Through the Bible in 120 Days: Numbers 23-34

Keeping up with the reading in the first five books of the Bible has proven to be a challenge. I like the stories. It is easy to make connections to them, and more interesting than all of the lists. I know the lists are important too, because God just doesn't include things for no good reason. I try to keep in mind that it is all pointing to Jesus, and we can find Him in every book of the Bible if we look for Him.

My reading today was some more lists, but there were also some beautiful things that I knew were present, but didn't know where. Now I know. The book of Numbers is where we find God blessing the nation of Israel and where He divides up the land that compromises Israel based on the twelve tribes.

Numbers 24:5-9 says,
"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their see will have abundant water. There king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. The devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"


Numbers 26:52-56 says,
"The Lord said to Moses, "The land is to be allotted to them as inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups."


I found both of these passages very interesting in my reading today. In Numbers 24, a prophecy is given by Balaam over the nation of Israel, foretelling what will be in their future in relation the nations they will shortly face. We read more about that when we get further in the Old Testament.

In Numbers 26, God gives a deed from His own lips to Israel giving them the right to the land, by dividing it up.

Both of the passages I have mentioned stir in my heart because of what is going on with Israel in the world today. What do you think?