February 19, 2022: Day 39 – Numbers 32-36 and I Corinthians 11

You can find an image of the region where we find chapter 32 describing what is happening in the life of the Israelites.  You see a number of Israelite tribes who had cattle and wanted to remain on the others side of the Jordan instead of crossing it.  Moses said they could do that only if they promised to lead the charge as the entire nation of Israel went into the promised land.  Technically the opposite side of the Jordan, the eastern side, was not in the promised land.  We also see in Psalm 22 the bulls of Bashan, and you can see that region in the north.

Chapter 33 gives us the step by step process of how the Israelites left Egypt and then made their way to where they found themselves now.  It is fun to look at an ancient map and see the route that the people took.  Chapter 34 lays out the territories and the boundaries of the promised land.  Chapter 35 gives us a layout of the cities of refuge where people could flee if they killed someone by mistake.  Interesting that it is included as something of importance as we find ourselves on the cusp of entering the promised land. 

The final chapter gives us another take on the inheritance of the daughters of Zelophehad where they were promised land, but now they are told that they must marry within their father’s family or else that land would not remain their’s but rather stay within the family unit.  You can’t marry outside of your family and then the land go to the family in which you  married.  It must stay within the family of origin.

I Corinthians 11 gives us a rundown on making sure that the Lord’s Supper is taken in a way that is honoring to God, and not just for the sake of gluttony and drunkenness.  There are also a number of verses related to the relationship between husband and wife and the wearing of head coverings or not depending on whether you are a man or a woman.