NUMBERS

Numbers Chapter 36

• Numbers 36:1 And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel: 
• 2 And they said, The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 
• 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 
• 4 And when the jubile of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers. 
• 5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well. 
• 6 This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. 
• 7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 

It is good that they were being fair to the women who were to receive an inheritance, but here we see how they could have lost it to other tribes by intermarrying. To solve this issue they were to marry only those of their own tribe. This was to keep the inheritance within the tribe. It would seem that the tribes of Israel were not to mingle but keep separate inheritances of land in their own boundaries. 

It was originally intended that each tribe would receive their inheritance of land and that it would be intact and kept that way from generation to generation. Because of the sin of forsaking God and serving the false gods of other nations, Israel eventually lost this boundaries and their land. Solomon was the cause of Israel being divided in two parts. Instead of separate tribes they became the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Israel was the northern kingdom and Judah was the southern kingdom. 

Here is the word of the Lord to Solomon in his younger years. Compare than to the words following of Solomon in his latter years. 

• 1Kings 6:11 And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, 
• 12 Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: 
• 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

That one simple request was broken so instead of God's presence, he lost out with God. This is sad but it happens over and over as we yield to the voice of Satan instead of God. The same thing that Balaam used to destroy some in Israel was the same thing that brought Solomon down. Strange women who worshipped other gods. The wisest and richest man on earth became the stupidest and the poorest in spirit. He was as the church at Laodicea in Revelation chapter 3. He was rich and increased with goods thinking he had need of nothing but in reality he was poor, blind and naked. 

• 1 Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 
• 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 
• 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 
• 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 
• 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 
• 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 
• 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 
• 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 
• 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 
• 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded. 
• 11 Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 
• 12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. 
• 13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen. 

It is sad to see what happens when just one person of great influence backslides and departs from the Lord. 

In later years the kingdom of Israel as a nation departed from serving God and went into idolatry. God allowed the kingdom of Assyria to bring them into captivity and the northern kingdom of Israel mixed with the Assyrians to become Samaria. The northern kingdom was lost. 

The kingdom of Judah still survived for a season but later because of the same sins of departing from God and serving the gods of other nations, Babylon was allowed to take Judah into captivity. They were in captivity for 70 years until the kingdom of Persia allowed them to return home. A remnant returned but were not really free from control of governing nations. In the time of the Roman Empire was the time when Jesus Christ entered the world to make a sacrifice for sins. After the Jewish nation of Israel rejected Christ, the nation again was destroyed in 70 AD never to surface again until 1948. 

Originally this was not to be but sin steals, kills and destroys. There is good news. In the prophetic book of Revelation we see the existence of the tribes again. We see 144 thousand of Israel sealed so that they will not suffer the wrath of God being poured out upon the earth. These 144000 were Israelis that had become believers in Jesus Christ. 

We see the tribes mentioned again. Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph and Benjamin. Dan was not mentioned but it could be because there was no one from that tribe that as yet became a believer in Jesus Christ. Some say Dan was the first tribe to go into idolatry and that is why they are not mentioned. I do notice that the number was 12 and it would seem that when speaking of Israel there were always 12 tribes. Levi was once the tribe that didn't receive an inheritance because they were the priesthood and their inheritance was God but here we see that tribe mentioned in Revelation chapter 7. They still had 12 though because Joseph was split with one called Ephraim and one Manasseh even without Levi. In Revelation we see 12 tribes but the one omitted is Dan instead of Levi. 

In the final end of all things in chapter 21 of Revelation we do see that those 12 tribes will be restored in the end. God does not forget His promises and it shall come to pass all that the bible prophecies will come to pass. 

• Revelation 21:12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 

Mankind has given up on existence of Israel many times. Some even thought the church had replaced Israel and some went so far as to call themselves Israel. We see though that Israel came back into existence in 1948 and God has not forgotten His promise to Abraham. Israel has a place in the future kingdom of God. 

• Numbers 36:8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. 
• 9 Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance. 

This was the original intent and in the last days, this is what it will be. The tribes will once again have all their inheritance. 

• Numbers 36:10 Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad: 
• 11 For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons: 
• 12 And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. 
• 13 These are the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. 

Now we see them ready to go into the promised land. God intended good for them but as we study scripture from Joshua through the time of the judges, the time of the Kings, the Babylonian captivity, the days of Christ and throughout history that they lost their land because of sin. When they turn to Christ, their inheritance shall be given to them again. 

So where does this leave the church? The faithful believing church is grafted into the vine of Israel who is Christ by believing and receiving Jesus Christ. We share in their inheritance ruling and reigning with Christ. 

• Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 
• 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 
• 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 
• 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 

God's promise to Israel still stands but even more good news, the gospel is given to the Gentiles as well. All both Jews and Gentiles have sinned and have been broken off from fellowship with God because of sin. Jesus came to reconcile us back to God by cleansing our sins and becoming the final sacrifice for sins. When we simply believe and trust in Jesus to cleanse us from sin, we are reconciled back to God and will inherit His kingdom. 

None of us have to be left out of this great gift of salvation and eternal life. It is ours for the asking. All we have to do is recognize that we are sinners in need of salvation. We can't receive God in our lives if we do not recognize how much we need Him and we need to be cleansed from sin. DC

• 1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.