With Advantage, Comes Privilege But Also Responsibility

Deuteronomy Chapter 4 – Part One: Moses Reminds the People of their Advantage

Deuteronomy 4:1-8 -- The Passage and Some Thoughts

This whole chapter is loaded with gems for us to use in our lives today. We often miss these because they are found in what most would consider ho-hum books of the Bible, but as God’s Word, they are invaluable.  Take a look.

Verse 1 – Moses wants the children of Israel to listen to the statutes and judgments he was teaching them, which if they obeyed, they would live and possess the land God is giving them. In one sense, it is a “summary purpose” of the entire Word of God, the whole Bible – it is God’s message to us – if we listen and obey, we will inherit heaven, our promised land.

Verse 2 – Moses warns that no one is to add or deduct any from these statutes. That still holds for us today, yet many preachers are either ignoring certain parts of God’s Word or they are adding their own requirements. As far as God is concerned, that’s a non-starter. Woe to those that do that.

Verse 6 – Moses says these statutes and judgments are to be kept and carried out; they are “your wisdom and your understanding”. As I get older, I am startled that some younger folks actually appreciate what they call (to my surprise) “my wisdom”. For my part, I just feel that I’m using God’s principles of life as taught to me in His Word. Moses tells them if they apply that wisdom, people will see Israel as a “great nation that has wise and understanding people.” I believe that is how we as the Church could have been viewed by so many in the world, but perhaps we blew our chance when we did not hearken to, learn, and follow God’s statutes and judgments for us.

Verse 7 – I love this verse. Moses is asking the people to name any other nation that has a god so near to it as is “the Lord our God whenever we call on Him.” Only Israel did and may still do. Only the Body of Christ does today. We seem to live unaware of that very fact, that incredible difference, between us and the rest of the world. We often live like losers, when in fact we are, as Romans 8:37 says, “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

Verse 8 – And not only is Israel and we the Body of Christ great because of our God, but we are great because of the very righteous nature of the whole law which God has given us. As much as we try, and providing we use the correct context, we cannot find any – not one iota – fault with the Law of God. It is 100%-proof. No further experiments or research is required. Nothing surpasses it.

Robert Jamieson points out that for the Israelites, as a result of what God has done for them and given them, they have both a privilege (of being so blessed) and a responsibility (of teaching this Law of God to all generations).  That privilege and responsibility applies to us as believers in Christ Jesus today.

Wrap-up

How then can we lose? We have a great God Who has given us a great Law to live by. Let us go out there and live as such.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Moses shares his heart, his personal regret, and his hope for Israel.

Deuteronomy Chapter 3: Conquest of Og; the Granting of Land; and the Transition of Leadership

The Passage and Some Thoughts

Verses 1-11 relate the story of the Israelites conquering Og. Once again it was utter destruction and killing, just as in the case of Sihon earlier. And again, the Israelites took the animals and other spoils, as well as the land. Great details are provided. Chuck Smith reminds us that enemy was made up of giants (the remnant of the Rephaim) – really big men, terrible men, giants. They first appeared in Genesis 14:5 and you can read their story here, The Rephaim. And Moses is saying, “and God delivered even them into your hands”.

Verses 12-17 describe the granting of land to two and a half tribes. The land was given to the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh. (This was a repeat of Numbers 32:32-38).

In verses 18-20 we have Moses reminding them how God had promised these tribes this land described above but they had to go to war with their brothers across the Jordan to gain possession of the Promised Land and only when that was all successfully accomplished, could they return to their wives and children on this side of the Jordan.

Verses 21-29 describe the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua. In verse 22 he encourages Joshua not to fear the enemies, “for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you.” Besides Moses was saying, “Look at what He did for you at Sihon and Og (those giants you conquered).” We need that kind of advice today as we battle the Enemy of God and his agents. He is at work in the riots of America. He is at work in the shutting down of churches in China. He is at work in the persecution of Christians all over India and Africa. May we not fear these enemies.  The battle is God’s. HE is fighting for us. And while we may seem to be losing from a human perspective as our freedoms are eliminated, our churches destroyed, our pastors killed, and even our own lives being at stake – we are indeed winning, for God is fighting for us and our reward is in heaven.

Then in verses 23-26 Moses records how he pleaded with God to let him cross over Jordan to stand in the Promised Land and God would not for He was angry with Moses on account of the Israelites. But in his pleading to God, we note several things:
1. He is now seeing the greatness and strong hand of the Lord in delivering their enemies into the hands of the Isrealites. Sometimes it takes a long time for even a man like Moses to recognize how mighty God is. We lose out on so much because we, even though we are His, we fail to see His power and might as early as we may have otherwise.
2. It is God that shows that to him. Man is often blinded to God’s greatness. So, our prayer for ourselves, our loved ones, others, is that God would reveal Himself to them.
3. His recognition that no one in heaven or on earth, man or god, can do what God has done, is doing, and will do. We need to come to that understanding ourselves and then watch God and let God do what He needs to do. The earlier we get there in our thinking, the greater will be our ability to serve Him and others mightily.
4. Finally, in verse 26, Moses recognizes when God is angry with him and wants to hear no more of his pleading on the matter of being allowed to enter Canaan. We too need to recognize when God has had enough of our disobedience. We need to stop, especially if we have asked for forgiveness and He has forgiven us. Let it go. You missed out on something great, but God has more for you to do. Don’t miss out on that. We can appreciate how much this hurt Moses, and so God saying ‘No’ to us may also hurt us. But we need to believe, as Moses did, that there was a just reason for God’s response and the integrity of God’s character and being is more important than our disappointment in getting a ‘no’ answer.

In verses 27-29, we read of Moses being told to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and look in every direction, and see the Promised Land with his own eyes, though he was not allowed to cross over the Jordan to feel it under his feet. [When Moses actually gets to do this is the point where this book we are studying, Deuteronomy, will actually end.  So, hang in there.] Moses was actually told to replace himself with Joshua and to do all in his power to encourage him in crossing over the Jordan. The chapter ends with Moses saying, for now, “we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.”

Wrap-up

In this chapter, we see again God’s magnificent power (He defeated the greatest of enemies), His love for His people (He delivered the lands of the enemies into their hands), and His adherence to justice (He would not change His mind with respect to letting Moses enter the Promised Land).

Can we all learn those three lessons? We need to. God is almighty. God loves us. God is just and His word will be accomplished.

If there is anything that we need to convey to others it is those three characteristics of God and the fact that we can enjoy their benefits through His Son Jesus Christ. May that be so with each of us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

You will go through the wilderness of life. You can go solo or you can go with God. It's your choice.

Deuteronomy Chapter 2: Warnings/Advice re. Edom, Moab, & Ammon; and the Conquest of Sihon

The Passage and Some Thoughts

Verses 1-8 deal with God’s warning to the Israelites not to meddle with Edom. I particularly like God’s words in verse 3 where He says, “You have circled this mountain (Seir) long enough. Now turn north…”  Stop to think about that for a moment. God knew exactly where the Israelites were and how long they were there, and what they went through while there. And it’s the same for us. He knows where we are in life’s long journey right now; what we’re going through; how long we’ve been at it; and how long we need to stay there. We are not alone. God is there and He knows. And He is sufficient for us.

From verses 4-8, we can see that God knows where we are to go next. And it may be just as dangerous as we were or worse. This is where the people of Esau had settled. They were the Edomites and God calls them the brothers of the Israelites. They were not to be provoked at all and God told the Israelites He would not give them any of the lands of the Edomites.  I like verse 5 where He says, not “even as little as a footstep”.  The Israelites were just to be passing through. In verse 6 we learn that they could buy food and water from the Edomites for money, but that was it. And that was all that they needed, as God Himself said to them, in verse 7b, “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing.” Chuck Smith says that’s a miracle – over one million people, for 40 years, in the wilderness – and they never lacked a single thing.  Wow. That’s our God. [The most famous Edomite was likely Herod the Great in the New Testament whom the Jews hated because he was an Edomite yet wanted to be received and respected as a Jew.]

And from there, the Israelites moved on to Moab, closer to the Jordan River. Verses 9-15 describe how God tells them not to “harass Moab”.  This is where the sons of Lot had settled, and God had given them this land so again the Israelites were not to get any of it. And so, they pressed on, crossing over the brook Zered. And in verse 14 we read that by then, “all the generation of the men of the war perished from within the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them.” But they didn’t just die at their own speed or pace. Verse 15 says, “Moreover the hand of the Lord was against them to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished.” There is nothing, my friend, that will stop the will of God. We need to know it, believe it, respect it.  [The most famous Moabite was Ruth of the Old Testament. She, through marriage, became a grandmother to King David, and thus an ancestor of our Messiah, Jesus.]

Verses 16 to 23 deal with the warning not to harass the sons of Ammon. They were also part of the family of Lot and God had given them land as well. Again, the Israelites were not to provoke these folks. God was not giving them any of their lands either.

Then in verses 24-37, we read about the conquest of Sihon, which is also told in the book of Numbers (21:21-35). Even before they go there, God tells the Israelites He has given that land into their hands. So, He says, it’s a done deal, but you need to “Arise, set out, begin to take possession, and fight them in battle.” (verse 24) I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that this also a great image of our lives in and through Jesus Christ. God says, “Look it’s a done deal. The war is guaranteed. You’ve won because of Christ’s sacrifice. You are saved. But look, son/daughter, you need to arise, take possession, and fight the good fight.” And I assure you that it will be a fight for the Enemy of God, who may well know that he has lost the battle of your soul – you are saved – still tries to snatch you back.

Now I love verse 25. Please look it up and read it. Oh, that we God would grant us that today in this world that we are living in. Clearly, this is not one of those verses that we can claim literally for us here and now. This was for the Israelites. Upon careful reading, you will note that this fear that God will put on others to dread the Israelites would be “everywhere under the heavens”. And we still see this today – the majority of countries detest Israel, but they are all afraid of attacking her head on militarily because they also fear her ability to defend herself. For the believer, we know that Israel’s strength is due to God’s love for them and His promises to her.

In verses 26 and onward, Moses explains how he had sent messages to the Sihon king saying the Israelites just wanted to pass through, buy bread and water from them, and leave them in peace. But the Sihon king wouldn’t allow it. Abd in verse 30, Moses says God hardened the king’s “spirit and made his heart obstinate” so that he would have been delivered into the hands of the Israelites as God had promised.

And that’s exactly what happened. He was defeated, all his cities were captured and utterly destroyed. No male, female, or child survivor was left. Animals and booty were taken as spoils. God fully delivered all the land to the Israelites.

But let’s go back for a moment to the contents of verse 30. Sihon didn’t agree to let the Israelites pass. And God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate. Now let’s remember what transpired and when: First, God says He will give the Israelites victory over this king. Then secondly, the king refuses to let them pass through as Moses had requested. And it was only then that we read that God hardened his heart in order that he would be delivered into the hands of the Israelites as God had said would be the case.

This is not a time to say or argue, “yes, but if God hadn’t hardened his spirit, this wouldn’t have happened”. In all due respect, God knew it would happen, God wanted it to happen, the king behaved as he did, and God just ensured it by hardening his spirit. We are not dealing here with “two equally God-loving leaders” – Sihon and Moses – but rather the former was a king of a very idolatrous nation. Had they both been God-loving servants of the Almighty, this specific story may have had a totally different plot. This was also true of Moses vs. Pharaoh – God kept hardening Pharaoh’s heart. But Pharaoh was not a God-loving ruler.

What I’m trying to say here is that God’s plan will unfold as He planned it. Because He knows the heart of each of the players or characters involved in any given situation. He sees the outline of events from their conception to their conclusion.

Wrap-up

Once again in ‘remembering’ the history of Israel through the wilderness with Moses and the children of God, we see the incredible providence of our Lord, the great “I AM”.  He is with us, He provides for us, He goes before us, and He delivers us.

Perhaps we need to stop and reflect on our own journey, our own circumstances, our own trials. We can work our own way through our wilderness alone, without God, and maybe fail to get to the Beulah land He has promised us, or we can journey every year, every month, every day, and every moment, with Him. And lack nothing of necessity. It’s our choice.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

For Some a Time to Regret, for Others a Time to Hope, for All a Time to Remember.

Deuteronomy Chapter 1: The Preamble of the Covenant and the Start of the Review of What God has done for Israel

The Passage and Some Thoughts

The first 5 verses give us the time of this first sermon – it was the 1st day, of the 11^th month, in the 40^th year since leaving Egypt. They also give us the place where the sermon was delivered to the “new generation of the children of Israel” – across the Jordan in the land of Moab. It was there Moses tried to make the law clear and understandable.

In verse 8, he reminds them (while still in Horeb) of the promise God made to give them the land before them, way back in Genesis.

In verses 9-15, he tells them how he had realized that he could not bear the load of leadership alone, especially since God was allowing them to grow in number, and how leaders from each tribe were appointed to help him. Even that growth in their population was the beginning of the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham (Genesis 155,6) much earlier about them being blessed and multiplying greatly. This was happening even in the wilderness.

In verses 16-19, he talks about the judges that were appointed for each tribe and how they were to judge matters impartially. Verse 17 has some gems in it. For starters there is no ‘small’ and ‘big’ cases – they are all to treated alike. And the latter part of the verse tells them not to fear “men in making their judgment” because the judgment is really God’s. Oh, that we would have judges like that today.

In verse 19, Moses reminds them that they went through that “great and terrible wilderness” on their way to Kadesh-barnea. That’s what the Christian does as well – God often leads us through a “great” and yet sometimes “terrible” period of experiences in a very lonely “wilderness”.  Have you been there? Do you know what I mean? Keep in mind, that there is a promised land still ahead.

In verses 20-25, he reminds them of how they sent spies into the promised land to check it out. He may even have regretted sending the spies in the first place as since God had promised the land, there was no need to find out if they could conquer it – God was able to do it with for them without a reconnaissance expedition.

In verses 26-33, he reminds them how they would not trust God and feared taking the land, even though He had carried them so far, and still went before them on their way to seek out a place for them to camp at night, and to show them the way – via a cloud by day and a fire by night.

In verses 34-36, he tells them how that made the Lord angry and he promised that none of them would enter the promised land except Caleb who did trust the Lord and wanted to take the land before them.

Remember that verses 35-40 (except for 37a) are spoken by God and Moses is just retelling them, remembering God’s words to them. How heavy must Moses’ heart have been knowing what he knew. And yet at the same time, he had to stay focused on the rest of his mission and to be ‘up’ for the sake of those that would enter the promised land.

Verse 37 describes a very sad fact for Moses. He tells them that God was angry with him as well “on their account” and as a result he would not see the promised land. While Moses was forbidden to enter the land because of his own disobedience, that very defiance was on behalf of the anger that the children of Israel had aroused in God and thus in him. While we can sympathize with him, in the end we cannot blame others for the consequences that we bring upon ourselves for disobedience to God. Adam tried to do so in the garden, but he bore his own penalty afterwards, as did Eve. I wonder how ashamed the Israelites felt (on behalf of their parents) when Moses was telling them that his loss was due to their disobedience, or the disobedience and lack of faith of their fathers. The tragedy of disobedience – be it towards a godly father or mother, a just judge, a learned doctor, and especially God Almighty – is a tragedy that has no bounds in life.

Verse 38 tells them that Joshua would lead them to the promised land, as he was the other one that God said would make it. And here Moses tells the sons of Israel that God wants them to “encourage him” as their new leader. New leaders need encouragement.  And they need prayers just as much as the old leaders.

In verse 39, Moses tells the people that God had said their little ones that they had all feared would “become prey” to their enemies, would indeed enter the promised land. That theme of children being precious to God continues all the way through the Bible. Yes, there are events where children suffer – but they are not brought on by God Himself. They are either a consequence of gross disobedience or the work of the Enemy.

And then comes verse 40 – what a verse. Moses reminds them how God had told any of those that were still alive and had come out of Egypt with Moses, that they were to “turn around and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea”.  Are you kidding me, God? No, God wasn’t kidding anyone. God meant what He had said. We note that this instruction of God’s was ignored by the people who felt they could still appease the Lord.

In the last six verses of the chapter, Moses reminds them how the people had repented and wanted to go ahead and fight their enemies. But that God had said, “No, because I won’t be with them.” You would think that would have stopped them, but it didn’t. And many were crushed. The rest wept before God, but He didn’t listen, causing them to stay many days at Kadesh.

Now we see why this book of Deuteronomy is also known as the book of Remembrances.

Wrap-up

If this first chapter of Deuteronomy is any indication of what we’ll find as we go through the rest of the book, our study time will have been well spent.

My main takeaways are as follows:

1.     For those who serve God, there will always be some regret due to our disobedience to God at various times in our lives. There may also be regret on behalf of the disobedience of others – because we know that disobedience to God has its consequences.

2.     Our job is to be faithful with God’s instructions to the very end. Moses was 120 when he was delivering this “Remembrance” sermon as a warning to those entering the promised land.

3.     God is faithful. When He takes us through rough waters or arid rugged wilderness, He will see us through. He will also guide us both day and night and protect us. And in the scheme of our own lives, because of Who God is, He has already been where I will be tomorrow, and He’ll lead the way.

May that be true for all of us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Can a 120-year-old preacher hold our attention? Absolutely -- if you're Moses and inspired by God Himself.

An Introduction to the Book of Deuteronomy

Today we begin our study of the 5th book of Moses -- Deuteronomy. Each installment of this study helps us find the hidden gems that we otherwise might miss.  Don't miss any of it. Here's an intro to the book itself.

(I am indebted here to the publishers of the New American Standard Bible for the following comments on this, the fifth book of Moses.)

This book consists of a series of farewell messages by Moses, Israel’s 120-year-old leader. I venture to say that is older than anyone reading this right now. It is addressed to those that were quite young when the Israelites left Egypt or who were born during the 40 years of roaming in the wilderness but were now ready to possess the promised land.

There’s a lot of legal detail, but unlike the book of Numbers, the emphasis is on the ordinary people and not the priests. Moses’ key message is “if you don’t want to repeat the mistakes of your parents, obey God”.

The book of Deuteronomy is an adaptation and expansion of much of the original law given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai. The book is also referred to as the “Book of Remembrance”.

There is controversy over the authorship of the book. But there is sufficient internal (in the book’s content) and external evidence (historical) to support the Mosaic authorship, and that it was not a later account of oral tradition.

It is estimated that the book was written at the end of a 40-year period after the people of Israel left Egypt.  So, it is placed at c. 1405 B.C.

Christ is made reference to in Deuteronomy 18:15 where we read, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like (Moses) from among you (the Israelites), from your countrymen, you shall listen to Him.”

Key Word: Covenant. The book is about the renewal of the covenant established at Mount Sinai and being renewed on the plains of Moab, before the children of Israel take the promised land.

Key Verses: These deal with what the children are expected to do with respect to God as well as that doing so is a matter of life and death.  We will say more about these key verses when we reach these references in our study.

Key Chapter: Chapter 27 – when the formal ratification of the covenant occus which makes Israel “a people for the Lord your God”.

Deuteronomy is divided into three main sermons: 1:1 to 4:3 (a review of the past); 4:4 to 26:19 (a review of the law required for a right relationship with God); and 27:1 to 34:12 (writing the history of Israel in advance).

Stay with us throughout this study. You can sign up to get an email notice when the next installment is published. Just go to the right-hand column on the website page and go the box that says, “Subscribe via Email”, fill in your email, and click “Subscribe”.

Looking forward to studying with you.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

"God we have a problem. If our sisters marry, we may lose our land."

Numbers Chapter 36: Special Problem of Inheritance in Canaan

Intro to Numbers 36:1-13

Day 96. Just got word today from the Premier of our Province that our City can move to Stage 2 of Re-opening which means: indoor shopping malls can open; barbershops and salons can open; and restaurants can serve meals on their patios only. Social distancing, etc., is still to be maintained, people can only have parties up to 10 individuals at their house, and churches can have worship services at 30% seating capacity. And that’s exactly what we did yesterday at our church, and it went very well.  Thankful for such mercies.  We press on.

Today we have our last study in the book of Numbers. It’s been most interesting but there’s still a few problems to iron out.  Take a look. . .

The Passage

And the heads of the fathers’ households of the family of the sons 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 heads of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, ² and they said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give the land by lot to the sons of Israel as an inheritance, and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. ³ But if they ^[a]marry one of the sons of the other tribes of the sons of Israel, their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of our fathers and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; thus it will be withdrawn from our allotted inheritance. ⁴ When the jubilee of the sons of Israel ^[b]comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they belong; so their inheritance will be withdrawn from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

⁵ Then Moses commanded the sons of Israel according to the ^[c]word of the Lord, saying, “The tribe of the sons of Joseph are right in their statements. ⁶ This is ^[d]what the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry ^[e]whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father.’⁷ Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall ^[f]be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each ^[g]hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. ⁸ Every daughter who comes into possession of an inheritance of any tribe of the sons of Israel shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. ⁹ Thus no inheritance shall ^[h]be transferred from one tribe to another tribe, for the tribes of the sons of Israel shall each ^[i]hold to his own inheritance.”
¹⁰ Just as the Lord had commanded Moses, so the daughters of Zelophehad did:¹¹ Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad married their uncles’ sons. ¹² They married those from the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance ^[j]remained with the tribe of the family of their father.
¹³ These are the commandments and the ordinances which the Lord commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho.

Footnotes

1. Numbers 36:3 Lit become wives to, in this ch
2. Numbers 36:4 Lit shall be
3. Numbers 36:5 Lit mouth
4. Numbers 36:6 Lit the thing which
5. Numbers 36:6 Lit to the good one in their eyes
6. Numbers 36:7 Lit turn about
7. Numbers 36:7 Lit cleave
8. Numbers 36:9 Lit turn about
9. Numbers 36:9 Lit cleave
10. Numbers 36:12 Lit was

Thoughts on the Passage

You will remember that Manasseh was to get land on both sides of the Jordan – in Moab (east of Jordan) and some in Canaan, the Promised Land itself. They approached Moses and all the leaders of each tribe with a unique problem.

It seems that the land that was to be Zelophehad (from the tribe of Manasseh, son of Joseph) went to his daughters as he had died and left no sons. (You will remember this story from Numbers 16.) So, the stated the obvious which was if one of these five daughters would marry a man from another tribe, their tribe would lose the inherited land and it would be added to the inheritance of the other tribe from whence the new husband came. And there is also reference to this possibly happening when the next ‘jubilee’ came around.

First, it amazes me that, to be it in one way, the tribes were so tribal. Second, that land was the key commodity here between the tribes. This was their biggest concern. One can understand this to be the case as the story of the chosen people goes back to Abraham and there is great evidence of his involvement with land. And of course, from a human perspective, the most important part of the Covenant that God made with Israel was, to the people, the promised ‘land’ rather than that they would multiply to be more than the stars in the sky, or more important still that they would be God’s people and He would be their God. All three were blessings, but they focused on the least important of the three.

After inquiring of the Lord, as was his custom, Moses reported that those raising the concern were right. And thus, God had commanded that the daughters could marry “whom they wished” as long as it was from the tribe of Joseph. Thus, no land would be transferred to another tribe.

Once again, our Hero God comes to the rescue with a most desirable solution. Several things to note here.  First, the number of people in all of the sons of Israel at the time was large enough that what God suggested would not be a problem. Secondly, we note that the women could marry “whom they wished” (verse 6) as long as it was from the tribe of Joseph or the sub-families therein. And this made sense for these five women as they had no brothers and certainly no father to veto their choice. 

What is not clear for me from this passage was whether this “whom they wished” was subject to the agreement of the next of kin male – their uncles. And if so, we can see the complications here seen they would be selecting males to marry from the sons of these very uncles. And if they were to have the final say, then you could see the uncles vying for the most beautiful of the daughters for their son, etc., etc. Not a pretty scene.  So, God again knew what He was doing when He gave this decision to the sons (and daughters) of Israel.

Some commentators, using verse 13 of the chapter, feel that this solution here was also to be perpetual. Others are silent on that, perhaps thinking that the reference to “commandments and ordinances” in verse 13 really referred to all the other commands and ordinances given earlier in the entire book of Numbers.

One other thing that is not clear for me is whether or not this “whom they will” says anything with respect to our more modern marriages today, at least for the believer. I think at the very least, we may agree that the Bible from this point forward does not call for forced or arranged marriages. At the same time, there is enough precedence to state that the Bible strongly recommends that young people marrying should at least have the blessings of the parents and perhaps even the permission of the spouse’s parents. I know when I got married 49 years ago, I asked for my parents’ blessing and I asked my wife’s parents for my future wife’s hand. Fortunately, everyone was in agreement. I am glad I didn’t have to deal with a “negative” from either side. Not sure what I would have done in 1971.

And verse 10 tells us that in fact, each of the five daughters, married their uncles’ sons so that the land inheritance remained with the tribe of their father.

That means they married their “first cousins” and God allowed it.  But He did that for a purpose and in a particular situation at a particular time in the history of the young sons of Israel. We can note that the Bible forbids sexual relations with “close relatives” – but the children of uncles are not listed among that definition. For a good reference for that very issue, click What about marrying your first cousin?

Wrap-up

Not the greatest way to wrap up the book of Numbers in my opinion, but hey, whatever works for Moses and God.  Clearly, as they enter the Promised Land, we may take this challenge of chapter 36 as one that may well predict that the Israelites will have a lot of problems to deal with going forward. But with their leaders going to God for answers, and with God promising to always be with them, they’ll get the answer they’ll need. And obeying those answers, will bring blessings. The problems arise when one person or a whole nation ignores the instructions God gives to them.

Numbers took us from the Exodus to the doorstep of Canaan, the Promised Land. Almost four decades of experience. Now we need to keep in mind that the next book we will study, Deuteronomy, is not a book which tells us what happens next but rather is a series of farewell messages by Moses addressed primarily to the new generation that is about to enter the land. These occur during the forty years, not afterwards. Hang in there.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

God Provides for Clergy through Laity; Justice for the Innocent; and Death for the Convicted.

Numbers Chapter 35: Cities for the Levites and Cities of Refuge

Intro to Numbers 35:1-34

Day 94 for our social distancing – although it’s Day 101 officially since this all started – the day that W.H.O. declared a pandemic was here. We were fortunate enough to be away for that first week. All the stats globally are continuing to go in the right direction with the number of deaths versus all known cases being at 5.28%. However, some local areas, especially in the U.S. are still experiencing concern with a high number of cases being discovered. This weekend we get to see our youngest grandchildren – the first time in 13.5 weeks and we can attend church as well for the first time in the same period. We were informed today that the on-line registration for the 30% capacity attendance at our church that opened on a Tuesday closed three days later and names could only be put on a waiting list. This will repeat itself each week going forward in accordance with whatever wisdom our Premier decides to apply to churches. Yes, the world has changed.

We personally are excited that we are coming to the conclusion of our study in the Old Testament Book of Numbers. Today we look at the cities that the Levites would have reserved for them to live in since being the tribe responsible for the priestly duties of the Israelites, they weren’t entitled to any land inheritance. And the chapter also talks about the cities of Refuge that would be available for people to go to under certain circumstances which the text describes. Again, we keep in mind God’s Providence for all.  Let’s read on. There’s a lot to try and unravel here. So, let’s first get familiar with the passage. You can read it here or in your preferred version of the text.

The Passage

35 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, ² “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. ³ The cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.

⁴ “The pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city ^[a]outward a thousand cubits around. ⁵ You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.
⁶ The cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. ⁷ All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, ^[b]together with their pasture lands. ⁸ As for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”
⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰ “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ¹¹ then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has ^[c]killed any person unintentionally may flee there. ¹² The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for ^[d]trial. ¹³ The cities which you are to give shall be your six cities of refuge. ¹⁴ You shall give three cities across the Jordan and three cities ^[e]in the land of Canaan; they are to be cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six cities shall be for refuge for the sons of Israel, and for the alien and for the sojourner among them; that anyone who ^[f]kills a person unintentionally may flee there.
¹⁶ ‘But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁷ If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. ¹⁹ The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. ²⁰ If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died, ²¹ or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.
²² ‘But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait, ²³ or with any ^[g]deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury, ²⁴ then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. ²⁵ The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.²⁶ But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee, ²⁷ and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will 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 shall return to the land of his possession.
²⁹ ‘These things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
³⁰ ‘If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the ^[h]evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.³¹ Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. ³² You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land ^[i]before the death of the priest.³³ So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. ³⁴ You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’”

Footnotes

1. Numbers 35:4 Lit and outward
2. Numbers 35:7 Lit them
3. Numbers 35:11 Lit smote
4. Numbers 35:12 Lit judgment
5. Numbers 35:14 Lit you shall give in
6. Numbers 35:15 Lit smites
7. Numbers 35:23 Lit by which he may die
8. Numbers 35:30 Lit mouth
9. Numbers 35:32 Or until

Thoughts on the Passage

These instructions were given to Moses when Israel was still in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan.

The cities that the Levites were to get was to come from the inherited land that all the tribes were to get (including the ones that were to stay east of Jordan and not reside in the Promised Land). The Levite cities were to be surrounded by land for the Levite livestock. Such pastureland was to extend outward from the cities the Levites were given, and the pastures were to be of a specific size. And the exact size of those parcels of land was given by God. Our God is a God of details. Matthew Henry points out that these lands were not to be ‘farmed’ or ‘tilled’ – as Levites had to devote themselves to the things of the priesthood rather than the work involved in actual farming.

If I read verse 6 correctly, there were to be 42 cities for the Levites, plus six cities of refuge, also to be under the care of the Levites. These cities and lands came from each of the tribes’ inheritance and that has two benefits: The tribes’ personal contribution to the priesthood via their own inheritance, as well as the benefit of having the Levites and their work near them.

Larger tribes would give more land than smaller tribes, proportionally. In verse 9 we learn that the cities of refuge were to be chosen by the tribes (not the Levites).

The purpose of these cities was made clear in verses 11-15. They were for those who had killed someone unintentionally. They were to protect them from avengers until they could stand trial. Also, these cities were for the aliens and the sojourners among the Israelites. Revenge killing was a tradition of the culture from which the Israelites had come. Some argue that it was not God’s preference, as He says elsewhere in Scripture “Revenge is Mine”, but for some reason He did allow it here, as something the Israelites could hold on to from their past. That puts us in a dilemma as to what should our posture on capital punishment and other forms of penalty should be for the crime of taking a life. It is not an easy matter to resolve, especially today.

What we can point out is how fair God wanted to be even in this practice, by establishing these refuge cities. He wanted to give the charged person every chance possible to be proven innocent if he was innocent. As Chuck Smith says, God created limitations and loopholes for the innocent parties. Smith’s words describe God’s approach here at this point in His People’s history:

“So, here God deals with a cultural practice, modifying it, bringing it within borders, within limitations, providing for the innocent. And yet the murderer was in no way to be set free. They were not to actually put to death a man with one witness. There had to be at least two witnesses.”

But God had no hesitation in actually having the guilty party put to death. Let us not forget that. But today our penal system seems to think God’s way was not the right one and many want to do away with capital punishment. So, our “polluted” land remains so, as we’ll see later.

Interestingly, out of the six refuge cities, 3 were on the east side of the Jordan and three in Canaan.”

Now the rest of the chapter seems to swing back to describe what happens to real murderers. Murderers, regardless of what means they used to kill someone, were to be put to death. And it was the blood avenger of the murdered person that would do the killing of the murderer.

From verse 22 on, we have instructions as to what is to happen in some other specific cases. Accidental deaths caused by others, would subject the murderer to the congregation who would decide between the murderer and the avenger.

Verse 25 goes straight into saying that the congregation will save the murderer from the avenger (I assume in the case where the congregation decides in his favor) but cause him to live in a refuge city until the death of the existing high priest. Unless of course, he tries to escape from his city of refuge, the blood avenger is free to find him and kill him without being guilty.  Once the high priest dies, the murderer could return to his inherited land and live freely.

All these ordinances are to be kept throughout all generations.

Now verse 30 talks about putting a murderer to death but only if there is more than one witness. And there is not to be a means by which the murderer’s life can be bought off with a ransom. He has to be put to death. The same is true for anyone who escapes his city of refuge.

Wrap-up

The whole purpose of these laws was given in verse 33: “so that you don’t pollute the land in which you are”.  And I like the next part – “for blood pollutes the land and no expiation (the act of making amends or reparation for guilt or wrongdoing; atonement) can be made for the land . . . except by the blood of him who shed it.”

Is there any land in the world anymore that by this definition has not been polluted? I hardly think so. Is much of our own countries under that same form of pollution? Even the blood of him who polluted the land is not able any longer to atone for the land – only the blood of Christ can do that now if we let it.

The chapter ends with, “Don’t defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.” Wow. We need to recognize that God lives among His people. And regrettably, we live in polluted lands. At the very least, we must make certain that our “hearts” – God’s true residence in lives of man now – are pure and without pollution. May it be so for you and me.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.