Overall Question: What did God want the new generation to know as they took possession of their inheritance?
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV “4 ¶ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Sunday – Land Division
Numbers 26:52-56 ESV “52 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 53 "Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list. 55 But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller."”
Numbers 26:54 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN according to those that were numbered--the number of persons twenty years old at the time of the census being made, without taking into account either the increase of those who might have attained that age, when the land should be actually distributed, or the diminution from that amount, occasioned during the war of invasion.
Numbers 27:1-11 NLT “1 ¶ One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. 2 These women went and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 3 "Our father died in the wilderness without leaving any sons," they said. "But he was not among Korah’s followers, who rebelled against the LORD. He died because of his own sin. 4 Why should the name of our father disappear just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives." 5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD replied to Moses, 7 "The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You must give them an inheritance of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father. 8 Moreover announce this to the people of Israel: ‘If a man dies and has no sons, then give his inheritance to his daughters. 9 And if he has no daughters, turn his inheritance over to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 But if his father has no brothers, pass on his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. The Israelites must observe this as a general legal requirement, just as the LORD commanded Moses.’"”
Numbers 27:4 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY They were pleading for a share of land along with others descended from Manasseh. Then the name of their father could be perpetuated—by a son of one of them taking the name of his mother’s grandfather, Hepher.
Monday – Successor
Numbers 27:12-23 NRSV “12 ¶ The LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land that I have given to the Israelites. 13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled with me. You did not show my holiness before their eyes at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15 ¶ Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16 "Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep without a shepherd." 18 So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him; 19 have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and commission him in their sight. 20 You shall give him some of your authority, so that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey. 21 But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision 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 Israelites with him, the whole congregation." 22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation; 23 he laid his hands on him and commissioned him—as the LORD had directed through Moses.”
Numbers 27:21 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The authority of Joshua was in some respects less, apparently, than that of Moses. Moses received counsel directly from God, but Joshua was to go to the high priest as a mediator between him and God. The high priest, in turn, was to consult the Urim.
Tuesday – Sacrificial System Reaffirmed
Romans 5 Holman “1 ¶ Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 ¶ For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! 9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, /then how/ much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned. 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to one’s account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift overflowed to the many by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. 17 Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Wednesday – Keeping Your Word
Numbers 30 God’s Word to the Nations “1 ¶ Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel, "This is what the LORD has commanded about vows: 2 If a man makes a vow to the LORD that he will do something or swears an oath that he won’t do something, he must not break his word. He must do everything he said he would do. 3 ¶ "A young girl, who still lives in her father’s house, might make a vow to the LORD that she will do something or swear an oath that she won’t do something. 4 If her father says nothing to her when he hears about it, her vow or oath must be kept. 5 But if her father objects when he hears about it, her vow or oath doesn’t have to be kept. The LORD will free her from this vow or oath because her father objected. 6 "An unmarried woman might make a vow that she will do something or carelessly promise that she won’t do something. When she marries, 7 her husband may hear about it but say nothing to her. Then her vow or oath must be kept. 8 But if her husband objects when he hears about it, he can cancel the vow or promise she made. The LORD will free her from this vow or promise. 9 "But a widow or a divorced woman must keep her vow or her promise. 10 "A married woman might make a vow that she will do something or swear an oath that she won’t do something. 11 Her husband may hear about it but may say nothing and not object. Then her vow or oath must be kept. 12 But if her husband cancels it when he hears about it, nothing she said in her vow or oath has to be kept. Her husband has canceled it, and the LORD will free her from this vow or oath. 13 "A husband decides whether or not his wife has to keep any vow to do something or any oath to do without something. 14 If he says nothing to her about it day after day, this means he’s decided that she must keep her vow or oath. She must keep it because he said nothing to her when he heard about it. 15 But if he cancels it later, he will suffer the consequences." 16 These are the laws the LORD gave Moses for husbands and wives, and for fathers with young daughters still living at home.”
Numbers 30 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY (according to verses) – 3 An unmarried woman was considered under her father’s control, and therefore not free to plan and decide without his counsel and consent. Elderly spinster women are not mentioned. 5 The father’s consent was necessary to make the vow, or pledge, binding. But if on becoming acquainted with the vow he said nothing, then his silence was looked upon as consent. If, however, the father made objection, then the young girl was free of her vow or bond, and under no necessity to carry it out. 6 The same would also apply to a betrothed woman still living in her father’s house, for a betrothed husband had rights in connection with his betrothed wife…She and all her possessions were considered as belonging to her betrothed husband. 9 Both a widow and a divorced woman were free to make vows and carry them out. However, a widow or a divorcee who had returned to her father’s house and was under his protection would again be subject to his authority. 11 If the vow had been taken while the husband was alive, in one case, or before the woman was divorced in the other, and no objection was raised, then the vow must be carried out by the woman who made it. Changed marital status did not affect vows binding prior to the change.
Thursday – On the Borders
Numbers 32:1-5 CEV “1 ¶ The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned a lot of cattle and sheep, and they saw that the regions of Jazer and Gilead had good pastureland. 2 So they went to Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel and said, 3 "The LORD has helped us capture the land around the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon. That’s good pastureland, and since we own cattle and sheep, 4 (SEE 32:3) 5 would you let us stay here east of the Jordan River and have this land as our own?"”
Numbers 32:16-42 NRSV “16 ¶ Then they came up to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms as a vanguard before the Israelites, until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our little ones will stay in the fortified towns because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have obtained their inheritance. 19 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." 20 So Moses said to them, "If you do this—if you take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, 21 and all those of you who bear arms cross the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the LORD—then after that you may return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. 23 But if you do not do this, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build towns for your little ones, and folds for your flocks; but do what you have promised." 25 Then the Gadites and the Reubenites said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall remain there in the towns of Gilead; 27 but your servants will cross over, everyone armed for war, to do battle for the LORD, just as my lord orders." 28 ¶ So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the ancestral houses of the Israelite tribes. 29 And Moses said to them, "If the Gadites and the Reubenites, everyone armed for battle before the LORD, will cross over the Jordan with you and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession; 30 but if they will not cross over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan." 31 The Gadites and the Reubenites answered, "As the LORD has spoken to your servants, so we will do. 32 We will cross over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan." 33 Moses gave to them—to the Gadites and to the Reubenites and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph—the kingdom of King Sihon of the Amorites and the kingdom of King Og of Bashan, the land and its towns, with the territories of the surrounding towns. 34 And the Gadites rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah, and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the Reubenites rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal-meon (some names being changed), and Sibmah; and they gave names to the towns that they rebuilt. 39 The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were there; 40 so Moses gave Gilead to Machir son of Manasseh, and he settled there. 41 Jair son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and renamed them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and renamed it Nobah after himself.”
Numbers 32:18 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY A promise to stay by their duty to the nation until the conquest of Canaan was completed. According to Deut. 33:21 Gad had secured his first part, that is, the territory of Sihon and Og, and executed the command of the Lord—they kept their promise to help their brethren occupy Canaan.
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James Brenneman
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