inheritance – Praying Pint

53.d. Wilderness – 17.j. “Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations”

Deu 32:7-14 Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage. “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him. He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Bashan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat— and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape.

Moses gives particular instances of God’s kindness and concern for them. The eagle’s care for her young is a beautiful emblem of Christ’s love, who came between Divine justice and our guilty souls, and bare our sins in his own body on the tree. And by the preached gospel, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, He stirs up and prevails upon sinners to leave Satan’s bondage. In ver. 13,14, are emblems of the conquest believers have over their spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, and the world, in and through Christ. Also of their safety and triumph in him; of their happy frames of soul, when they are above the world, and the things of it. This will be the blessed case of spiritual Israel in every sense in the latter day. (Henry)

Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations,…. That went before the times of Christ, and the Jews’ rejection of him, and observe the instances of divine goodness to them; as in the time of the Maccabees, whom God raised up as deliverers of them, when oppressed by the Syrians and others; and in the time of the Babylonish captivity, how they were delivered out of it; in the times of David and Solomon, when they enjoyed great prosperity; and in the times of the judges, by whom they were often saved out of the hands of their enemies; and in the times of Moses and Joshua, how they were led, by the one out of Egypt and through the wilderness, and by the other into the land of Canaan; and thus might they be led on higher, to the provision and reservation of the good land for them in the times of Noah and his sons, which they are referred to in Deuteronomy 32:8, and in all these times, days, years, and generations, they might consider what notices were given of the Messiah, the rock of salvation, rejected by them; not only by the prophets since the captivity of Babylon and in it; but before it by Isaiah and others, and before them by David, and Solomon his son, by Moses and by all the prophets, from the beginning of the world; (Gil)

“Remember” – have in or be able to bring to one’s mind an awareness of (someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past

Recall, call to mind, recollect, think back to, commit to memory, retain, bear in mind, not lose sight of the fact, not forget, take into consideration…..

It is easy to forget. We do it all the time. Keys, phones, receipts, notes, tools, dates, addresses, phone numbers, tasks, etc…. We even forget to think about God, God’s Word, Things of God, His creation, His power, might, strength, His control over all of creation, His presence, His Holiness, love, grace, and mercy, His promises, His purpose, His gift of the Holy Spirit, His working for the good of His people, His discipline, His forgiveness, and definitely we forget about our sinfulness and desire to sin and the need for repentance.

In many disciplines, Medical, Engineering, Teaching, Computer Technology, Chemistry, Physics, etc…. it is required to have continual education. Why? For two reasons. So you won’t forget, and so you will learn new. The best way to not forget is to continue to use what you have learned. The only way to learn NEW is to study and then apply it.

Neglect of God’s Word will result in Forgetting what you once knew, cherished, and applied. Complacency will result in the lack of learning something new from God.

The busyness of life will try to rob you of your memories of God. It will surely rob you of learning more about God’s holiness and your sinfulness. It is an intentional choice to Study God’s Word and apply it. Nothing in life will compare to the peace, joy, happiness, and hope that is found in it.

52.r. Wilderness – 16.x. “Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them”

Deu 29:1-9 These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb. And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders. But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. And when you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, but we defeated them. We took their land and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites. Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.

This was not a new covenant in addition to that made at Sinai, but simply a renewal and reaffirmation of that covenant. At Sinai the covenant was, properly speaking, made; sacrifices were then offered, and the people were sprinkled with the sacrificial blood, whereby the covenant was ratified, but on the occasion here referred to, no sacrifices were offered, for this was merely the recognition of the covenant formerly made as still subsisting.

Some 40 years before this, at Horeb (Mount Sinai), Israel made a covenant with God: Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to all these words.” For the most part, the people who had the blood of the covenant sprinkled upon them had died in the wilderness. The generation of unbelief had died, now it was an opportunity for the generation of faith. So, Moses will reconfirm the covenant with the new generation.

Israel saw great wonders from the hand of God since coming from Egypt. They saw the plagues, they saw the death of the firstborn, they saw the Red Sea parted, they saw the Egyptian armies destroyed, they saw victories won by prayer, they ate the manna, they drank the miraculously provided water, and they saw miracle after miracle. Some people today think the greatest help to evangelism would be to see more miraculous events. After all, who could not believe in the face of such displays of spiritual power? But seeing great wonders accomplishes nothing apart from a supernatural work of God in someone’s heart.

During their forty years in the wilderness, their clothes did not wear out, their sandals did not wear out, and though they had no bread to eat or wine to drink, their needs were provided for. Israel conquered over their enemies, and they took their land.

Plainly, these are remarkable miracles. Clothes and sandals simply do not last 40 years of hard marching in the wilderness apart from a miracle. The wilderness does not provide enough food and water to meet the needs of some two million people apart from a miracle. A nation of slaves for 400 years does not conquer standing nations and take their land apart from a miracle. Seeing these great works of God, there is one logical response. Knowing the greatness of God’s love and power should make Israel more committed than ever to His covenant. (Guzik)

Both former mercies, and fresh mercies, should be thought on by us as motives to obedience. The hearing ear, and seeing eye, and the understanding heart, are the gift of God. All that have them, have them from him. God gives not only food and raiment, but wealth and large possessions, to many to whom he does not give grace. Many enjoy the gifts, who have not hearts to perceive the Giver, nor the true design and use of the gifts. We are bound, in gratitude and interest, as well as in duty and faithfulness, to keep the words of the covenant. (Henry)

52.f. Wilderness – 16.l. “And you shall make response before the LORD your God”

Deu 26:1-10 “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the LORD your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our fathers to give us.’ Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the LORD your God. “And you shall make response before the LORD your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O LORD, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the LORD your God and worship before the LORD your God.

This wonderful confession of thanks remembered the history of Israel from the time of Jacob and his family in the land of Canaan, to the family’s going down into Egypt, and to the eventual deliverance and Exodus into the Promised Land. Israel spent some 400 years in Egypt. Yet in the course of God’s eternal plan, it was nothing more than a sojourn. We can often focus so much on our own time of trial or misery that we think that it defines our whole life; God saw Israel’s experience in Egypt as a sojourn.

Firstfruit giving obviously honored the LORD, because it gave the LORD His portion off the top before any was used for one’s self. This initial giving of firstfruits when Israel came into the Promised Land was an appropriate way to say “thank you” to the LORD. This giving, and all giving done with the right heart, is a proper way to worship before the LORD your God.

When we receive from the LORD, and give back to Him, it makes us rejoice. It is the proper response of a creature to his Creator, who has supplied him with all good things. (Guzik)

When God has made good his promises to us, he expects we should own it to the honour of his faithfulness. And our creature comforts are doubly sweet, when we see them flowing from the fountain of the promise. The person who offered his first-fruits, must remember and own the mean origin of that nation, of which he was a member. Their nation in its infancy sojourned in Egypt as strangers, they served there as slaves. They were a poor, despised, oppressed people in Egypt; and though become rich and great, had no reason to be proud, secure, or forgetful of God. He must thankfully acknowledge God’s great goodness to Israel. The comfort we have in our own enjoyments, should lead us to be thankful for our share in public peace and plenty; and with present mercies we should bless the Lord for the former mercies we remember, and the further mercies we expect and hope for. He must offer his basket of first-fruits. Whatever good thing God gives us, it is his will that we make the most comfortable use we can of it, tracing the streams to the Fountain of all consolation. (Henry)

The words, “I have to-day made known to the Lord thy God,” refer to the practical confession which was made by the presentation of the first-fruits. The fruit was the tangible proof that they were in possession of the land, and the presentation of the first of this fruit the practical confession that they were indebted to the Lord for the land. This confession the offerer was also to embody in a prayer of thanksgiving, after the basket had been received by the priest, in which he confessed that he and his people owed their existence and welfare to the grace of God, manifested in the miraculous redemption of Israel out of the oppression of Egypt and their guidance into Canaan. (Keil)

51.s. Wilderness – 15.y. “A Man Hanged on a Tree Is Cursed”

Deu 21:22  “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.

Numbers 25:4    And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

Joshua 7:12    Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction.

Galatians 3:13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”.

1 Corinthians 16:22    If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!

Leviticus 18:25    and the land became unclean, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants.

Numbers 35:33-34   You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.  You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

The curse of God, That is, it is the highest degree of reproach that can attach to a man, and proclaims him under the curse of God as much as any external punishment can. They that see him thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either.

Under the Law, a person who was determined guilty and deserving of death would be killed and then hung on a tree. I would imagine it was meant to be an example to the people of God’s laws, judgment, and abhorrence of those acts He proclaimed worthy of death. The Romans seemingly removed the killing of them before hanging them on a tree and cruelly hung them alive until they died in agony. Such it was for our blessed Savior.

It has been a little over 3 weeks since we celebrated/remembered the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. How much of the memory is still residing in your thoughts? How much do you think of His great love and sacrifice? Does it change how you live each day? Are you mindful of the price that was paid for your sin?

His death and resurrection should never be forgotten. In His death, our minds should ever be in remembrance. Our sin and penalty was placed upon Him and He graciously and lovingly took them on. Every scourge of the whip, every fist against His face, every thorn piercing His head, and every blow of the hammer nailing Him to the cross was due to mine and your sin.

What love, what grace, and what mercy He has freely given. What manner of person should we be in light of this great sacrifice?

Let no waking minute ever be without this memory and understanding. Let it permeate thoughts of your mind and be in praise and worship of Him. Live humbly with these thoughts. Live to honor and glorify Him, who is worthy, in all you think, say, and do.

51.p. Wilderness – 15.v. “You shall save alive nothing that breathes”

Deu 20:16-18 But in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes, but you shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded, that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God.

To them no offer of peaceful submission was to be made, and when the city was taken, all the inhabitants without reserve were to be destroyed. This was in accordance with God’s command to Israel and as a precaution against the risk of the people being seduced into idolatry by the heathen should they be allowed to remain in the land. (Unkown)

The horrors of war must fill the feeling heart with anguish upon every recollection; and are proofs of the wickedness of man, the power of Satan, and the just vengeance of God, who thus scourges a guilty world. But how dreadful their case who are engaged in unequal conflict with their Maker, who will not submit to render him the easy tribute of worship and praise! Certain ruin awaits them. (Henry)

But of the cities of those people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance,…. The cities of the seven nations, six of which are mentioned by name in the next verse: thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth; the reason of this severity was because of their wickedness, the capital crimes and gross abominations they were guilty of, and for which they deserved to die; and on account whereof they were reserved to this destruction, when the measure of their iniquities was full. (Gill)

The previous commands regarding warfare did not apply to the upcoming conquest of Canaan. There, not only was Israel not to offer peace to the cities, but they were also to destroy everything, not only the adult males. This was a unique war of judgment, more than a war of conquest or defense. This explains why such a complete destruction was commanded. The culture of the Canaanites was so corrupt – socially, morally, and spiritually – that God considered it irredeemable, and ripe for judgment. In this unique war, the armies of Israel were to bring that judgment upon the Canaanites. (Guzik)

There were other times of God’s judgment upon mankind when God judged them irredeemable. In the time of Noah God judged all of mankind and destroyed every living thing but those on the Ark. Noah proclaimed God’s judgment for 120 years while he built the Ark. What did the people do? They mocked, ridiculed, and laughed at him and the thought of pending judgment coming.

Sodom and Gomorrah were judged and destroyed. The Assyrian army lost over 100,000 men in one evening. Jericho was judged and destroyed. There are other examples of God’s judgment and destruction that occurred on this side of eternity. The things that were an abomination to God for which these peoples were destroyed are not much different from what we see being declared. No reverence for God. Love of self. Self-reliance. Self-worthiness. Arrogance. Lusts of the flesh. Covetousness. Strife. Doing evil. Calling that which is good, bad. Calling that which is godly and holy, foolishness. Worshipping things other than God. Rejecting and denying God. Rejecting and denying Jesus Christ. Living in sin without a thought of God’s judgment. However, there is coming a time when everyone will stand before God and be judged.

Denying that judgment is coming allows a person to live according to whatever seems right in their own eyes. In this denial, everything seems permissible. No one ever born will be excluded from judgment. Everyone will stand before God to give account.

When people should be asking what can we do to be saved, they are proclaiming their sins, making excuses for their sinful ways, and encouraging others to do the same. Judgment is coming and those found in Jesus Christ will pass into eternal life, and those who chose to reject and deny Jesus Christ will be cast into the lake of fire and be tormented forever.

51.d. Wilderness – 15.j. “Being careful to do all this”

Deu 15:4-6  But there will be no poor among you; for the LORD will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess— if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today. For the LORD your God will bless you, as he promised you, and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow, and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.

Proverbs 11:24-25   One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.  Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Proverbs 14:21    Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

Proverbs 28:27    Whoever gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

Isaiah 58:10-11   if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.  And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

God established an economic system wherein no one had to be chronically poor. If people would obey the LORD, He would bless (both sovereignly and as the natural result of the obedience), and they would not be poor. However, Deuteronomy 15:11 – just a few verses down – states: For the poor will never cease from the land. Is God contradicting Himself? Not at all. He knows that He has established a system where no one must be chronically poor, yet He knew that because of disobedience, some would, and there would always be the poor in Israel. So, God did not guarantee prosperity for any one in Israel; but He did guarantee opportunity for prosperity for an obedient Israel. If Israel obeyed and the individual citizens of Israel enjoyed the blessing of God’s prosperity, then they would as a nation be prosperous, and blessed above other nations. (Guzik)

The law is spiritual, and lays restraints upon the thoughts of the heart. We mistake, if we think thoughts are free from God’s knowledge and check. That is a wicked heart indeed, which raises evil thoughts from the good law of God, as theirs did, who, because God had obliged them to the charity of forgiving, denied the charity of giving. Those who would keep from the act of sin, must keep out of their minds the very thought of sin. It is a dreadful thing to have the cry of the poor justly against us. Grudge not a kindness to thy brother; distrust not the providence of God. What thou doest, do freely, for God loves a cheerful giver. (Henry)

For the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it; which is either a reason why there would be no poor, should they observe the commandments of the Lord; or a reason why they should release the debts of the poor because they were so greatly blessed with a fruitful land, which brought them such an increase, as enabled them to free their poor debtors, when in circumstances unable to pay them. (Gill)

We do well to first and foremost obey, follow, trust, honor, and glorify Jesus Christ. If this is our desire and purpose in life, then we will be moved by the Holy Spirit in many virtues including being generous, kind, and giving to those in need. Sometimes it is hard to know of those in need but our churches know and if you ask the question you will certainly be put on a path to honor and glorify Jesus Christ through meeting the needs of someone in need.

50.z. Wilderness – 15.e. “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today”

Deu 12:1-3  “These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way.

Deu 12:8-9  “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you.

Deu 12:12  And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns.

Deu 12:19  Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.

Deu 12:28  Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

The practice in the ancient world, which was always short on buildings, was to take a nice building such as a temple previously used to worship a prior god, and simply make it a place to worship one’s own god. The LORD God wanted none of that in His own worship. He commanded that the places of pagan worship be completely destroyed, and that they shall not worship the LORD your God with such things. This is where the worship of many is corrupted. It isn’t that they worship too little; they worship too much. They worship the LORD, and the things of the world. God doesn’t want such worship. It is an abomination to Him. Many could really begin to worship God in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24), if they would only “destroy” in their hearts their pagan places of worship. Because they give their hearts to so many other things, there is little to give to the LORD.

It may not be easy to find the place where God wants you to worship, but it is out there. There is a place where He wants you to worship. He has not called you to follow Him in isolation. The place of worship was to be a place of giving. Of course, there were other places where an Israelite could give and be generous but giving had to begin at the place of worship God has appointed. The place of worship is to be a place of joyful fellowship with God and others. Much of what is called worship in today’s church really isn’t worship. It is self-focused, man-focused, and personal-experience-focused instead of being God focused. Much of today’s worship is measured by how I feel instead of being measured by how God was honored and worshipped. Worship at God’s appointed place must be marked with joy. It is a good thing to come and honor our God and should be done with pleasure and joy. (Guzik)

Worship – honoring, glorifying, adoration, praising, exalting, devotion, treasured, cherished, love, high regard, and reverence all fit the act of worship. Things are being worshipped without even giving a thought that they are. Smash or break a TV and you would think the world is falling apart. A sports team, sports figure, a singer, an actor, house, car, boat, motorcycle, job, position, works of art, wife, husband, children, relative, pastor, teacher, politician, etc…….. all are or can become something that is worshipped. Listen to people talk and you will know what they worship or are worshipping at that moment. Are there any words of worship of God? We choose what we worship. We allow things of this world to become objects of worship. We do this and don’t even give it a thought because we give God little to no thought.

Let your heart rejoice in God. Grow in your worship of Him. Seek to be shown by the Holy Spirit things of this world that have become objects of worship in your life. Worshipping things that are created rather than the Creator is bad for your heart, soul, and mind.

49.r. Wilderness – 13.x. “Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart”

Deu 4:32-40 “For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of. Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”

Moses asked Israel to carefully consider the days that are past, and if God had ever dealt with any other nation the way He had dealt with Israel. Israel needed to know they had a special place in the plan of God. Israel could know that the LORD was God, because of all the amazing things God did in the life of their nation. In the same way, when we consider how God has touched our lives – how we have experienced the power to free us from sin, to give us hope when we are discouraged, to heal our bodies, to free our bitter hearts, to answer our prayers, to overcome the most difficult obstacles – when we consider these things, we can know that the LORD Himself is God. Israel heard God’s audible voice from heaven; they saw His holy fire and benefited from His divine choice. They could know this from all God had done for them. In light of who God is, and all He did for Israel, obedience to His commands made perfect sense. It was simply what should be done. We are fools to disobey such a God of love and power. (Guzik)

Note this is from the Old Testament while Israel was in the wilderness being encouraged by Moses before going into the Promised Land. The reasoning is pure, right, and true. Fast forward to today. We live with the knowledge of so much more knowledge of God and what He has done over the course of time up to and through the death of the writers of the New Testament. We know of God’s power and love. We have been given precious promises. He sent His one and only Son to redeem us, forgive our sins, and give us eternal life, and we have been given the Holy Spirit to indwell in us to teach, convict, encourage, lead, and guide our thoughts, words, and actions so that we would honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

What punishment awaits those who deny, reject, neglect, and turn their backs on such a great gift of salvation? Romans rings true; “Man is without excuse”.

49. Wilderness – 13.f. “Marriage of Female Heirs”

Num 36:1-5 The heads of the fathers’ houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel. They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.” And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, “The tribe of the people of Joseph is right.

The book of Numbers ends with a concern about inheritance when a daughter would marry someone outside her father’s tribe. It is a valid concern and was recognized as such. It appears this was not done with grumbling but with the intent to bring up a concern. Their concern was valid and addressed appropriately and in agreement with everyone.

We can learn from this. Church leaders do not spend time thinking of ways to complicate or short-change various members of their congregation. However, sometimes there are unseen consequences and they arise after the fact. There are two ways to approach this;

Inappropriately

Grumble
Speak badly about the decision
Become upset
Be divisive
Cause factions and divisions
Point out blame
Become jealous
Become resentful
Find others who can be swayed by your thoughts

Appropriately

Kindly
Respectfully
Open minded
Willing to listen
Willing to compromise
Willing to do what’s best
Supportive
Humbly
Keeping unity

Far too many times people always think the worst and display actions as if the decision was solely designed to harm them. This is not the case but certainly is a playground for Satan to launch attacks.

The approach we take will reflect our commitment to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. You can see clearly the path that does this and the path that does not.

It is good for us to be ever-growing in our desire and commitment to honor and glorify Jesus in all our thoughts, words, and actions.

48.y. Wilderness – 13.d. Levite – Proportion

Num 35:1-8 The LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. And you shall measure, outside the city, on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities. “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.”

The cities of the priests and Levites were not only to accommodate them, but to place them, as religious teachers, in several parts of the land. For though the typical service of the tabernacle or temple was only in one place, the preaching of the word of God, and prayer and praise, were not thus confined. These cities were to be given out of each tribe. Each thus made a grateful acknowledgement to God. Each tribe had the benefit of the Levites dwelling amongst them, to teach them the knowledge of the Lord; thus no parts of the country were left to sit in darkness. The gospel provides that he who is taught in the word, should communicate to him that teaches, in all good things, Ga 6:6. We are to free God’s ministers from distracting cares, and to leave them at leisure for the duties of their station; so that they may be wholly employed therein, and avail themselves of every opportunity, by acts of kindness, to gain the good-will of the people, and to draw their attention. (Henry)

The Levites are to receive 48 cities with their surrounding land, six of which are to be ‘cities of refuge.’ The cities are to be contributed by each tribe in numbers proportionate to its size. (Cambridge)

And the Lord spake to Moses,…. After he had described the borders of the land, and given instructions about the division of it among the several tribes, and named the persons that should be concerned in parting and putting it into the possession of the Israelites, he makes a provision for the Levites. (Gill)