Numbers & Deuteronomy Logistics
Before the people go into the land, the Lord has some logistics issues to attend to. Some are brought by the people and approved by the Lord.
It has been a long time coming! The people are so close to the Promised Land that they can’t help but think about how it will all shake out. Moses shares the boundaries of their inheritance with them. He elevates Joshua in their sight, to be his replacement. He deals with inheritance issues for women. And he allows two and a half tribes to claim land on this side of the Jordan as their inheritance.
These events fall in between Moses going over ALL of the Lord’s statutes with the people again. Let’s join the congregation of Israel and see how these issues play out.
♥ ♦ ♥
The men who went out to deliver God’s judgment on Midian are back in the camp. The people are getting closer every day to going into the promised land. There are still some things that need to be completed first. One of those things is setting out the boundaries for the people. Moses plans on doing this the very next morning.
Early the next morning, while Moses is watching Eleazar perform the morning sacrifice, the leaders of Reuben and Gad approach him. They wait until Eleazar joins Moses before presenting their petition.
“My lord Moses, ‘Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.’” (Numbers 32:3-4)
Moses nods his head, indicating that he is following along so far.
“If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.” (Numbers 32:5)
This request takes Moses by surprise. He is visibly shaken and afraid for the people. They are so close, only to have some of their number propose staying out of the Promised Land. He has to deal with this NOW.
“Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. And the Lord’s anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. And behold, you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel! For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.” (Numbers 32:6-15)
“No my lord! That was not our intention at all. Please hear us out.”
Moses nods his head, granting them permission to continue.
“We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” (Numbers 32:16-19)
Moses thinks this over for a moment before responding. When he is finally ready to give his answer, he makes certain to look into the eyes of every man before him as he binds them to a solemn pledge.
“If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the Lord for the war, and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him and the land is subdued before the Lord; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised.” (Numbers 32:20-24)
ALL the heads nod in agreement as the head of the tribe of Reuben responds for them.
“Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord orders.” (Numbers 32:25-27)
Moses summoned the leaders of the tribes so he could address this development with them. Once they were assembled, he had Joshua and Eleazar stand beside him as witnesses and as those who would be certain that the tribes of Reuben and Gad kept their word.
“The leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad have made a request to receive their inheritance on this side of the Jordan. I have agreed to this on the condition that their fighting men cross over with you and stand with you until you have received your inheritance on the other side. ‘If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the Lord, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” (Numbers 32:29-30)
Before the leaders of the other tribes, the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad vowed to do as the Lord commanded through Moses.
“What the Lord has said to your servants, we will do. We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.” (Numbers 32:31-32)
Upon hearing Moses’ words and the word of the two tribes, the tribe of Manasseh had a request to make as well. The tribe had nearly doubled in size since leaving Egypt. There was also a growing divide within the tribe. It ran along economic lines. Half of the tribe had become keepers of livestock, therefore identifying well with the tribes of Reuben and Gad. They quickly conferred with one another and then made the same request to Moses that Reuben and Gad had.
“Lord Moses, we wish also to receive our inheritance on this side of the Jordan. Only as half a tribe. Our brothers have not followed in the pursuits of livestock as we have. We will also swear to uphold an oath to cross over and assist all our brothers until they too have received their inheritance.”
Moses nods his head in recognition of their agreement. “It is time to summon the whole assembly and address this issue, along with setting out the boundaries of the inheritance the Lord is giving the people.
Moses summons all the people together at the entrance to the Tabernacle. “There is much to cover today. It is time that you hear the boundaries of the land the Lord is giving you. Two and a half of the tribes have asked for their inheritance on this side of the Jordan. You will learn of the conditions for this and the territories that they will receive upon meeting these conditions. And finally, there are some territories that you are NOT allowed to enter or even contend for. These the Lord has already assigned to others.”
The people are excited to hear Moses speaking on this subject. The fact that some allotments have already been made is surprising to the congregation in general, but their leaders have this well in hand. Moses addressing all this now means that they are incredibly close to going in.
“As the nations that the Lord has commanded us not to touch are on this side of the Jordan, their importance is made even more so by some of the tribes remaining here. There are three territories that you are to leave untouched. You are not to harass them or engage them in battle. The Lord will not go with you in these places. He will not give you ANY of their territory. Not even so much as for the sole of your foot to tread upon. The first is Edom. The Lord had given this nation to your brother Esau as his possession. The Lord has given Moab to the people of Lot for their possession. And the Lord has given Ammon to the sons of Lot for their possession.” (Deuteronomy 2)
“As for the boundaries of the land on the other side of the Jordan, this is what the Lord says.
“When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east. And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon. And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea.
“For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. This shall be your western border.
“This shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall draw a line to Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad. 9 Then the border shall extend to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border.
“You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east. And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around.” (Numbers 34:2-12)
“This land will be divided between the nine and one half tribes. It will be done by lot and with the larger of the tribes receiving larger portions. ALL will help in securing the land.”
Moses said regarding the inheritance on this side of the Jordan; “To the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, [I give] the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country.” (Numbers 32:33)
After Moses finished giving all these instructions the daughters of Zelophehad asked to be heard. They were of the tribe of Manasseh. Their Abba had been of the generation that the Lord had judged. He had already fallen in the wilderness time. They had a request to make.
“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.” (Numbers 27:3-4)
Moses was intrigued by their question. It was a unique situation, but one that was sure to come up again in the future. “I will take your concern to the Lord. What He answers, will be the Law. I will bring you word in the morning of His answer.”
With that, the meeting broke up and the people went their way. Moses went immediately to the Tent of Meeting to meet with the Lord. He didn’t have to wait long for his answer.
“The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the Lord commanded Moses.’” (Numbers 27:7-11)
While Moses was in the Tent, some of the leaders of the tribe of Manasseh started talking about the request the daughters had made.
“If the Lord grants their request, when they get married, their inheritance will transfer to their husband. If they marry outside of our tribe, a portion of our inheritance will go with them to whichever tribe the marry into!”
“This is very true. But if they marry within their own tribe, then the inheritance will be protected. We need to make certain to bring this up to Moses tomorrow.”
“Indeed!”
The next morning, Moses didn’t even have to call for the trumpets to sound. The people were ready and waiting for his answer as soon as the mana had left the ground.
Moses smiles at the people as he makes his way to the entrance of the Tabernacle. Joshua and Eleazar stood on either side of him. Moses thought to himself, “It is time to appoint Joshua in front of the people. The Lord has called him to be my successor.” Then he turned to face the people.
“The Lord has agreed that it is right for daughters to inherit from their fathers if he has no sons. This is to be a lasting statute for the people. ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it.’” (Numbers 8-11a)
The people all nodded their agreement. Before Moses could dismiss the congregation, the leaders of Manasseh who had been discussing the issue the night before asked to be heard. Moses nodded for them to continue.
“The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.” (Numbers 36:2-4)
Moses’ eyes widen in surprise. He hadn’t considered this issue. The Lord spoke the answer into his spirit immediately.
“The tribe of the people of Joseph is right. This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: ‘Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold on to its own inheritance.’” (Numbers 36:5-9)
All the people were happy with this answer. It would cover any future occurrences of this inheritance issue. The people started to break up on their own before Moses called them back.
“There is one more important order of importance that I must attend to today, in your hearing.”
The congregation settled down again and gave Moses their full attention.
“I am certain that you all know how I displeased the Lord at the waters of Meribah. He has forbidden me to enter the Promise Land with you. I have pleaded with him, on more than one occasion. ‘And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, “O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.” But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, “Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall put them in possession of the land that you shall see.”’ (Deuteronomy 3:23-28)
Moses looked around at the people. Their faces were somber. They understood Moses’ pain. It was the pain that their fathers had suffered. They had seen Moses as invincible, and now, he was showing them that he too could fail.
“Even though I have failed the Lord, HE has not failed you! He has given you Joshua to lead you into the Promised Land. This is what the Lord has commanded me concerning Joshua. ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.’ (Numbers 27(18-21)”
Moses looked around once more to ensure all eyes were fixed on him. Then he turned to Joshua and raised his hands on Joshua’s head, his shoulders, and then his hands.
“I commission you, Joshua, to lead this people as the Lord directs. To stand for the Lord in their presence. To judge between them according to the will of the Lord. And to uphold ALL the statutes that He has given them.”
Joshua’s face was streaked with tears as he absorbed the words of Moses. He felt unworthy to be asked to stand in the place of Moses. He knew of the Lord’s judgment regarding Moses and Aaron, but he too hoped that the Lord would change His mind. Moses’ actions now are confirmation that Joshua himself will lose the man that he has been closer than a father to him for the last 40 years.
Moses has been able to read Joshua’s face for many years. He too feels the pain this separation will bring. Along with the joy at seeing Joshua commissioned in front of the Lord. It is a bittersweet moment for them both.
Moses turns back and faces the congregation again. “Before I leave you, I will go over the statutes of the Lord again with you. We will begin fresh in the morning, as there is much to cover. You need time to prepare your hearts to truly listen.”
The people continue to stand exactly as they have during the commissioning of Joshua. They don’t move in the lease. Moses smiles at them and shakes his head.
“We have done enough for today. Go to your tents and tend to your families.”
With this encouragement, the people begin to break up. As they leave the speak in hushed voices.
“Moses can’t die! What will we do without him?”
“Joshua has been at his side. And we have to trust the Lord. He wouldn’t have told Moses to elevate Joshua if he wasn’t ready.”
“How soon do you think it will be before, …you know?”
“I don’t know. Remember how it was with Aaron? There was no warning. Just one day, boom, the mantle was transferred.”
“Now that Joshua has been commissioned, it probably won’t be long.”
“Hush you two. Stop talking like that” interjects another voice. “Moses still has to go over all the statutes with us. Who knows how long that will take! Prepare your hearts to listen to the words of the Lord. That is the only thing we should be thinking about.”
The two who had been conversing duck their heads in shame. And silently vow to prepare their hearts for the morning.
(to be continued)
I had trouble finding an order for all we covered today. Numbers is not written in chronological order; or at least it seems that way to me. The back and forth was hard. I pray I did justice to the story the Lord gave us.
There is no way that I will be able to go over EVERYTHING in the same way that Deuteronomy does. I will hit the highlights instead. This isn’t to say that Deuteronomy isn’t important, but that the amount of dialogue contained in it doesn’t fit well in a ‘first person’ story. I’ve already picked out a few pieces of it for our story today. We will have to wait and see where the Lord takes us with that book.
Father God, thank You for letting me condense or rearrange bits and pieces to fit a narrative. I pray with ALL my heart that I’m not mixing things up or confusing anyone. I want to tell Your stories in the most accurate way possible, while still drawing people into them. Help me Lord to be Your voice in today’s world.
