Anticipating the Land Numbers 34 36 Anticipating the

Anticipating the Land Numbers 34 -36

Anticipating the Land • Introductory Thoughts • Israel At “Plains of Moab” (22: 1; 26: 3, 63; 31: 12; 35: 1; 36: 13) • Staging Ground For Conquest • Israel Poised to Finally Take the Land • “When You Enter…” (33: 51; 34: 2; 35: 10) • We Must Be Anticipating Our Promised Land • Outline of Section • Land Divisions (Numbers 34) • Levitical Towns (Numbers 35) • Tribal Inheritance (Numbers 36)

Land Divisions (34: 1 -29) • Boundaries for the 9 ½ Tribes (vs. 1 -15) • Land Will “Fall” to Them (vs. 2) • They Didn’t Fully Occupy the Land (Jos. 15: 63; 16: 10; 17: 12) • They Didn’t Fight For All God Gave • The Ideal Boundaries/Borders of Israel • • Southern Border (vs. 3 -5) Western Border (vs. 6) Northern Border (vs. 7 -9) Eastern Border (vs. 10 -12) • God’s Wisdom of Tribes & Land Dictates Allotments • Moses Relays Info on Land He Won’t Enter (vs. 13) • 2 ½ Tribes Already “Received” Their Land (vs. 14 -15) • Leaders for Land Division (vs. 16 -29) • Nominated by God (He Chooses the Roles) • Joshua & Eleazar Part of Committee (vs. 16 -17) • Caleb Remains a Tribal Leader for Judah (vs. 19) • Tribes Listed Roughly From North to South

Levitical Towns (35: 1 -34) • Overview of Cities (vs. 1 -8) • Statistics on Levitical Cities • • 48 Cities for Levites (Listed in Joshua 21) About 2, 000 x 2, 000 Cubits (vs. 5) 6 Were Cities of Refuge In All, About 15 Square Miles (0. 1% of Land) • Larger Tribes Provided More Cities (vs. 8) • Levites Had “No Inheritance” (18: 20 -24) • By Comparison, It Was “Nothing”? • Did Not Inherit, But “Dwelled” In Them (vs. 2)? • Levites Needed Pasturelands • Acquired Flocks From Tithes (18: 21 -32) • Levites Depended on Israel’s Sacrifices • Levites Available to People Throughout Land

Levitical Towns (35: 1 -34) • The Six Cities of Refuge (vs. 9 -15) • When a City of Refuge Would Be Needed (vs. 9 -12) • Step 1: Someone is Killed • Step 2: He Flees to a City of Refuge for Protection From an Avenger (Kinsmen of Deceased) • Step 3: Protected From Avenger to Ensure a Fair Trial (Not Evading Justice, But Ensuring It) • Locations of Cities (vs. 13 -15) • Designated in Joshua 20 • Shows Legitimacy of Eastern Tribes • These Cities Are For Jews & Gentiles (cf. Joshua 20: 9) • Cases of Murder (vs. 16 -21) • Determining Murder • Use of Lethal Weapon: Iron Object, Stone/Wood Tool (vs. 16 -18) • Personal Assaults: If Done With Hatred, Enmity, or “Lying in Wait” • Don’t Live With Grudges (They Can Lead to “Greater” Sins) • Procedure: Avenger Puts Murderer to Death (vs. 19, 21)

Levitical Towns (35: 1 -34) • Cases of Accidents (vs. 22 -29) • Determining Accidents (vs. 22 -24) • Pushed Without Enmity (No Prior Grudge) • Hurled Something Without “Lying in Wait” (Not Planned) • Accidently Dropped Stone on Head (Being Careless) • Procedure (vs. 25 -29) • Lives in City of Refuge Until Death of High Priest (vs. 25) • The Death of Jesus Secures Our Freedom • If Manslayer Leaves City, He Can Be Killed by Avenger (vs. 26 -27) • Punishment Fit the Crime • Deliberate Murderer Had His Life Deliberately Taken • Chance Death From Manslayer Must Wait For Chance Death of Priest • Final Instructions (vs. 30 -34) • God Requires More Than One Witness (vs. 30; cf. Deut. 19: 15 -21) • No Ransom: The Wealthy Did Not Have Legal Privileges (vs. 31 -32) • For the Murderer (The Only “Payment” is the Life of the Murderer) • For the Manslayer (Accidents Couldn’t Be Ransomed) • Defiling the Land (vs. 33 -34) • Blood of Innocent Pollutes the Land; Blood of Guilty Brings Atonement (cf. Gen. 9: 4 -7) • God Will Not Tolerate a Polluted Land (cf. Jeremiah 3: 1 -2, 9; 16: 18)

Tribal Inheritance (36: 1 -13) • The Question (vs. 1 -4) • People from “Joseph” (Manasseh) Come & Inquire • Problem Surrounding Zelophehed’s Daughters (Numbers 27: 1 -11) • Father’s With No Sons Pass Inheritance to Daughters • What Happens to Family Inheritance if a Man From Another Tribe Marries Such a Daughter? • Showing Concern For Their Inheritance • Answer from God (vs. 5 -9) • “Joseph” is Right (cf. Numbers 27: 7) • Daughter’s of Zelophehed Must Marry From Within Father’s Clan • God Gets to Regulate Marriage • Given Restrictions, They Can Still Marry “Whom They Think Best” (vs. 6) • Inheritances Won’t Be Transferred • Redrawing of Tribal Boundaries Will Not Need to Happen • We Likewise Cannot Receive or Give a Transferred Inheritance • Good Question Leads to New Precedent & Greater Knowledge • Response of Zelophehed’s Daughters (vs. 10 -12; cf. Joshua 17: 3 -6) • Daughters of Zelophehed Married Within Father’s Clan • Numbers Ends with High Note of Obedience (vs. 12) • Israel Poised to Take the Land (vs. 13)