Deuteronomy 1:30

Deuteronomy 1:30 says, The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes;  Moses said God would fight for the people of Israel just as He had in Egypt. God still fights for His people today, ensuring us the victory ultimately.  Verse thirty-one adds, And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.  Moses also reminded them that God had provided for them in the wilderness.  In Egypt and in the wilderness, God did everything for the people of Israel to first secure their release from Egypt and to provide for them afterwards.  Neither situation required their being able to do things by their own power.  The same is still true today.  Verse thirty-two continues, Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,  Moses then said that the people still refused to believe in God in spite of all that he had done for them.  Too often we as followers of Christ refuse to believe that God will always give us the victory, no matter what happens in this lifetime.  Verse thirty-three states, Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.  God provided them protection day and night,and He still does today.  Verse thirty-four adds, And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying,  When God heard the people of Isreal murmuring, He was angry with them.  God has not changed, and we should never be guilty of murmuring against Him as Christians.  Verse thirty-five continues, Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers,  Because of their lack of faith in God, He said none of those who were over the age of twenty would enter the Promised Land.  Once we are old enough to make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, if we refuse to put our faith in Him, we will never enter the Promised Land, Heaven.  Verse thirty-six says, Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.  Moses then said God was going to make an exception for Caleb, who had remained faithful,  and we know this applied to Joshua as well.  Even if the whole world, even those who are called God's people, were to turn away from God, as long as we remain faithful, He will carry safely home to the Promised Land.  Verse thirty-seven adds, Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, Thou also shalt not go in thither.  Moses said that God was angry with him because of his actions and said that Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land.  Fortunately for us, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, our actions when we sometimes doubt God and act on our own will power will not keep us out of heaven.  Verse thirty-eight continues, But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.  Joshua was going to replace Moses as the leader of Israel, just as leaders of the church are replaced today as others get old or die.  Verse thirty-nine concludes, Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.  Those who had been too young to make a decision when they first got to the Promised Land would also be allowed to enter.

Deuteronomy 1:19

Deuteronomy 1:19 says, And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness, which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.  Moses then reminded them of their journey in the wilderness, though God was still guiding them.  They were still His chosen people.  Verse twenty adds. And I said unto you, Ye are come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us. Moses said they came to the mountain of the Amorites, which God had given to them.  This didn't mean that they would not be required to obey God and fight for it.  Verse twenty-one continues, Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.  Mose told them to go and possess the land that God had set before them and to not be afraid.  When God sends us somewhere today, we need to go without fear.  Verse twenty-two states, And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.  Moses said the people proposed sending spies into the land to check it out.  This seems to have been their plan which God a)lowed more than God's plan to start with.  If they were faithfully following God, it would have only reinforced their desire to go.  When God sends us somewhere, we should simply go by faith without having to verify by sight that it is a good thing.  Verse twenty-three adds, And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:  Moses said their plan pleased him, so he took the twelve spies, on from each tribe, to send into the land.  They were all equally represented.  We as Christians are all equally represented before God by Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-four continues, And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and searched it out.  The spies went into the land to check it out, which really should have been unnecessary.  If they believed God, they would have known the land was good, and have also known that God had promised them victory.  We need to always remember that wherever God sends us in the world today that He goes before us and it is the best place to be.  Verse twenty-five says, And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.  The twelve spies brought back the fruit of the land, and said it was a good land.  This verified a part of God's promise, but it was the easy part.  At times, we may be willingly to follow Jesus Christ as long as everything is going well and we are profiting from following Him, but that is not enough.  Verse twenty-six adds, Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God: Moses said that even though the spies came back with visual proof of the goodness of the land that the people still refused to go and possess it.  Living by sight and not by faith will always leave us short of salvation and the Promised Land of a heavenly home.   Verse twenty-eight continues, And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.  The people of Israel once again began to murmur against God, saying He had brought them out of Egypt only for them to be killed by the Amorites.  After all God had done for them, they still had no faith in Him.  If we are only following Christ for the material rewards, we will see obstacles and fail to follow Him by faith because of those obstacles.  Verse twenty-eight states, Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.  The people asked why they should go up, since the spies, or at least ten of them, had discouraged their hearts.  We should never allow what someone else says, even a fellow Christian, to discourage us from doing what God has called us to do or going where He wants us send us.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Then I said unto you, Dread not, neither be afraid of them.  This is still good advice for us today as followers of Christ.  We don't need to be discouraged by the things of this world that seem too big to overcome, but we need to follow Jesus Christ by faith.  He has already assured us of the victory, just as God had assured the people of Israel of the victory then. 

Deuteronomy 1:9

Deuteronomy 1:9 aays, And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:  Moses reminded them that he alone did not govern them, but that he had asked God for help, and God set up their government, both civil and spiritual.  No one person should attempt to declare himself, or herself, as the only one capable of doing either today.  Verse ten adds, The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.  Moses said while he had ruled over them that God had multiplied them just as He had promised Abraham that He would.  We today need to faithfully share the gospel so that God can continue to increase His kingdom.  Verse eleven continues, (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)  Moses asked that God continue to increase their numbers, and He has.  Verse twelve asks, How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?  Moses asked how he by himself could hear all their problems.  Fortunately, God had not left Moses alone in doing this, and He does not leave us alone to carry out His work today, even if we at times may want to think so.  Verse thirteen adds, Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.  Moses had told the people to take wise men of understanding and he would make them rulers over them.  This selection by the people and blessing by Moses was to all be done by God's guidance.  Verse fourteen continues, And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.  Moses reminded them that they had said that this was a good thing and that they would do it.  Verse fifteen states, So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.  By God's guidance, Moses had set up the leadership structure of all the tribes.  We today need to make sure that God's church, both the local congregations and the church as a whole, is led by people that God appoints to every position to the best of our ability under God's guidance.  Verse sixteen adds, And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.  Moses said that he charged the judges that he, under God's guidance, appointed to judge righteously.  We need the same thing in the church today.  Verse seventeen continues, Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.  Moses again reminded the people that they were to be impartial in their judgment.  We as followers of Christ cannot have different standards for judging different people based on who they are or what they own.  Moses also said if a question or situation was too hard for them, to bring it to him.  I believe that if we find ourselves in a situation that seems to be too hard to understand that all parties involved should bring our concerns to God under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Verse eighteen concludes, And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.  Moses said that when these rulers were appointed that he told them all that they should do.  As Christians today, God has already told us all that we should do in governing the church.  The first step is to seek God's will to help us appoint wise men to be in charge in the church. 

Deuteronomy 1:1

Deuteronomy 1;1 says, These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.  These were some of Moses's last instructions to Israel, since He wasn't to be allowed to enter the Promised Land.  Still, the Promised Land was just a temporary home, not the everlasting home in heaven.  Verse two adds, (There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)  They were still in Moab, ready to cross over to the Promised Land to fight for possession of it.  We are still this side of heaven today, and we will be at war with the world wherever we are.  Verse three continues, And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;  In the eleventh month of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Moses spoke unto the people of Israel all that the LORD had given him for commandments to them.  These were God's laws, and not those of Moses, so they would last after Moses was dead.  God's law is everlasting and will still be valid after we as Christians are dead.  Verse four states, After he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, which dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, which dwelt at Astaroth in Edrei:  This was after the Moabites on this side of the Jordan were slain.  Verse five adds, On this side Jordan, in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,  This repeats that it was on this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab that Moses spoke to them.  Moses may have been denied the right to enter the Promised Land, but he was still their leader under God's direction.  As long as we are alive, even if we are disappointed about some things in life, even our faithfulness in our relationship with God, as followers of Christ we are forever His and need to continue to do what He has called us to do.  Verse six says, The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount:  God's word came to Moses telling the people of Israel that they had dwelt long enough on Mount Horeb.  We cannot just stay content where we are as Christians if God is leading us elsewhere.  Verse seven adds, Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.  God told them it was time to possess the land that He was giving them.  We need to likewise do our best to claim the place where we live as a part of God's kingdom by His guidance and power.  Verse eight continues,  Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.  After wandering in the wilderness for forty years because they lacked the faith that God could give them the victory all those years ago, God again told them to go and possess the land.  Even if we have allowed doubt to keep us from living by faith in the past, God still calls to go out into the world and claim victory through faith in Him now.

Numbers Review Concluded

The Passover was still to be observed.  We today observe the Lord’s Supper to commemorate what He did for us on the cross.  He is our Passover sacrifice.  There were to be two trumpets made to call the congregation together.  They were a very large group and covered a lot of ground.  We today await the sounding of the trumpet of the Lord to call us home to heaven, from wherever we may be in the world.  During their journey, the people were often displeased with God and His provisions for them.  We cannot be the same way today and be effective Christians.  Though God at times gave them more to satisfy them, it was seldom enough to do so.  Sometimes today, God cannot give His followers enough to satisfy them and to stop them from complaining.  At other times, they were punished for their disobedience and feeling of self-importance above the will of God.  We will never be in a position where we know more than God does, so we should never attempt to make Him comply to our will.  Miriam died, then Aaron died, and eventually Moses died.  Miriam may not have specifically had anything to do with the unwillingness to go into the Promised Land, but she was a part of those who were told that they wouldn't be allowed to.  We may not specifically do anything against God but fail to put our faith in Jesus Christ, but that is enough.  Aaron was guilty of making the golden calf, and Moses allowed his temper to come between God and himself.   The land was divided according to God's plan, and even those who claimed land on this side of the Promised Land with God's permission were expected to cross over and fight along with the rest of the people of Israel.  Even if we are safe and secure in our life as Christians, we are still expected to stand with those who may not be, but who may be fighting for their spiritual life. There are many other lessons to be learned from Numbers I am sure, but these are a few.  Next, we will look at Deuteronomy. 

Numbers Review Continued

Aaron and his sons were to be the priests, but two of his sons died for rebelling against God.  We cannot expect to go to heaven as a part of the priesthood of Christ if we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, because doing anything else is rebelling against God.  The Levites were appointed to help Aaron and his descendants in taking care of the tabernacle.   As Christians, we all have a responsibility in the church, and we all must fulfill our obligations, even if they don't seem as important as what others may be doing,  The Levites were to take the place of the first born of the people of Israel in being dedicated to God.  This did not relieve the other tribes from being dedicated to God and following His commandments.  Today, Jesus Christ represents us in the atonement of sin, and even though He removes the death sentence for our sins, if we accept His sacrifice for us, we are still not free to ignore God's commandments.  Anyone who committed a sin against God was to confess and make recompense.  If we are guilty of sinning against God today, whether we are Christians or not, we must confess our sins, but Jesus Christ has already made the recompense.  Of course, we must accept His sacrifice for us in order for it to have any effect in our life.  The vow of the Nazarite was specified, and once it was taken, it was to be fulfilled.  This was not a lifelong vow, but was for a specified time.  If we take specific vows to serve God in a particular way, we should first make sure that God is leading us in this, and then we should fulfill vow.  The people voluntarily brought wagon loads of gifts ro Moses, and God told him to give them to the Levites to help in their caring for the tabernacle.   We should still voluntarily bring gifts to God, and they should always be used to care for His church, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, and not just a building itself.  Not all of the Levites shared equally in these gifts, because some did not need them for their particular responsibility in caring for the tabernacle, just as we do not all require the same things in order to accomplish our role in God's kingdom today. 

Thanksgiving

 We will pause in or study today to celebrate Thanksgiving, a day set aside to give thanks to God for all that He has blessed us with.  Unfortunately, too many people today are attempting to take thanking God out of Thanksgiving, referring to it as Turkey Day and seeing it as more of a day off work than as a day of giving praises to God for His goodness.  Psalms 95:2 says, Let us us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise to Him with Psalms.  As we gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, this should still be our focus.  We should first give God our thanks and our praise for all that He has blessed us with.  Happy Thanksgiving. 

Numbers Review

The first thing that we can say about Numbers as we review it is that it deals a lot with numbers.  It had been forty years since the people of Israel were last counted, and a whole generation had died.  They had wandered these forty years because of a lack of faith when they got to the edge of the Promised Land.  Until we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will always be on the edge of the Promised Land.  They were counted by tribe by the number of males over twenty who were able to go to war.  This unwillingness to go to war under God's guidance had caused a generation to pass away.  They had been afraid of dying in a war, but they died anyway.   We should never let fear of the things in this world keep us from serving God, because in the end, we are going to die anyway.  Our faith in God will determine our destination, though, whether we are to go into the Promised Land of Heaven, or be forever outside of it.  The Levites were not counted with the rest of the people of Israel, because they were set apart to care for the tabernacle.   They were not a part of those who were to be able to go to war, and I believe that God still sets aside His ministers today who are to be concerned with doing His work even in times of war.  The people of Israel were to be divided by tribes, each with their own standard.  They were the people of Israel as a whole, but were twelve tribes within the whole group.  We are all a part of the family of God as Christians, but we are not all a part of the same family, congregation or even nation.  There was a set order of travel when the people moved, with the tabernacle in the center. As Christians today, God directs each of us as individuals and as congregations, but Jesus Christ must be in the center of all that we do.

Numbers 36:5

Numbers 36:5 says, And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.  Moses commanded the children of Israel that according to God's word, the sons of Joseph had said well.  We need to make sure that as followers of Christ that whatever we say today is according to God's word, and not according to what we want.  Verse six adds, This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.  God said that the daughters of Zelophehad could marry whomever they thought best, as long as he was from the tribe of their father.  Today, we may hear Christians say that they should be free to marry whomever they choose to marry, but it must be within God's guidelines and with His blessing.  Verse seven continues, So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.  This was to ensure that the inheritance of the land was to remain in the tribe that it was given to.  Verse eight states, And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.  This was a restatement of the fact that any daughter in the people of Israel who had an inheritance was to marry within her tribe to keep the inheritance within the particular tribe.  I believe that we as Christians should never marry another Christian simply because we want what to claim what his or her family has for our own at the expense of his or her family.  Verse nine adds, Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.  They were not to attempt to claim the inheritance that God gave to another family as their own, and neither should we.  Verse ten continues, Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:  The daughters of Zelophehad did as God commanded through Moses, and so must we today do as God commands as followers of Christ.  This doesn't mean that we are to do as everyone who professes to be a leader of God's church today says, but that we are to do so if we know what they say is God's word, which must be consistent with His written word, the Bible.  The people of Israel were not to obey Moses because he was Moses, but because he was God's chosen leader.  Even then, his word had to be what God said and not what Moses himself wanted.  Verse eleven says, For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father’s brothers’ sons:   The five daughters of Zelophehad were married into their tribe as God had commanded.  Verse twelve adds, And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.  They were from the tribe of Manasseh, one of Joseph's sons, and their inheritance remained with the tribe of Manasseh.  When we know what God is saying to us, we must obey Him.  Verse thirteen concludes, These are the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.  This concluded the commandments from God to Moses before the people of Israel entered the Promised Land.  We today as Christians have God's written word to guide us with the help of the Holy Spirit.  We must always seek God's guidance even as we study His word and should never attempt to make His word endorse what we want.

Numbers 36:1

Numbers 36:1 says, And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:  The heads of the families of Gilead, of the tribe of Manasseh, one of Joseph's sons, came to talk to Moses and the heads of the rest of the tribes of Israel.  Verse two adds, And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.   This was the half of the tribe of Manasseh, and they counted their inheritance a reality, even though they had yet to receive it, given to them by God forever.  We have God's promise that we have an everlasting inheritance in heaven if we are followers of Christ, and we need to live our lives in that assurance.  The daughters of Zelophehad, who had no sons were to receive an inheritance of part of the Promised Land.  Verse three continues, And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.  The leaders of this half of the tribe of Manasseh were concerned about what would happen to the inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad if they married a man from another tribe, at which point the daughters inheritance would become a part of her husband's tribes land.  This would not have been in accordance with God's division.  Matthew Henry points out that these leaders did not just decide on their own how to settle this possible problem, but brought it before God through Moses and in the presence of all the other leaders.  If we have questions concerning our relationship with other Christians, we need to bring them to God in the presence of our fellow Christians.  Verse four concludes, And when the jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.  These leaders of Manasseh said that at the jubilee that the land would be taken away from the tribe of Manasseh and given to the tribe that the daughters of Zelophehad had married into.  This would weaken the tribe of Manasseh and strengthen the tribe that they married into.   Though no one can ever take away our heavenly home if we are Christians, we should never attempt to use Christianity to benefit us materially, especially at the cost to other Christians.  

Numbers 35:25

Numbers 35:25 says, And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.  Someone who had accidentally killed someone instead of murdering him would be delivered out of the hand of the revenger and returned to his city of refuge, where he would live as long as the high priest lived.  Verse twenty-six adds, But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;  Verse twenty-seven continues, And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:  If the man who had accidentally killed someone left his city of refuge and was found and killed by the revenger, then the revenger would not be guilty of his blood.  Though we have no sanctuary cities like this today, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our High Priest, we are safe from facing the death penalty of sin as along as He lives, which is forever.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.  If the man remained in his sanctuary city until after the death of the high priest, he was free to return to his homeland.  Since our High Priest, Jesus Christ, will never die, we will never be free to return to the place we were before we accepted Him.  We are always spiritually in His sanctuary.  Verse twenty-nine states, So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  These laws were to last throughout all the generations of Israel, or forever.  Verse thirty adds, Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.  God said no person could be put to death by the testimony of one person, but it would require the testimony of two or more. Verse thirty-one continues, Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. Though the murderer was to be put to death, the people were to take no satisfaction in it.  Too often today I believe we want the death of those most in need of God's salvation, but their death should break our heart.  They are then doomed to everlasting destruction  which is never what God wants.  Verse thirty-two concludes, And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.  They were also to take no satisfaction for the man who had fled to the sanctuary city where he was safe until the death of the high priest.  Verse thirty-three says, So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.  God then said, through Moses, that the land could not be cleansed of shed blood, except by the blood of the one who shed ot.  Our sin brings a death sentence, but Jesus shed His blood in our place to cleanse us, and that is the only way to be cleansed.   Verse thirty-four adds, Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.  Like the people of Israel, we as followers of Christ are to not defile the land, because God dwells amongst us. 

Numbers 35:16

Numbers 35:16 says, And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Sanctuary cities did not remove the penalty for murder from a person.  If they deliberately killed someone, they were still to be put to death, even if they had fled to a sanctuary city.  Verse seventeen adds, And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Verse eighteen continues, Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  A couple of more ways of deliberately killing someone were listed.  It didn't really matter what method of killing was used, but what mattered was the intent.  Deliberately killing someone by any method brought a death sentence.  Verse nineteen states, The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.  The one who was the blood revenger, the relative of the person murdered was to carry out the death sentence when he met the murderer.  This was only to be done if there was no doubt that the man had committed the murder, and Matthew Henry says some suggest that even then it was to be done only after the man was found guilty in the court of law.  This was not for revenge, but to fulfill the law.  Verse twenty adds, But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;  Verse twenty-one continues, Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.  These verses say that if a person kills another out of hatred or by laying in wait to kill him for whatever reason, he will be put to death by the one who is the blood relative chosen to do so.  Again, this is not to be done for revenge, but is to be done to fulfill the law.  We today as followers of Christ are to act under His law, which is the law of forgiveness.  We are never to act out of hatred for another person, but are always to look for them to be redeemed by Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-two says, But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,  Verse twenty-three adds, Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:  There is once again a distinction made between accidentally killing someone and murdering someone deliberately, and the one who accidentally killed another was not to be killed.  Verse twenty-four continues, Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:  The congregation was to judge between the slayer and the revenger in this case.  The law of God was still in effect, just as it is today.  

Numbers 35:9

Numbers 35:9 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse ten adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;  God was still giving Moses directions for the people of Israel once they were in the Promised Land.  This required Moses and the people of Israel to be obedient.  We must likewise be obedient once we become a follower of Christ, and we must be obedient for as long as we live.  Verse eleven continues, Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.  These were the cities of refuge of the Levites already referred to according to Matthew Henry.  This was a place where someone who had accidentally killed someone could go for refuge.  Verse twelve states, And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.  This was also the place of safety from someone wanting to avenge the death of another before the one who had killed that person could have a fair trial.  We should never set out to avenge the death of anyone without the accused person having a fair trial.  The ultimate judgment will always be God's to make.  Verse thirteen adds, And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.  There were to be a total of six cities of refuge.  Verse fourteen continues, Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.  These six cities were to be split into three on each side of the Jordan.  All were to have equal access to them, just as we all have equal access to the sanctuary of Jesus Christ, no matter where we are.  Verse fifteen concludes, These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.  These cities of refuge were for both the Israelites and for other people who were in the land who had need of them. We all have access to forgiveness for our sins through faith in Jesus Christ, and we all have need of it.  

Numbers 35:1

Numbers 35:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,   As they were on the edge of the Promised Land, God once more spoke to Moses.  God was still working in Moses life since he was still alive.  God will work through Christians today as long as we are alive and allow Him to.  Verse two adds, Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.  Once more, God was making sure that the rest of the people of Israel took care of the Levites.  They were set aside to do God's work and had not inherited any land.  They were to be given cities throughout all the land.  Verse three continues,  And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts.  Along with the cities, the Levites were to be given land for their cattle.  We today need to make sure that all the needs of our preachers and others in full-time ministry area met. Verse four states, And  the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.  The amount of land outside the cities given to the Levites that they were to also be given was determined by God and not the people nor the Levites themselves.  As long as we and those in full-time service to God allow God to determine how we support them, then everyone should be satisfied.  Verse five adds, And ye shall measure from without 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; and the city shall be in the midst: this shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.  This continues to specify the amount of land the Levites were to be given.  Verse six adds, And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.  The Levites were to be given a total of forty-eight cities, of which six were to be cities of refuge.  These cities of refuge were where where those who had killed a person could go for safety.   This was not a place to escape punishment for murder, but a place of safety for someone who had killed someone without intending to from the relatives of the one who had been killed.  Verse seven adds, So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with their suburbs.  Again, God told Moses to tell the people that these forty-eight cuties throughout the Promised Land were to be given to the Levites.  God's ministers need to be living throughout the world today, and we as followers of Christ need to make sure that we support them in accordance with God's guidance.  Verse eight continues, And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.  God said that they were to give these cities in accordance with what they had been blessed with.  God still expects us to give in accordance with what He has blessed us with as we support His ministers today.

Numbers 34:16

Numbers 34:16 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse seventeen adds, These are the names of the men which shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.  God then told Moses the men who would divide the land for him were Eleazar the priest, and Joshua, who was to be Moses's replacement.  As we serve God today, we need to do so at His discretion and also realize that at some point, someone will replace us.  Verse eighteen continues, And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land by inheritance.  One prince from every tribe was to be chosen to represent the people as the land was divided.  The next several verses list the names of these princes, or men who were representing the tribes. Verse nineteen states, And the names of the men are these: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.  Verse twenty, And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.  Verse twenty-one, Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.  Verse twenty-two, And the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.  Verse twenty-three, The prince of the children of Joseph, for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.  Verse twenty-four, And the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.  Verse twenty-five, And the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.  Verse twenty-six, And the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.  Verse twenty-seven,  And the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.  Verse twenty-eight, And the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.  Verse twenty-nine, These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.  The division of the land was under God's guidance in all aspects, with representatives of all the people involved present.  God still leads His people in all aspects if we will only follow Him, and there should never be a reason for dissension if we do.

Numbers 34:1

Numbers 34:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:)  God once again spoke to Moses, this time with a command to the people of Israel concerning their coming into the land of Canaan which was to be their inheritance.  We still need to be directed by God’s word today.  Verse three continues, Then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward:  God begins to lay out the borders of the land of Israel, starting on the south.  Verse four states, And your border shall turn from the south to the ascent of Akrabbim, and pass on to Zin: and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar, and pass on to Azmon:  Verse five adds, And the border shall fetch a compass from Azmon unto the river of Egypt, and the goings out of it shall be at the sea.  Verse six continues, And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.  God then specified the western border.  Verse seven says, And this shall be your north border: from the great sea ye shall point out for you mount Hor:  Verse eight adds, From mount Hor ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall be to Zeda:  Verse nine continues, And the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north border.  Then, God established the northern border of Israel.  Verse ten states, And ye shall point out your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham:  Verse eleven adds, And the coast shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend, and shall reach unto the side of the sea of Chinnereth eastward:  Verse twelve continues, And the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.  God then specified the eastern border.  God did not allow the people of Israel to decide what the Promised Land was and just claim all the land that they wanted, and He doesn't allow us to claim whatever we want today and then give it to us.  As followers of Christ, we should pray that God will give us what He wants us to have and be satisfied with it, instead of attempting to get Him to give us everything we desire.  Verse thirteen states, And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe:  Moses told the nine and a half tribes who were crossing the river to stay that they would inherit the land by lot.  This was not by chance, though, but by God using the lots to reveal His will so that none could say they weren't treated fairly.  However God chooses to reveal His will for us today, we should never feel that we have been cheated because someone else has more.  Verse fourteen adds, For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance:  Mose pointed out that the tribe of Rueben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh had already received their inheritance on the other side of the Jordan, though I'm not sure this was really ever a part of the Promised Land.  Verse fifteen continues, The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.  Moses then specified the boundaries of the land these two and a half tribes had claimed for their inheritance. 

Numbers 33:38

Numbers 33:38 says, And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first day of the fifth month.  We once again have the record of Aaron going up on Mount Hor at God's commandment and dying there, forty years after the people of Israel left Egypt.  Verse thirty-nine adds, And Aaron was an hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor.  Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old, and had evidently spent the first eighty-three as a slave in Egypt, then forty as God's priest wandering in the wilderness.  We are not guaranteed riches and power in this lifetime as followers of Christ.  Verse forty states, And king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.  The king of the Canaanites heard about the coming of the people of Isreal.  People today should hear about the coming of God's people into their communities.  We should be as hard to overlook as the people of Israel were.  The next several verses continue to track their movements.  Verse forty-one adds, And they departed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah.  Verse forty-two, And they departed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon.  Verse forty-three, And they departed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth.  Verse forty-four, And they departed from Oboth, and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.  Verse forty-five, And they departed from Iim, and pitched in Dibongad.  Verse forty-six And they removed from Dibongad, and encamped in Almondiblathaim. Verse forty-seven, And they removed from Almondiblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo.  Verse forty-eight, And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.  Verse forty-nine concludes, And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.  They were once again on the edge of the Promised Land, though nearly all of those who had been there before had died.  As Christians, we will never get to the Promised Land, Heaven, in this lifetime, but we must faithfully follow God as we wander through this world full of sin, and we are always but a breath away from entering in.  Verse fifty says, And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,  Verse fifty-one adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;  God told Moses to speak to the children of Israel and tell them when they had passed over the Jordan into Canaan.  The promise God was about to make was still based on them obeying His command and actually entering the Promised Land, without questioning if they would be successful in conquering it.  When God sends us somewhere, we must simply go by faith without questioning Him.  Verse fifty-two continues, Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:  When they got to the Promised Land mthey were to drive out the inhabitants and destroy all their idols.  This will already be accomplished for us when we get to Heaven.  Verse fifty-three states, And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.  God said they were to dispossess the people there and then dwell there because God had given them the land.  There will be no other gods in heaven, nor people who have not put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Verse fifty-four adds, And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.  God told Moses that the land was to be distributed fairly and by His plan.  Wherever we might be in Heaven one day, it will be where God put us.  Verse fifty-five continues, But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.  God said if they did not drive out the people living there that they would be a continual problem for them.  We cannot drive out all the people who would cause us problems from the world today, but as Christians, we need to keep them from setting up camp in our fellowship of believers.  Verse fifty-six concludes, Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.  God then said if the people of Isreal did not do as He commanded them to do to the inhabitants of the land, then He would do to the Israelites as He had intended to do to the people in the land.  Professing to be a follower of Christ without really putting our faith in Him will one day lead to our everlasting separation from God.  If we truly put our faith in Jesus Christ, we must do our best to drive sinful things out of our life.

Numbers 33:11

Numbers 33:11 says, And they removed from the Red sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin.  They were in the wilderness of Sin here.  These next several verses simply list the travels of the children of Israel.  Verse twelve, And they took their journey out of the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah.  Verse thirteen, And they departed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush.  Verse fourteen, And they removed from Alush, and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.  We have the added detail that there was no water here.  Verse fifteen, And they departed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.  Now, they were in the wilderness of Sinai.  Verse sixteen, And they removed from the desert of Sinai, and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah.  Verse seventeen, And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah, and encamped at Hazeroth.  Verse eighteen, And they departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in Rithmah.  Verse nineteen, And they departed from Rithmah, and pitched at Rimmonparez.  Verse twenty, And they departed from Rimmonparez, and pitched in Libnah.  Verse twenty-one, And they removed from Libnah, and pitched at Rissah. Verse twenty-two, And they journeyed from Rissah, and pitched in Kehelathah.  Verse twenty-three, And they went from Kehelathah, and pitched in mount Shapher.  Verse twenty-four, And they removed from mount Shapher, and encamped in Haradah.  Verse twenty-five, And they removed from Haradah, and pitched in Makheloth.  Verse twenty-six, And they removed from Makheloth, and encamped at Tahath.  Verse twenty-seven, And they departed from Tahath, and pitched at Tarah.  Verse twenty-eight, And they removed from Tarah, and pitched in Mithcah.  Verse twenty-nine, And they went from Mithcah, and pitched in Hashmonah.  Verse thirty, And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth. Verse thirty-one, And they departed from Moseroth, and pitched in Benejaakan.  Verse thirty-two, And they removed from Benejaakan, and encamped at Horhagidgad.  Verse thirty-three, And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.  Verse thirty-four, And they removed from Jotbathah, and encamped at Ebronah.  Verse thirty-five, And they departed from Ebronah, and encamped at Eziongaber.  Verse thirty-six, And they removed from Eziongaber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.  This was the third wilderness named.  Verse thirty-seven, And they removed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.  This was a lot of unnecessary setting up and tearing down of the camp, because had they acted in faith when they first reached the Promised Land, they could have already been living there instead.  As we are on our way to Heaven, we may get caught up doing a lot of unnecessary things if we don't remain guided by faith in Jesus Christ. 

Numbers 33:1

Numbers 33:1 says, These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. This chapter is a review of the places that the people of Israel went after they left Egypt.  As we journey through life, we ac followers of Christ need to remember the way that we have traveled in our relationship with God.  Verse two adds, And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.  Moses recorded their journey from the time they left Egypt, and in the Bible, we still have that record today.  Those going into the Promised Lad had not been there during the departure from Egypt and during at least some of the journey.  Verse three continues, And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.   Moses recorded that they went out on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the day after the angel passed over of the first born of the Israelites, in the sight of all the Egyptians, and they passed through the Red Sea on dry land. As Christians, there is a day when we left our former life ruled by sin, and we should be able to recall at least the highpoints since then.  Verse four concludes, For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which the LORD had smitten among them: upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.  While the Israelites were safely on the other side of the Red Sea, the people of Egypt were buying their first born.  Verse five states, And the children of Israel removed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth.  The people of Israel began their journey to the Promised Land.  As followers of Christ, Jesus has redeemed us from spiritual death, and in this life, we are always on the way to the Heaven, our Promised Land.  Verse six adds,  And they departed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.  They then went to the edge of the wilderness.  The next several verses are a recording of their journeys.  Verse seven continues, And they removed from Etham, and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon: and they pitched before Migdol.  Verse eight says, And they departed from before Pihahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.  Once more, they had passed through a sea and they traveled three days in the wilderness of Etham.  Verse nine adds, And they removed from Marah, and came unto Elim: and in Elim were twelve fountains of water, and threescore and ten palm trees; and they pitched there.  Verse ten continues, And they removed from Elim, and encamped by the Red sea.  They still weren't very far from the Red Sea.  In our travels through life, we will never be far removed from where we were spiritually before we met Christ until we are at home in heaven.  We will still be living in this sin filled world.

Numbers 32:31

Numbers 32:31 says, And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.  The people of Gad and Reuben said that as the LORD said to them, His servants, they would do, and so must we today as followers of Christ.  Verse thirty-two added, We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours.  They said they would go across the Jordan and fight, so that they could claim their possession of land on this side of the Jordan.  Verse thirty-three continues, And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about.  Moses gave the kingdom of Sihon, the king the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og, and the land and cities along the coast, to the people of Gad and Reuben, plus half the tribe of Manasseh, Joseph's son.  This was the first mention of the half tribe of Manasseh, but they were included and for whatever worldly reason, we have to conclude it was with God's blessing.  Wherever God leads us, we should go.  Verse thirty-four states, And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,  Verse thirty-five adds, And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah,  Verse thirty-six continues, And Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fenced cities: and folds for sheep.  We are told of nine fenced cities the people of Gad built.  I am not sure how long this took, but they were to build them, or Matthew Henry says more likely rebuild them, before they crossed over Jordan.  Verse thirty-seven says, And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,  Verse thirty-eight adds, And Nebo, and Baalmeon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded.  We are told of six cities the people of Reuben built or renamed, but are also told there were others.  Verse thirty-nine states, And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.  Machir, the son of Manasseh, defeated the people of Gilead and took it. Verse forty adds, And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.  Moses gave the land of Gilead to Machir.  As we fight for God in this world as followers of Christ, He will always provide us with all that we need in order to be successful spiritually.  Verse forty-one continues, And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.  Jair, another son of Manasseh, took the small towns of Gilead, and renamed them Havothjair.  Verse forty-two concludes, And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.  Nibah took Kenath and renamed it for himself.  We need to be careful that we don't allow self pride to come between God and us.

Numbers 32:16

Numbers 32:16 says, And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:  Verse seventeen adds, But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.  The leaders of Gad and Reuben came to Moses and told him that they would build sheepfolds for the cattle and cities for their little ones, but that the men themselves would go armed with the rest of the people of Israel to fight those who currently inhabited the Promised Land.  They would lead the people into battle, and without their families and cattle would have less to be worried about.  We should always be ready to go into battle against God's enemies as long as they exist, even if we could sit back in peace ourselves.  Verse eighteen continues, We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.  They said they would not return to their houses until all the people of Israel had their land secured.  Of course, we will always be on this side of the Promised Land, but if God has blessed us with a life of peace and prosperity, that does not exempt us from helping those who are still actively engaged in the battle against evil in the world.  Verse nineteen concludes, For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.  These leaders of Gad and Reuben said that they would not inherit, or claim, any of the land beyond the Jordan because their inheritance would be the land that they wanted to claim on this side of the Jordan.  Of course, we must never think that anything short of heaven is our Promised Land.  Verse twenty states, And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,  Moses began to give his permission with some ifs included.  Verse twenty-one adds, And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,  Verse twenty-two continues, And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.  Moses said if they all the men of fighting age would go armed into the battle across the Jordan, fight until all the enemies were driven out, then they could return and claim this land for there inheritance.  As Christians, God has already given us our inheritance in heaven, but that does not exempt us from the battle here.  Of course, we will never be fighting for an everlasting home anywhere short of heaven.  Verse twenty-three concludes, But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.  After the ifs, Moses gave them the but.  He said if they did not do what they promised, then they had sinned against God.  We already have our Promised Land of heaven assured if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, but we are still to be engaged in the battle against Satan and the forces of evil in the world today.  Verse twenty-four says, Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.  Moses told them to go ahead and build their cities and sheepfolds.  Verse twenty-five adds, And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.  The people of Gad and Reuben said they would do as the LORD commanded,  and so must we today as followers of Christ.  Verse twenty-six continues, Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:  The leaders of Gad and Reuben said their children, wives and cattle would remain in the cities of Gilead.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.  Though the children, women and cattle would remain behind, the men of fighting age and ability would pass over the Jordan to fight with the rest of Israel.  Verse twenty-eight states, So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:  Moses called on Eleazar, Joshua who would be leading the people in place of Moses, and the heads of the tribes of Israel to him.  These were the ones this decision would affect.  As Christians, we all need to be working together to defeat the enemies of God under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:  Moses told these leaders that if the men Gad and Reuben went with them into battle for the Promised Land, once they were victorious, the rest of the people of Israel were to give the people of Gad and Reuben the land of Gilead as their inheritance.  It was important that these leaders knew of the terms of the agreement, because Moses would not be there to verify it.  It is just as important that we teach the next generation about God's word, because one day we will no longer be here to do so.  Verse thirty concludes, But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.  If the people of Gad and Reuben did not fulfill there promises, they would not be allowed to claim possession of the land they wanted, but would have their inheritance in the land of Canaan.  

Numbers 32:6

Numbers 32:6 says, And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?  Since the people of Gad and Reuben had asked for land already captured, Moses asked them if the rest of the people of Israel should go to war while they sat there in peace.  We as followers of Christ today are at war with the sin in the world, and we should not expect to sit back at peace and prosperous while our fellow believers struggle to survive and fight the war.  Verse seven adds, And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?  Moses asked them why they would want to discourage others from going into the land that God had given them.  If we have seemingly gained great riches of this earth as Christians, seemingly without any problem, we may discourage other Christians who are struggling if we just sit back in ease.  Verse eight continues, Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.  Moses said this was what their fathers had done when he sent them to spy on the land originally.  They returned with a negative report, except for Joshua and Caleb, and the people were afraid to go into the land.  We should never let our success as followers of Christ serve as a discouragement to others.  Verse nine states, For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.  As just stated, Moses said the negative report of the spies discouraged the people of Isreal from going into the Promised Land a generation earlier, and if the tribes of Gad and Reuben stayed in the already conquered land, it could likewise discourage the rest of the people from wanting to cross over the Jordan where they would then have to fight for the Promised Land.  Though as Christians we are already assured of entering into our Promised Land, Heaven, we are not exempt from fighting the war against Satan in the world today.  Verse ten adds, And the LORD’s anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, Verse eleven continues, Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:  Moses reminded them of what had happened when the people of Israel chose to believe the report of the ten spies instead of putting their faith in God.  None of the men who came out of Egypt who were twenty years old or older would be allowed to go into the Promised Land.  Though if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord we will never be kept out of heaven, we still must actively follow God's will today.  We are not exempt from fighting the war against God by the forces of evil today, and if we just sit back and enjoy life if God has blessed us with prosperity and refuse to take an active role in fighting the war against evil, we may very well discourage other believers who are less fortunate.  Verse twelve says, Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.  Moses pointed out that Caleb and Joshua were the exception to the other spies, because they wholly followed God.  We need to be like them, and not like the rest of the spies and the people of Israel.  Verse thirteen continues, And the LORD’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.  Moses then reminded them of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness that God had them endure until all those men twenty years and older died.  God still expects His people to live by faith in Him and not by fear of what may happen to them in this world if they follow His will.  Verse fourteen states, And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers’ stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.  Moses said that the people of Gad and Ruben were in danger of being like their fathers by not wanting to cross over into the Promised Land,  because of the land where they were looking so good.  No matter how good things are for us in this world, we must make sure this does not come between us and God's will for us.  Verses fifteen adds, For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.  Moses told the people of Gad and Reuben if that if they stayed on this side of the Jordan and settled in peace that they might cause the rest of the nation to continue in the wilderness because they would question the need to cross over into the Promised Land and fight for it by faith in God.  We must likewise engage in the battle against the forces of evil as followers of Christ, no matter how prosperous and at ease our life may be.  Above all else, we must never allow our life to discourage others from putting their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Numbers 32:1

Numbers 32:1 says, Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;  The tribes of Rueben and God had a lot of cattle and saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead were good land for cattle.  Verse two adds, The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,  They came to Moses and Eleazar and spoke to them.  Moses and Eleazar were the spiritual leaders of all the people of Israel, so they came people of God and the leaders of the tribe of Ruben came to them when they wanted something.  We, as followers of Christ, should always come to Jesus when we want something today, but we must come to Him seeking His will.  Verse three continues, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,  There were also some of the other leaders of Isreal there, and whatever we are wanting from God as Christians should not be sought secretly if it affects our fellow believers.  Verse four states, Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:  Verse five adds, Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.  The Gadites and the Reubenites said that this was a good land, and asked Moses if they had found grace in his sight to allow them to settle there and to not cross over the Jordan.  This was still not really in the Promised Land, unless God made it a part.  We need to never want to stop short of God's everlasting Promised Land, Heaven, as followers of Christ. 

Numbers 31:48

Numbers 31:48 says, And the officers which were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses:  The officers of the army came to Moses.  Verse forty-nine adds, And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.   The officers said that they had taken a count of the men under them, and thay hadn't lost a single man in the battle.  As followers of Christ, when we are at war with the world today, not one of us will ever be lost from the everlasting perspective.  We are God's forever if we have truly put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse fifty continues, We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.  Every man had made an oblation of the gold in all forms that they had taken in the war, justly, and brought it to Moses as an atonement for their sins.  God had not demanded this through Moses telling them to do so, but they did it on their own initiative.  We should not wait for the spiritual leaders in the church today to tell or ask us to give to support God's work, but we should give freely on our own.  We should never look for material blessings for our work for God, but should dedicate all that we have to Him.  We do not do this in order to attempt to buy forgiveness, but in gratitude for what God has already blessed us with as Christians, everlasting life that can never be lost.  Verse fifty-one states, And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.  Moses and Eleazar accepted the gift.  Verse fifty-two adds, And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.  The total of the offering was sixteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty shekels, which is about a fourth of a pound according to Google.  This was a very valuable offering that the men who went to war offered to God. Verse fifty-three continues, (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)  The amount was this large because every man who had gone to war had taken some spoils of war.  Individually, what we can offer to God may not be much, but if all Christians give liberally to God, then we have a vast amount of resources to accomplish His work.  Yet, too often we see what God blesses us with as ours to use for our self alone, and even want more.  Verse fifty-four concludes, And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.  Moses and Eleazar did not keep this gift for themselves, but brought it into the tabernacle to be used for God's glory.  Spiritual leaders today should likewise use all that is given to the church, in the local congregations, for God's glory and the advancement of His kingdom.  They should never use it for their own advancement. 

Numbers 31:32

Numbers 31:32 says, And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,  The men who went to war captured a total of six hundred seventy five thousand sheep as spoils of war.  Verse thirty-three adds, And threescore and twelve thousand beeves,  They also captured seventy-two thousand cattle.  Verse thirty-four continues, And threescore and one thousand asses,   In addition, they captured sixty-one thousand asses.  Verse thirty-five concludes, And thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him.  They had also captured thirty-two thousand people who were allowed to live, and that was women who had not had sexual relations.  Verse thirty-six states, And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep:  The half that went to those who had actually gone to war was three hundred seven thousand five hundred sheep.  They had done more and risked more so they received a greater reward.  I am not sure how heavenly rewards work, but I do understand from the Bible that there will be rewards, but also that we are not to work for Christ just for rewards.  We are to work to advance God's kingdom by spreading the gospel and for God's glory and never for our own.  Verse thirty-seven adds, And the LORD’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.  The Lord’s tribute from the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.  This was God's tithe on the total number of sheep captured.  Verse thirty-eight adds, And the beeves were thirty and six thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and twelve.  Verse thirty-nine continues, And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred; of which the LORD’s tribute was threescore and one.  There were to give God His tithes on the total number of animals, and as followers of Christ, we are to give our tithes on all that God blesses us with.  Verse forty concludes, And the persons were sixteen thousand; of which the LORD’s tribute was thirty and two persons.  Out of the sixteen thousand people, God set thirty-two aside to Himself   Verse forty-one says, And Moses gave the tribute, which was the LORD’s heave offering, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses,  Moses gave the tribute of the LORD which was to be used as a heave offering to God to Eleazar the priest.  We are to give today so that the church can do God's work,but more importantly so that He can be glorified.  Verse forty-two adds, And of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided from the men that warred,  Verse forty-three continues, (Now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,  Verse forty-four continues, And thirty and six thousand beeves,  Verse forty-five continues, And thirty thousand asses and five hundred,  Verse forty-six concludes, And sixteen thousand persons;)   This is a listing of the half of the spoils of war given to the people of Israel who did not go to war.  Verse forty-seven states, Even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, which kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.  From their share, those who did not go to war had one portion out of every fifty, both of the people and the animals, given to the Levites.  This was in addition to what had already been dedicated to God, and it was to support the Levites, who were in charge of God's tabernacle.   We need to give generously today so that those who are in the ministry are well provided for.  

Numbers 31:21

Numbers 31:21 says, And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;  Eleazar the priest told the men who who had gone onto battle what God had told Moses was His ordinance or the law was.  We as followers of Christ go into battle against sin daily, and we need to know what God says that we are to do.  Verse twenty-two adds, Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,  Verse twenty-three continues, Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.  All the metals that had been taken in the war that would last through the fire, from gold down to lead, were to be put in a fire to be cleansed and then it was to be purified by the water of separation.  If they would not last through the fire, they were to be cleansed by the water.  Either way, they had to be purified to be used by God, and so must we today, and this can only happen by being purified by the blood of Christ.   Verse twenty-four states, And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.  The men who had gone to war were to remain out side the camp of the Israelites for seven days, then wash their clothes, and then they would be clean spiritually and could come into the camp.  There is no physical act that can cleanse us spiritually today, but only accepting Jesus Christ can, and when we do we will be spiritually clean.  Until we do, we will remain outside the kingdom of God, and once we do, we are immediately a part of His kingdom.  Verse twenty-five says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-six adds, Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:  God instructed Moses that Eleazar, the heads of the tribes, and he were to number the people and the animals taken as prey, or spoils of war.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And divide the prey into two parts; between them that took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation:  The prey was to be divided into two parts, between those who went to war and those who didn't.  All were to share in the spoils of war, but not all would share equally.   We as Christians all share in the spiritual reward of salvation, but we may not all share equally in the material rewards.  Matthew Henry points out that only the people and animals were to be thus divided and not the metals and jewelry, since the people and animals could be used to populate the land, and the other things could not.  We too often want the riches of the world more than we want to reach the lost for the kingdom of God, it often seems.  Verse twenty-eight states,  And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:  A tribute to God was to be levied on the men and animals that the men who went to war had been given.  They were to give one of every five hundred as a tribute to God.  We must always remember to give God His tribute of all that we have as followers of Christ.  Verse twenty-nine adds, Take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, for an heave offering of the LORD.  This was to be given to Eleazar as a heave offering to God.  Verse thirty continues,  And of the children of Israel’s half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, which keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.  The half given to the rest of the people of Israel were to have one of every fifty, the people and animals, given to the Levites, who were in charge of God's tabernacle.  We need to always make sure that we support God's work and those who are doing it.  Verse thirty-one concludes, And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.  Moses and Eleazar did what God had commanded Moses to do, and so must we do what God commands us to do today.  

Numbers 31:13

Numbers 31:13 says, And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.  Moses and Eleazar went out to meet those returning from the war.  Today, we as followers of Christ often go to meet those returning from mission trips, where they have been spiritually at war with the forces of evil in the world.  Verse fourteen add, And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came from the battle.  Moses did not meet them to celebrate, though, but he was angry with them.  Verse fifteen continues, And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive?  Moses asked them if they had saved all the women alive, which was not what God had told them to do.  We as Christians may not always agree with what God tells us to do, but we cannot change it and be successful spiritually.  Verse fifteen declares, Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.  Moses said it was the woman of the Medes who had caused the men of Israel to commit the sin of following Baal at Peor, which caused a plague amongst the Israelites.  Now, they had not only been spared, but they had been brought back to Israel.  We must do our best to keep those who would lead us away from God from being placed in a position where the can tempt us to stray away from God.  Verse seventeen adds, Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.  Moses told them to kill all the male children and all the women who had been sexually intimate.  We may think this to be excessively cruel, but it is not what happens in this life that matters.  Verse eighteen continues, But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.  Those women who had not been sexually active could be kept.  Verse nineteen states, And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.  All those who had killed someone or had touched a dead body were to remain outside the camp for seven days, and they were to purify themselves and their captives on the third and seventh day.  The fact that they had been sent to war and returned victorious did not releave them of the responsibility of following God's law.  Verse twenty adds, And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.  They were also to purify all their clothes, anything made of skin or goats' hair,  and everything made of wood.  Matthew Henry said these were the spoils of war that had been used by the Midianites and must therefore now be purified before being used by the Israelites.   

Numbers 31:1

Numbers 31:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.  God told Moses that he was to lead the people of Israel to avenge themselves of the Midianites, and then Moses would die.  We are to do what God has called us to do as long as we live.  Verse three continues, And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian.  Moses told some the people of Israel that some of them were to arm themselves for war.  Not all were going to go and fight, just as we as Christians do not all fight the enemies of God the same way today. They were to fight the Midianites because they had defied God.  Verse four states, Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.  Every tribe of Israel was to send a thousand to war, no matter the size of the tribe.  Verse five adds, So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.  Twelve thousand men, one for each tribe, were gathered for war with the Midianites.  No matter how large or how small we may be as congregation of Christ today, we are all equally responsible for carrying out the sharing of the gospel, and we must be willing to go to war with the world in order to do so.  This is a daily battle.  Verse six continues, And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.  In addition to the thousand from each tribe, the twelve thousand total, Moses sent Phineas, Eleazar's son with them as their priest, along with the holy instruments and the trumpet.  When we engage in battle with the world today, we must go armed with the whole armor of God and under His direction and power.  Verse seven says, And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.  The people of Israel went to war with the Midianites under God's direction, and they slew all the men of the Midianites.   Matthew Henry says this was all the men in the army, but that is not what the verse actually says, though in a later verse it seems to be accurate. Though we are not sent to kill the people of the world, we should be ready to go to war with them if they attempt to force us to not follow God, but even then we should do so under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Verse eight adds, And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.  They also killed the five kings of Midian, as well as Balaam, the son of Beor.  Matthew Henry says it is unclear how Balaam came to be with the Midianites, but it is likely that they had paid him to attempt to cast a spell on Israel, and he paid with his life.  If we profess to be Christians only for material gain, we to will ultimately pay the price for doing so.  Verse nine continues, And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.  All the women and children of the Midianites were taken captive, and all their goods were taken as spoils of war.  We should not attempt to follow God so we can gain materially from doing so, and this was not why the people of Israel went to war with the Midianites.  They went to war to glorify God and defeat those who fought against Him.  Verse ten says, And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.  All the cities of the Midianites and their castles were destroyed.  Verse eleven adds, And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.  Since this verse says that they took men as prey, it would seem to support Matthew Henry in saying only the men in the army were slain.  Verse twelve continues, And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.  They brought all the captives and the spoils to Moses and Eleazar.   They did not attempt to just profit materially from their victory, and neither should we today when we are victorious over the world.