Read Numbers 34
Boundaries of Canaan
34 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:
3 “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea, 4 cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, 5 where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.
6 “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your boundary on the west.
7 “‘For your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor 8 and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, 9 continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.
10 “‘For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham.11 The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ainand continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee. 12 Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.
“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”
13 Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, 14 because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15 These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”
16 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. 18 And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land.19 These are their names:
Caleb son of Jephunneh,
from the tribe of Judah;
20 Shemuel son of Ammihud,
from the tribe of Simeon;
21 Elidad son of Kislon,
from the tribe of Benjamin;
22 Bukki son of Jogli,
the leader from the tribe of Dan;
23 Hanniel son of Ephod,
the leader from the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph;
24 Kemuel son of Shiphtan,
the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph;
25 Elizaphan son of Parnak,
the leader from the tribe of Zebulun;
26 Paltiel son of Azzan,
the leader from the tribe of Issachar;
27 Ahihud son of Shelomi,
the leader from the tribe of Asher;
28 Pedahel son of Ammihud,
the leader from the tribe of Naphtali.”
29 These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.
Go Deeper
In this last section on Numbers, we see the New Generation, also known as the Conquest Generation, prepare to enter into the Promised Land. These final chapters are marked by both warning and encouragement. In chapter 33, we read a review of Israel’s journey from Egypt and God’s instructions to drive out the inhabitants of the land. The chapter ended with a warning of what would happen if they did not obey the Lord’s command to do this.
This idea might not sit well with us or be confusing. Eugene Merrill, a former professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, gives four reasons behind why God instructed His people to drive out the inhibitions of the land. He states that these are: “The irremediable hardness of the hearts of its victims, the need to protect Israel against spiritual corruption, the destruction of idolatry, and the education of Israel and the nations as to the character and intentions of the one true God.” God is ultimately creator and judge, all have sinned, and He is impartial.
In this chapter, we see God through Moses giving the people specific directions on what their boundaries were to look like in the Promised Land and instructions for assigning the land to the Israelite tribes. Moses gave detailed commands for the borders in the north, south, east, and west. The southern border (v. 3-5) went from the Scorpion Pass in the desert to the Brook of Egypt. The western border was the Mediterranean Sea (v. 6), the northern border was at the entrance of Hamath (v. 7-9), and the eastern border was the Dead Sea (v. 10-12). The land within these boundaries were 150 miles long by 50 miles wide. This land was a real and tangible place with definite boundaries.
The question you might be asking is: Why did the Lord give them boundaries? Boundary markers were a stone pillar that marked a property line. They instructed the people how far they could go and were used to establish order. The purpose of these were also to prevent them from coveting others’ territories and wanting to expand outside the borders that the Lord gave them. It was against Mosaic law to move these boundary markers or go past them (Deuteronomy 27:17). Like the Israelites, the temptation in many of us is to want more than what we have been given. God freely gave them a land to inherit and live in, and He wanted them to experience this blessing within those borders.
This essentially addressed the lack of contentment that the Lord knew the Israelites would have. It is easy for us today to have a lack of contentment in what the Lord has given us. We compare ourselves to others and desire the things that they have, because we can believe the lie that what we have is not enough. Contentment will ultimately never come from what we have, it is a perspective. Psalm 23 says that we lack no good thing in Him, and He provides everything we need. Additionally, the commands the Lord gives us are for our benefit. They are not meant to be burdensome, but for our protection and for our good. Following Jesus and obedience to His commands go hand in hand. As it says in Psalm 19, would we see God’s instructions to us as perfect, reliable, righteous, and more valuable than gold.
Questions
- What do God’s commands in this chapter teach you about His character?
- In the Great Commission, Jesus reminds His followers to obey everything He has commanded. His instructions are His boundaries for us. What is a boundary or instruction that God has set in place that you are tempted to cross?
- What is something you desire more of than you currently have? What does it look like to have contentment in what the Lord has given you?
A Quote
“This is the secret of being content: to learn and accept that we live daily by God’s unmerited favor given through Christ, and that we can respond to any and every situation by His divine enablement through the Holy Spirit.” –Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness
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4 thoughts on “Numbers 34”
Once again we see the goodness of God who has faithfully provided and led his people to the promised land. This is to be their inheritance, but they must go in and possess it as their own, the very land their forefathers refused to enter 40 years ago. God’s kindness and generosity is on full display as he appoints leaders from each tribe to oversee the process of land distribution. Boundaries are established for their safety and protection. Reading this chapter reminded me of
Psalm 16:5-8, “LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” Let’s turn this scripture into a prayer of gratitude for the boundary lines God has set in place for our good and his glory, and determine to find deep satisfaction and rest within them.
F.B. Meyer wrote, “God’s ideal for His people far exceeded their realization of it.” Oh how we limit God. Yes, He sets boundaries but He has given us provision and promises that exceeds our expectations but we doubt Him. We put God in that proverbial box, we say He can do all things but truly doubt He can or will. Where are you making excuses as He’s calling you to charge into the impossible boundaries of your Promised Land? Most of us will not experience all He has prepared for us because fear, laziness, and circumstances that limit God and overwhelm our hearts and minds. As we journey through to that “promised land” let us turn our hearts away from our own selfishness of doing it alone, and LET GOD show, teach, guide us on this race He has set before us. Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, “Let us run our race with patient endurance, looking unto Jesus the Author . . . of our faith;”
God thank You that You have me promises. Thank You that I do not limit You but look to You for all that You have for me. God, Jesus paid it all and all to Him I owe to give Him glory as King of Kings. Thank You for showing me, teaching me, guiding me through these minutes of this day. Thank You for me not being lazy or letting this world overwhelm me but looking to You for opportunities to share Jesus and love in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!
Yes! Amen to that!
12 “‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”
For me, my default setting is to see “boundaries” as constraints or limitations. Yet God sets boundaries for me. Likely, so that I can know where “home” is; where to focus my attention, efforts, and prayers.
God’s generosity is displayed here in what He gives as a promise, an inheritance of land. I see the boundaries as His protection. God’s instructions are precise, and we should not alter to our own liking. “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof, leads others astray.”-Proverbs 10:17 My daily prayer in Psalm 16 vs 1 “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.” In Jesus name, Amen.