Given a Glimpse...

 Deuteronomy 3:23 “And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 24 ‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? 25 Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ 26 But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again. 27 Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan. 

As God has Moses recite the history of the exodus and wilderness wanderings, he does not leave out his own failures. He had lost it at the rock, hitting it and demanding water. He made it about him instead of God.  As a result, he was not going to enter the land.  He begged God to let him just go in and see, but instead God gave him just a glimpse from a distance. Sometimes God gives us promises and goals that He wants to accomplish and we work towards them and see so much progress, but not total fulfillment. It is not that God has been unfaithful. What is important is that we ultimately end up with Him. Even a glimpse is worth the following. 

An Example So Far...

Deuteronomy 2:26 “So I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemoth to Sihon the king of Heshbon, with words of peace, saying, 27 ‘Let me pass through your land. I will go only by the road; I will turn aside neither to the right nor to the left. 28 You shall sell me food for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. Only let me pass through on foot, 29 as the sons of Esau who live in Seir and the Moabites who live in Ar did for me, until I go over the Jordan into the land that the Lord our God is giving to us.’ 30 But Sihon the king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.

As Moses continues to recall recent history as an encouragement for the people of Israel to move forward into the promised land, he recalled the resistance they had met along the way: peoples who did not want to assist them in obeying God's command. The point here is that God took care of them. Those who got in the way during the wilderness wanderings ended up giving their territory to the tribes who chose to settle on the east side of the Jordan.  In the same way, there would be resistance when they crossed the Jordan. No one was going to give up their home without a fight, but God would fight for them, if they obeyed Him. This was an example of how they were to take the land: obey His command, trust Him for victory, and seem Him keep His promises. We can trust Him to do the same in our lives, just as He has done so far.

Learn and Leave

Deuteronomy 1:26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.

By the end of the book of Numbers, we had seen enough names and lists to make the head spin as God gave instructions for entering the promised land.  Now it is time to enter. But before doing so, God has the people take one big glance backwards to see their complaining and disobedience.  God did not give them all of these struggles and roadblocks because He hated them. They brought them upon themselves by not trusting Him and obeying His commands. It was now time for them to learn from these experiences and leave their complaining and disobedience behind.  How often do we wrongly view our struggles as God being against us and doubting His love for us?  How much more are they because of our disobeying and failing to trust Him?

A Place for Safety and Justice

Numbers 35:25 And the congregation shall rescue the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he had fled, and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the boundaries of his city of refuge to which he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the boundaries of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. 28 For he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest, but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession. 

The cities of refuge in scripture are an interesting and often misunderstood topic in scripture. They were not just for anyone for any reason at any time. They were focused on keeping society focused on justice and not revenge. They were not just a home base you could go to playing tag. This was serious stuff. The manslayer who fled there could not just run and hide then do whatever he wanted. Justice had to be served and society had to act. That is the only way everyone will feel safe.

More Names; A Tough Job

Numbers 34:19 These are the names of the men: Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 20 Of the tribe of the people of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud. 21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon. 22 Of the tribe of the people of Dan a chief, Bukki the son of Jogli. 23 Of the people of Joseph: of the tribe of the people of Manasseh a chief, Hanniel the son of Ephod. 24 And of the tribe of the people of Ephraim a chief, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan. 25 Of the tribe of the people of Zebulun a chief, Elizaphan the son of Parnach. 26 Of the tribe of the people of Issachar a chief, Paltiel the son of Azzan. 27 And of the tribe of the people of Asher a chief, Ahihud the son of Shelomi. 28 Of the tribe of the people of Naphtali a chief, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.” 29 These are the men whom the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Once again we are faced not with a lot of numbers, but names. These men had in unenviable task of dividing the Promised land into parts and parcels for the tribes and clans within them. The risk for envy would be great. How do you choose and who do you choose? Thankfully they had leading them Joshua and Eliazer the priest, and above them God, but this was not small responsibility, as "unspiritual" as is may seem. May we be thankful for those willing to do so.

Learn from Where You've Been...

Numbers 33:6 And they set out from the wilderness of Sinai and camped at Kibroth-hattaavah. 17 And they set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth. 18 And they set out from Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah. 19 And they set out from Rithmah and camped at Rimmon-perez. 20 And they set out from Rimmon-perez and camped at Libnah. 21 And they set out from Libnah and camped at Rissah. 22 And they set out from Rissah and camped at Kehelathah. 23 And they set out from Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher. 24 And they set out from Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah. 25 And they set out from Haradah and camped at Makheloth. 26 And they set out from Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

Almost to be feared as much as pronouncing the lists of names in Numbers is the fear of having to read all of these places.  But, once again, they are important, as they represent where the people had been on their wilderness wanderings. With those places came memories, good and bad, of what they had learned along the way.  In the context of this chapter, they were to remember all the pagan nations they had encountered along the way and make sure to drive them out, lest their influence bring them down.  We learn from the past to look to the future and walk in obedience. 

Doing Their Part a Different Way.

Numbers 32:23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. 24 Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what you have promised.” 25 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben said to Moses, “Your servants will do as my lord commands. 26 Our little ones, our wives, our livestock, and all our cattle shall remain there in the cities of Gilead, 27 but your servants will pass over, every man who is armed for war, before the Lord to battle, as my lord orders.”

Because of the victories Israel won early, two of the tribes of Israel were satisfied with the land they saw (and with good reason) before even crossing the Jordan. The Jordan valley and the "highway" to the east had very desirable qualities. But they still had a responsibility to help the other tribes acquire their allotted territory. In exchange for early settlement, they had to agree to more travel from home, leaving their families behind while going on for battle.  It was a trade-off which was agreeable to all. Sometimes we can (and should) come to agreements with one another for all to move forward - in the family, in the church, and in all areas of life.  Are you willing to do this kind of exchange, or only do things your way?