Numbers 34:1-35:8

Numbers 34:1-35:8

I left out one important detail of Numbers 33 that I want to mention real quick. The closing verses stress the importance of the Israelites driving out all of the inhabitants in the Promised Land. When they conquered a city, they were required to destroy everything that God had commanded. God would punish them if they did not follow all of His commands by leaving those various people groups in the land to cause problems. Once again, God expected full obedience rather than partial obedience, because as noted previously, partial obedience is actually disobedience.

As the end of Numbers begins, some of the logistics about the Promised Land are mentioned. This chapter begins by marking off the boundaries of the land. God gives them their northern, southern, eastern, and western borders, making it clear as to what land will be theirs. They will not be allowed to inherit land outside of these boundaries. The only exception was for the two and a half tribes that had already inherited their land just east of the Jordan River. Coupled with the idea of full obedience, this section stresses the importance of staying within the boundaries God has given. He gives us free reign to do as we please, as long as we remain within the boundaries He has given us in life. Those boundaries are His commands. Within those commands, we have freedom in Him, but in living outside those commands come consequences. The Israelites had their spiritual boundaries through the law, but they were also receiving at this time, their physical boundaries.

God next set up tribal chiefs for each of the tribes of Israel. These men would be in charge in dividing the land once they arrived. What is important to note here is that God had already selected who would fill these roles. He had chosen these specific men, enabling them with the wisdom to make the decisions, and trusting them to follow His commands in making the decisions. They would be the ones in charge of dividing the land according to the number of people in each tribe (which came from the census).

The Levites are the only people left out of the discussion in Numbers 34, but God gives instructions on how the other tribes should provide for the Levites in Numbers 35. The Levites were God’s priests, those who worked in and around the tabernacle. In the new land, the Israelites would no longer be camped in one tight area. They would become much more scattered, which meant that they would no longer be as close to the tabernacle. So God told the tribes to create cities of refuge for the Levites. Part of each tribe’s inheritance (proportionally to their size) would be given up for the Levites. As a result, every tribe would have access to the Levites, and the Levites could continue to serve God as they had always done. This just shows how organized God is. He had thought of every possible detail that needed to be taken care of. He was not allowing the Israelites to enter the land clueless. He had given them every command that they would need to live in the Promised Land. In the same way, He provides for every detail of our lives. We must learn to pay attention to His intentions, His will, and not our own wants and desires. There are times that our desire will line up with His will, but we must also be willing to follow Him when He calls us for something that may be outside of our comfort zone, knowing that He will continue to take care of us.

Matt