Day #65

Sermon - Audio
Num 26-27 - Audio
Num 26-27 - Daily Reading

Daily Insights - Please Comment

We return to where the book of Numbers began, namely, a census to determine the number of fighting men for the invasion of Canaan. This new army is one that will be willing to invade, the old army now lies dead in the wilderness. In this census we will see that some tribes have expanded greatly, others have lost many members, and others have stayed relatively the same in size. The tribe that loses the greatest number is the tribe of Simeon (shrinks 63%). It is from the tribe of Simeon that Zimri came (Numbers 25.14). The strong decrease in numbers may reflect that the tribe of Simeon was at the center of Baal worship and so many died in the plague of Numbers 25.

Numbers 26

26.1: the mantle of the priesthood has been passed from Aaron to his son, Eleazer.

26.9: Throughout this section we are reminded of incidents from Israel's history. Each incident reveals a time of sin and rebellion.

26.33-34: We will find out more about Zelophehad's daughters in chapter 27. What one does notice is that just after we are told about these daughters, whose faithfulness will be commended in chapter 27, we are given the census numbers of Manasseh which show a 64% increase since the census in Numbers 1. This seems to indicate that there is a depth of faithfulness in this tribe.

26.46: Asher's name means "happy", his daughter's name, Serah, means "princess". Was Asher a happy man because his daughter was like a princess to him?

26.51: The people of Israel actually decrease in number during their 40 years in the desert. Their lack of faithfulness has led to them not fulfilling the creational mandate.

26.53ff: The land is distributed according to tribal size and by lot.

Numbers 27

The names of Zeophehad's daughters means: sickness, comfort, partridge, queen, and favorable. Since names reflect some reality in Hebrew, one wonders what kind of family this was. One thing we know is that these five women take the covenant and their inheritance seriously.

27.3: Imagine saying this about your father, "He died for his own sin". In this case his death reflects his rebellion as part of those who didn't want to enter the land. While he failed, his daughters are living rightly before God.

27.7: A powerful statement about the importance of family land, but also of God giving women a place in the community.

27.8ff: The way an inheritance is dealt with when there are no sons is laid out. The importance of the land staying in the clan is emphasized. This land needs to be there so the clan can carry out its calling by God to use the land to bring him glory.

27.17: A continuing concern of God is that his people have a shepherd to watch over them. Shepherds are leaders of the people and are to take their task seriously and the people are to take them seriously. One of the great laments of Ezekiel 34 is that the shepherds are not doing their job. Jesus looks at the crowds and sees that they are like sheep without a shepherd. John 10 tells us that Jesus is the shepherd of his people. What the people need, God provides through his son.

27.18ff: Joshua, who has been Moses' assistant is given the job of leading and shepherding the people. What is worth watching as the story unfolds is what it means for him to shepherd the people vs. what we think a shepherd/leader is supposed to do.

27:20–21: "...some of your authority." Joshua will not have the direct communication with God that Moses had (12:1–8). Instead he will have to be instructed by Eleazar the high priest, who will use the Urim and Thummim to determine God’s will (27:21). The Urim and Thummim were some sort of sacred lot and were part of the high priest’s equipment (see Ex. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; cf. note on 1 Sam. 14:41–42). ESV Study Bible

27.22: Moses continues to follow God's instructions, even as he gets ready to die for failing to follow God's instructions earlier.