After reading Numbers 26 I looked up some commentaries to help to try and understand the meaning of this second census that was taken before the Israelites entered Canaan. My understanding is that this census was in preparation for entering the Promised Land. This numbering was to prepare the men for war but also later on would help in how the land would be divided. We are reminded in verses 63-66 that no one was left who had been in Egypt or who had been present in the first census that was taken at Sinai with the exception of Caleb and Joshua.
63 These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. 64 Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai.65 For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
This shows how God keeps his word when He told Moses and Aaron in Numbers 14:29 "In this wilderness your bodies will fall-every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has rumbled against me." Also in Numbers 14:35 God tells Moses and Aaron "They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.
I find it interesting in Chapter 7 when the daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses regarding their family's inheritance. Since there were no sons in this family, the daughters didn't feel it was fair that they shouldn't receive their family's inheritance. God instructed that these daughters would receive an inheritance which showed all the Israelites that a family wouldn't suffer if there wasn't a male heir. This must have taken a lot of courage to bring this up to Moses. After Moses brings this case to God, God shows his fairness by telling Moses in verse 8 "If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter.
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Numbers 28-30
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In Chapter 26 we see that a faithless generation of unbelievers has now been eliminated, and a new generation stands ready to take possession of the Promised Land. It is inevitable that generations will come and go. What is not inevitable is the spiritual condition of the upcoming generation. And that is on us. We are responsible to be a generation faithful in teaching the next generation to love and follow God alone. Talk about a warning against slackness in this area. We must be purposefully about training our children in the way they should go. It starts with us.
Zelophehad's daughters are clearly women of faith. They believe without a doubt that Israel with gain possession of the Promised Land. They are so sure that they want the question about their coming inheritance to be settled now. Talk about living hope. Active expectation. Faith! Do we have such a faith when it comes to our Promised Land of eternity? Are we living with our eternal destination in mind?
And Moses. What a great leader! God informs Moses of his impending death, and what is his first concern? Not himself. Even in the very hour of his own death his concern was for his people and their welfare under the coming new leadership. That is the hallmark of a truly great leader!
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