Context No. 3808 of 4322 · Numbers

Numbers 34:13-29: in context

13Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. 15The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.” 16The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18You shall take one prince of every tribe, to divide the land for inheritance. 19These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20Of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22Of the tribe of the children of Dan a prince, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23Of the children of Joseph: of the tribe of the children of Manasseh a prince, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24Of the tribe of the children of Ephraim a prince, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25Of the tribe of the children of Zebulun a prince, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26Of the tribe of the children of Issachar a prince, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27Of the tribe of the children of Asher a prince, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28Of the tribe of the children of Naphtali a prince, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

As Israel prepares to enter Canaan, God names the men, a leader from each tribe, who will oversee dividing the land, so that every tribe receives its allotted inheritance. It is an administrative passage, but behind the list of names lies a rich truth: God had prepared an inheritance for his people, and he saw to it that each tribe, and each family within it, received their portion.

The land was not seized at random or grabbed by the strong; it was given by God and apportioned by his appointed men, so that all had their place. There is comfort in this picture of God's care. He does not deal with his people as an anonymous mass; he provides for each, ensuring that every tribe has its own inheritance in the land of promise. So it is with the greater inheritance God has prepared for his people in Christ, kept in heaven, with a place for each one who is his. The God who carefully apportioned Canaan has an inheritance reserved for all who belong to him.

Do I live in the confidence that God has prepared an inheritance for me, with a place kept for each one who is his, as surely as he apportioned the land to every tribe of Israel?

Sources

Numbers 34:17: "These are the names of the men who shall divide the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun."
Numbers 34:29: "These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan."
1 Peter 1:4: "To an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn't fade away, reserved in Heaven for you."