Numbers 14 February 2024
Lesson: 18
Numbers 26:1 - 27:11
For our admonition, 1 Corinthians 10:11
Preparing to Enter the Promised Land A special law of inheritance (27:1-11).
Once again, the main outline is from the Open Bible, slightly edited. A man of the old generation named
Zelophehad had no sons, only five daughters.
The second census (26:1-51)
When it came to dividing the land, they were
In preparation for entering Canaan, God had
concerned that they would be left out, since the
Moses number the people again. This was the sum
women did not inherit, only the men.
of the people older than twenty years.
Read their complaint in Numbers 27:3-4.
The total number was 601,730. The total
Moses brought their cause before the Lord to
number at the first census was 603,550 (Numbers
see what He would say about the matter. The Lord
2:32). How sad. Other than Moses, Joshua, and
agreed that these daughters who had no brothers
Caleb (not sure about their wives), 603,477 people
was a valid complaint. God said they must receive
died during the 40 years of wandering. That is
an inheritance, but He put special rules on it
more than 15,000 each year. The consequences of
(27:7).
sin are severe.
God’s judgment provided that the land
The 601,730 people in the new generation
belonging to a family would never leave that
have a fresh start. Yes, they had suffered, but God
family. Later we learn that the daughters were
had not forsaken them.
required to marry within their family so that the
Method for dividing the land (26:52-56) land would not leave their tribe (Numbers 36:6).
The amount of land each tribe will inherit will
Principles for Us Today
be based on the number of people in each tribe.
God is a forgiving God, but we must always
More people get more land.
think ahead and recall that sin always has
The land was to be divided by lot. This does
consequences. In the case of Israel, the old
not speak of sections but of the method by which
generation all died without entering the Promised
the decisions were made. Lexicons shed various
Land because of their unbelief. The devil wants us
light on the casting of lots. The lot was “pebbles
to focus on our feelings and forget the
used for systematically making decisions” BDB,
CWSD consequences.
probably a stone or stones, to decide questions” ,
“Colored stones are used to cast lots to determine As God blessed Caleb and Joshua for their
a course of action or make a decision.” AHBL. faith, so God will bless you and me if we have
Evidently, God was pleased for the people to use faith.
this method, and He guided the outcome. Is praying and casting lots to make decisions
(Proverbs 16:33) "The lot is cast into the lap; but today a valid practice? Why or why not? It seems
the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD." odd to us, but in Solomon’s day God directed the
outcome. Something to ponder. Any comments?
Exceptions for dividing the land.
Again, God reminds us that the Levites
None for the Levites (26:57-62).
received no inheritance and that they were
We remember that the three families of
depending on the (tithe) pay for their service.
Levites were the Gershonites, the Kohathites, and
the Merarites.
The Levites were not numbered among the
people because they would not receive any
inheritance. The tithe of the people was their
inheritance because they served in the tabernacle.
Old generation is gone (26:63-65).
The old generation which had been
numbered in the wilderness of Sinai had all died.
The only survivors were Caleb and Joshua.
God rewarded these two men because of their
faith in Him when everyone else did not believe.
