Boundaries of the Promised Land

INTRO

In the book of Numbers, the Israelites were taught to trust God, to remember God, and to accept that He would always be with them. Why? Because they were going to be entering a new place and would need to remember all that God had done for them. Numbers 33 was a time of memories. Numbers 33:53 says, “He says you are about to take this land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.” Genesis 15:18–21 promised, “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘I give this land to your offspring, from the brook of Egypt to the Euphrates River: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaim, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.” Everything in Israel, even today, is about land and territories. Anytime Israel negotiates for land today, they are messing with prophesy.

TEACHING

Numbers 34:1–12: The Lord told Moses that when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, it would be allotted to them as an inheritance with these borders (1 Kings 8:56). The southern border would begin at the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom, and the eastern border would be the Dead Sea (v. 3). The boundary would turn south on the Ascent of Akrabbim, proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. The boundary would then go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon, where it would turn to the brook of Wadi of Egypt and end at the Sea (vv. 4–5).

Israel today doesn’t go all the way down. The western side would be along the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea (v. 6). Joshua 14—19 describes it a little differently, breaking the land up into the tribal lands.

The northern border would be from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, then from Mount Hor to Hamath, and the border will reach Zedad. The border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan (vv. 7–9). No matter where other countries are today, Israel will eventually have this land again. It’s a matter of Scripture (Ezekiel 47:15–17; Numbers 13:21).

The eastern border will start from Hazar-enan to Shepham, from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain, down the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth, and then the border will go down the Jordan and end in the Dead Sea (vv. 10–12). This is the land defined by all it borders (Genesis 15:18–21; Joshua 1).

Numbers 34:13–19: Moses explained to the Israelites that this was the land that nine and a half tribes would receive. The tribes of Reubenites and Gadites and half of Manasseh were not with them, because they stopped before reaching the Promised Land across the Jordan (vv. 13–15). Then Moses gave the names of the men he was appointing to distribute the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun (vv. 16–19).

Numbers 34:20–29: Each of the tribes were to send one leader to help distribute the land, and they are named in verses 20–28:

1. Caleb, from the tribe of Judah
2. Shemuel, from the tribe of Simeon
3. Elidad, from the tribe of Benjamin
4. Bukki, from the tribe of Dan
5. Hanniel, from the tribe of Manasseh
6. Kemuel, from the tribe of Ephraim
7. Eli-zaphan, from the tribe of Zebulun
8. Paltiel, from the tribe of Issachar
9. Ahihud, from the tribe of Asher
10. Pedahel, from the tribe of Naphtali

CLOSING

We can use these ten leaders as an encouragement to us to go out and tell people there is an inheritance waiting for them . . . eternal life through Christ.

Hebrews 9:15: “Therefore, He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”

They are given a land; we are given an eternal promise.

1 Peter 1:4: “And into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” This inheritance is never going away.

Ephesians 1:11: “We have also received an inheritance in Him, predestined according to the purpose of the One who works out everything in agreement with the decision of His will.”

Ephesians 1:18: “I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints.”

How can we even think about not sharing this with somebody else? I pray that you begin to understand the hope of His calling, and that you would begin to experience the glorious riches of His inheritance, so that you can say there’s an inheritance waiting for you as well. The best way to get ready for the inheritance is to make sure everyone else knows about the inheritance as well.