Day 57 of the podcast, reading Numbers 34-36 NET, read along at:
https://netbible.org/bible/Numbers+34-36/
This is day 57 of our journey.
The book of Numbers closes out with God's instructions regarding the borders and the division of the Promised Land. This passage defines the outer borders of the land (check the links in the description for a map) and discusses the special inheritance of the Levites (who, as priests, were given cities scattered throughout Israel as portions from every other tribe's inheritance). The passage also establishes cities of refuge: six cities in the land that would become a place of refuge for someone who accidentally killed another. God is Just and views life as sacred. While there must always be severe consequences for taking the life of another (just like there are consequences for every other sin), these Cities of Refuge also show us a picture of God's grace and mercy.
Join me in Numbers 34-36 to hear these final instructions and feel the anticipation of the Israelites to receive their promised home!
Key verses:
Numbers 34:13
Then Moses commanded the Israelites: “This is the land which you will inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes,
Numbers 35:7
“So the total of the towns you will give the Levites is forty-eight. You must give these together with their grazing lands.
Numbers 35:11
you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.
Numbers 36:9
No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe. But every one of the tribes of the Israelites must retain its inheritance.”
All Scriptures are from the NET.
Check out these links for more thoughts on the topic:
Defining the land of Canaan
https://thetorah.com/defining-the-land-of-canaan-in-numbers-34/
The Borders of Israel
https://thewholedangthing.wordpress.com/2012/02/06/numbers-34-the-borders-of-israel/
