August 5, 2024

Numbers 34:1-15  (HCSB)
Boundaries of the Promised Land
34 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance with these borders: 3 Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. 4 Your border will turn south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon. 5 The border will turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea. 6 Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border. 7 This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath, and the border will reach Zedad. 9 Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan. This will be your northern border. 10 For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain. It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth. 12 Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.” 13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of the Reubenites and the tribe of the Gadites have received their inheritance according to their ancestral houses, and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan from Jericho, eastward toward the sunrise.”

Micah Williams
At this point in the Israelites journey, they had fought their last battle against the Midianites and were preparing to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. In these next chapters, we will see God’s instruction to Moses for the Israelites to follow once they crossed the Jordan. Since Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 20:8-13), it is also at this time that Joshua will take over leading Israel (Numbers 27:15-23, Deuteronomy 31). In Numbers 34:1-15, God assigned the tribes their inheritance and set their boundaries, with some receiving land in the wilderness and others near the Great Sea or mountains. Do you suppose some of the tribes might have been dissatisfied with their inheritance? Maybe a beach house seemed more appealing than the barren wilderness. Yet, it was exactly what God had personally chosen for them. Today, let's be thankful for our daily portion and inheritance from God. If you're struggling to do so, consider John 3:27, which reminds us that everything we receive is from God. Through faith in Christ, we can find contentment in any circumstance (Philippians 4:11-13).