Dr. John Gill pointed out, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, that
the tribes were not strictly obliged to marry within their own tribes.
The inheritances were given to the heads of each tribe, and wives who
married into the families of a tribe became one of that tribe, and likewise the children they bore. It was only in the case of the daughters who possessed an inheritance, that they would have to marry within their tribe so that their inheritance would not go to another tribe. With this law, all tribes retained their inheritances.
I recall something that illustrates this point. I am a genealogist, and in researching my son's family tree, I found this case of his great-great grandfather. He married a young woman of some means, and her parents gave her a good bit of land when they got married. She died in childbirth with their first child, a daughter. The land then went to the daughter. However, the baby daughter died, and then the land went to her father. Her father remarried and they had a child. At that point, the child who was completely unrelated to the parents who had initially given the land, was the heir to the land. Those parents were upset about it and even sued the husband of their daughter, but to no avail. If it had been Biblical times, and their daughter had married someone within the tribe of her parents, the land would have stayed in the family, because her husband was within their tribe, and there would have been no hostile feelings and lawsuits. God makes such wise laws!
(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 sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.
The daughters of Zelophehad did just as the Lord had commanded to Moses that they do. They married into the families of their father's brothers, and therefore were married into the families of their half tribe of Manasseh, and thus their inheritances remained in the tribe of their father.
(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.
With this verse the book of Numbers ends with a summary statement that the preceding had been the commandments and judgments of the Lord, concerning their inheritances in the promised land, regarding the division of it, cities of refuge, and the case of inheritances in it. These commandments the Lord gave at the Israelites' last station in the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from Jericho where they would enter their promised land.
The moral of the 36th chapter of Numbers is that the people of God are taught to hold fast to their inheritances in His promises and their right in Christ. They are not to be unequally yoked as to have union with pagans that would make them partakers in paganism and idolatry, and thus pull them away from their God. We should not join in friendships with wicked men and unbelievers. Though we can't completely avoid being around such people, we shouldn't choose those people for our closest friends. We must not defile ourselves by closely sharing with those who defile themselves with sin. Of course, that is not to say we shouldn't have any contact with unbelievers and sinners. How can an unbelieving world learn about Christ if it can't see the light? However, we have to avoid those close associations that would necessarily make us compromise God's laws.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Cities of Refuge and Laws About Murder
Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Numbers 35:1) 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 to the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites suburbs for the cities around them."
In the last post, the Lord had commanded to Moses what the boundaries of the promised land were to be, and also named the princes of each tribe who were to receive their tribes' inheritance by lot. He continued speaking to Moses in the plains of Moab on their current side of the Jordan across from Jericho, telling him to command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities, as well as land surrounding the cities, from their inheritances. The Levites had no inheritance of their own, but as ministers of God, the Lord would have them scattered among all the tribes.
(3) "And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts."
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him the cities which each tribe would give of their inheritance would be for the Levites to dwell in, and the land surrounding the cities they would use as pasture land, barns, storehouses, and the like.
(4) "And the suburbs of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits all around."
The Lord commanded that the suburbs of the cities which were to be given to the Levites were to extend from the wall of the city outward 1000 cubits all around, which was about 1500 feet.
(5) “And you shall measure from 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, and the city shall be in the midst; this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities."
It appears from verse 5 that besides the first 1000 cubits which served as a suburb of the city all around, there was an additional 2000 cubits on all sides that probably served as their pasture lands. The cities were to be in the middle of the these designated suburbs.
(6) "And among the cities which you shall give to the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which you shall appoint for the manslayer, to which he 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 suburbs."
The Levites were to be given a total of 48 cities with their suburbs as described above. There were to be six cities of refuge to which a manslayer might flee for protection until his case was decided, and 42 additional cities.
(8) “And the cities which you shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel; from them who have many you shall give many, but from them who have few you shall give few; everyone shall give of his cities to the Levites according to his inheritance which he inherits."
The 48 cities that were to be given to the Levites from the other tribes' inheritances were to be divided among the tribes with larger tribes giving more and smaller tribes giving fewer. Every single tribe was to give some measure of cities to the Levites from their inheritance.
(9) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (10) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you have come over Jordan into the land of Canaan, (11) Then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. (12) And they shall be to you cities for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.'"
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him to tell the children of Israel that once they had gone over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, they were to appoint their cities of refuge to which a person who killed another accidentally might flee for protection. The nearest kin had a right to avenge the death of his relation by slaying the murderer, so there was a need for a safe haven for the manslayer until his case was judged.
(13) "‘And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. (14) You shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall you give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.'"
There were to be six such cities of refuge. Three cities were to be assigned on their present side of the Jordan River, where the inheritances of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh were; and the other three cities of refuge were to be assigned in the land of Canaan on the other side of the Jordan.
(15) "‘These six cities shall be a 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.'"
The cities of refuge were to be available for the children of Israel, and for the strangers and sojourners who dwelt among them, that anyone might flee there for protection if he accidentally killed someone.
(16) "'And if he strikes him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.'"
If the manslayer struck the victim with an iron instrument so that he died, that was to be considered murder. Using an instrument of iron was to be seen at the very least as wishing to harm the victim and displayed bad intentions. Therefore, if the victim indeed died, the manslayer was guilty of murder and was to be put to death.
(17) "‘And if he strikes him with throwing a stone, by which he may die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.'"
The primary definition of the original word "yad" that was translated as merely "throwing" is actually "hand", "open hand" as opposed to "closed hand". The phrase is understood to mean a large stone that fills a man's hand. That definition would make it reasonable to assume that the stone was not even necessarily thrown at the victim, but used in some way against the victim, as in Exodus 21:18, when it described the man who struck another with a stone. If the victim died by the hand of a manslayer who used a stone, that manslayer was considered a murderer and was to be put to death.
(18) "‘Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.'"
Likewise if a man used a hand weapon of wood that was capable of killing a man, and the victim indeed died, the manslayer was considered a murderer and was to be put to death.
(19) "'The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meets him, he shall slay him.'"
In the above situations (verses 16-18), the manslayer was considered a murderer and was afforded no sanctuary. The avenger of blood, or more properly defined as "redeemer of blood", that is the kinsman of the victim, was allowed by law to kill the murderer himself to avenge his relative. Whenever he met him, at his first opportunity, he was to put the murderer to death.
(20) "'But if he thrusts him out of hatred or hurls at him while lying in wait, so that he dies, (21) Or in enmity strikes him with his hand so that he dies, he who struck him shall surely be put to death, for he is a murderer; the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.'"
Even in cases where the manslayer did not use weapons designed to hurt and kill, if he acted in hatred or lay in wait for his victim, he would be considered guilty of murder if his victim died. In these cases also, the kinsman avenger of blood was he himself to put the murderer to death whenever he met up with him.
(22) "'But if he thrusts him suddenly without enmity, or has cast upon him anything without lying in wait, (23) Or with any stone, by which a man may die, casting it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm, (24) Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments.'"
In the case of a man who struck another or threw something at him suddenly, having not lain in wait for him, demonstrating no premeditation, he was not immediately considered a murderer. Even if he had used a stone that would normally be expected to kill a man, and the victim indeed died, if the man did not see his victim, and it hit him accidentally, and the victim was not an enemy, and he had never sought to harm him, then he was not immediately considered a murderer. This was the type of manslayer who could find sanctuary until his case was judged by the congregation.
(25) "'And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.'"
If the manslayer was found not to be guilty of murder, but had killed his victim accidentally, then the congregation was to deliver him back to his city of refuge, and he was to remain there until the death of the high priest. He was a free man, but only within the walls of his city of refuge. Although he was found not guilty of murder, he was still in exile from his home, indicating that the taking of a life was a very grave matter, even if done accidentally. The high priest was chief among the priests and Levites to whom the cities of refuge belonged. He alone made yearly atonement for the people. Upon the death of the high priest who presided concurrently with the safe sanctuary of the manslayer, the slayer was to be set free. This is a picture of Christ who alone atones for our sins, and upon His death the captives were set free and the remembrance of transgressions were made to cease.
(26) "'But if the slayer at any time goes outside the border of the city of his refuge where he fled, (27) And the revenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, (28) Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.'"
However, if the manslayer at any time went outside the borders of his city of refuge, then he was not safe from the avenger of blood. If the kinsman avenger found him outside the borders of the city of refuge, he was free to kill the manslayer, and he would not be guilty of murder, because the manslayer's only salvation was within the borders of the city of refuge. Only after the death of the high priest was the slayer to be free to go outside the city of refuge and return to his own land.
(29) "'So these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.'"
God established these laws for judging murder and proclaimed they were to remain intact throughout the ages in all their dwellings, at least until the coming of the Messiah, in whom true and complete refuge would be.
(30) "‘Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.'"
A murderer was to be put to death only by the testimony of two or more witnesses. The testimony of one witness alone was not sufficient to put a killer to death. One person might be mistaken or prejudiced, so his testimony had to be confirmed by at least one other. I love this about the word of God! Consistently we are told throughout the Bible that by the word of two or three witnesses a thing is established (Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Timothy 5:19). That fact has helped me so much in my Bible study. Whenever I ponder an obscure or difficult verse, I know that its meaning will be confirmed elsewhere in the Bible. If I come up with a meaning that is not expressed elsewhere in the Bible, then I know the problem was with my interpretation, not with inconsistency in the Bible.
(31) "‘Moreover you shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.'"
This particular "satisfaction" is more clearly understood as "redemption" or "ransom". No atonement or compensation could be paid to redeem the murderer's life. If he was found guilty of murder, he absolutely was to be put to death.
(32) "'And you shall take no satisfaction for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.'"
Likewise there was no redemption or compensation for the refugee who left his city of refuge before the death of the high priest. In leaving his sanctuary before the time that was allowed by law, he had broken the law and could not pay his way out. I suppose he was free until he encountered a kinsman avenger of blood, but I guess that's the uncertain life of anyone who runs from the law.
(33) "‘So you shall not pollute the land where 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 who shed it.'"
The shedding of innocent blood defiles a nation. The Lord expressly told His people so and cautioned them against polluting their land. The only way He provided for the cleansing of the blood that had been shed in the land, was by the blood of the one who shed it. Only God is the author of life and only He can dispose of it. To take any life before its time could be to deprive that soul from coming to salvation, so the murderer not only murdered a body, but he may well have murdered a soul, which is far more important. Although I know that a merciful righteous God would not condemn to hell a person who had not had the opportunity to come to salvation, this shows just how serious it is to take a life. I can't help but think of the horrific amount of innocent blood that has been shed in our country since Roe v. Wade--over 60 million innocent babies' blood! How defiled is our land? Jesus Christ came and shed His blood for our sins so that we did not have to pay with our own lives for aborting precious innocent life, but that is only if we confess our sin and sin by that way no more. I know Christ can save individuals who sin, but a country that continues to kill innocent babies in direct violation of God's law? I am certain this country will fall if for that reason alone, although there are many more Godless reasons our nation is defiled.
(34) "‘Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, wherein I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.'"
The Lord exhorted His people not to defile their land, and added the more important basis for His exhortation that He, the Holy God, dwelt there among His people. Again I cannot help but think about our nation and how we can declare "God Bless America" as we stand on top of the massive amount of innocent blood in our land. Think of all the ways this country has pushed God out of schools and the public square. Consider how the Democrat Party wanted God removed from its platform. How can we expect God to bless a country that doesn't want Him in it? How do we expect a country to survive without Him or His blessing?
(Numbers 35:1) 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 to the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites suburbs for the cities around them."
In the last post, the Lord had commanded to Moses what the boundaries of the promised land were to be, and also named the princes of each tribe who were to receive their tribes' inheritance by lot. He continued speaking to Moses in the plains of Moab on their current side of the Jordan across from Jericho, telling him to command the children of Israel to give to the Levites cities, as well as land surrounding the cities, from their inheritances. The Levites had no inheritance of their own, but as ministers of God, the Lord would have them scattered among all the tribes.
(3) "And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts."
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him the cities which each tribe would give of their inheritance would be for the Levites to dwell in, and the land surrounding the cities they would use as pasture land, barns, storehouses, and the like.
(4) "And the suburbs of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits all around."
The Lord commanded that the suburbs of the cities which were to be given to the Levites were to extend from the wall of the city outward 1000 cubits all around, which was about 1500 feet.
(5) “And you shall measure from 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, and the city shall be in the midst; this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities."
It appears from verse 5 that besides the first 1000 cubits which served as a suburb of the city all around, there was an additional 2000 cubits on all sides that probably served as their pasture lands. The cities were to be in the middle of the these designated suburbs.
(6) "And among the cities which you shall give to the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which you shall appoint for the manslayer, to which he 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 suburbs."
The Levites were to be given a total of 48 cities with their suburbs as described above. There were to be six cities of refuge to which a manslayer might flee for protection until his case was decided, and 42 additional cities.
(8) “And the cities which you shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel; from them who have many you shall give many, but from them who have few you shall give few; everyone shall give of his cities to the Levites according to his inheritance which he inherits."
The 48 cities that were to be given to the Levites from the other tribes' inheritances were to be divided among the tribes with larger tribes giving more and smaller tribes giving fewer. Every single tribe was to give some measure of cities to the Levites from their inheritance.
(9) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (10) “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘When you have come over Jordan into the land of Canaan, (11) Then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. (12) And they shall be to you cities for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.'"
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him to tell the children of Israel that once they had gone over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, they were to appoint their cities of refuge to which a person who killed another accidentally might flee for protection. The nearest kin had a right to avenge the death of his relation by slaying the murderer, so there was a need for a safe haven for the manslayer until his case was judged.
(13) "‘And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. (14) You shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall you give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.'"
There were to be six such cities of refuge. Three cities were to be assigned on their present side of the Jordan River, where the inheritances of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh were; and the other three cities of refuge were to be assigned in the land of Canaan on the other side of the Jordan.
(15) "‘These six cities shall be a 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.'"
The cities of refuge were to be available for the children of Israel, and for the strangers and sojourners who dwelt among them, that anyone might flee there for protection if he accidentally killed someone.
(16) "'And if he strikes him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.'"
If the manslayer struck the victim with an iron instrument so that he died, that was to be considered murder. Using an instrument of iron was to be seen at the very least as wishing to harm the victim and displayed bad intentions. Therefore, if the victim indeed died, the manslayer was guilty of murder and was to be put to death.
(17) "‘And if he strikes him with throwing a stone, by which he may die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.'"
The primary definition of the original word "yad" that was translated as merely "throwing" is actually "hand", "open hand" as opposed to "closed hand". The phrase is understood to mean a large stone that fills a man's hand. That definition would make it reasonable to assume that the stone was not even necessarily thrown at the victim, but used in some way against the victim, as in Exodus 21:18, when it described the man who struck another with a stone. If the victim died by the hand of a manslayer who used a stone, that manslayer was considered a murderer and was to be put to death.
(18) "‘Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which he may die, and he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.'"
Likewise if a man used a hand weapon of wood that was capable of killing a man, and the victim indeed died, the manslayer was considered a murderer and was to be put to death.
(19) "'The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meets him, he shall slay him.'"
In the above situations (verses 16-18), the manslayer was considered a murderer and was afforded no sanctuary. The avenger of blood, or more properly defined as "redeemer of blood", that is the kinsman of the victim, was allowed by law to kill the murderer himself to avenge his relative. Whenever he met him, at his first opportunity, he was to put the murderer to death.
(20) "'But if he thrusts him out of hatred or hurls at him while lying in wait, so that he dies, (21) Or in enmity strikes him with his hand so that he dies, he who struck him shall surely be put to death, for he is a murderer; the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.'"
Even in cases where the manslayer did not use weapons designed to hurt and kill, if he acted in hatred or lay in wait for his victim, he would be considered guilty of murder if his victim died. In these cases also, the kinsman avenger of blood was he himself to put the murderer to death whenever he met up with him.
(22) "'But if he thrusts him suddenly without enmity, or has cast upon him anything without lying in wait, (23) Or with any stone, by which a man may die, casting it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm, (24) Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments.'"
In the case of a man who struck another or threw something at him suddenly, having not lain in wait for him, demonstrating no premeditation, he was not immediately considered a murderer. Even if he had used a stone that would normally be expected to kill a man, and the victim indeed died, if the man did not see his victim, and it hit him accidentally, and the victim was not an enemy, and he had never sought to harm him, then he was not immediately considered a murderer. This was the type of manslayer who could find sanctuary until his case was judged by the congregation.
(25) "'And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.'"
If the manslayer was found not to be guilty of murder, but had killed his victim accidentally, then the congregation was to deliver him back to his city of refuge, and he was to remain there until the death of the high priest. He was a free man, but only within the walls of his city of refuge. Although he was found not guilty of murder, he was still in exile from his home, indicating that the taking of a life was a very grave matter, even if done accidentally. The high priest was chief among the priests and Levites to whom the cities of refuge belonged. He alone made yearly atonement for the people. Upon the death of the high priest who presided concurrently with the safe sanctuary of the manslayer, the slayer was to be set free. This is a picture of Christ who alone atones for our sins, and upon His death the captives were set free and the remembrance of transgressions were made to cease.
(26) "'But if the slayer at any time goes outside the border of the city of his refuge where he fled, (27) And the revenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, (28) Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.'"
However, if the manslayer at any time went outside the borders of his city of refuge, then he was not safe from the avenger of blood. If the kinsman avenger found him outside the borders of the city of refuge, he was free to kill the manslayer, and he would not be guilty of murder, because the manslayer's only salvation was within the borders of the city of refuge. Only after the death of the high priest was the slayer to be free to go outside the city of refuge and return to his own land.
(29) "'So these things shall be for a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.'"
God established these laws for judging murder and proclaimed they were to remain intact throughout the ages in all their dwellings, at least until the coming of the Messiah, in whom true and complete refuge would be.
(30) "‘Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.'"
A murderer was to be put to death only by the testimony of two or more witnesses. The testimony of one witness alone was not sufficient to put a killer to death. One person might be mistaken or prejudiced, so his testimony had to be confirmed by at least one other. I love this about the word of God! Consistently we are told throughout the Bible that by the word of two or three witnesses a thing is established (Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 Timothy 5:19). That fact has helped me so much in my Bible study. Whenever I ponder an obscure or difficult verse, I know that its meaning will be confirmed elsewhere in the Bible. If I come up with a meaning that is not expressed elsewhere in the Bible, then I know the problem was with my interpretation, not with inconsistency in the Bible.
(31) "‘Moreover you shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.'"
This particular "satisfaction" is more clearly understood as "redemption" or "ransom". No atonement or compensation could be paid to redeem the murderer's life. If he was found guilty of murder, he absolutely was to be put to death.
(32) "'And you shall take no satisfaction for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.'"
Likewise there was no redemption or compensation for the refugee who left his city of refuge before the death of the high priest. In leaving his sanctuary before the time that was allowed by law, he had broken the law and could not pay his way out. I suppose he was free until he encountered a kinsman avenger of blood, but I guess that's the uncertain life of anyone who runs from the law.
(33) "‘So you shall not pollute the land where 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 who shed it.'"
The shedding of innocent blood defiles a nation. The Lord expressly told His people so and cautioned them against polluting their land. The only way He provided for the cleansing of the blood that had been shed in the land, was by the blood of the one who shed it. Only God is the author of life and only He can dispose of it. To take any life before its time could be to deprive that soul from coming to salvation, so the murderer not only murdered a body, but he may well have murdered a soul, which is far more important. Although I know that a merciful righteous God would not condemn to hell a person who had not had the opportunity to come to salvation, this shows just how serious it is to take a life. I can't help but think of the horrific amount of innocent blood that has been shed in our country since Roe v. Wade--over 60 million innocent babies' blood! How defiled is our land? Jesus Christ came and shed His blood for our sins so that we did not have to pay with our own lives for aborting precious innocent life, but that is only if we confess our sin and sin by that way no more. I know Christ can save individuals who sin, but a country that continues to kill innocent babies in direct violation of God's law? I am certain this country will fall if for that reason alone, although there are many more Godless reasons our nation is defiled.
(34) "‘Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, wherein I dwell; for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.'"
The Lord exhorted His people not to defile their land, and added the more important basis for His exhortation that He, the Holy God, dwelt there among His people. Again I cannot help but think about our nation and how we can declare "God Bless America" as we stand on top of the massive amount of innocent blood in our land. Think of all the ways this country has pushed God out of schools and the public square. Consider how the Democrat Party wanted God removed from its platform. How can we expect God to bless a country that doesn't want Him in it? How do we expect a country to survive without Him or His blessing?
Sunday, November 10, 2019
The Borders of the Promised Land, Part 2
Because Blogger limits the number of labels per post, I have separated the current post into two parts. The first part can be found here:
The Borders of the Promised Land, Part 1
At the end of part 1, the Lord had been speaking to Moses, designating the princes of each tribe that were to receive the inheritance for their tribes by lot. He continued:
(Numbers 34:23) "The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod. (24) And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan."
The children of Joseph were divided into two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. Half of the tribe of Manasseh had already received their inheritance on the current side of the Jordan, but for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh, the Lord designated Hanniel as the prince to receive the lot. From the tribe of Ephraim, Kemuel was chosen.
(25) "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach."
From the tribe of Zebulun, the Lord designated Elizaphan.
(26) "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan."
He designated Paltiel to receive the lot for the tribe of Issachar.
(27) "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. (28) And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud."
From the tribe of Asher the Lord designated Ahihud, and from Naphtali, He chose Pedahel.
(29) "These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan."
The Lord concluded His command to Moses by saying that the previous names of princes were the ones He Himself had commanded to divide the inheritance in Canaan among the children of Israel.
In the conclusion of this post, I turn to Matthew Henry, this time in his Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible. Here are his beautiful reflections about the relatively small area that was the promised land:
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, in which alone, for many ages, God was known. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the space was made up by the fruitfulness of the soil. Though the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, yet few know him, and serve him; but those few are happy, because fruitful to God. Also, see how little a share of the world God gives to his own people. Those who have their portion in heaven, have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth. Yet a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God, and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked.
The Borders of the Promised Land, Part 1
At the end of part 1, the Lord had been speaking to Moses, designating the princes of each tribe that were to receive the inheritance for their tribes by lot. He continued:
(Numbers 34:23) "The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod. (24) And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan."
The children of Joseph were divided into two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. Half of the tribe of Manasseh had already received their inheritance on the current side of the Jordan, but for the other half of the tribe of Manasseh, the Lord designated Hanniel as the prince to receive the lot. From the tribe of Ephraim, Kemuel was chosen.
(25) "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach."
From the tribe of Zebulun, the Lord designated Elizaphan.
(26) "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan."
He designated Paltiel to receive the lot for the tribe of Issachar.
(27) "And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. (28) And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud."
From the tribe of Asher the Lord designated Ahihud, and from Naphtali, He chose Pedahel.
(29) "These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan."
The Lord concluded His command to Moses by saying that the previous names of princes were the ones He Himself had commanded to divide the inheritance in Canaan among the children of Israel.
In the conclusion of this post, I turn to Matthew Henry, this time in his Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible. Here are his beautiful reflections about the relatively small area that was the promised land:
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, in which alone, for many ages, God was known. This was the vineyard of the Lord, the garden enclosed; but as it is with gardens and vineyards, the narrowness of the space was made up by the fruitfulness of the soil. Though the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof, yet few know him, and serve him; but those few are happy, because fruitful to God. Also, see how little a share of the world God gives to his own people. Those who have their portion in heaven, have reason to be content with a small pittance of this earth. Yet a little that a righteous man has, having it from the love of God, and with his blessing, is far better and more comfortable than the riches of many wicked.
The Borders of the Promised Land, Part 1
I have been studying the Bible in a chronological order suggested by Skip Andrews. Because chapter 33 of Numbers is a summary of the journeys and encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness, most of the chapter has already been studied. We pick up in Numbers 33:50:
(Numbers 33:50) And 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 pictures, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places.'"
This was to be the Israelites' last station in the plains of Moab before crossing over the Jordan River into their promised land. The Lord gave Moses instructions to give to the Israelites when they had crossed over Jordan and entered the land of Canaan. They were to drive out all the inhabitants from before them. The original word translated as "drive out" means "occupy" or "take possession", but can also mean "cast out, consume, destroy". The Israelites were also to destroy all the inhabitants' pictures and statues of idolatry and all their high places of worship.
(53) "'And you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.'"
Once the Israelites had destroyed all the symbols of idolatry and driven out the inhabitants, they were to take possession of their land and dwell in it, for God had given that land to them.
(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; every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falls; according to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit.'"
When they took possession of the land, it was to be divided among the remaining tribes, as Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh had taken as their inheritances land on the current side of the Jordan. The land was to be divided by casting lots so that God was the one who actually determined which tribe got which portion of land for its inheritance. Part of His determination was that larger portions would go to larger tribes, and smaller ones would get smaller possessions.
(55) "‘But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass, that those which you let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land in which you dwell.'"
God warned that if they did not do as He had said and drive the inhabitants completely out of their land, then those who remained would be very troublesome and distressing to them and would continually harass them.
(56) "'Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do to you as I thought to do to them.'"
Additionally, besides what the inhabitants who remained would do to them, God Himself would do to the Israelites what He had intended for the Canaanites; He would deliver them into the hands of their enemies to drive them out of their promised land. If the Israelites allowed some Canaanites to stay, they would surely mingle with them and fall into their pagan ways. This is a good illustration of what sin does to us. If we neglect to stay pure and drive sin out, sin will eventually drive us out and away from God's promise of eternal life for our souls.
(Numbers 34:1) And 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, that is, the land of Canaan to its boundaries), (3) Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom, and your south border shall be eastward to the outermost coast of the Salt Sea.'"
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him what to say to the Israelites. When they came into the land of Canaan, that land He had promised them as their inheritance, they were to observe the boundaries as He commanded. The Lord Himself determined the boundaries of their promised land of Canaan. The southern portion of their land was to extend from the wilderness of Zin, which is said to be Kadesh in particular, along the border of Edom eastward to the outermost coast of the Dead Sea. The map below shows the approximate boundaries of the promised land. I say "approximate" because as Adam Clarke stated in his Commentary on the Bible, the exact boundaries could only be precisely known by an actual survey.
(4) "'And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and continue to Zin, going forth from the south to Kadesh Barnea, and shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon.'"
The following map that shows a more detailed view of the southern border comes from www.bible.ca:
From this map, we see that verse 4 discusses the southeast corner of the border from Kadesh Barnea to Addar and Azmon westward, following the ascent of Akrabbim, up through the wilderness of Zin on the eastern border.
(5) "'And the border shall turn from Azmon to the river of Egypt, and the end of it shall be at the sea.'"
The southwestern boundary would be from Azmon turning northward and following the River of Egypt and ending at the Mediterranean Sea.
(6) "'And as for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your west border.'"
The western border of their promised land would be the Mediterranean Sea.
(7) "'And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea you shall point out for you mount Hor; (8) From mount Hor you shall point out your border to the entrance of Hamath; then the direction of the border shall be to Zedad; (9) And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.'"
The northern border was to run westward from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor. This was not the Mount Hor on which Aaron died. The word "hor" is actually a word for mountain. From this Mount Hor the border was to run eastward to Hamath, then to Zedad, on to Ziphron, and ending at Hazar Enan. This northern border can be seen on the first map above.
(10) "'And you shall point out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham; (11) And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend and shall reach to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth; (12) And the border shall go down to Jordan, and it shall end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding boundaries.’”
The eastern boundary of the promised land of Canaan was to go from Hazar Enan southward to Shepham. It would then curve westward to Riblah, past Ain, to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth, and then downward along the Jordan River, ending at the Dead Sea. Thus the Lord ended the entire description of Israel's boundaries.
Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, made an interesting observation. The border began and ended with the Dead Sea, then called the Salt Sea. "This was the remaining lasting monument of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That pleasant fruitful vale in which these cities stood became a lake, which was never stirred by any wind, bore no vessels, was replenished with no fish, no living creature of any sort being found in it, therefore called the Dead Sea. This was part of their border, that it might be a constant warning to them to take heed of those sins which had been the ruin of Sodom..."
(13) And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.'"
Moses told the people that the land with its boundaries described above was the land that they would inherit by lot, that is, nine and a half tribes would inherit this land by lot--Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Dan, Ephraim, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the other half tribe of Manasseh.
(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, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their 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.”
Moses explained that the two and a half tribes of Reuben, Gad, and a half tribe of Manasseh had already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River across from Jericho in the promised land of Canaan. Their inheritance lay from the Jordan River eastward.
(16) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (17) “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun."
The Lord then told Moses that the men who would divide the land would be Eleazar the priest and Joshua. Matthew Henry made a noteworthy observation: "The principal commissioners...were Eleazar and Joshua...typifying Christ, who, as priest and king, divides the heavenly Canaan to the spiritual Israel; yet, as they were to go by the lot, so Christ acknowledges the disposal must be by the will of the Father..."
(18) “And you shall take one prince of every tribe to divide the land by inheritance. (19) And the names of the men are these: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh."
A prince from each of the remaining tribes was chosen to represent their particular tribe and would witness the drawing of lots and would see to it that their tribe took possession of their inheritance according to the lot. The prince of the tribe of Judah was to be Caleb.
(20) "And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud."
The Lord designated Shemuel, the son of Ammihud, to be the representative prince from the tribe of Simeon.
(21) "Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. (22) And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.
From the tribe of Benjamin the Lord designated Elidad to receive the lot for his tribe; and from the tribe of Dan He assigned Bukki.
Because Blogger limits the number of labels each post may have, and I feel all these names are equally important, I will continue this study in the next post:
The Borders of the Promised Land, Part 2
(Numbers 33:50) And 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 pictures, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places.'"
This was to be the Israelites' last station in the plains of Moab before crossing over the Jordan River into their promised land. The Lord gave Moses instructions to give to the Israelites when they had crossed over Jordan and entered the land of Canaan. They were to drive out all the inhabitants from before them. The original word translated as "drive out" means "occupy" or "take possession", but can also mean "cast out, consume, destroy". The Israelites were also to destroy all the inhabitants' pictures and statues of idolatry and all their high places of worship.
(53) "'And you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess.'"
Once the Israelites had destroyed all the symbols of idolatry and driven out the inhabitants, they were to take possession of their land and dwell in it, for God had given that land to them.
(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; every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falls; according to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit.'"
When they took possession of the land, it was to be divided among the remaining tribes, as Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh had taken as their inheritances land on the current side of the Jordan. The land was to be divided by casting lots so that God was the one who actually determined which tribe got which portion of land for its inheritance. Part of His determination was that larger portions would go to larger tribes, and smaller ones would get smaller possessions.
(55) "‘But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass, that those which you let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall vex you in the land in which you dwell.'"
God warned that if they did not do as He had said and drive the inhabitants completely out of their land, then those who remained would be very troublesome and distressing to them and would continually harass them.
(56) "'Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do to you as I thought to do to them.'"
Additionally, besides what the inhabitants who remained would do to them, God Himself would do to the Israelites what He had intended for the Canaanites; He would deliver them into the hands of their enemies to drive them out of their promised land. If the Israelites allowed some Canaanites to stay, they would surely mingle with them and fall into their pagan ways. This is a good illustration of what sin does to us. If we neglect to stay pure and drive sin out, sin will eventually drive us out and away from God's promise of eternal life for our souls.
(Numbers 34:1) And 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, that is, the land of Canaan to its boundaries), (3) Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom, and your south border shall be eastward to the outermost coast of the Salt Sea.'"
The Lord continued speaking to Moses, telling him what to say to the Israelites. When they came into the land of Canaan, that land He had promised them as their inheritance, they were to observe the boundaries as He commanded. The Lord Himself determined the boundaries of their promised land of Canaan. The southern portion of their land was to extend from the wilderness of Zin, which is said to be Kadesh in particular, along the border of Edom eastward to the outermost coast of the Dead Sea. The map below shows the approximate boundaries of the promised land. I say "approximate" because as Adam Clarke stated in his Commentary on the Bible, the exact boundaries could only be precisely known by an actual survey.
(4) "'And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and continue to Zin, going forth from the south to Kadesh Barnea, and shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon.'"
The following map that shows a more detailed view of the southern border comes from www.bible.ca:
From this map, we see that verse 4 discusses the southeast corner of the border from Kadesh Barnea to Addar and Azmon westward, following the ascent of Akrabbim, up through the wilderness of Zin on the eastern border.
(5) "'And the border shall turn from Azmon to the river of Egypt, and the end of it shall be at the sea.'"
The southwestern boundary would be from Azmon turning northward and following the River of Egypt and ending at the Mediterranean Sea.
(6) "'And as for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your west border.'"
The western border of their promised land would be the Mediterranean Sea.
(7) "'And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea you shall point out for you mount Hor; (8) From mount Hor you shall point out your border to the entrance of Hamath; then the direction of the border shall be to Zedad; (9) And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your north border.'"
The northern border was to run westward from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor. This was not the Mount Hor on which Aaron died. The word "hor" is actually a word for mountain. From this Mount Hor the border was to run eastward to Hamath, then to Zedad, on to Ziphron, and ending at Hazar Enan. This northern border can be seen on the first map above.
(10) "'And you shall point out your east border from Hazar Enan to Shepham; (11) And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend and shall reach to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth; (12) And the border shall go down to Jordan, and it shall end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding boundaries.’”
The eastern boundary of the promised land of Canaan was to go from Hazar Enan southward to Shepham. It would then curve westward to Riblah, past Ain, to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth, and then downward along the Jordan River, ending at the Dead Sea. Thus the Lord ended the entire description of Israel's boundaries.
Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, made an interesting observation. The border began and ended with the Dead Sea, then called the Salt Sea. "This was the remaining lasting monument of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. That pleasant fruitful vale in which these cities stood became a lake, which was never stirred by any wind, bore no vessels, was replenished with no fish, no living creature of any sort being found in it, therefore called the Dead Sea. This was part of their border, that it might be a constant warning to them to take heed of those sins which had been the ruin of Sodom..."
(13) And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.'"
Moses told the people that the land with its boundaries described above was the land that they would inherit by lot, that is, nine and a half tribes would inherit this land by lot--Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, Dan, Ephraim, Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the other half tribe of Manasseh.
(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, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their 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.”
Moses explained that the two and a half tribes of Reuben, Gad, and a half tribe of Manasseh had already received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River across from Jericho in the promised land of Canaan. Their inheritance lay from the Jordan River eastward.
(16) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (17) “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun."
The Lord then told Moses that the men who would divide the land would be Eleazar the priest and Joshua. Matthew Henry made a noteworthy observation: "The principal commissioners...were Eleazar and Joshua...typifying Christ, who, as priest and king, divides the heavenly Canaan to the spiritual Israel; yet, as they were to go by the lot, so Christ acknowledges the disposal must be by the will of the Father..."
(18) “And you shall take one prince of every tribe to divide the land by inheritance. (19) And the names of the men are these: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh."
A prince from each of the remaining tribes was chosen to represent their particular tribe and would witness the drawing of lots and would see to it that their tribe took possession of their inheritance according to the lot. The prince of the tribe of Judah was to be Caleb.
(20) "And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud."
The Lord designated Shemuel, the son of Ammihud, to be the representative prince from the tribe of Simeon.
(21) "Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. (22) And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.
From the tribe of Benjamin the Lord designated Elidad to receive the lot for his tribe; and from the tribe of Dan He assigned Bukki.
Because Blogger limits the number of labels each post may have, and I feel all these names are equally important, I will continue this study in the next post:
The Borders of the Promised Land, Part 2
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