February
27th Numbers
26
F.
The new generation prepare to enter Canaan
The
Second Census
1: And it came to pass
after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the
son of Aaron the priest, saying, 2: Take the sum of all the
congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and
upward, throughout their father's house, all that are able to go to
war in Israel. 3: And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in
the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 4: Take the sum of
the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded
Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of
Egypt. 5: Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of Reuben;
Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites: of Pallu, the
family of the Palluites: 6: Of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites:
of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7: These are the families of
the Reubenites: and they that were numbered of them were forty and
three thousand and seven hundred and thirty. 8: And the sons of
Pallu; Eliab. 9: And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and
Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram, which were famous in the
congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the
company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD: 10: And the
earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah,
when that company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and
fifty men: and they became a sign. 11: Notwithstanding the children
of Korah died not. 12: The sons of Simeon after their families: of
Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the
Jaminites: of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites: 13: Of Zerah, the
family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14:
These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and
two hundred. 15: The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon,
the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites:
of Shuni, the family of the Shunites: 16: Of Ozni, the family of the
Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites: 17: Of Arod, the family of
the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18: These are the
families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered
of them, forty thousand and five hundred. 19: The sons of Judah were
Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20: And the
sons of Judah after their families were; of Shelah, the family of the
Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the Pharzites: of Zerah, the
family of the Zarhites. 21: And the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron,
the family of the Hezronites: of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.
22: These are the families of Judah according to those that were
numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.
23: Of the sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family
of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the Punites: 24: Of Jashub,
the family of the Jashubites: of Shimron, the family of the
Shimronites. 25: These are the families of Issachar according to
those that were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and
three hundred. 26: Of the sons of Zebulun after their families: of
Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the
Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27: These are
the families of the Zebulunites according to those that were numbered
of them, threescore thousand and five hundred. 28: The sons of Joseph
after their families were Manasseh and Ephraim. 29: Of the sons of
Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat
Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites. 30: These are
the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of
Helek, the family of the Helekites: 31: And of Asriel, the family of
the Asrielites: and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites: 32:
And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and of Hepher, the
family of the Hepherites. 33: And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no
sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad
were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34: These are the
families of Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them, fifty and
two thousand and seven hundred. 35: These are the sons of Ephraim
after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites:
of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the
Tahanites. 36: And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the
family of the Eranites. 37: These are the families of the sons of
Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them, thirty and two
thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their
families. 38: The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the
family of the Belaites: of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites: of
Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites: 39: Of Shupham, the family of
the Shuphamites: of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40: And the
sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites:
and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41: These are the sons of
Benjamin after their families: and they that were numbered of them
were forty and five thousand and six hundred. 42: These are the sons
of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites.
These are the families of Dan after their families. 43: All the
families of the Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of
them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred. 44: Of the
children of Asher after their families: of Jimna, the family of the
Jimnites: of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites: of Beriah, the family
of the Beriites. 45: Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of
the Heberites: of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46: And
the name of the daughter of Asher was Sarah. 47: These are the
families of the sons of Asher according to those that were numbered
of them; who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 48: Of
the sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of
the Jahzeelites: of Guni, the family of the Gunites: 49: Of Jezer,
the family of the Jezerites: of Shillem, the family of the
Shillemites. 50: These are the families of Naphtali according to
their families: and they that were numbered of them were forty and
five thousand and four hundred. 51: These were the numbered of the
children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred
and thirty. 52: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 53: Unto these
the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number
of names. 54: To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to
few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his
inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
55: Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot: according to
the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56:
According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between
many and few. 57: And these are they that were numbered of the
Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the
Gershonites: of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites: of Merari, the
family of the Merarites. 58: These are the families of the Levites:
the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family
of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the
Korathites. And Kohath begat Amram. 59: And the name of Amram's wife
was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in
Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their
sister. 60: And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and
Ithamar. 61: And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire
before the LORD. 62: And those that were numbered of them were twenty
and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward: for they
were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no
inheritance given them among the children of Israel. 63: These are
they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered
the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.
64: But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron
the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the
wilderness of Sinai. 65: For the LORD had said of them, They shall
surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them,
save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Numbers
27 Inheritance law
1: Then came the
daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the
son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the
son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah,
Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2: And they stood before
Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all
the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
saying, 3: Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the
company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in
the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons. 4:
Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family,
because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the
brethren of our father. 5: And Moses brought their cause before the
LORD. 6: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 7: The daughters of
Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of
an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause
the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. 8: And thou shalt
speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no
son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.
9: And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance
unto his brethren. 10: And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give
his inheritance unto his father's brethren. 11: And if his father
have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman
that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it
shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the
LORD commanded Moses.
Joshua to lead after
Moses
12: And the LORD said
unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land
which I have given unto the children of Israel. 13: And when thou
hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron
thy brother was gathered. 14: For ye rebelled against my commandment
in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify
me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in
Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. 15: And Moses spake unto the LORD,
saying, 16: Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a
man over the congregation, 17: Which may go out before them, and
which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which
may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep
which have no shepherd. 18: And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee
Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine
hand upon him; 19: And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before
all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20: And
thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the
congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21: And he
shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him
after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go
out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the
children of Israel with him, even all the congregation. 22: And Moses
did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before
Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation: 23: And he laid
his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by
the hand of Moses.
As the new generation
prepare to enter the promised land a number of things are essential.
First the children of Israel are to be counted and secondly there
needs to be a change of leader. Once the plague had ended the Lord
spoke to Eleazar (the new High priest after the death of Aaron)
saying take the sum of the children of Israel from 20 years upward.
- Reuben, 43,730
- Simeon, 22,200
- Gad, 40,500
- Judah, 76,500
- Issachar, 64,300
- Zebulun, 60,500
Joseph –
- Manasseh, 52,700
- Ephraim, 32,500
- Benjamin, 45,600
- Dan, 64,400
- Asher, 53,400
- Naphtali, 45.400
The Tribe of Levi were
not counted and they had no land given to them.
Total 600,830.
Then the Lord told Moses
how the Promised Land was to be divided between the tribes. The
actual portioning of the Land was decided by the casting of lots. All
this took place in the plains of Moab near to the Jordan River
opposite Jericho. All the children of Israel that had rebelled
against the Lord were buried in the wilderness except for two men
Caleb and Joshua. Having decided the portioning of the Land the Lord
next explains how the land is to be kept in its family. The book of
Ruth is all about how the land and inheritance is restored to the
succeeding generations. Then we have an interesting incident. The
daughters of Zelophehad, came to Moses with a complaint. They were of
the tribe of Manasseh. They stood before Moses and Eleazar. This must
have been a humbling experience for Eleazar who had taken over from
his father Aaron. The princes of Israel and all the people of Israel
gathered too. They said that their father died in the wilderness
without an heir. He was not part of the rebellion of Korah but he
dies of his own sin being part of the generation that perished. They
said why should our portion of inheritance perish just because our
father had no sons. Moses brought this case before the Lord. The Lord
replied that what they are saying is right and that they are to have
an inheritance along with the other families of Israel. This not only
solved a problem for these women but it set a precedent in Israel in
which if a husband or son died or if the family had no male heirs
then the continuation of the family inheritance continued through the
females of the family. This is exactly what happened in the case of
Naomi and Ruth both of whose husbands died. The Lord says that a near
kinsman can redeem it and posses the land. Then the Lord told Moses
to go up the mountain to view the land. The Lord explained that he
would not be able to enter the land because of his rebellion at
Meribah in Kadesh. Moses asks the Lord to set a man before them as
the leader of the Children of Israel – so that they will not be
like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said take Joshua a man in
whom is the Spirit and lay hands on him and put him before Eleazar
the priest and before all the congregation and give him a solemn
charge in their sight. Moses was to honour him so that the children
of Israel might honour him. Eleazar will stand with him using the
Urim. He will have complete authority over Israel. And so we see the
seriousness of being a leader of Gods people.
- What was the second census all about and how was it different from the first?
- Why were the family lines so important?
- Who did the Lord choose as Moses' successor?
No comments:
Post a Comment