Isra’el’s Land
34: 1-29
Isra’el’s land DIG: Should the Gentile nations of the world object that Isra’el took over the Land occupied by the Canaanites? What is the difference between Isra’el’s relationship to its homeland and that of other nations to theirs? Has Isra’el ever occupied their entire inheritance of the Land? When will this promise be fulfilled? Why do you think some object to the small piece of land they have now?
REFLECT: How do you respond to people who believe Yeshua will return to Canaan because Isra’el stole their land; therefore, Jews are not to be trusted nor held in much esteem? What happens when Isra’el gives up some of her land for peace? When will true peace come to Isra’el? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, a City fostering friendship and unity; may those who love you prosper (Psalm 122:6-9)?
For the first time in the Torah, we are given a description of the actual borders of the Promised Land.
The political question of Isra’el’s land has been challenged and argued ever since the State of Isra’el was re-declared in 1948. And if that were all that was to it, then certainly there could be various sides considered. But one side has been missing in this discussion, the non-political reality, is that it is God’s Land who gave it to His chosen people first: Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the Land that I will show you. And I will make 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, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3).
Thus, God detailed the scope of the land associated with the promise He gave to Abraham establishing the Jewish people. Today, should the nations of the world object that Isra’el took over the land occupied by other nations? The Jews merely reply that the whole world belongs to the Holy One; He created it and gives it to whomever He desires. In accordance with His will, He originally gave it to the Amorites, Hittities, Jebusites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Girgashites; and in accordance with His will He took it from them and gave it to us. In this light, the record of the official borders of Isra’el in Numbers 34 becomes a critically important legal document. Like when Yeshua will take the title-deed to the earth itself (see Revelation, to see link click Cf – You Are Worthy to Take the Scroll), it is the legal document for the Promised Land written by, and from, ADONAI Himself. Woe to anyone who seeks to alter it, diminish it, or negate it (Revelation 22:19).
This is a map which approximates these borders in Numbers. Isra’el currently occupies but a fraction of the Promised Land. Propagandists have instilled into the minds of many who do not regard the Bible as God’s word that somehow Isra’el has stolen land. But if we view matters from the side of God’s revealed true word, then we see God’s plan unfolding towards the consummation of all His promises until the end of the age. Anti-Semitism is nothing new, and uninformed statements of prejudice against the Jewish people have been spewed forth all the way back to the days of Moses and Haman (see the commentary on Esther Aq – Haman the Agagite: The Enemy of the Jews), not to mention modern pseudo-theologians who seek to foment hatred through their prejudice. How can we fulfill God’s command to reach all with the Gospel (Romans 1:16) if there is fear mongering in the place of biblical truth and love? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16).
The outline of Canaan’s borders in Chapter 34 is similar to other biblical descriptions of Canaan’s borders in Joshua 15:1-14, Ezeki’el 47:15-18 and 48:1-2. It also corresponds to the delineation of the Land as stretching from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt in First Kings 8:65. In contrast, another traditional report of the northernmost and southernmost points of the Land is the lesser area designated by the phrase from Dan to Beersheba (for example in Judges 20:1; First Samuel 3:20; First Kings 4:25). This would include an area significantly smaller than that promised here in Numbers 34, an indication that the promise of Numbers 34 far exceeded the historical fulfillment in most periods of Isra’el’s history. Isra’el’s territory was largest during the united monarchy of David and Solomon, but even then it did not include some of the Philistine territory on the western border along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, Isra’el has never occupied the entire Land that ADONAI had promised to them. Nevertheless, the Promised Land is a very real and material promise from YHVH, and not simply a vague or otherworldly hope.764 However, they look forward to the Messianic Kingdom where everything that God had promised will be fulfilled.
We all look forward to Messiah’s middle-east peace plan.
The borders of the Land (34:1-15): Having been commanded to conquer and occupy the Promised Land (13:1-2), it became crucial to know its borders. ADONAI told Moshe to give this order to the people of Isra’el: “When you enter the land of Canaan, it will become your land to pass on as an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by these borders.”
Your southern border will extend from the Tzin Desert close to the border of Edom. The eastern terminus of your southern border is at the end of the Dead Sea. From there your border turns, goes south of the ‘Akrabbim Ascent and passes on to Tzin. From there it goes south of Kadesh-barnea, 65 miles southwest of the Dead Sea. From there the border extended northwesterly to Hatzar-adar (4 or 5 miles away), and on to ‘Atzmon (3 miles away). Then the border turns and goes from ‘Atzmon to the Wadi of Egypt and continues northwestward to the Mediterranean Sea, about 50 miles south of Gaza (13:3-5).
Your western border will be the Great Sea, or the Mediterranean Sea (13:6).
Your northern border extends from the Mediterranean Sea near Mount Hor. This is not the Mount Hor where Aaron died because he died in the south beyond the borders of the Land in the wilderness of Tzin, but a northern peak about 10 miles north of the Phoenician city of Byblos. From Mount Hor marks a line eastward to the entrance of Hamat about 50 miles north of Damascus. From there, the border goes out to Tz’dad (about 30 miles northeast of Hamat). Then the border goes to Zifron (10 miles further east) and ends at Hatzar-‘Einan (70 miles northeast of Damascus); this is your northern border (13:7-9). Now when Ezeki’el describes the borders of the Land in 47:15-17, he makes this the northern border of the Kingdom.765
For the eastern border mark your line north from Hatzar-‘Enan, then south to Sh’fam (site unknown). Then the border goes down from Sh’fam to Rivlah (70 miles north of Damascus), on the east side of ‘Ayin, then down until it hits the slope northeast (today called the Golan Heights) of Lake Kinneret, later called the Sea of Galilee (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Cj – Come, Follow Me, and I Will Show You How to Fish for People). From there it goes down the Jordan River till it flows into the Dead Sea. These will be the borders of your land (13:10-12).766 So, despite the fact that there seems to be a lot of confusion in the world today as to Isra’el’s borders and her legitimacy to occupy the Promised Land, ADONAI is not confused.
Reuben, Gad, and half the clans of Manasseh asked Moshe if they could be allowed to settle east of the Jordan River. Moses agreed if they sent their share of soldiers with the rest of the Israelites to fight the Canaanites. This was acceptable and in the end, everyone was happy. Since the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had already received their inheritance (see Fz – Reuben and Gad Request Land), there was no need to describe the boundaries of their land. That ADONAI approved of this agreement is obvious for three reasons. First, if this was not His will, He surely would have said something about it. Second, when the cities of refuge were given (see Gk – Cities of Refuge), God instructed the Israelites to have three of them east of the Jordan River. Hence, instead of commanding them to leave that territory because it was not part of the Promised Land, YHVH made sure it was included by placing cities of refuge in it. Third, the text itself gives us the definitive answer. Then, summarizing 34:1-12, Moses commanded the Israelites, “Assign this land by lot as an inheritance. The LORD has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes.” Then, Moses addressed the tribes in the Transjordan, “because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance. These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise” (34:13-15).
The dividing of the Land (34:16-29): ADONAI said to Moses, “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the high priest, the religious leader, and Joshua son of Nun, the civil leader. And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land (34:16-18). The land on the west side of the Jordan River was to be divided into ten tracts by Joshua and Eleazar. They were to cast lots to assign each parcel of land among the clans and families of each tribe. It is interesting to note that the names mentioned in this list, with the exception of Caleb, are all previously unknown. They were not related in any way to the twelve men sent to spy out the Land in Numbers 13. They were a new breed. A new day had dawned. A new census had been taken (Chapter 26). In many ways the Wilderness Generation stood in the same position as their parents did at the beginning of the book of Numbers. It was as if ADONAI had decided to start with a clean slate.767
The tribes are listed in approximately the geographical position in which they would settle in the Land, from south to north. The four southern tribes (Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, and Dan), are listed in 33:19-22. It should be noted that the tribe of Dan was still in its more southern position. The two central tribes (Joseph’s tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim) were next in 33:23-24, and the four northern tribes (Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali) are found in 33:25-28.768 These were their names:
Caleb son of Jephunneh, from the tribe of Judah (34:19);
Shemuel son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Simeon (34:20);
Elidad son of Kislon, from the tribe of Benjamin (34:21);
Bukki son of Jogli, the leader from the tribe of Dan (34:22);
Hanniel son of Ephod, the leader from the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph (34:23);
Kemuel son of Shiphtan, the leader from the tribe of Ephraim son of Joseph (34:24);
Elizaphan son of Parnak, the leader from the tribe of Zebulun (34:25);
Paltiel son of Azzan, the leader from the tribe of Issachar (34:26);
Ahihud son of Shelomi, the leader from the tribe of Asher (34:27);
Pedahel son of Ammihud, the leader from the tribe of Naphtali (34:28).”
These are the men ADONAI commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan (34:29). These are the names of the Wilderness Generation; the leaders of the Exodus Generation were dead. Now this new generation could begin its long-anticipated conquest of the Promised Land under the hand of Ha’Shem.
Dear Heavenly Father, You created the world and can give its land, including the Promised Land of Isra’el, to whom you choose. Praise You for opening heaven’s door to all who choose to love You by giving them Messiah’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). You place them “in Messiah” and seal them with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh; thereby guaranteeing them entrance into Your holy heaven. After you heard the message of truth – the Good News of your salvation – and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh. He is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of His possession – to His glorious praise (Ephesians 1:13-14)!
Your almighty love and power is so awesome, that You will rapture those who love You, and will be with You forever in Your home in heaven! For the Lord Himself shall come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of God’s shofar, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left behind, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air – and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words (First Thessalonians 4:16-18). When problems and trials come, help me to keep my eyes focused on Your promised return to take those who love You to heaven forever! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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