 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, 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), 3 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. 4 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. 5 And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea.
6 “For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. This shall be your western border. 7 “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. 10 “You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 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. 12 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.” 13 Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, “This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.14 For the tribe of the people of Reuben by fathers' houses and the tribe of the people of Gad by their fathers' houses have received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manasseh. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.” List of Tribal Chiefs 16 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance.19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.26 Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29 These are the men whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan. Meditation God’s generosity and provision gives believers strength for today and hope for tomorrow. William Williams classic hymn, Guide me Oh Thou Great Jehovah, begins with a pilgrim prayer for daily bread and ends with the power of praise for God’s faithfulness to His promises concerning coming into the fullness of His promised land. As Israel ate mana daily and feasted on God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, so too Christians are sustained with God’s daily bread until we cross the Jordan into the New Heavens and the New Earth. Israel is in the wilderness. God promises a land with such specificity they needed to mobilize men to steward the land. God’s generosity is so reliable He commands His people to prepare: “When you go into the land of Canaan…” God’s provision is so trustworthy He commands trusted leaders to prepare His people. “You shall take a chief from every tribe…” God guides and God provides through people whom He chooses to lead. Christians celebrate the same surety of God’s promises through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Feasting on God’s daily bread, we live hoping for His Kingdom to come. The bread of Heaven is our strength and shield until He leads us safely to His promised glory. Until that day, trust in Jesus and hope in His promises help our anxious fears to subside! So, the eternal songs of praises we anticipate in the New Heavens and New Earth will fill our hearts during our pilgrim days in the wilderness. Richly Dwelling -Are you so sure of God’s faithfulness to His promises you are prepared to steward them? -What does your heart hope in other than God’s promises? What do you try to sustain yourself on other than His daily bread? -Grace is the ground on which we walk forward. Jesus gives us a new beginning to trust Him in all we say, think, and do. Where do you need to repent and turn to Christ, beginning again to hope only in Him and His promises? Be specific. Key verse 2 “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, 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) Comments are closed.
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