The High Cost of Compromise

1 After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” 3 As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. 4 Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. 5 And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, 6 saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

10 “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11 which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.” – Ezra 9:1-15 ESV

It had been 80 years since the first wave of Israelites returned to the land of Judah under the aegis of King Cyrus of Persia. These former exiles had been given permission to return to their homeland so that they might restore the city of Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of Solomon. This generation of Israelites had been born in Babylon during the 70 years of exile that God had ordained as punishment for their parents' failure to keep their covenant commitment to Him.

Sixty-six years before the Babylonians invaded Judah and captured the city of Jerusalem, God foretold of the coming destruction. He spoke through His prophet Jeremiah, who delivered His warning of pending judgment to the stubbornly rebellious people of Judah.

“But you would not listen to me,” says the Lord. “You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. And now the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.” – Jeremiah 25:7-11 NLT

Everything happened just as God said it would. In 539 B.C., the Babylonians ended a years-long siege, breaching the walls of Jerusalem and wreaking destruction upon the city and its citizens. Those who did not die by the sword were taken captive and transported to Babylon. But God had also placed a time limit on their season of suffering. Long before the Babylonians invaded Judah, God declared that their subjugation of His people would last seven decades.

“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord. “I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.” – Jeremiah 25:12 NLT

Once the Babylonian conquest of Judah had taken place and the exiles were trying to acclimate to their new surroundings in a foreign land, God sent another message through His prophet Jeremiah.

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” – Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT

God kept His word. When 70 years had passed, He motivated King Cyrus to issue a decree authorizing the release and repatriation of the people of Judah. A remnant of Jews returned to Judah under the leadership of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel. Upon their arrival, they began the formidable task of rebuilding the Temple and were immediately met with stiff opposition from the local inhabitants. During the 70 years of exile, the once-vacant cities and homes of the Judahites had been taken over by foreigners. The king of Assyria had relocated some of his foreign captives to Judah, authorizing them to claim the land as their own. In time, these immigrants intermarried with the Israelites who had been left behind after the Babylonian invasion. These mixed-race occupants of the land became known as Samaritans. 

By the time Ezra arrived some 80 years later, he discovered that the Babylonians exiles who returned under Zerubbabel’s leadership had also been intermarrying with the locals.

“…the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. They have taken up the detestable practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons.” – Ezra 9:1-2 NLT

Ezra’s whole purpose for returning to Judah was to instruct the people in the laws of God. He had brought a contingent of Levitical priests to assist him in his efforts. But he soon discovered that he had his work cut out for him. The people of Judah were living in direct violation of one of God’s primary prohibitions. Centuries earlier, God had forbidden His chosen people from intermarrying with the nations living in Canaan.

“When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.” – Deuteronomy 7:2-4 NLT

For hundreds of years, God’s people had violated His laws. This is the reason He sent the Babylonians to defeat and enslave them. But even after 70 years of forced exile, the people of Judah had failed to learn their lesson. They repeated the sins of their forefathers and intermarried with the idolatrous nations that had occupied the land in their absence. The returned people of God grew complacent about their faith and compromised their convictions. 

Ezra was appalled by what he heard.

“…the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.” – Ezra 9:2 NLT

Those who knew better had promoted this behavior. The leaders of Judah, including the Levites and priests, were responsible for this sad spiritual state of affairs.

Ezra’s reaction reveals a lot about his character. He immediately went into mourning over the news of the people’s apostasy. Then he took the matter to Yahweh. Personally ashamed of their conduct, Ezra took it upon himself to confess the corporate sins of the people, declaring himself to be complicit in their act of rebellion.

“O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens.” – Ezra 9:6 NLT

As a scribe and an expert in the Mosaic law, Ezra knew that what they were doing was in direct violation of God's commands and that God would not take their disobedience lightly. It shocked Ezra that the people would behave in this way despite God's amazing grace and mercy. God had shown them favor by allowing a remnant of them to return to the land, rebuild the Temple, and restore the city of Jerusalem. He had not forsaken them but had fulfilled His promise to end their 70 years of captivity and send them home.

The people of God had not earned or deserved God’s gracious treatment of them. Even their time living as slaves in Babylon had been marked by continued rebellion against God. They had regularly worshiped false gods and rejected and rebelled against the one true God. Yet, He had kept His word and fulfilled His promise.

Ezra did not take God's grace lightly. He was shocked that the people could so easily snub their noses at God and blatantly live in open rebellion to His commands. Their lives were marked by compromise. Rather than separate themselves from the other nations that had taken up residence in the land during their absence, they gladly coexisted with them, marrying off their sons and daughters to them. Not only that, they compromised their allegiance to God by taking on the false gods of their neighbors, diluting their faith, and offending the very One who had rescued them from captivity.

This parallels the experience of so many of us as believers. God has redeemed us from slavery to sin. He has made it possible for us to be restored to a right relationship with Him. Yet we find ourselves comingling with the world around us. Rather than remaining separate and set apart, we determine to blend in and, in the process, end up compromising our convictions. Many of us, having been set free by God, find ourselves enslaved to the world. We seek our self-worth and satisfaction from what the world offers. We long to be accepted by the world. So, we seek to blend in and slowly, steadily, we begin to make compromises and concessions. We rationalize our behavior and excuse our actions. We refuse to accept Jesus' warning that the world will hate us just as it hated Him.

Instead of living as strangers and sojourners in this land and recognizing that we are citizens of another kingdom, we choose to get too cozy and comfortable with this world. We gladly adopt their ways and accept their standards as our own. The convictions of the culture around us slowly begin to influence and infect us, and we begin to lose our distinctiveness. Chosen and set apart by God, we find ourselves looking more and more like the world around us. Our distinction as Christians becomes more a label than a lifestyle. That was the problem Ezra encountered when he arrived in Judah. The saints had lost their saltiness. The intensity of their light had diminished and they were close to being overwhelmed by the surrounding darkness.

And yet, God still showed them favor. He continued to extend mercy. It was He who sent Ezra back with the sole task of reestablishing His law in the land. God had allowed them to rebuild the temple and He would eventually send back Nehemiah with another wave of exiles to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. God was not done and He is not done today. Despite all we see happening around us and the feeling that the darkness is overwhelming, God remains on His throne. He is still in charge. But He is looking for a remnant of His people who will boldly stand apart from the crowd and speak up for the truth. He is calling His people to come back to Him, reject the ways of this world, and renew their commitment to live in holiness.

For the believer, compromise is deadly, and the temptation to do so is greater than it has ever been before. The world wants to silence our voices, stifle our faith, compromise our convictions, and distract us from our devotion to God. But we must never forget that God has redeemed us from the world. We can live in it and yet not become part of it. We have been called to make a difference, not blend in. We have been saved so that we might tell others of the truth regarding man's sin and God's plan of salvation. Some of us have compromised our faith. Others of us have allowed ourselves to succumb to defeat and despair. We live as if all hope is lost and the enemy is winning. But our God reigns. He wins in the end. His victory is assured. We must live like we believe it. All is not lost. But it is time for the called out to stand up and to live out their faith.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Back to the Future

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. 25 And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. 26 I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers' houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God. – Ezra 8:24-36 ESV

Having successfully recruited the additional Levitical priests and temple servants he required, Ezra led the returning exiles in a time of fasting and prayer (vs 21-23). This brief worship service was intended to seek God’s protection and provision for their journey and remind all involved of the holiness of their mission. They were on a divinely ordained assignment from Yahweh to return the sacred vessels to the Temple in Jerusalem. Among the returning exiles was a sizeable contingent of Levitical priests to assist Ezra in teaching God’s Law to the people of Judah. The journey ahead would be long and fraught with danger. It didn’t help that they would carry vast amounts of silver and gold and the priceless sacred vessels stored in the Babylonian treasury for 80 years.

In a display of wise leadership, Ezra delegated responsibility for the treasure to 12 hand-picked priests. It has been estimated that the total weight of the silver and gold was as much as 28 tons. The value of this precious cargo was inestimable but not just because of its financial worth. The gold and silver represented the offerings of Artaxerxes and the people of Judah who remained behind in Babylon. These donations were gifts to Yahweh and were to be considered holy. As Ezra distributed the treasure among the priestly leaders, he conveyed to them the seriousness of their assignment and the sacredness of their cargo.

“You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the Lord. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 8:28-29 NLT

Ezra wanted these men to know they were “holy” (qōḏeš). As Levitical priests, they had been consecrated to God and served at His pleasure. They belonged to Him. Even though they had spent their lives living in exile in Babylon, nothing had changed their set-apart status as God’s servants. Now they were returning to Jerusalem and would be reinstated to their role as the caretakers of the Temple and the mediators between Yahweh and the people. Ezra wanted them to embrace their priestly responsibilities and take seriously the consecrated nature of their heritage. As Levites, they were descendants of Aaron the first high priest, and were expected to carry on the legacy of spiritual leadership that God had graciously bestowed on their tribe.

Centuries earlier, God had chosen the Levites as His own, setting them apart as His servants, the caretakers of His house, and the teachers of His Law.

“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.” – Num ber 8:16-19 NLT

After a lengthy trip, Ezra and his entourage arrived safely in Jerusalem. Their request for God’s protection had been answered and Ezra gratefully acknowledged Yahweh’s providential role behind it all.

…the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. – Ezra 8:31 NLT

No travelers were lost, no gold or silver was stolen, and no Temple treasures were misplaced or missing. 

Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded. – Ezra 8:34 NLT

After four days of rest, the people gathered at the Temple for a sacred assembly at which they offered sacrifices to Yahweh. This must have been an emotional occasion for these recently returned exiled. Most, if not all of them, were too young to remember the former glory of Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon had built. These people had been born and raised in Babylon, the descendants of those who had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar decades earlier. This was a new generation of Judahites who received a crash course in the worship of Yahweh and the intricacies of the sacrificial system. It must have been a sensory overload as they witnessed the sacrifices of 12 bulls, 96 rams, 77 male lambs, and 12 male goats. They would have never experienced anything like this during their days in Babylon.

As the people watched, their unblemished bulls, rams, lambs, and goats were ceremoniously sacrificed by the Levitical priests and offered as atonement for their sins. There was deep and meaningful symbolism behind every action. The blood of the animals was spilled and sprinkled on the altar.

“If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you may be accepted by the Lord. Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him. Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the animal’s blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest will build a wood fire on the altar. They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” – Leviticus 1:3-9 NLT

This was a participatory event. No spectators or uninvolved observers were permitted. This religious ritual was intended to remind God’s people of their sinfulness and their need for atonement. The author of Hebrews points out the significance of the sacrificial system when he writes, “…according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT).

Centuries earlier, God had told the people of Israel, “…the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible” (Leviticus 17:11 NLT). As the recently returned remnant looked on, copious amounts of blood flowed as hundreds of innocent animals were slaughtered by the priests. This gruesome spectacle must have been difficult to watch and even harder to reconcile. They had no precedent for understanding what they were observing. None of them had ever offered a sacrifice at the Temple before. This was a new experience for each of them and it's likely that Ezra, as an expert in the Mosaic Law, had to explain all that was taking place. Even the Levitical priests found themselves in the difficult spot of having to perform sacred duties with which they were totally unfamiliar. This entire event was literally a baptism by fire as the participants rekindled their devotion to Yahweh and received unmerited atonement for their sins.

They were back in the land and because of their sacrifices, they were back in right standing with Yahweh. Their sacrifices had been accepted and their sins atoned for. Now the real work would begin as Ezra attempted to teach the people the code of conduct God had ordained for them. He and his priestly assistants face the formidable task of instructing the people about God’s expectations of them.

Despite their 70-year exile in Babylon, God’s view of the Israelites had not changed. He still held them to a higher standard. When He delivered them out of their captivity in Egypt, God had declared His non-negotiable requirements as His chosen people.

“For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.” – Deuteronomy 7:6-11 NLT

God’s Law had not been altered or amended. His expectations of them had not changed. Their ancestors had disobeyed and been punished. Now it was their turn to hear God’s Laws and decide whether they were willing to keep them. God had proven Himself faithful. But would they?

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Divine Payback

10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob,
    shame shall cover you,
    and you shall be cut off forever.
11 On the day that you stood aloof,
    on the day that strangers carried off his wealth
and foreigners entered his gates
    and cast lots for Jerusalem,
    you were like one of them.
12 But do not gloat over the day of your brother
    in the day of his misfortune;
do not rejoice over the people of Judah
    in the day of their ruin;
do not boast
    in the day of distress.
13 Do not enter the gate of my people
    in the day of their calamity;
do not gloat over his disaster
    in the day of his calamity;
do not loot his wealth
    in the day of his calamity.
14 Do not stand at the crossroads
    to cut off his fugitives;
do not hand over his survivors
    in the day of distress. – Obadiah 1:10-14 ESV

The feud between the Israelites and Edomites had deep roots, going back to the births of their two patriarchs, Jacob and Esau. Their father Isaac had asked God to allow his wife Rebekah to conceive and these twin sons resulted from God’s miraculous intervention. But even in the womb, Jacob and Esau exhibited their propensity for conflict.

The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
    the older shall serve the younger.” – Genesis 25:22-23 ESV

Even at birth, their competitive nature was on full display.

The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. – Genesis 25:25-26 ESV

A later incident confirmed God’s earlier prediction, “the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23). After a long day of hunting, Esau encountered his “younger” brother making stew. Overcome by hunger, he begged Jacob to give him a bowl of the delicious-smelling stew. Taking advantage of the situation, Jacob offered to sell the stew for the price of his brother’s birthright. Without hesitation, Esau agreed, and in doing so, he treated his rights as the firstborn son with disdain. 

Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. – Genesis 25:31-34 ESV

Esau’s rash decision was far more costly than he could have imagined. He had forfeited his right to inherit the leadership of his family in the event of Isaac’s death. He had allowed his temporary hunger to dramatically alter his future role and financial standing. As the firstborn son, Esau stood to inherit twice as much as his brother Jacob (Deuteronomy 21:17). But he had squandered it all for a single meal.

Years later, as their father lay on his deathbed, Jacob and Esau proved their mutual disdain yet again. Aided by his conniving mother, Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him the blessing reserved for the firstborn son. In an elaborate ruse, Jacob disguised himself as his brother and convinced his poor-sighted father to bestow on him the blessing of the firstborn. Fooled by Jacob’s impersonation, Isaac unknowingly blessed the wrong son.

“See, the smell of my son
    is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
May God give you of the dew of heaven
    and of the fatness of the earth
    and plenty of grain and wine.
Let peoples serve you,
    and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
    and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
    and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” – Genesis 27:27-29 ESV

News of this injustice left Esau so enraged that he contemplated killing his own brother.

From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.” – Genesis 27:41 NLT

Worried about Jacob’s safety, Rebekah sent him away to prevent Esau from taking his life. She would never see her son again. And while Jacob and Esau would later heal their relationship, the tension between them would transfer to their descendants. Centuries later, when Moses attempted to lead the Israelites through the land of the Edomites, they were rebuffed and threatened with death by the offspring of Esau.

But Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you.” And the people of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway, and if we drink of your water, I and my livestock, then I will pay for it. Let me only pass through on foot, nothing more.” But he said, “You shall not pass through.” And Edom came out against them with a large army and with a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory, so Israel turned away from him. – Numbers 20:18-21 ESV

The animosity between Israel and Edom continued for generations. Even during the reigns of Saul and David, the Edomites proved to be a problem.  They used their mountain stronghold as a base of operations to raid and pillage Israelite towns and settlements. Over the years, they joined forces with Israel’s enemies to wage war against their blood relatives. Now, God was warning that He would hold them accountable for their actions.

“Because of the violence you did
    to your close relatives in Israel,
you will be filled with shame
    and destroyed forever.” – Obadiah 1:10 NLT

Verse 10 is the summary statement for all that follows in verses 11-14. When Israel was invaded by outside forces, the Edomites not only refused to come to their aid, but they took advantage of their predicament and “acted like one of Israel’s enemies” (Obadiah 1:11 NLT). They were opportunists.

To make matters worse, when the citizens of Judah were taken captive and exiled to foreign lands, the Edomites gloated and rejoiced. They found a perverse sense of joy in watching their blood relatives suffer. As if to drive home the abysmal nature of Judah’s plight, Obadiah refers to their suffering as “the day of his misfortune,” “the day of distress,” “the day of their calamity,” and “the day of their ruin.”

Yet, as Judah suffered, the Edomites rejoiced, gloated, boasted, and looted. They enriched themselves at Judah’s expense and, for this, they would pay dearly.

When God called Abram, one of the things He promised to do was to use this man and his barren wife to produce a great nation. But there was a second aspect to the promise.

“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse…” – Genesis 12:2-3 ESV

The Edomites had made the fatal error of dishonoring the descendants of Abraham, and they had done so despite God’s gracious treatment of them. When Moses prepared to lead the Israelites into the promised land, God made a disclosure about the Edomites that revealed His sovereign care for them.

“You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north. Give these orders to the people: “You will pass through the country belonging to your relatives the Edomites, the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. The Edomites will feel threatened, so be careful. Do not bother them, for I have given them all the hill country around Mount Seir as their property, and I will not give you even one square foot of their land. If you need food to eat or water to drink, pay them for it.” – Deuteronomy 2:3-6 NLT

God had graciously given the Edomiites the land around Mount Seir. It was their God-given inheritance and He would not allow the Israelites to occupy any of it. Yet, the Edomites refused to aid Moses and the people of God. They rejected Moses’ request to pass through their land and to sell them provisions for their journey. Instead, they threatened the Israelites with physical violence if they came anywhere near their land. In essence, they cursed or dishonored the descendants of Abraham. Now, they would experience the “curse” of God.

God would later tell the Israelites, ““Do not detest the Edomites…because the Edomites are your relatives” (Deuteronomy 23:7 NLT). But this did not prevent God from meting out justice against the Edomites. He had blessed them. He had provided land for them. Despite Esau’s disdain for his birthright, God had ensured that Esau’s progeny were well provided for. They had everything they needed and had they blessed the Israelites by providing food and safe passage, God would have blessed them even more. But they had chosen to treat God’s people harshly and hatefully, and their disrespect would result in God’s discipline.

As you have done, it shall be done to you;
    your deeds shall return on your own head. – Obadiah 1:15 ESV

All those who choose to be enemies rather than allies to God’s people will pay dearly for their decisions. Indifference is no excuse. Refusing to aid God’s chosen people is no less egregious than attacking them. But to take advantage of their misery and suffering is inexcusable and worthy of God’s wrath.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Adonai

1Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” 2 The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” – Exodus 4:1-13 ESV

'ăḏōnāy – “The Lord.” This post will conclude our study of God’s names. I chose to end with this name because it communicates an essential characteristic of God that often gets overlooked. The term 'ăḏōnāy is actually a title of respect more than a name and is used more than 400 times in the Old Testament. What makes it confusing is that it is also used when referring to God and men. David referred to King Saul as his Adonai.

Saul recognized David's voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord ['ăḏōnāy], O king.” – 1 Samuel 26:17 ESV

Abner also used this common title of respect when referring to David.

And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord ['ăḏōnāy] the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. – 2 Samuel 3:21 ESV

In Hebrew, adonai means “lord” or “master” and is typically used to convey deference and respect for someone of higher rank or order. When used of God, it communicates an awareness of His sovereignty as “the Lord ['ăḏōnāy] of all the earth” (Zechariah 6:5). He is the master over all He has created and rules with unsurpassed power and undeniable authority.

Exodus chapter 3 describes an unexpected and highly disturbing encounter between Moses and God. While shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep near Mount Horeb, Moses saw an incredible sight: a bush that appeared to be on fire but was not consumed by the flames. Curious, he stepped up to get a closer look and heard a voice from heaven.

“I am the God ['ĕlōhîm] of your father, the God ['ĕlōhîm] of Abraham, the God ['ĕlōhîm] of Isaac, and the God ['ĕlōhîm] of Jacob.” – Exodus 3:6 ESV

God introduces Himself by using the name that was most familiar to Abraham and his descendants. But the name Elohim was a somewhat generic appellation that was used of all gods, including the God of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Hebrew, Elohim is the plural form of El and since Moses had grown up in Egypt, he knew that there were gods (Elohim) everywhere. So, God’s introduction of Himself as Elohim left Moses wondering which Elohim he was speaking to.

When Moses heard that this Elohim had a job for him to do, he was perplexed. This God was demanding that he return to Egypt and deliver the people of Israel out of their slavery and into the Promised Land. But Moses wasn’t sure about the message or the messenger and asked, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God ['ĕlōhîm] of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” (Exodus 3:13 ESV).

Moses was looking for further clarification. He wanted to know which Elohim he was dealing with and God graciously responded to his question.

God ['ĕlōhîm] said to Moses, “I am [ʾehyeh] who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God ['ĕlōhîm] also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God ['ĕlōhîm] of your fathers, the God ['ĕlōhîm] of Abraham, the God ['ĕlōhîm] of Isaac, and the God ['ĕlōhîm] of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” – Exodus 3:14-15 ESV

That phrase, “I am who I am” contains the Hebrew word, ʾehyeh, which is the verb form of the word, hayah, which means, “to be.” God is essentially saying, “I am and I have always been.” In other words, He is the ever-existing One. This speaks to His eternality; He is unbound by time and space. He operates outside the temporal and time-oriented confines of His own creation. In response to Moses’ question, God essentially said, “I am and will always be.”

But while Moses had received the name of God, he was still wrestling with the calling of God. He continued to push back against the message he had received, questioning its authenticity and viability. Still reluctant to take this dangerous-sounding assignment from God, Moses countered, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The LORD [Yᵊhōvâ] never appeared to you’?” (Exodus 4:1 NLT).  Here the text contains the name, Jehovah or Yahweh. God’s self-description of hayah later morphed into the name, Yahweh, the third-person masculine singular form of the same verb. So, whenever the people of Israel used the name Yahweh, they were saying, “He is.” Unlike the Elohim of Egypt, their God was real. He is and will always be. He is not the figment of someone’s overly active imagination. 

This adds another layer of confusion to this passage that needs clarification. God referred to Himself as Elohim. Then He added the designation “I am” (hayah), which later became Yahweh, and translates as Jehovah in English. That is the name Moses uses in verse 1 of chapter four. In our English Bible, the name Yahweh (Jehovah) is typically translated as LORD. Since the ancient Hebrews did not use vowels when writing their language, Yahweh appeared as YHWH. To this day, we are not sure which vowels were left out, which makes any assessment of the exact pronunciation virtually impossible.

In the Latin translation of the Bible, the letters became JHVH. Eventually, the English translators of the Bible changed JHVH to Lord. But because there was another Hebrew word that meant the same thing, the English translators of the Bible changed Yahweh to LORD using all caps.

So, whenever we see the word “Lord” using lowercase letters, it means Adonia. When it appears in all caps, it is Yahweh. This brings us back to Exodus 4, and particularly verses 10-11. Here Moses speaks to the LORD and uses the designation “Lord” (Adonai).

“O Lord [Adonai], I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” – Exodus 4:10 NLT

He refers to God as his lord or master. While he did not like the assignment the LORD had given him, Moses still treats the LORD with dignity, awe, and respect. He was arguing his case and attempting to persuade his superior that he was the wrong man for the job, yet he treated the Lord with appropriate awe and honor.

This is where many of us fail in our relationship with God. We will confess Him to the great “I am,” the ever-present, eternal God of the universe, but we neglect to treat Him as our Lord and Master. We love to think of God as the LORD Who Sanctifies, the LORD My Redeemer, the LORD My Deliverer, the LORD of Hosts, the LORD of Peace, and the LORD Who Provides. But are we willing to think of Him as our Lord and Master? We may use the words but do we live as if we believe them?

Jesus made an interesting statement concerning the use of the name Lord without the appropriate heart to match.

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it.” – Luke 6:46-47 NLT

He goes on to tell a parable that illustrates the futility of using lip service when speaking of His mastery over our lives as our Lord and King.

“It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” – Luke 6:48-49 NLT

To call Him Lord but to fail to treat Him as such, is nothing short of blasphemy. It is submission to His Lordship that results in a “well-built” life. To hear the Lord speak and not obey is to guarantee a storm-tossed life with no foundation and no escape from the inevitable floods that come our way.

“When life is chaotic and things seem to be falling apart, those who worship God as Adonai and do what He says will remain steadfast.” – Rabbi Kurt A. Schneider, To Know Him By Name

The apostle Paul describes his own submission to the Lordship of Christ.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. – Philippians 3:7-8 ESV

Paul used the Greek word, kyrios, which translates into “Lord” and means “the owner; one who has control of the person, the master.” Paul was willing to give Jesus complete mastery over his life, submitting to His will and suffering the loss of anything that might stand in the way of their relationship. He knew he belonged to Christ, but he also believed that he was the true beneficiary in the relationship. From his perspective, he had “gained” Christ. In submitting his life to Christ’s lordship, Paul had won because he now enjoyed Christ’s favor and fellowship.

Paul provides a powerful word of encouragement to all those who have placed their faith in Jesus as Savior and who recognize Him as the Lord over their lives.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Selah

1 I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies. – Psalm 18:1-3 ESV

YHWH-Selaʿ – “The LORD My Rock.” In this Psalm, David provides several descriptions of Yahweh, each of which could be used in conjunction with His name to provide further details concerning His character. First, he describes Yahweh, the LORD, as his strength (ḥēzeq). In Hebrew, this masculine noun conveys the idea of power to provide help in times of need. For David, this hope in God’s capacity to deliver him from difficulty was not a case of wishful thinking but a proven reality. In fact, the descriptor for this Psalm states, “He sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.”

David wasn’t speculating about Yahweh’s strength; he spoke from first-hand experience and added a string of nouns to further describe the extent of God’s power: rock, fortress, savior. shield, power, and place of safety. For David, these words served as literary instruments to support his “song” of praise to Yahweh. They blended together to form a musical tribute to his all-powerful, ever-present-in-times-of-need God.

In the early part of his life, David spent years living as a fugitive, constantly on the run to escape the wrath of King Saul. The prophet Samuel had anointed him to be Saul’s replacement, but Saul was not going to vacate the throne willingly or easily. Jealous of David’s military successes and growing popularity among the people, Saul viewed him as a threat and repeatedly tried to eliminate him. But God continually protected and preserved David.

Even after becoming king, David experienced the presence and power of God in his life as he successfully led the armies of Israel to victory over their enemies. He recognized Yahweh’s hand in it all and couldn’t help but sing His praises.

This song comes from a thankful heart. David could remember the dark days of hiding in caves to escape the mercenaries Saul had sent to kill him. In those moments, he felt all alone and defenseless. The presence of his “mighty men” did nothing to bolster his confidence. The anointing of Samuel failed to provide him with hope. So, in his anxiety and fear, he turned to Yahweh.

The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears. – Psalm 18:4-6 NLT

In David’s moment of need, God responded.

He heard me from his sanctuary – vs 6

He opened the heavens and came down – vs 9

The Lord thundered from heaven – vs 13

He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies – vs 14

He reached down from heaven and rescued me – vs 16

…the LORD supported me – vs 18

He led me to a place of safety – vs 19

…he rescued me – vs 19

The Lord rewarded me – vs 20

…he restored me – vs 20

God had regularly shown up in David’s life; it wasn’t sporadic or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This pattern of deliverance was a common occurrence and David learned to rely upon it during his darkest and most difficult days. That’s why he was able to describe Yahweh as his rock.

The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
    May the God of my salvation be exalted! – Psalm 18:46 NLT

The term “rock” conjures up images of stability and strength. A rock is immovable and unshakeable. Jesus used this imagery to illustrate a life “built” on the “rock” of His message of salvation.

“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.” – Luke 7:47-48 NLT

The Hebrew word carries the image of a rocky crag or cliff under which a weary traveler might find safety from a storm. It was in such a spot that David found a cave in which to hide and seek refuge from the bounty hunters who sought his life. The imagery of the rock was one of David’s favorite metaphors for referring to Yahweh.

O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
    don’t let me be disgraced.
    Save me, for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me;
    rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,
    a fortress where I will be safe.
You are my rock and my fortress. – Psalm 31:1-3 NLT

David used “rock” and “fortress” as virtual synonyms. The Hebrew word for “fortress” is mᵉtsudâh and can also be translated as “house of defense.” The word "Masada" is a Hebrew word that means "strong foundation or support." It is also the name of an ancient fortress in Israel that was built on a natural rock plateau thousands of feet above the Dead Sea. This stronghold became a symbol of Israel’s resistance to the Romans during the later part of the 1st Century A.D.

This seemingly impenetrable mountain fortress housed a small contingent of Jewish rebels who held out against the Romans for months, finally ending their occupation by taking their own lives. For David, these images of fortresses, houses of defense, rocky crags, and well-hidden caves served as perfect metaphors for Yahweh. They are tangible yet, obviously, insufficient symbols of God’s ability to care for His own in any and all circumstances. Unlike the mountaintop fortress of Masada, God never succumbs to the enemy’s attacks. David found God to have a perfect track record when it came to His role as rock, fortress, savior. shield, power, and place of safety.

He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me. – Psalm 18:17-19 NLT

This imagery of the rock also appears in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians, Paul provides insight into an Old Testament event that involved a miraculous “rock” through which God met the needs of the Israelites.

I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. – 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NLT

This is a reference to the story found in Exodus 17. Under the leadership of Moses, the people of Israel are making their way to the land of Canaan. On their journey, they arrived at a place called Rephidim where they discovered no water to drink. As was their habit, the people grumbled at Moses and he took their complaint to God. Yahweh’s response was simple and direct.

“I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.” – Exodus 17:6 NLT

Fast-forward 40 years and the scene shifts from Rephidim to Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. Once again, the people complained to Moses because there was no water to drink and, as before, he took the problem to God, who responded:

“You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock.” – Numbers 20:8 NLT

Notice that, this time, God instructed Moses to “speak” to the rock, not to strike it. But at the story unfolds, Moses, in his anger decides to do things his way. Gathered the people together

“Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. – Numbers 20:10-11 NLT

Attempting to elevate his stock among the disgruntled Israelites, Moses gave the impression that this miracle was his doing and, in doing so, robbed God of glory. This mistake would cost him dearly. God informed Moses and his brother Aaron, that their actions would prevent them from entering the land of Canaan.

“Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” – Numbers 20:12 NLT

But Paul ignores this part of the story and focuses on the rock. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he reveals that this was not just any rock. In fact, he infers that this was a “spiritual rock that traveled with them” (1 Corinthians 10:4 NLT). But is Paul suggesting that this physical rock somehow accompanied the Israelites as they made their way from Rephidim to Kadesh. There is a rabbinic tradition that takes just such an interpretation, but it is unlikely that this was Paul’s meaning.

Paul was using the story of the physical rock to remind his readers of Jehovah-Selah, Yahweh My Rock. He likely had in mind Moses’ statement from Deuteronomy 32.

“I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    how glorious is our God!
He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect.
    Everything he does is just and fair.
He is a faithful God who does no wrong;
    how just and upright he is!” – Deuteronomy 32:3-4 NLT

Paul wanted the believers in Corinth to understand that Jesus was God. As the Son of God, He took on human flesh and made God visible to mankind. John points out the amazing nature of the incarnation.

No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. – John 1:18 NLT

Paul told the believers in Colossae the very same thing.

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. – 1:15 NLT

For Paul, Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of the rock that provided for the Israelites’ physical thirst. But Paul points out that Jesus is a “spiritual rock,” and, as such, He provides spiritual sustenance. Jesus Himself supported this claim.

“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” – John 7:37-38 NLT

Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14 ESV).

Fast-forward to the Book of Revelation, where John records the words of Jesus as He sits on the throne of David and rules over His kingdom on earth.

 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” – Revelation 22:5-6 NLT

Jesus as Jehovah-Selah (Yahweh My Rock), will ultimately provide for all the needs of His people. He will satisfy their spiritual thirst. He will meet their every need. He will rule over a kingdom of perfect righteousness where sin, suffering, pain, and death are no longer a threat or even a possibility.

But even before that day arrives, HIs followers can rejoice in the reality of His protection and provision as the rock on which they stand.

Christ is my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
When everything around me is shaken
I've never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
'Cause He's never let me down
He's faithful through generations
So why would He fail now?
He won't, He won't

I've still got joy in chaos
I've got peace that makes no sense
So I won't be going under
I'm not held by my own strength
'Cause I've built my life on Jesus
He's never let me down
He's faithful in every season
So why would He fail now?

He won't, He won't

Firm Foundation lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Nissi

8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The Lord Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the Lord! The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” – Exodus 17;8-16 ESV

YHWH-Nissi – the LORD is my Banner. Like many of the other names of God, this one was coined by one of His servants; in this case, it was Moses. While this is one of the more familiar names of God, its meaning is sometimes difficult to grasp. Yet the context of the story recorded in Exodus provides insight into what prompted Moses had in mind when he built an altar to God and named it “The LORD is my banner.

On this occasion, Moses is leading the people of Israel to the land of Canaan. He had been used by God to deliver them from their captivity in Egypt and was in the process of guiding them across the barren Sinai peninsula to the land that God had promised to them as their inheritance. While their escape from Egypt had been divinely orchestrated by God and inaugurated with their miraculous crossing of the Red Sea on dry ground, the rest of journey had not been easy or trouble-free.

One month after leaving Egypt, this rag-tag group of former slaves arrived at the wilderness of Sin, hungry and tired. It is estimated that there were as many as one and a half million men, women, and children under Moses’ direction and this large entourage would have consumed massive quantities of food and water. Moses was likely forced to ration their resources to ensure they could make it to Canaan without starving to death. So when they arrived at Sin, the people expressed their frustration with Moses, saying, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (Exodus 16:2-3 ESV).

As the saying goes, they were not happy campers. Their excitement at leaving Egypt had long worn off and they had run out of patience with their newfound leader. Weariness and hunger clouded their collective memory and caused them to long for the “good old days” in Egypt. Somehow they forgot that they had been slaves laboring under the heavy hand of Pharaoh. But Moses took their complaint to God, who appeared to them and said, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 16:12 ESV). And God delivered on His word. The next morning, the people woke up to find the ground covered in “a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground” (Exodus 16:14 ESV). They were commanded to gather only as much as they needed to feed their family; no hoarding was allowed. Any excess they gathered would spoil before they could eat it. God was letting them know that He would be their provider and care for their needs all the way to the land of Canaan, and He did so for more than 40 years.

The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. – Exodus 16:35 ESV

Eventually, the people moved on from the wilderness of Sin and traveled to a place called Rephidim, where they ran into another problem: There was no water for them to drink (Exodus 17:1). Once again, the people voiced their frustration to Moses.

“Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” – Exodus 17:3 ESV

They were not being melodramatic or speaking in hyperbole; they feared for their lives. Moses recognized the extent of their anger and expressed his concern to God, stating, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me” (Exodus 17:4 ESV). As their leader, he knew he would be the one to bear the brunt of their anger and frustration but, once again, God intervened.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” – Exodus 17:5-6 ESV

This point in the story is critical to understanding what happens next. God gave Moses specific instructions. He was to use the staff of Aaron to strike a rock so that it would produce fresh water. This was the same staff that God used to turn the water of the Nile into blood (Exodus 7). This time, rather than transforming the source of life into death, God caused a barren rock to produce life-giving water to nourish his people.

But Moses adds an important addendum to this story, stating, “they tested the Lord by saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7 ESV). The people didn’t just complain, they doubted God’s presence. They questioned His faithfulness and provision. Even though He had continued to provide them with manna every morning, they doubted His willingness or ability to care for their needs.

What happens next is important. Moses used Aaron’s rod to strike the rock and a stream of fresh water poured out. God came through in a big way. But after having their thirst miraculously quenched by God, another faith-testing trial took place. With the rock continuing to provide all the water they needed, the people enjoyed their respite in Rephidim. But their comfortable oasis in the wilderness was about to get uncomfortably crowded.

Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. – Exodus 17:8 ESV

This time, the problem was not a lack of food or water, but the presence of a formidable enemy. This would be their first real exposure to what the future held in store for them. Their destiny was Canaan, and when they arrived, they would find it filled with nations who would oppose their presence and resist their efforts to take up residence. If they couldn’t handle hunger and thirst, how would survive the many battles that lay ahead?

Faced with a formidable enemy, Moses instructed Joshua to form a militia. It is important to recognize that the Israelites were not a well-organized fighting force. Up until a month ago, they had been indentured servants and slaves. They would have had no weapons and little to no experience in warfare. But Joshua obeyed Moses and conscripted enough men to go into battle against the Amalekites. At the same time, Moses climbed a nearby hill carrying Aaron’s staff. The text doesn’t explain where Moses got the idea to do what he did, simply states, “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed” (Exodus 17:11 ESV). The staff that turned the water of the Nile into blood and produced water from a rock was used to bring victory in battle. As long as Moses held the staff aloft, the battle went in favor of the Israelites. But as soon as he grew weary and let his hands drop, the enemy prevailed.

Seeing the back-and-forth nature of the conflict and the obvious impact that staff was having, Aaron and Hur stepped in to provide assistance to their weary friend.

Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword. – Exodus 17:12-13 ESV

Joshua and the people fought valiantly. Moses struggled to hold up the staff. Aaron and Hur provided much-needed support and encouragement. But God brought the victory. That’s the point of the story and the meaning behind the name YHWH-Nissi. Immediately after the battle, God gave Moses a message.

“Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” – Exodus 17:14 ESV

This would not be a one-time battle with a single victorious outcome, but it would result in the eventual eradication of the Amalekites. They would show up again and would continue to dog the steps of the Israelites all along the way to Canaan. Just prior to their entry into the land of Canaan, God would command the Israelites to wipe out the Amalekites once and for all.

“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. Therefore when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.” – Deuteronomy 25:17-19 ESV

God didn’t wipe out the Amalekites at Rephidim, but He did prove to the Israelites that, with His help, they could be victorious. When Moses named the altar The LORD our Banner, he was making a statement about the ongoing presence and power of God. The staff he held in his hand throughout the battle was a symbol of God’s leadership, power, and provision. It had turned water into blood, produced water from a rock, and victory over the Amalekites.

The Hebrew word translated as “banner” is nēs and it can mean “something lifted up.” It was used to refer to a standard or banner that served to rally troops in the middle of a battle. In the case of the battle at Rephidim, Moses was lifting up the staff of Aaron that was to serve as a reminder of God’s power and provision. He was with them and He was providing for them. Whether they needed a sign to convince Pharaoh to let them go or water to help them keep going on, God could and would provide. When they needed a victory over their enemy, all they needed to do was look up and God showed up.

There is another point in the story of the Israelites when God forced the people to look up so that they could see His deliverance. On this occasion, they resorted to grumbling and complaining again, communicating their dissatisfaction with the manna and the lack of water. Angered by their lack of gratitude and absence of faith, God sent a plague of serpents to punish them. When Moses interceded on their behalf, God instructed him, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8 ESV). Moses did as God instructed and when anyone was bit, all they had to do was look at the bronze serpent on the pole and they would be healed. This is a strange story that raises all kinds of questions until you read the commentary of Jesus, spoken centuries later.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” – John 3:14-15 ESV

The serpent was simply a sign or symbol of a future and greater source of healing. But in both cases, something had to be lifted up. The bronze serpent became the standard for healing. In the same way, as Jesus was lifted up on the cross, he became the standard for spiritual restoration and redemption. Later in John’s gospel he records the promise that Jesus offered to all who looked to Him for salvation from sin and deliverance from death.

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. – John 12:32-33 ESV

YHWH-Nissi – the LORD is my Banner. He is my standard, the one to whom I look in my time of greatest need; for salvation, daily sustenance, victory in battle, and the provision of my future inheritance.

So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him. – John 8:28-30 ESV

Look up and let YHWH-Nissi lift you up.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Kenna

10 The Lord replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the Lord—the awesome power I will display for you. 11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today.…12 Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. 13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. 14 You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.”– Exodus 34:10-14 ESV

In Genesis 22, the story is recorded of Abraham preparing to offer up his own son as a sacrifice on a hastily constructed altar. This disconcerting tale makes for difficult reading, especially when you realize that Abraham was following the commands of Elohim, the God who had miraculously enabled his barren wife Sarah to give birth to Isaac years earlier. Yet, in obeying the command of God and trusting the future of his only son to the faithfulness of God, Abraham was given the privilege of seeing God work a miracle of redemption, delivering his son from certain death. Rather than requiring Abraham to go through with the sacrifice, God provided a ram to serve as Isaac’s substitute. This led Abraham to call the place upon which he built the altar, Jehovah-Jireh, which means something to the effect of “God sees and provides.”

Abraham had experienced this aspect of God’s character for the very first time and it led him to memorialize his newfound awareness of God’s foresight and gracious provision with an appellation worthy of God’s glory. In the Genesis account, Moses adds the note, “To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14 NLT). This indicates that Abraham shared this story and it was passed down from one generation to another. But, even more importantly, Moses’ aside also serves a prophetic role, foreshadowing another day when God the Father would offer up His sinless Son as the substitutionary atonement for the sins of mankind. That fateful event would take place on the very same mountain. God saw the helpless and hopeless state of humanity, enslaved and condemned by sin, and facing divine judgment, and He responded by providing a Savior. He sent His Son to serve as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:9). 

But how did humanity end up in such a sad and desperate state? It was the result of their own disobedience to God; their refusal to recognize Him as the one true God and worship Him alone. The apostle Paul describes humanity’s downward trajectory and its consequences.

…they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! – Romans 1:21-25 NLT

In today’s passage, we have another name of God that describes an aspect of His character that gets often overlooked. It may even come across as an ungodly and unacceptable way to refer to God; yet, the Exodus 34 passage reveals that this is God’s self-revelation; His way of describing His divine nature to fallen mankind.

He is “the LORD, whose name is Jealous…” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). He is YHWH-qannā'. But this is more than just a name; it expresses His character. This self-designation is an extension of the commandment God gave that prohibits the worship of anyone or anything other than Himself.

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” – Exodus 20:4-5 NLT

Yahweh is a jealous God. This thought may sound strange to us and leave us feeling uncomfortable. In part, this is a result of our own love-hate relationship with jealousy. We tend to view jealousy in a negative light, associating it with sin. Even the apostle Paul lumped jealousy in with a list of other egregious behaviors that are the byproducts of man’s sinful nature.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21 NLT

It’s difficult to associate such an unflattering character quality with our Holy God. Yet, God refers to Himself as being jealous and even designates it as one of His names. It is not a reaction or a temporary trait; it is an expression of His very nature.

We tend to associate jealousy with envy and covetousness. When we read God’s command, “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 17 NLT), we substitute jealousy for coveting. But jealousy and covetousness are two different things. To covet is to wrongly desire that which belongs to someone else. It doesn’t belong to you and you have no right to possess it. It is closely associated with stealing. When King David saw Bathsheba bathing on a nearby rooftop, he lusted after her. When he was informed that she was a married woman, his lust turned to covetousness. He knew she was off-limits but it did not stop him from sending for her so that he might commit adultery with her.

The Hebrew word, qannā', which is translated as “jealous” is only used of God in the Bible, and it almost always associated with His judgment against the worship of false gods.

“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” – Deuteronomy 4:23-24 ESV

“You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.” – Deuteronomy 6:14-15 ESV

These passages are not inferring that God is jealous of us. This does not describe the jealousy of a husband whose wife shows affection to another man. God’s jealousy is not about His need for our affection or adoration; it is about the integrity of His name. The people of Israel were His chosen possession. He had created them and they bore the responsibility of living as the children of God. Their actions and behavior were to reflect their position as His earthly representatives.

When Joshua was nearing the end of his life, he pleaded with the people of Israel to swear allegiance to Yahweh, stating, “as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 NLT). The Israelites, eager to complete their conquest and occupation of the land of Canaan, declared their willingness to serve Yahweh only.

“We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.” – Joshua 24:16-18 NLT

But Joshua wasn’t buying what they were selling. He knew them all too well and voiced doubt in their sincerity. After having served as their leader for years, he was convinced they would continue to rebel against God and face future judgment as a result

“You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.” – Joshua 24:19-20 NLT

When the people assured Joshua of their sincerity, he demanded proof, instructing them to, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel” (Joshua 24:23 NLT). He was not suggesting that God needed their undivided attention and affection. Yahweh is not desperate for our attention. He isn’t jealous that we share our affection with other gods. He is jealous and protective of the holiness of His name.

“Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord…” – Ezekiel 36:22-23 NLT

Our spiritual infidelity is not about unrequited love but about the unacceptable dishonoring of God’s name and character.  In the Exodus 34 passage, Noses reminds the Israelites that Yahweh is “a God who is jealous about his relationship with you” (Exodus 34:14 ESV). That relationship was to reflect their awareness of His glory, holiness, and worthiness of their undivided worship and attention. When they devoted their time and attention to false gods, it did nothing to diminish God’s self-esteem or worthiness; it dishonored His name among the nations.

He had set His name upon the people of Israel. In the Book of Isaiah, He refers to them as His children and promises to “bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created” (Isaiah 43:6-7 ESV). Their identity was based on their identification as children of God who bore the name of God. When they showered their affections on false gods, it was not their lack of love that brought down God’s anger and judgment; it was their lack of respect for His name. That’s why God demands that their affection be accompanied by allegiance to His glory and greatness.

“…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

As the bearers of God’s name, the Israelites bore the responsibility of loving and living in keeping with their status as the sons and daughters of God. And God makes it clear that their obedience and obeisance would demonstrate to the world that they belonged to Him.

“The Lord will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in his ways. And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord…” – Deuteronomy 28:9-10 ESV

God is YHWH-qannā' – Jehovah-Kanna. He is jealous and protective of His name and, as His name-bearers, we have a non-negotiable responsibility to preserve the integrity of His name as we dedicate the entirety of our lives to His glory alone.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Return to Normal

54 These are their dwelling places according to their settlements within their borders: to the sons of Aaron of the clans of Kohathites, for theirs was the first lot, 55 to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah and its surrounding pasturelands, 56 but the fields of the city and its villages they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge: Hebron, Libnah with its pasturelands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasturelands, 58 Hilen with its pasturelands, Debir with its pasturelands, 59 Ashan with its pasturelands, and Beth-shemesh with its pasturelands; 60 and from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon, Geba with its pasturelands, Alemeth with its pasturelands, and Anathoth with its pasturelands. All their cities throughout their clans were thirteen.

61 To the rest of the Kohathites were given by lot out of the clan of the tribe, out of the half-tribe, the half of Manasseh, ten cities. 62 To the Gershomites according to their clans were allotted thirteen cities out of the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Manasseh in Bashan. 63 To the Merarites according to their clans were allotted twelve cities out of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. 64 So the people of Israel gave the Levites the cities with their pasturelands. 65 They gave by lot out of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin these cities that are mentioned by name.

66 And some of the clans of the sons of Kohath had cities of their territory out of the tribe of Ephraim. 67 They were given the cities of refuge: Shechem with its pasturelands in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer with its pasturelands, 68 Jokmeam with its pasturelands, Beth-horon with its pasturelands, 69 Aijalon with its pasturelands, Gath-rimmon with its pasturelands, 70 and out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Aner with its pasturelands, and Bileam with its pasturelands, for the rest of the clans of the Kohathites.

71 To the Gershomites were given out of the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands and Ashtaroth with its pasturelands; 72 and out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with its pasturelands, Daberath with its pasturelands, 73 Ramoth with its pasturelands, and Anem with its pasturelands; 74 out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with its pasturelands, Abdon with its pasturelands, 75 Hukok with its pasturelands, and Rehob with its pasturelands; 76 and out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with its pasturelands, Hammon with its pasturelands, and Kiriathaim with its pasturelands. 77 To the rest of the Merarites were allotted out of the tribe of Zebulun: Rimmono with its pasturelands, Tabor with its pasturelands, 78 and beyond the Jordan at Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with its pasturelands, Jahzah with its pasturelands, 79 Kedemoth with its pasturelands, and Mephaath with its pasturelands; 80 and out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with its pasturelands, Mahanaim with its pasturelands, 81 Heshbon with its pasturelands, and Jazer with its pasturelands. – 1 Chronicles 6:54-81 ESV

As the returning Israelites began the process of reoccupying the long-vacated land of their inheritance, they faced substantial obstacles. Many of their former cities, towns, and villages had been destroyed during the Babylonian invasion. To make matters worse, during their absence, other people groups had moved into the region, claiming the land as their own. There was also a remnant of Jews still living in the land, who had been left behind after the fall of Jerusalem. For 70 years, these abandoned Israelites were forced to fend for themselves, so when their brothers and sisters returned from captivity in Babylon, it would have been difficult for them to accept them with open arms.

Part of the purpose behind these seemingly never-ending genealogies was to remind all the people of Israel that God had a plan for them. Their very existence had been his doing and their heritage could be traced all the way back to Adam. Not only were they human beings made in the image of God, but they were His chosen people, the fulfillment of the promise He had made to Abraham. 

“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:1-3 NLT

The genealogies were intended to remind the people of Israel that they were still a great nation. Despite their rebellion and 70-year exile in Babylon, nothing had changed. God’s plans for them remained intact and His laws concerning their behavior remained in place. That included the division of the land. Their seven-decade-long absence had done nothing to alter God’s original allotment of the land. Each tribe had inherited their portion of the promised land and those boundaries remained intact. Even the Levites, the one tribe that received no land apportionment, would retain their right to settle in the towns God had granted to them.

During the days of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, God had given the tribe of Levi the responsibility of caring for the Tabernacle and everything associated with it. They were declared by God to be a priestly order, with their descendants holding the distinct honor of serving the rest of the tribes of Israel in a spiritual capacity. They were unique among all the other tribes, not only because of their special God-ordained role but because of God’s declaration that they not be allotted their own portion of land as an inheritance. In the book of Numbers, we have recorded God’s words to Moses that outlined His plans for the Levites.

“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.” – Numbers 3:6-10 ESV

And God gave Moses the reasoning behind His decision.

“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord.” – Numbers 3:11-13 ESV

Later on, when God gave the law to Moses, He provided further details concerning the distinctive role of this particular tribe.

At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him. – Deuteronomy 10:8-9 ESV

But who were the Levites and what led God to choose them for this very special honor? To understand what is going on here, we have to go back to Exodus chapter 2, where we have recorded the birth of Moses.

Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. – Exodus 2:1-2 ESV

Moses was a pure-blooded Levite. His father, Amram, was a Levite, born to Kohath, who was a son of Levi, the third son of Jacob. Moses’ mother was also a Levite. Moses and his brother, Aaron, would become the first priests overseeing the well-being of the tribes of Israel as a whole. The Levites would become God’s ordained instruments dedicated to His service and assigned the task of ministering to the spiritual needs of the people. They belonged to God and, as His servants, they were to be cared for by God. So, when it came time to apportion the land of promise, they were not given a particular portion of land like all the other tribes. Instead, God gave them cities located within the boundaries of the other tribes – 48 cities in all. Each tribe was required to provide four cities each, and the Levites were given pasture land around those cities for their own use. This plan resulted in the Levites being equally distributed among the other tribes, providing them with ready access to the people of God so that they might instruct them in the law and in the worship of Jehovah.

The Levites did not become the sole inhabitants of those cities and the cities did not become their possession. The cities remained the property of the tribes on whose land they existed. But the Levites were provided places to live and a means for raising flocks to care for their needs. In a real sense, God became their provider and benefactor.

God provided for His people. He had given them the land, but He had also provided them with a priestly clan, whose sole purpose was to teach the people the law and encourage them in their worship of God. God knew the people were going to need far more than land. He also recognized that their designation as His chosen people would not be enough to keep them faithful to His law and committed to faithful worship of Him alone. One of the key reasons the Levites had been chosen by God is because of the role they had played in God’s discipline of the people of Israel after they had made the golden calf in the wilderness. When Moses saw what Aaron and the people had done while He had been on the top of Mount Sinai receiving the law from God, he called for judgment to be enacted upon the people, and it was the Levites who responded.

…then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’”  And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” – Exodus 32:26-29 ESV

The Levites, the tribe of Moses, came to his aid and to the defense of God’s name and brought judgment upon all those who had worshiped the false god. This tribe was dispersed among all the other tribes so that they might hold the people of God accountable. They were to be a strong influence for good among the people,

“For they observed your word
    and kept your covenant.
They shall teach Jacob your rules
    and Israel your law;
they shall put incense before you
    and whole burnt offerings on your altar.” – Deuteronomy 33:9-10 ESV

These men were dedicated to God. They belonged to Him and were given the indispensable and unenviable task of keeping the people of God faithful to God. From their 48 cities, spread all across the land of promise, they were to be salt and light among the tribes of Judah. Their job would not be an easy one, but it was vital to the spiritual well-being of the nation. Obedience was going to be the key to Israel getting the most out of their experience in the land. The Levites were God’s ambassadors, tasked with teaching the people the ways of God so that they might walk in obedience to Him and experience His blessings.

With the return to the land, the Levites were expected to reprise their role as God’s priests, caretakers of the Temple, and instructors of the people. So, God reminded the Israelites that the Levitical cities were to be reinstated and repopulated by the Levites. Despite all that had happened in the last 70 years, God wanted the Israelites to reestablish His ways and return to living according to His will. This included the Levites reprising their role as His servants and reoccupying the land He had provided for them.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Mercy of God

Jesus once told His disciples a parable about a tax collector and a Pharisee who went into the Temple in Jerusalem to pray. According to Luke, “this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else” (Luke 18:9 NLT). As the story goes, the Pharisee cries out for all to hear: “I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income” (Luke 18:11-12 NLT).

But the other, a Jew who profited off his fellow countryman by working as a tax collector for the Romans, “stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’” (Luke 18:13 NLT).

This humble and penitent sinner knew he was undeserving of God’s love but he begged for mercy. Jesus even pointed out the man’s sinfulness and unworthiness.

“I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God…” – Luke 18:14 NLT

The mercy of God is one of the cherished attributes of God but we often take it for granted and fail to understand its gravity and importance in our lives. The Scriptures are full of passages describing this overlooked and misunderstood character quality of our loving God.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Chris – Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

But you, O Lord,
    are a God of compassion and mercy,
slow to get angry
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 86:15 NLT

The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. – Exodus 33:19 NLT

To adequately understand this remarkable attribute of God, one must also dive into the depths of His goodness. Notice the Exodus passage above. Moses had just made a rather bold request of God: “Show me your glorious presence” (Exodus 33:18 NLT). And in response, God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you” (Exodus 33:19 NLT). The Hebrew word translated as “goodness” is ṭûḇ (toob) and it can refer to “that which is good, or the best of anything” (Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). God’s goodness and mercy go hand in hand. David wrote a familiar and well-loved psalm describing God as the Great Shepherd, and in that psalm, David reveled in the inseparable and indispensable nature of God’s goodness and mercy.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. – Psalm 23:6 ESV

According to Thomas Watson, “Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness” (Thomas Watson, Body of Divinity). Without the inherent goodness of God, mercy would be unavailable to us because mercy is the expression of His goodness. But the psalmist displayed his understanding of and appreciation for the goodness of God when he wrote, “You are good and do only good” (Psalm 119:68 NLT). God’s goodness shows up in the form of mercy.

Think back on that somewhat arrogant request Moses made of God, asking to see God’s glory. While Moses had enjoyed repeated exposure to God’s Shekinah glory on Mount Sinai, he was not satisfied: he wanted to see God face to face. He had heard God’s voice and seen the emanations of His glory in the form of smoke, lightning, and thunder. But now he wanted to get an up-close and personal glimpse of God Himself. But notice what God said to Moses:

“…you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” – Exodus 33:20-23 NLT

God was going to allow Moses the unique privilege of seeing His glory and goodness, but to do so, God would have to be merciful. The glory of God is so great that one glimpse of His face would destroy Moses. Sinful men cannot stand in the presence of a holy God and live to talk about it. So, when God appeared before Moses that day, He allowed His servant to see His glory and goodness but only by displaying His mercy at the same time.

Moses was undeserving of the privilege of seeing God’s glory. Yes, he was the servant of God, but he was also a man stained by the presence of sin. He was ignorant of the magnitude of his request and had no idea of its gravity.  In His goodness, God showed Moses mercy. In fact, God clearly stated, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose” (Exodus 33:19 NLT), and He explained to Moses just how He would do so.

“I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.” – Exodus 33:22 NLT

God promised to protect a sinful man from the unavoidable outcome of standing in the glorious presence of unblemished, undiminished holiness and righteousness.

The prophet Isaiah was another man who was provided the privilege of seeing God in all His glory. This faithful servant of God was given a glimpse into the throne room of God, and immediately after that experience, rather than boasting about his good fortune, Isaiah displayed an abject sense of fear.

“It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Isaiah 6:5 NLT

The mercy of God is not to be taken lightly. That the all-glorious God would deem to show mercy and kindness to undeserving humanity should blow us away. It should leave us stunned. Yet, far too many of us treat God’s mercy with an attitude of flippancy and over-familiarity. We have somehow convinced ourselves that we deserve God’s mercy but nothing could be farther from the truth.

“It is not the wretchedness of the creature which causes Him to show mercy, for God is not influenced by things outside of Himself as we are. If God were influenced by the abject misery of leprous sinners, He would cleanse and save all of them. But He does not. Why? Simply because it is not His pleasure and purpose so to do. Still less is it the merits of the creatures which causes Him to bestow mercies upon them, for it is a contradiction in terms to speak of meriting ‘mercy.’” – A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God

Mercy is not something we earn. It is not dispensed by God based on the merit or worthiness of the recipient. It is solely the divine prerogative of God to show mercy upon whomever He chooses to do so. Moses did not deserve to see God’s glory. No, he deserved to come under God’s judgment because he was a sinner, condemned, and unclean, just like all the other Israelites.

It reminds me of the lyrics from the old hymn: I Stand Amazed.

I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me
A sinner, condemned, unclean

The mercy of God should leave us in a state of awe and amazement. Which brings to mind the lyrics of another, even more familiar hymn.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see

What makes God’s mercy so amazing is that He displays it despite man’s sinfulness. The apostle Paul reminds us that God displayed His love for us by sending His Son to die for us. We didn’t deserve it and had done nothing to earn it.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. – Romans 5:8 NLT

God didn’t have to show mercy, but He did. What makes this fact so difficult to comprehend and even harder to appreciate is that He did so in the face of mankind’s rebellion against Him. The apostle Paul describes just how bad things were when God made the decision to extend mercy.

“No one is righteous—
    not even one.
No one is truly wise;
    no one is seeking God.
All have turned away;
    all have become useless.
No one does good,
    not a single one.”
“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
    Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”
   “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“They rush to commit murder.
   Destruction and misery always follow them.
They don’t know where to find peace.”
   “They have no fear of God at all.”  – Romans 3:10-18 NLT

All men deserve to experience God’s righteous wrath, the outpouring of His just judgment for their rejection of Him. Paul goes on to say, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). But then he includes that unbelievable addendum.

“Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” – Romans 3:24 NLT

God showed mercy, which is the withholding of a just condemnation. All have sinned. All have rejected and rebelled against God. All deserve to experience the wrath of God. But “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 4:4-5 ESV).

Paul expanded on this amazing news when he wrote to his young protége, Titus.

…he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. – Titus 3:5 NLT

Our God is amazingly merciful. And His mercies are new every morning. But how easy it is for us to take His mercy for granted or to view His mercy as somehow deserved. But the Puritan writer, Thomas Watson, would have us remember:

“God's mercy is free. To set up merit is to destroy mercy. Nothing can deserve mercy, because we are polluted in our blood; nor force it. We may force God to punish us, but not to love us. I will love them freely.' Hos 14:4. Every link in the chain of salvation is wrought and interwoven with free grace. Election is free. He has chosen us in him, according to the good pleasure of his will.' Eph 1:1. Justification is free. Being justified freely by his grace.' Rom 3:34. Salvation is free. According to his mercy he saved us.' Titus 3:3. Say not then, I am unworthy; for mercy is free. If God should show mercy to such only as are worthy, he would show none at all.” – Thomas Watson, Body of Divinity

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Pass or Fail Test

47 When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned he routed them. 48 And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal. 50 And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

52 There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself. 

1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” – 1 Samuel 14:47-15:3 ESV

Saul failed to completely annihilate the Philistines, choosing instead to leave the field of battle at Michmash and return to his home base of Gibeah. With the Lord’s help, Saul’s son Jonathan had turned the once invincible Philistine army into a confused and panic-stricken rabble.

…panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified. – 1 Samuel 14:15 NLT

Saul could have easily put an end to the Philistine problem but he became distracted by a much less pressing issue. In the heat of the battle, Saul discovered that his own son had consumed honey and thus violated his earlier order commanding his soldiers to fast until the last Philistine was dead. The news of Jonathan’s disobedience caused Saul to lose interest in the battle and he “called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home” (1 Samuel 14:46 NLT).

But Saul went on to fight another day. He was still the official king of Israel and news of the Israelite’s victory over the Philistines soon spread throughout the region. To the rest of Israel’s enemies, it must have appeared that this formerly weak and defenseless band of rag-tag tribes had suddenly become a force to be reckoned with. Now that they had a king, they might lose their reputation as Canaan’s perennial pushover. Saul’s ascension to Israel’s throne got the attention of the neighboring nations, leading to a series of battles against “Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines” (1 Samuel 14:47 NLT). The text doesn’t say who instigated these conflicts, but it does reveal that Saul enjoyed great success.

…wherever he turned, he was victorious. He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them. – 1 Samuel 14:47-48 NLT

God had abandoned Saul and chosen to replace him but that doesn’t mean God was done with him. Saul remained God’s chosen instrument and would be used to protect and preserve God’s chosen people, the Israelites. God would keep the covenant promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He would continue to prosper them despite their rejection of Him. He would give them victories over their enemies even though they repeatedly repaid His faithfulness with unfaithfulness.

Saul knew that his days were numbered because Samuel the prophet had delivered God’s stinging rebuke: “…your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:14 NLT). But Samuel provided no timeline, leaving Saul in a constant state of angst-ridden anticipation, waiting for the second shoe to drop.

In some ways, Saul tried to move on, perhaps in an attempt to win back God’s favor. He performed his kingly duties well, leading the Israelites in victories over their ever-present enemies. But chapter 14 ends with a simple statement that speaks volumes about Saul’s flawed character and past mistakes.

The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul’s lifetime. – 1 Samuel 14:52 NLT

Saul had been given a chance to destroy the Philistines but had failed to take advantage of it. As a result, the Philistines would become a proverbial and quite literal thorn in his side. This one nation would become Saul’s personal nemesis and a painful reminder of his less-than-flattering past and God’s chilling promise regarding his future. Saul must have realized that the Philistines would somehow play an important role in his God-ordained fate.

Chapter 14 also ends by setting the stage for all that is to come. It provides a short but insightful record of Saul’s family. This incomplete genealogical list contains the names of key individuals who will each play significant parts in the unfolding story of Saul’s life. Jonathan, Ishbosheth, Michal, and Abner will become all-too-familiar names to the reader and their presence in the closing paragraph of chapter 14 serves to presage the end of Saul’s reign and God’s plans for Israel’s future.

When chapter 15 opens, a nearly 25-year timelapse has occurred. Saul has been serving for 23 years as Israel’s king and during that time he has had little or no contact with Samuel the prophet. But one day Samuel suddenly shows up with an important word from God.

“It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.” – 1 Samuel 15:1-3 NLT

Up until this point, Saul has been operating according to his own will. There is no indication that any of his battles with Israel’s enemies over the last two decades have been the result of God’s direct orders. His ongoing skirmishes with the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Philistines were reactionary in nature; he was simply responding to the ever-present threat of hostile forces.

But on this occasion, Samuel provides Saul with specific instructions regarding the Amalekites, a nomadic tribe inhabiting the area south of Canaan between Mount Seir and the Egyptian border. The Amalekites were descendants of Amalek, the son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau (Genesis 36). When the Israelites were making their way to the land of Canaan under the direction of Moses, they were repeatedly attacked by bands of Amalekite raiders.

“Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind. They had no fear of God. Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you must destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!” – Deuteronomy 25:17-19 NLT

In a decisive battle against Amalek and his forces, Moses stood on a mountaintop overlooking the conflict taking place below. As long as he held the staff of God over his head, the Israelites had the advantage over their enemies. When he grew tired and the staff was lowered, the course of the battle shifted. But with the help of Aaron and Hur, Moses was able to keep the staff aloft and Joshua led Israel to victory over their enemy. As the Israelites celebrated their God-ordained victory, Moses received the following promise from the Lord: “I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven”’ (Exodus 17:14 NLT).

Now, centuries later, God was commanding Saul to fulfill that promise. It was time to erase the memory of the Amalekites and Saul was to be God’s instrument of judgment. For the first time in nearly a quarter of a century, Saul has received direct instructions from Jehovah and the details are very specific. He has been commanded to “devote to destruction all that they have” (1 Samuel 15:3 ESV). No man, woman, child, or domesticated animal is to be left alive. God was serious about erasing every memory of the Amalekites from under heaven. There was to be no bounty of captives taken. Anything related to the Amalekites was to be destroyed.

Saul had his marching orders. For years he had longed to hear from God and now the Almighty had spoken. The question will be whether he is willing to do what God has commanded him to do. Will he be obedient? Will God’s will take precedence over his own? What happens next will reveal the true condition of Saul’s heart and justify God’s earlier decision to reject him as king. A divine test is about to be administered that will expose Saul for who he really is.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Give Us A King!

1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” – 1 Samuel 8:1-9 ESV

This chapter opens with what appears to be a significant time gap in the narrative. It simply states that “Samuel became old” (1 Samuel 8:1 ESV). It tells us little about his life or the early days of his ministry as Israel’s judge. The previous chapter ended with an abbreviated summary of Samuel’s life, providing the reader with more questions than answers. 

Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life. Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the Lord at Ramah. – 1 Samuel 7:15-17 NLT

The age of Samuel is omitted. Any of his exploits and accomplishments are left out. In seven relatively brief chapters, his life story was fast-forwarded from infancy to adulthood. It’s almost like watching an “On the Previous Episode” summary of your favorite TV show. But through the divine influence of His Holy Spirit, God ordained that the story skip over the primary years of Samuel’s judgeship and pick up again in the latter years of his life. Despite the title of the book, this story is not about Samuel. It is about the faithful God of Israel and His ongoing relationship with His less-than-faithful people.

The opening verses of chapter 8 have a familiar ring to them. It states that Samuel had two sons who also served as judges over Israel but these men were less-than-qualified for their positions.

…his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. – 1 Samuel 8:3 ESV

Many biblical scholars believe that Samuel wrote the vast majority of this book. If that is true, it’s amazing to consider that he would have been the one who penned those words. How painful it must have been for Samuel to summarize the lives of his adult sons in such a stark and condemning manner. But what stands out in this unflattering assessment of his sons is its eerie similarity to the story of Eli’s two boys.

Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.  - 1 Samuel 2:22 ESV

This was the household in which Samuel was raised. As a small child, Samuel’s parents had been dropped off at the Tabernacle so that he might serve the Lord all the days of his life. So the formative years of his life were lived under the same roof as the sons of Eli, who are described as “worthless men” who “did not know the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12 ESV). Samuel had an up-close and personal experience with poor parenting as he watched Eli attempt to manage his two “worthless” sons.

These two middle-aged men had spent their lives pursuing their own personal interests and using their positions as priests to feed their perverse pleasures. Their actions were an affront to God because they violated His law and treated His holy Tabernacle as a means to satiate their greed and lust.  

.…the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt. – 1 Samuel 2:12, 17 ESV

This earlier story from Samuel’s past is pertinent because it sheds light on the situation taking place in chapter 8. Samuel is old and, in preparation for his pending death, he has chosen to appoint his sons to serve in his place. But there was no precedence for a judge to appoint his successor. According to the Book of Judges, it was God’s job to raise up judges. (Judges 2:16).

Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. – Judges 2:18 NLT

Somewhere along the way, Samuel decided that he knew better and appointed Joel and Abijah to serve as co-judges over the people of Israel.

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. – 1 Samuel 8:2 ESV

There is no indication that this decision was God-ordained or the result of prayerful consideration on Samuel’s part. He decided to take matters into his own hands and the results are readily apparent. His sons proved to be wicked and the people all knew it.

…all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” – 1 Samuel 8:4-5 NLT

His decision to reward his sons with their judgeships produced this outcome. Rather than wait on God and allow Him to determine the next judge of Israel, Samuel had come up with his own plan. But even the people could see that Joel and Abijah were unqualified and incapable of leading them in Samuel’s absence. So they came up with their own plan. They demanded that Samuel appoint them a king.

This unprecedented request displeased Samuel for obvious reasons. First, the people had just demeaned his sons and rejected their leadership. Secondly, they were disclosing their dissatisfaction with God’s long-standing use of judges as His methodology for leadership. Finally, their demand must have offended Samuel because it sounded like they had also been dissatisfied with his leadership. He had spent his entire life presiding as judge over these people and now they were looking for a different leadership model. Offended and angered by their demand, Samuel took the matter to the Lord, and he must have been surprised by the response he received.

“Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.” – 1 Samuel 8:7 NLT

God knew that Samuel had taken the matter personally and was wrestling with feelings of rejection and resentment. Samuel had gotten his feelings hurt. But Samuel needed to know that this was all part of God’s plan. None of this had come as a surprise to God. He had not been caught off guard by their request. In fact, He had long known that this would happen. Centuries before the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, God had told Moses that the day would come when they would ask for a king, and He gave His permission along with His guidelines.

“When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’ you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.” – Deuteronomy 17:14-17 ESV

In God’s reiteration of the covenant promise to Jacob, He alluded to the day when kings would rule over Israel.

“I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” – Genesis 35:11-12 NLT

God had always intended for Israel to have a king but it was to be a king of His choosing. This individual would have to meet God’s criteria for leadership. However, the people of Israel were very specific when it came to the kind of king they wanted “Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have” (1 Samuel 8:5 NLT). They weren’t looking for a godly king; they were demanding a powerful kingdom-building monarch who would lead them to victory over their enemies and build a dynasty that would last for centuries.

From God’s perspective, the demand of the people was a blatant rejection of Him. He flatly informs Samuel, “They don’t want me to be their king any longer” (1 Samuel 8:7 NLT). God knew the motivation of their hearts and could see that this request was a not-so-veiled rejection of His leadership. The people had grown dissatisfied with the state of affairs in Israel and wanted more. They were tired of being bullied by the Philistines and watching other nations rise to power and prominence under the leadership of their kings. They had grown tired of living under judges and never experiencing the success they longed for. It was time for a change.

God was willing to give them their request but with conditions. He would allow them to have a king “like all the other nations” but they needed to know that there would be consequences. Their hopes for a brighter future would be dimmed by the stark reality of the outcome of their request.

None of this was new to God. For centuries, He had witnessed the constant unfaithfulness of His chosen people. He had called them, transformed them into a mighty nation, redeemed them from their captivity in Egypt, led them to the land of Canaan, and provided them with victories over the nations that occupied that land. In other words, God had acted as their King. But nowhere along the way had they actually submitted to His rule and reign.

“Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” – 1 Samuel 8:8-9 NLT 

It was time for the next phase of God’s plan for Israel. Again, this was not a knee-jerk reaction on God’s part. He was not caught off guard or surprised by their actions. It was all part of a divinely ordained plan that had been in place long before Israel existed as a nation. God was simply paving the way for the future King of Israel who will one day rule and reign for eternity.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s Indestructible and Unstoppable Plan

27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. 34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. 36 And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’” – 1 Samuel 2:27-36 ESV

Eli had heard the reports concerning the behavior of his sons and he had confronted and warned them but his words had fallen on deaf ears. His adult sons displayed no fear of God and a stubborn unwillingness to repent from their blasphemous actions. As their father and priestly superior, Eli was ultimately responsible for their behavior. He was the high priest of Israel and was tasked with maintaining the holiness of God’s dwelling place, the Tabernacle. Yet, by their actions, his own sons were desecrating God’s house and treating their priestly role with contempt.

God had set apart the tribe of Levi to be the caretakers of the Tabernacle and the custodians of the Mosaic Law, and He had warned them: “You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy” (Leviticus 22:31-32 NLT).

But Hophni and Phinehas had defamed God’s name and their father failed to deal with them appropriately. So, God stepped in and declared His intention to mete out justice. But first, He confronted Eli about his negligence in handling the problem.

“I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!” – 1 Samuel 2:28-29 NLT

God reminded Eli of the distinctive nature of the Levitical priesthood. Aaron, the brother of Moses, had not earned his role as the first high priest, and the tribe of Levi had done nothing to deserve their set-apart status as God’s priestly caste. God had graciously chosen them and designated them as His personal servants.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood.” – Numbers 3:5-10 NLT

But these men had blatantly violated their divine commission and failed to guard their priesthood. And when Eli neglected his duties as the high priest by allowing this egregious behavior to continue unchecked, God was obligated to protect the integrity of His name.

“I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame…” – Ezekiel 36:23 NLT

God warned Eli that judgment was coming.

“I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.” – 1 Samuel 2:30 ESV

The role of priest was a privilege but it came with conditions. Only members of the tribe of Levi could serve in this distinctive capacity but their uniqueness as God’s servants required faithfulness and a commitment to honor Him at all costs. While all the tribes of Israel were important to God, He had placed a special emphasis on this one tribe and had promised to protect and provide for them.

“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord.” – Numbers 3:12-13 ESV

“You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.” – Numbers 18:20 ESV

The elderly Eli must have been stunned by the divine pronouncement delivered by the prophet of God.

“The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.” – 1 Samuel 2:31 ESV

The consequences were far worse than anything Eli could have imagined. Not only would his sons receive divine judgment for their sins, but his entire line would suffer early and untimely deaths. It would not be enough for them to lose their rights to serve as priests; they must suffer the just and righteous consequences for their actions.

This punishment may seem overly severe to our modern sensibilities, but it reflects the weighty nature of the sin of Hophne and Phinehas. They had dishonored not only their priestly position but also the name of God. And it would appear that their actions had already infected the rest of their clan. Sin never operates in a vacuum; it tends to spread and infect others. So, it is likely that the actions of Hophne and Phinehas, while the prime focus of this passage, were far from isolated or unique. The entire clan of Eli had become corrupt and unworthy of serving as God’s servants.

The intensity of God’s pronouncement must not be overlooked. Eli needed to fully understand the weight of his sons’ actions. God was making a powerful and unforgettable statement about sin and its consequences, and to drive home His message, God informs Eli that both of his sons will suffer death on the very same day. Their lives of decadence and disobedience will come to a quick and ignominious end.

The final paragraph of this chapter contains a glimmer of hope surrounding a dark cloud of sorrow for Eli. With the death of Eli’s sons, God promises to raise up their replacement.

“Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever.” – 1 Samuel 2:35 NLT

This would not have come across as good news to Eli. But it was God’s way of promoting His providential and sovereign will. Despite what Hophne and Phinehas had done, God’s plan would prevail. While the clan of Eli would lose their priestly rights and die untimely deaths, God had another line of Levites who could serve in their place.

God was informing Eli that His will would still be done. The sins of Hophne and Phinehas and the negligence of Eli could not alter God’s divine plan. And this prophetic promise from God is meant to highlight the immediate as well as the distant future. As the following chapters of this book will reveal, Samuel will fulfill this promise – in part. But centuries later, during the reign of King Solomon, Zadok became the high priest, replacing Abiathar, a descendant of Eli. From that point forward, no other member of Eli’s clan will serve in that capacity. 

But the final fulfillment of God’s promise will take place with the coming of Jesus, who served as the final high priest even though He was not of the tribe of Levi. The author of the Book of Hebrews spells out how Jesus, a member of the tribe of Judah, became the great high priest and fulfilled the promise of God.

So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?

And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe.

This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. – Hebrews 7:11-16 NLT

Hophne and Phinehas had blown it, and Eli had refused to deal with it. But God was not done yet. His plan is indestructible and unstoppable. The entire clan of Eli could drop the ball and God would not miss a beat. He already had Samuel in place and, in time, the guilty would suffer the consequences for their sins and the next step in God’s divine plan wouid unfold. And the opening line of the very next chapter sets the tone for all that is to come.

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. – 1 Samuel 3:1 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Wanted: A Divine Deliverer

22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.

26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man. – 1 Samuel 2:22-26 ESV

It’s interesting to note that this short section is bookended by two verses that provide a stark contrast to the scene going on in and around the Tabernacle. We’ve already been given an unflattering glimpse into the spiritual state of the priestly caste of Israel. Now Samuel records the dysfunctional relationship between Eli and his two wicked sons. These three men represent the spiritual elite of Israel. They were to be the keepers of the flame of faith, instructing the people in the ways of God and helping them maintain a right relationship with Him through the faithful administration of the sacrificial system.

But Hophni and Phinehas were “worthless men” who “did not know the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12 ESV). Their personal relationships with God were not what He had intended them to be. Rather than faithfully executing their duties as the teachers of God’s statutes and the mediators of His grace-based sacrificial system, these men had become icons for vice rather than virtue.  Yet, despite their flawed faith and penchant for wickedness, “Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord” (Samuel 2:21 ESV). Even while growing up in a less-than-ideal environment with Hophni and Phinehas as his spiritual mentors and advisors, Samuel managed to maintain his faith in God. Verse 26 states that “the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man” (1 Samuel 2:26 ESV).

That rather matter-of-fact statement conveys a powerful message about God’s sovereignty and power. That Samuel could experience even a modicum of spiritual growth in an atmosphere of such wickedness is nothing short of a miracle. God was personally overseeing this young boy’s spiritual journey and protecting him from the evil influence of his two older mentors.

It should not be overlooked that Samuel was spending all his waking moments with these two men. Ever since his mother handed him over to Eli in fulfillment of her vow, Samuel had been immersed in a household of moral corruption and parental dysfunction. That is not to say that Eli himself was guilty of the same wickedness as his two sons or complicit in their immoral activities. The text seems to indicate that he was either clueless about their X-rated exploits or had decided to turn a blind eye to all that was going on in his household.

Eli was an old man who had lived a long life and was ready to turn over the priestly responsibilities to his two sons. Yet, he kept hearing rumors about their activities that should have provided him with ample evidence that his sons were unqualified for their roles.

…he would hear about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel and how they used to go to bed with the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. – 1 Samuel 2:22 NLT

It seems obvious from the text that this news disturbed Eli because he confronted his sons about it. As the high priest, he knew they were in direct violation of God’s commands.

“They [the priests] must be set apart as holy to their God and must never bring shame on the name of God. They must be holy, for they are the ones who present the special gifts to the Lord, gifts of food for their God.” – Leviticus 21:6 NLT

“The high priest may marry only a virgin. He may not marry a widow, a woman who is divorced, or a woman who has defiled herself by prostitution. She must be a virgin from his own clan, so that he will not dishonor his descendants among his clan, for I am the Lord who makes him holy.” – Leviticus 21:13-15 NLT

“Tell Aaron and his sons to be very careful with the sacred gifts that the Israelites set apart for me, so they do not bring shame on my holy name. I am the Lord. 3 Give them the following instructions.” – Leviticus 22:2 NLT

Hophni and Phinehas had broken every one of these commands, and Eli knew their actions were worthy of death. God had clearly stipulated the punishment for priestly disobedience.

“The priests must follow my instructions carefully. Otherwise they will be punished for their sin and will die for violating my instructions. I am the Lord who makes them holy.” – Leviticus 22:9 NLT

But rather than mete out God’s justice, Eli took a more passive approach, he tried to reason with his sons. Desperate to see his sons change the error of their ways, Eli pleaded, “Why do you do these things, these evil things that I hear about from all these people?  No, my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good” (1 Samuel 2:23-24 NLT).

Talk about a gross understatement. Eli doesn’t seem to doubt the rumors about his sons’s activities, but he diminishes the weight of their actions by describing them as “not good.” But he knew better. He even warned his sons that, if even half of what the rumors said was true, God would be forced to act.

“…if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” – 1 Samuel 2:25 NLT

To be fair, Eli did warn his sons but he refused to take action. As the high priest, he was obligated to step in and preserve the sanctity of God’s house. His two sons had committed sins against God that were worthy of death but he refused to do the right thing. As a father, he kept hoping they would change their ways. But the text states that they were unwilling to repent.

“But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.” – 1 Samuel 2:25 ESV

That last line is somewhat disconcerting because it paints a rather disturbing picture of God. It conveys the idea that God prevented their repentance because He had preordained their deaths. It is reminiscent of an interaction between Moses and Pharaoh. The Book of Exodus states the following: “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen” (Exodus 9:12 NLT).

God had just brought a plague of debilitating boils on the people of Egypt in an attempt to persuade Pharaoh to release the people of Israel from their enslavement. But Pharaoh refused to comply with God’s command because God had hardened his heart. This is one of several occasions when God is said to have stepped in and prevented Pharaoh from changing his mind. But the fact is that Pharaoh already had a hardened heart and he had demonstrated his obstinance repeatedly. Any chance of Pharaoh changing his mind was completely dependent upon the grace and mercy of God. The only hope Pharaoh had of repenting was if God had softened his already-hardened heart. So, when it states that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, it is best to understand it as a statement of inaction. He refused to intervene and empower Pharaoh to do the right thing. Why? Because God had a plan that included ten plagues and the ultimate release of His enslaved people. 

God had a plan for Hophni and Phinehas as well. Their hearts were wicked and the only chance they had of changing the error of their ways was if God intervened and transformed them from the inside out. But their fate was sealed. They had repeatedly violated God’s commands, desecrated His Tabernacle, and defamed His name. Now they would suffer the consequences.

The sinful actions of Hophni and Phinehas were nothing new. Likely, these men were well into their 50s by the time this story unfolds. So, they were not impulsive young men who lacked understanding or maturity. They were seasoned veterans who had developed a lifelong habit of violating God’s commands, and He had seen enough. It was time to clean house and start again.

That’s why this passage ends with the statement: “Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man” (1 Samuel 2:26 ESV). God already had a plan in place that included judgment on the house of Eli and the elevation of Samuel to the dual roles of priest and prophet of Israel. All that has happened in the story thus far has been the result of God’s sovereign plan. Despite the unfaithfulness of Hophni and Phinehas and the inaction of Eli, God was faithfully implementing His plan to restore order to the chaos. He was acting, not reacting. He was implementing His plan, not impulsively but strategically.

As the following verses will make clear, God had plans for Eli and his sons. But He also had plans for Samuel and the people of Israel. Long before the need arose, God determined a solution to Israel’s leadership crisis. He miraculously ordained the birth of a baby who would grow to be Israel’s deliverer. Just as He had done with Moses, God would raise up and preserve a man who would serve as His messenger and mediator. In a time when the people of God were desperate for deliverance, God provided a divinely ordained deliverer to do the job.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

We’re In This Together

1 The heads of the fathers’ houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel. 2 They said, “The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3 But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

5 And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the Lord, saying, “The tribe of the people of Joseph is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: ‘Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. 7 The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold on to its own inheritance.’”

10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as the Lord commanded Moses, 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father’s brothers. 12 They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan.

13 These are the commandments and the rules that the Lord commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. – Numbers 36:1-13 ESV

The Book of Numbers ends on a rather strange and anticlimactic note. As the people prepare to enter Canaan and begin their long-awaited conquest of the land and its inhabitants, Moses is forced to reconsider a problem he has already addressed. In chapter 27, Moses recounted the story of the three daughters of Zelophehad, a member of the tribe of Manasseh. These three unmarried women approached Moses with a dilemma; their father had died without any sons to inherit his portion of the land. As unmarried women, they were prohibited from serving as heirs to their father’s estate, which meant that they would receive no land allotment in Canaan. So, they had taken their problem to Moses for recourse.

“Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.” – Numbers 27:4 NLT

Moses had determined their request to be legitimate and decided in their favor.

“The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.” – Numbers 27:7 NLT

But the problem was not over. As the day fast approached when Israel would enter the land and begin its conquest, the rest of the members of the tribe of Manasseh raised a concern about Moses’ previous decision.

“Sir, the Lord instructed you to divide the land by sacred lot among the people of Israel. You were told by the Lord to give the grant of land owned by our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. But if they marry men from another tribe, their grants of land will go with them to the tribe into which they marry. In this way, the total area of our tribal land will be reduced.” – Numbers 36:2-3 NLT

They had spotted a potential flaw in Moses’ plan. According to custom, if any of these women ended up marrying a man outside the tribe of Manasseh, their land allotment would automatically become the possession of her new husband. Married women were not allowed to retain land ownership rights. And to make matters worse, in the year of Jubilee, the land would become the permanent possession of the husband’s tribe.

“…when the Year of Jubilee comes, their portion of land will be added to that of the new tribe, causing it to be lost forever to our ancestral tribe.” – Numbers 36:4 NLT

God had already given the people of Israel His commands concerning the Year of Jubilee.

“…you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven sets of seven years, adding up to forty-nine years in all. Then on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, blow the ram’s horn loud and long throughout the land. Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan.” – Leviticus 25:8-10 NLT

Every 50 years, the Israelites were commanded to conduct a year-long celebration of redemption. All prisoners and captives were to be set free, all slaves released, all debts forgiven, and all property returned to its original owners.

“In the jubilee year, the land must be returned to the original owners so they can return to their family land.” – Leviticus 25:28 NLT

But the tribe of Manasseh brought up a potential problem to Moses. Since these women were going to inherit the land of their father upon his death, what would prevent them from marrying a man from another tribe and then the land transferring ownership from one tribe to another? In other words, what would happen if the heiress to her father's property married someone from a different tribe? In that case, the land of their father would become the property of another tribe, and the tribal allotments would become intermixed and confused. Not only that, one tribe’s land allotment would decrease while another tribe’s property expanded. This would set a dangerous precedence, leading tribes to marry outside their clans to gain additional land rights.

God had a solution to this problem. But this chapter raises another interesting question: Why did God have Moses end the Book of Numbers with this story? Why does the entire book conclude with a story about the daughters of Zelophehad? I think it has to do with a couple of things. First of all, the Book of Numbers is about the future. From its very outset, it has been a history of the people of Israel and their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. But the real focus was not on the past or the present; the theme of the book is Israel’s future.

As the book closes, the concern behind the question raised by the tribe of Manasseh is about the future. They seem to understand that this problem has long-term implications. The land they are all inheriting is not just for those who are living at that time but for future generations. There is a not-yet aspect to this matter that causes them to be concerned and speak up.

The other issue is that this was not about the individual. While it was wonderful news that the daughters of Zelophehad would be able to inherit the land of their father, ultimately, it wasn’t about them; it wasn’t even about their tribe. It was about the people of God, and God's concern was for the corporate well-being of His people. If these women had been allowed to marry whomever they wanted to, the divinely ordained land allotment could have been permanently altered with dramatic consequences for the future. One tribe could have ended up with a greater share of the land, resulting in bitter jealousy and fighting between the tribes. So God devised a plan by which the daughters were free to marry but within certain constraints. They had to marry someone from within their own tribe, and this new proviso would apply for all subsequent cases.

This concern for the corporate good is foreign to those of us living in a world marked by rampant individualism and ruled by a philosophy of self-centeredness. We have been trained to make everything about ourselves and are hardwired to do whatever is best for the individual. The thought of sacrificing for the team is unheard of these days because everyone is out for their own good. Even famous athletes model a lifestyle of self-promotion and self-preservation. Business owners display little concern for the needs of their employees or customers. Marriages tend to be contractual agreements between two parties that are driven by self-interest and a what’s-in-it-for-me attitude.

But in the story found in chapter 36 of Numbers, God reminds us that it isn't all about us; it’s about the community of faith. While we are to live in the moment, we are to keep our eyes focused on the future. If not, we will develop a live-for-the-moment mentality that sacrifices the future for the pleasures of today. The daughters of Zelophehad weren't willing to do that. They did just as Moses directed them. They obeyed because they understood that God had their best interests and the interests of the people of God in mind. Rather than debate or disagree with Moses’ decision, demanding their personal right to marry whomever they wished, they willingly focused their eyes on the future.

This future-focused, for-the-great-good mentality is exactly what God expects from every one of His children. The world doesn’t revolve around me and the focus of life isn’t to be all about me and my personal happiness. It’s all about the people of God and the future God has prepared for us. Any sacrifice God calls me to make is for the good of the team. The apostle wrote to the believers in Philippi, calling them to share this same mindset.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4 ESV

He gave similar words of advice to the believers in Rome.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. – Romans 12:9-10 ESV

When writing to the church in Colossae, Paul greatly expanded the scope of his counsel by describing the need for a selfless atmosphere of mutual love and sacrifice among God’s people.

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:12-17 ESV

The book of Numbers ends with the statement: “These are the commands and regulations that the Lord gave to the people of Israel through Moses while they were camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho” (Numbers 36:13 NLT).

Moses’ emphasis is on the future. The people of God are on the wrong side of the river and their inheritance lies on the other side. But before they crossed over and began their conquest of the land, God had given them all the instructions they would need to guarantee success and assure them of a bright and blessed future. This was going to be a family affair, requiring solidarity and a commitment to the common cause.

While there would be 12 tribes involved in the conquest of Canaan, each with its own list of competing claims, they were expected to enter the land of promise with a unified front and a long-term commitment to the good of the community. Together, they represented the chosen people of God, and it would be together that they experienced His blessings and the fulfillment of the promise He had made to them. This rather short and strange ending to a lengthy book reflects the sentiment of a prayer that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. As He prepared Himself for the agony of the cross, Jesus lifted up all those who would become His followers and His prayer reflects His deep desire for their unity.

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” – John 17:20-23 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Gracious Source of Refuge and Hope

9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. 12 The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. 13 And the cities that you give shall be your six cities of refuge. 14 You shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the people of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills any person without intent may flee there.

16 “But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 17 And if he struck him down with a stone tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 18 Or if he struck him down with a wooden tool that could cause death, and he died, he is a murderer. The murderer shall be put to death. 19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 And if he pushed him out of hatred or hurled something at him, lying in wait, so that he died, 21 or in enmity struck him down with his hand, so that he died, then he who struck the blow shall be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

22 “But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or hurled anything on him without lying in wait 23 or used a stone that could cause death, and without seeing him dropped it on him, so that he died, though he was not his enemy and did not seek his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood, in accordance with these rules. 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. 29 And these things shall be for a statute and rule for you throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.

30 “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses. But no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. 32 And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. 33 You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.” – Numbers 35:9-34 ESV

The level of detail found in God’s instructions to His people is staggering. In His divine wisdom and according to His intimate understanding of His chosen people, God left nothing to chance or up to their less-than-stellar discretion.  In this chapter, Moses records God’s instructions for the establishment of the six cities of refuge to be located throughout the land of Canaan. These cities were to be strategically placed within the land allotments of the other tribes and occupied by the Levites. Their decentralized locations would make them easily accessible from all parts of the land of Canaan, and their purpose was to provide a safe haven for anyone who had committed unpremeditated murder.  If an Israelite inadvertently and unintentionally caused the death of a fellow Israelite, he could flee to one of these cities and seek refuge from the avenger.

In the cultural context of that day, it was up to the relatives of a murder victim to seek vengeance. This "blood avenger" (Numbers 35:19) was not just free to kill the murdered, he was obligated to do so (Numbers 35:19, 21). It was his duty. He was called the "avenger of blood."

But in order to prevent the blood avenger from taking the life of an innocent individual, the cities of refuge were established. If an Israelite accidentally killed someone else, he could run to one of these cities and seek refuge. As long as he remained there, he would be protected from the legally sanctioned actions of the blood avenger. It was up to the residents of the city (Levites) to help determine the guilt or innocence of the accused. If it was determined that his actions were premeditated and intentional, he was to be handed over to the blood avenger for retribution. But if he was deemed innocent of having committed voluntary manslaughter, he would be allowed to remain in the city of refuge until the high priest died. In essence, the city became his prison. If he ever left, he would be guilty of violating his sentence and the blood avenger could seek his death.

All of this sounds very barbaric to us, but you have to remember that Israel had no police force to enforce laws or dispense justice. According to the Mosaic Law, murder was a crime worthy of death; the guilty must be punished. But involuntary manslaughter was to be dealt with differently.; that is why the cities were established. God was protecting the innocent.

God dwelt among His people, and His very presence demanded that they live set-apart lives. His holiness and righteousness required that they live differently and distinctively, abiding by a stringent set of rules and regulations that governed their behavior and interactions with one another. Yet God knew their weaknesses and fully understood their incapacity to live up to His exacting standards. The entire sacrificial system was designed to deal with their ongoing struggle with sin.

To unjustly execute the innocent would have been as evil in God’s sight as to excuse the guilty. So, for those who committed involuntary manslaughter, He provided a means for finding justice. If an Israelite unintentionally murdered a fellow Israelite, he could flee to a city of refuge and enjoy permanent protection from the “blood avenger.” He was still guilty of murder, but his life would be spared. The city of refuge became his prison until the day that the high priest died. The high priest’s death would serve as an atonement for the guilty party’s sin, providing them with release from their guilt and the right to live among their kinsmen again – fully innocent and free.

But what was behind the rather strange legal precedent? Due to the sinfulness of the Israelites, the ongoing presence of God was constantly in jeopardy due to their inability to live up to His strict moral standards. Even unintentional sins could end up jeopardizing their enjoyment of His ongoing presence and power. So, He provided them with countless means by which they could receive restoration and assure His continued existence among them. It was God who set them apart. Without Him, they would have been nothing. It was His presence that provided their distinctiveness, and it was their sin that threatened their uniqueness as His chosen people.

From the day that Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God has been actively and aggressively seeking to restore order to the chaos created by their actions. Their sin brought disorder, disobedience, and, ultimately, death into the world. It wasn't long after Eve listened to the lies of the enemy and convinced her husband to join her in rejecting God's word, that death showed up on the scene. Eventually, one of Eve’s own sons determined to kill his own brother, introducing the shadow of death into the once-idyllic garden. In time, the presence of disease would follow close behind, with their bodies undergoing the inevitable effects of aging. Sin would increase, rebellion against God would run rampant, and yet, God continued to reach out to mankind, offering a form of refuge from the consequences of sin.

In a real sense, God's choice of Abraham made him and his descendants a “city of refuge” for mankind. The people of Israel became the solitary source of God's abiding presence and divine protection from the guilt and condemnation of sin. It was among the children of God that men could find access to their Creator. It was through the law of God that men could learn His divine requirements and expectations for holiness. It was through His mandatory sacrificial system that men could find atonement for their sins and freedom from the penalty of death they so justly deserved. God had provided a city of refuge among the sons of men.

Eventually, God would send His own Son as the ultimate and final means of refuge and escape from sin's destructive power and God's righteous judgment. The Scriptures make it painfully clear that all men are guilty of sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.– Romans 3:23 ESV

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?” – Proverbs 20:9 ESV

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. – Isaiah 64:6 NLT

The law of God was given to reveal to men the reality and gravity of their sins. Like a speed limit sign on the side of the freeway, the law provided a constant reminder of man’s proclivity for disobedience and rebellion. Our guilt is unquestionable and undeniable. Sinful humanity stands condemned before a holy and righteous God due to the sinful nature passed down to them from Adam and Eve. All are guilty and all stand condemned. And the very presence of disease and death in our world is an outward reminder of the reality of sin's devastating consequences.

In the case of someone seeking refuge in one of these cities, if they remained there until the high priest died, their sin was forgiven. They walked away free and clear. The death of the high priest had atoning value just as Jesus' death atones for our sins.

No one could accuse this person of guilt or condemnation once the high priest had died. And, according to the apostle Paul, those who place their faith in Christ’s death, stand as unaccused and uncondemned because of His atoning work on their behalf.

Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us. – Romans 8:33-34 NLT

We can take refuge in Christ. He is our high priest and He has died for us. His death has set us free once and for all.

God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given us both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to his promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the line of Melchizedek. – Hebrews 6:17-20 NLT

Like everything else in the old covenant, the cities of refuge were designed to foreshadow Christ. They provide a glimpse into the heart of God, presaging a time when He would send His Son as the ultimate source of refuge for the guilty and condemned. All those who stand accused and worthy of death can find safety and solace in the arms of Christ. But even better than that, His death as the greater high priest paid the penalty for their sin and provided them with full atonement and forgiveness. Their sin is wiped clean and their relationship with God is fully restored.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Our All-Knowing God Always Knows What Is Best

16 The 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. 18 You shall take one chief from every tribe to divide the land for inheritance. 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. 

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel to give to the Levites some of the inheritance of their possession as cities for them to dwell in. And you shall give to the Levites pasturelands around the cities. 3 The cities shall be theirs to dwell in, and their pasturelands shall be for their cattle and for their livestock and for all their beasts. 4 The pasturelands of the cities, which you shall give to the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure, outside 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, the city being in the middle. This shall belong to them as pastureland for their cities.

6 “The cities that you give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, where you shall permit the manslayer to flee, and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities. 7 All the cities that you give to the Levites shall be forty-eight, with their pasturelands. 8 And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the people of Israel, from the larger tribes you shall take many, and from the smaller tribes you shall take few; each, in proportion to the inheritance that it inherits, shall give of its cities to the Levites.” – Numbers 34:16-35:8 ESV

God provided Moses with the name of one man from each of the ten tribes of Israel. These men, hand-picked by God, would assist Eleazar, the high priest, and Joshua in the distribution of the land. The tribes of Gad and Reuben were not included because they had chosen to settle outside the boundaries of Canaan. These men were well-respected leaders among their respective tribes and would help to guarantee that the land was fairly apportioned and that each tribe, regardless of its size, was treated equitably and fairly. There was to be no favoritism or any form of nepotism. The larger tribes, whose numbers would be based on the recent census taken by Moses, would be allotted more extensive land allotments. But was not a guarantee that they would receive the best land. God was giving these ten men the weighty responsibility of dividing up the Israelites’ inheritance in a way that would satisfy all the parties involved, and that would not be an easy task.

The next thing on God’s agenda was to arrange for the needs of the tribe of Levi, his own tribe. He had already informed Moses that the Levites would inherit no land in Canaan. God had set apart the tribe of Levi as His special possession and had dedicated them to the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle. As a result, God promised to be their inheritance.

“Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the Lord, for that is their share. 2 They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.” – Deuteronomy 18:1-2 NLT

But while the Levites would be allotted no land in Canaan, they would be awarded the deeds to 48 cities located within the territories of each of the other 11 tribes (Joshua 21). Even the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh were required to provide the Levites with towns and pastureland for their flocks on the other side of the Jordan River. God had made ample accommodations for the Levites.

These Levitical cities were to be strategically located throughout the nation of Israel so that every Israelite was no more than ten miles from one of them. This helped to ensure that the people of God were never far away from a member of the Levitical priesthood, whose job was to provide instruction in the ways of God. The Levitical priests served as judges (Deuteronomy 17:8-13) and teachers of God’s law (Deuteronomy 33:10). So, it was essential that every Israelite had ready access to a Levitical town and a priest of God.

Of the 48 towns awarded to the Levites, six were to be designated as cities of refuge. These were specially sanctioned zones within the boundaries of Israel where anyone guilty of committing a non-premediated murder could seek asylum. God had already declared His ruling concerning murder (Exodus 20:13), but He had Moses present a special provision for cases involving accidental homicide.

“If someone kills another person unintentionally, without previous hostility, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.” – Deuteronomy 19:4 NLT

He even had Moses provide a potential scenario in which a city of refuge would become necessary.

“For example, suppose someone goes into the forest with a neighbor to cut wood. And suppose one of them swings an ax to chop down a tree, and the ax head flies off the handle, killing the other person. In such cases, the slayer may flee to one of the cities of refuge to live in safety.” – Deuteronomy 19:5 NLT

God knew that life would happen and that deadly accidents would be a part of the Israelites’ existence in the land. Men would be killed and justice would need to be pursued. But what He didn’t want was some form of vigilante justice running rampant through the nation. Yet God knew that the relatives of a murder victim would tend to seek revenge against the guilty party and ask questions later. The cities of refuge were intended to protect the innocent while justice was being served.

Since Israel had no professional police force, these kinds of accidents could easily turn into bloodbaths where the relatives of the victim sought to avenge their loved one’s death. So, these cities, occupied by the Levites, would provide a place where the guilty party could find solace and seek a fair judgment concerning his guilt or innocence. In His plans for the land of promise, God was leaving nothing to chance. He was creating a well-designed system for dealing with the inevitable problem of sin among His chosen people. He was going to distribute the Levitical priesthood among them to provide spiritual enlightenment and He was going to create safe havens for those who unwittingly committed even the gravest of sins. God was providing for and protecting His people.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

It Ain’t Much, But It’s Ours

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders), 3 your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin alongside Edom, and your southern border shall run from the end of the Salt Sea on the east. 4 And your border shall turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim, and cross to Zin, and its limit shall be south of Kadesh-barnea. Then it shall go on to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon. 5 And the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its limit shall be at the sea.

6 “For the western border, you shall have the Great Sea and its coast. This shall be your western border.

7 “This shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall draw a line to Mount Hor. 8 From Mount Hor you shall draw a line to Lebo-hamath, and the limit of the border shall be at Zedad. 9 Then the border shall extend to Ziphron, and its limit shall be at Hazar-enan. This shall be your northern border.

10 “You shall draw a line for your eastern border from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 And the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain. And the border shall go down and reach to the shoulder of the Sea of Chinnereth on the east. 12 And the border shall go down to the Jordan, and its limit shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around.”

13 Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, “This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. 14 For the tribe of the people of Reuben by fathers' houses and the tribe of the people of Gad by their fathers' houses have received their inheritance, and also the half-tribe of Manasseh. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan east of Jericho, toward the sunrise.” – Numbers 34:1-15 ESV

As the people prepared to enter the land of promise, Moses provided them with the boundary markers that would establish their future territory. But it is important to note that the description given by Moses is distinctly different than the one God had originally given to Abram at the point of his calling. The borders that Moses outlines in this passage are far more restrictive than the ones God proposed to Abram.  At that point in time, God had designated a far larger area as the future homeland for Abram’s descendants.

“To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates…” – Genesis 15:18 ESV

The two primary boundary markers that God gave Abram were “the river of Egypt,” which most likely refers to the Nile, to “the river Euphrates,” which extends from the southern border of modern-day Turkey all the way to the Persian Gulf.

God had a much larger geographic region in mind when He made His original promise to Abram. But centuries later, by the time the descendants of Abram were ready to cross over the Jordan and occupy the land, the boundaries had shrunk significantly.

Moses provided a detailed description of the eastern, western, southern, and northern boundaries of the Israelite’s future homeland. At this point in their history, they were not ready or equipped to conquer and occupy the much larger region promised by God to Abram. Their army was far too small to attempt a conquest of the original promised land. Even though the nation was comprised of 12 tribes, there were not enough soldiers to take on the armies of “the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites” (Genesis 15:19-21 NLT).

In a sense, God was starting small, but He had every intention of sticking to His original promise if the people of Israel proved obedient and successful at accomplishing His will. The reduced boundaries were not a sign of God reneging on His promise or going back on His word. He was simply asking the people of Israel to prove their willingness to be faithful and obedient.

The borders of the land, while greatly reduced, would prove more than enough territory for the 12 tribes of Israel. In fact, as Moses points out, two and a half of the tribes would end up settling in the Transjordan, outside the new boundaries for the promised land.

“This territory is the homeland you are to divide among yourselves by sacred lot. The Lord has commanded that the land be divided among the nine and a half remaining tribes. The families of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have already received their grants of land  on the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho toward the sunrise.” – Numbers 34:13-15 NLT

Technically, according to the original description given by God to Abram, the land occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh was in the land of promise. However, their land allotments would be considered separate from the rest of the tribes. Yet, one day, God would extend Israel’s borders under the leadership of King David. When David died and his son Solomon came to power, the kingdom would expand even further. God would slowly extend the borders of Israel but because of the nation’s disobedience, He would one day spit the kingdom in half and dramatically reduce their land holdings and influence in the region.

Yet at the point at which Moses was preparing the send the people into the land for the very first time, they were faced with the formidable and seemingly insurmountable task of conquering a vast expanse of enemy-occupied territory. That is what prompted Moses to remind them that the land was as good as theirs.

“This shall be your land as defined by its borders all around.” – Numbers 34:15 ESV

It was theirs, but they would have to do their part. According to God, it was as good as theirs but it wouldn’t come without a fight. It was Jesus who declared the need for follow-through in the life of God’s people.

“…a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” – Luke 12:47-48 NLT

The Israelites had their marching orders and a detailed map of their battle zone. Now it was time to exhibit faith and fight for what was rightfully theirs. According to the Book of Deuteronomy, also written by Moses, God had divinely decreed the apportionment of land for all the peoples of the world – with His chosen people in mind.

When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,
    when he divided mankind,
he fixed the borders of the peoples
    according to the number of the sons of God.
But the Lord's portion is his people,
    Jacob his allotted heritage. – Deuteronomy 32:8-9 ESV

He had always intended for the land of Canaan to be the homeland of His people. This fertile land sat in the geographic center of the known world at that time and would prove to be a focal point for human history for thousands of years. The Israelites would eventually conquer and occupy this relatively small tract of land in the Middle East, but only to find their homeland become a hotbed of conflict for centuries to come. Global superpowers would fight over the right to possess it. Nations would go to war for the right to claim it as their own, and the battles still rage today. But God intended Canaan to belong to His chosen people, and at this point in the story of their history, it is theirs to be had, if only they will step out in faith and obey God’s command.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cleansing Is Always the Key to Blessing

1 These are the stages of the people of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt by their companies under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. 2 Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the Lord, and these are their stages according to their starting places. 3 They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the day after the Passover, the people of Israel went out triumphantly in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them. On their gods also the Lord executed judgments.

5 So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. 6 And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. 7 And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. 8 And they set out from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days’ journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah. 9 And they set out from Marah and came to Elim; at Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there. 10 And they set out from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. 11 And they set out from the Red Sea and camped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they set out from the wilderness of Sin and camped at Dophkah. 13 And they set out from Dophkah and camped at Alush. 14 And they set out from Alush and camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink. 15 And they set out from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai. 16 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. 27 And they set out from Tahath and camped at Terah. 28 And they set out from Terah and camped at Mithkah. 29 And they set out from Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah. 30 And they set out from Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth. 31 And they set out from Moseroth and camped at Bene-jaakan. 32 And they set out from Bene-jaakan and camped at Hor-haggidgad. 33 And they set out from Hor-haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah. 34 And they set out from Jotbathah and camped at Abronah. 35 And they set out from Abronah and camped at Ezion-geber. 36 And they set out from Ezion-geber and camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh). 37 And they set out from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

38 And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of the Lord and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month. 39 And Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel.

41 And they set out from Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah. 42 And they set out from Zalmonah and camped at Punon. 43 And they set out from Punon and camped at Oboth. 44 And they set out from Oboth and camped at Iye-abarim, in the territory of Moab. 45 And they set out from Iyim and camped at Dibon-gad. 46 And they set out from Dibon-gad and camped at Almon-diblathaim. 47 And they set out from Almon-diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. 48 And they set out from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho; 49 they camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.

50 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. 53 And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it. 54 You shall inherit the land by lot according to your clans. To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. According to the tribes of your fathers you shall inherit. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. 56 And I will do to you as I thought to do to them.” – Numbers 33:1-56 ESV

After doing to rapid-fire recounting of Israel’s trek from Egypt to the banks of the Jordan River, Moses prepares the people of God for their next big task. They are almost at the end of their four-decade-long journey, but they are far from done.  After more than 40 years in the wilderness, they stand on the eastern bank of the Jordan River waiting for God’s command to cross over and begin their conquest and occupation of the land of promise. The day they had long been waiting for had finally arrived. There had been a lengthy delay, but now it was time to enjoy what God had promised so long ago.

But as with most things associated with God, the blessing was tied to a requirement. He had one last instruction to give them before they took possession of the land, and it was a fairly significant one. They must drive out all the people who were living there. On top of that, they had to destroy all the idols and pagan shrines erected to the gods of the land. They were to smash every vestige of idol worship they found. In other words, God expected them to clean up before they settled down.

Sounds simple enough doesn't it? But if you're the least bit familiar with the story of the Israelites, they didn't exactly follow God's instructions to the letter; they took a few liberties. It's almost as if the enemy (Satan) was standing there just as he had been in the garden of Eden, asking the question, "Surely, God has not said…"

I can just hear Satan whispering in their ears, "You don't have to get rid of ALL the idols, just most of them." Or maybe he worded his temptation this way: "You might want to leave one of the pagan shrines intact, just in case Yahweh doesn't come through for you."

As far as God’s command to rid the land of all its occupants, Satan probably did his best to convince the Israelites just how politically incorrect and insensitive this might appear to the rest of the people in the region. They probably thought to themselves, "We don't want to get off on the wrong foot with our new neighbors, do we?"

And God seemed to know that the people would have second thoughts about His command, so He warned them what would happen if they failed to obey.

"But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them." – Numbers 33:55-56 NLT

“Disobey me,” God says, “and you will live to regret it.” This was not a suggestion, but a command. God expected them to follow His requirements without delay or deviation. He had a good reason for what He was asking them to do, and He knew exactly what would happen if they chose to disobey Him. If the Israelites failed to remove the land's occupants, their enemies would become a constant threat and a thorn in their side. They would never learn to live amicably together. So, cleansing was critical for spiritual survival.

In his commentary on the Book of Numbers, Dr. Thomas Constable writes, "The repetition of 'all' (Numbers 33:52) stresses the importance of completely clearing the land of its inhabitants and their religious paraphernalia. God wanted to clean up the land spiritually and to make it a 'holy land.' The land was a gift from God to His first-born son, Israel (Numbers 33:53). God warned the Israelites what would happen to them if they were not completely obedient (Numbers 333:55-56). The Canaanites would be a constant source of irritation to them, and God would deal with His people as He planned to deal with the Canaanites."

God wanted to purify the land spiritually and make it holy. That reminds me of what God wants to do with my life. He wants to clean it up spiritually and set it apart for His use. He is about removing anything in my life that might defile or defeat me. In essence, He wants to clean house.

But I tend to hang on to certain remnants of my past. I want to give the enemy some footholds in my life where he can live in peace. I want to maintain some of the idols that were there before God came to occupy the land because I find them comforting. They bring me a little bit of peace and assurance. But God wants to purge my life of any vestiges of the past. He wants to make all things new.

To receive all the blessings the promised land had to offer, the people were going to have to obey God fully. The same thing is true for us today. To enjoy all the blessings our new life in Christ offers, we must obey God fully. God makes this clear in His Word.

…throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. – Ephesians 4:22 NLT

Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. – Colossians 3:9 MSG

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don’t live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don’t participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires. – Romans 13:12-14 NLT

God was looking for a change in the lives of the Israelites. He wanted to purge and purify them, and that process began with a thorough cleansing of the land. His desire was to rid the landscape of their lives of any and all vestiges of the past.

Like the Israelites, we must take our set-apart status seriously.  We must remove all the idols and false gods that might draw us away from full reliance upon Him. If we do, we will be blessed. If we don't, we will always find ourselves doing battle with past enemies and tempted to worship the false gods of our former life. Cleansing is always the key to blessing.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Refusing to Do God’s Will God’s Way

28 So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 29 And Moses said to them, “If the people of Gad and the people of Reuben, every man who is armed to battle before the Lord, will pass with you over the Jordan and the land shall be subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession. 30 However, if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.” 31 And the people of Gad and the people of Reuben answered, “What the Lord has said to your servants, we will do. 32 We will pass over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.”

33 And Moses gave to them, to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben and to the half-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 and its cities with their territories, the cities of the land throughout the country. 34 And the people of Gad built Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, 35 Atroth-shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah, 36 Beth-nimrah and Beth-haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. 37 And the people of Reuben built Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, 38 Nebo, and Baal-meon (their names were changed), and Sibmah. And they gave other names to the cities that they built. 39 And the sons of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and captured it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. 40 And Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he settled in it. 41 And Jair the son of Manasseh went and captured their villages, and called them Havvoth-jair. 42 And Nobah went and captured Kenath and its villages, and called it Nobah, after his own name. – Numbers 32:28-42 ESV

After listening to the proposal from the tribes of Gad and Reuben, Moses agreed to allow them to settle in land on the eastern side of the Jordan River, just outside the borders of Canaan. But he required them to swear an oath of fealty to the ten remaining tribes, agreeing to assist them in their conquest of the land of Canaan.

Moses then communicated the terms of the agreement to all the tribes of Israel, ensuring that everyone understood what was expected and what was to be done if those terms were not met. He wanted there to be no confusion or disagreement as to what this concession entailed for both parties.

“The men of Gad and Reuben who are armed for battle must cross the Jordan with you to fight for the Lord. If they do, give them the land of Gilead as their property when the land is conquered. But if they refuse to arm themselves and cross over with you, then they must accept land with the rest of you in the land of Canaan.” – Numbers 32:29-30 NLT

Notice that the terms of the agreement included the full participation of the Gadites and Reubenites until the land of Canaan was fully conquered. This would not be a short-term commitment that entailed a single battle or a few short weeks of military service; the two tribes were obligated to fight alongside their brothers for the foreseeable future. These two tribes were committing a sizeable number of their male population to fight for land that they would never occupy. In fact, the census Moses had taken revealed that between the tribes of Gad and Reuben, they fielded 84,230 soldiers. That comprised 14 percent of the entire Israelite force. So, their involvement in the conquest of Canaan would be vitally necessary to Israel’s success.

The two tribes committed themselves to the terms of the agreement, assuring Moses and the rest of the leaders that they would follow through on their part of the agreement.

“We are your servants, and we will do as the Lord has commanded! We will cross the Jordan into Canaan fully armed to fight for the Lord, but our property will be here on this side of the Jordan.” – Numbers 32:31-32 NLT

For however long it took, the Gadites and Reubenites would fight alongside their brothers and help ensure that every one of the ten tribes had successfully conquered and occupied their portion of the inheritance. That was a huge commitment on their part.

At this point in the narrative, it becomes clear that there was a third tribe that decided to get in on the action. This was the tribe of Manasseh, one of the two sons of Joseph.

So Moses assigned land to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph. He gave them the territory of King Sihon of the Amorites and the land of King Og of Bashan—the whole land with its cities and surrounding lands. – Numbers 32:33 NLT

Half of this tribe also decided to take advantage of the prime real estate on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and Moses gave them his approval.

The rest of the chapter outlines how the three tribes began their conquest of the area known as the Transjordan. Long before the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River and began to do battle with the Canaanites, the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh were gaining invaluable fighting experience against the enemies of Israel. The battles they undertook east of the Jordan would provide them with much-needed expertise in warfare strategy. It seems likely that their fellow Israelites assisted in many of these battles, assuring that the three tribes were able to capture and occupy enough land to meet the needs of their people.

God was sovereignly preparing the entire nation to enter the land of promise and carry out His divine plan. By the time came for them to cross the Jordan and conduct their first military campaign, they would have the confidence and experience they needed to succeed.

However, it is important to note that the plan of these three tribes to occupy the Transjordan was not what God had intended. Interestingly enough, Got had promised Abraham that this very region would one day belong to his descendants.

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.” – Genesis 15:18-21 ESV

God had given His word that the future territory of His chosen people would be vast and encompass land all the way to the Euphrates River. But God’s instructions to Moses were to conquer the land west of the Jordan River. That was to be the initial portion of the inheritance God would give to His people. By demanding a share of the land east of the Jordan, the three tribes were demanding that God act according to their terms and timeline. While Yahweh had demanded that all 12 tribes conquer and occupy the land of the Canaanites, these three tribes decided that they knew better. It is impossible to say what would have happened had the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh never made their request. How would the outcome have differed if they had been willing to accept God’s original terms and trusted His gracious gift of land in Canaan?

This episode in the long history of Israel’s tenure in the land of Canaan is just one more example of God’s patience with His people’s stubbornness and ongoing resistance to His will. Their decision to occupy the land east of the Jordan was not against His revealed will but it was in conflict with His timing. Had they waited and willingly obeyed God’s directive, the entire region promised to Abraham would have eventually come under the possession of Israel. But as the story continues and the roller-coaster history of the Israelites unfolds, it will become increasingly clear that disobedience and unfaithfulness will darken any hopes of God’s people enjoying all that He had planned for them. Even the battle for the land of Canaan would be hard-fought, and their attempts to expel the land’s occupants would be unsuccessful and incomplete.

The land deal east of Jordan would prove to be just one more sign of Israel’s unwillingness to trust God and walk according to His will.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Grass Is Always Greener…

1 Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. 2 So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the land that the Lord struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 And they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.”

6 But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 And the Lord's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ 13 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 gone. 14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel! 15 For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people.”

16 Then they came near to him and said, “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. 19 For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east.” 20 So Moses said to them, “If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the Lord for the war, 21 and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him 22 and the land is subdued before the Lord; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. 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.” – Numbers 32:1-27 ESV

This chapter contains one of those familiar and oft-quoted verses that are often taken out of context and hastily applied to all kinds of situations. Moses’ line, “Be sure your sin will find you out” (verse 23) has become a clichéd catchphrase that has been used as both a threat and a word of encouragement over the centuries, but few who quote it realize its original context or meaning. We've all heard before it, but probably never knew where it came from.

"Be sure your sins will find you out!" are words that have flowed from the lips of many a parent and usually in the direction of a disobedient child. But it may surprise you to see these familiar words in their original context. Many of us have forgotten or never known just why Moses spoke them in the first place.

As the people of God prepared to begin their conquest of the land of Canaan, Moses was approached by leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad. These two tribes possessed a lot of flocks and had taken note that the land east of the Jordan had abundant pastureland. Having recently defeated the Midianites in battle, this territory was up for grabs, so the tribes of Reuben and Gad asked Moses for permission to settle their tribes on the east side of the river instead of crossing over with everyone else into Canaan.

Moses was dumbstruck by their request and quickly aired his opinion. While four decades had passed since the previous generation of Israelites had refused to enter the land of Canaan, Moses couldn’t help but view this request as another sign of rebellion among the people of God. That earlier event was still a sore spot for Moses because it had resulted in the deaths of an entire generation of Israelites. To dissuade the Reubenites and Gadites from repeating the same mistake, Moses reminded them what had happened 40 years earlier.

“Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the Lord has given them? Your ancestors did the same thing when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land. After they went up to the valley of Eshcol and explored the land, they discouraged the people of Israel from entering the land the Lord was giving them. Then the Lord was very angry with them…” – Numbers 32:7-10 NLT

On that occasion, Moses had sent spies into the land of Canaan to bring back news of its fruitfulness and the military strength of its occupants. But upon their return, ten of the 12 spies gave a mixed review; the land was rich and plentiful, but its occupants were powerful and unconquerable. This negative news led the people to refuse to enter the land, choosing instead to disobey God and plot a return to Egypt. But that decision resulted in God's wrath and punishment.

Now, 40 years later, that generation had died off and their descendants stood on the edge of Canaan, preparing to enter the land again. So, when Moses heard the request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad to settle outside the land of promise, he was naturally incensed.

"Are you trying to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the LORD has given them? This is what your ancestors did when I sent them from Kadesh–barnea to explore the land." – Numbers 32:7-8 NLT

For Moses, this was déjà vu all over again. He saw their request as selfish and short-sighted, and another instance of disobedience. But the Reubenites and Gadites assured Moses that they were not abandoning the people of God or attempting to dissuade them from entering the land; they simply wanted to take advantage of better pastureland on the east side of the river. They expressed their willingness to fight alongside their brothers and assist them in conquering the land of Canaan until every tribe had gained their portion of the inheritance promised to Abraham.

To convince Moses of their intentions, they made a vow not to settle east of the Jordan until the land of Canaan was conquered and the other ten tribes had received their inheritance. This assurance calmed Moses' fears, but he still issued his familiar, yet stern warning.

"But if you don't do what you say, you will be sinning against GOD; you can be sure that your sin will track you down.” – Numbers 32:23 MSG

Moses expected them to keep their word and reminded them that if they failed to do so, their sin would be against God, and He would hold them accountable. Jehovah would deal with them severely if they broke their commitment.

The Book of Joshua records that, in the end, these tribes held up their end of the bargain.

The armed warriors from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh led the Israelites across the Jordan, just as Moses had directed. These armed men—about 40,000 strong—were ready for battle, and the Lord was with them as they crossed over to the plains of Jericho. – Joshua 4:12-13

But despite their willingness to keep their word, their plan was not necessarily what God had in mind. It would appear that they were motivated by greed and self-interest and their decision to settle east of the Jordan overshadowed the promise that God had made to provide them with abundant land on the west side of the Jordan. The vacant Midianite territory was readily available and had everything they were looking for. In other words, it looked good physically and materially. So rather than wait for the land that God had promised them on the other side of the Jordan, they chose what they could see with their eyes. They allowed the temptation of immediate gratification to keep them from waiting on God’s will.

There seems to be an assumption on their part that there might not be any land on the west side of the Jordan useful for raising flocks, so they chose to settle outside the land of “promise.” Their decision, while approved by Moses, would prove to be a problem in the years to come. Physical distance from the other tribes would end up producing a spirit of misunderstanding and disunity (Joshua 22). It would also create a hole in the defensive lines of the Israelites. This region east of the Jordan was often the first to experience invasion, and Israel would lose control of it several times in its later history (2 Kings 15:29).

So what's the point? First, there is truth to the adage, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Sin has a way of tracking down the perpetrator and coming back to haunt them. That’s why we need to take our commitments and our sins seriously – because God certainly does. We also need to look closely at the motivation behind our decisions. We must constantly ask ourselves, “Why am I doing what I am about to do?” We must assess whether greed and selfishness lie behind our decisions, and we must determine the long-term ramifications of our decisions if they are wrongly motivated.

Moses was right; our sins will find us out. They will come back to haunt us, but so will those decisions that are motivated by instant gratification and a lack of trust in the will of God. These two tribes had been offered their share of the inheritance promised by God but they had a different plan in mind. They decided that they knew better, and God decided to let them have their way, and both decisions would have long-term ramifications. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.