LOOKING ACROSS JORDAN. Numbers 34 This chapter describes God’s great gift to the Israelites, showing His grace and goodness in how He divides His land among them. This serves as a beautiful foreshadowing of what God has for the future, when His people will live with Him and serve Him in the new heavens and new earth, where righteousness dwells. Holiness and glory will be eternal.
It was God’s plan for settling the land of promise to first explain what to do and then communicate this to Moses, who would pass it on to the new generation of leaders. He then assigned specific people to oversee how this land was apportioned to tribes and families. Lists of names serve a purpose. They may be for genealogy, like that of our Lord Jesus Christ, or to identify trustworthy individuals, as in this list. The Book of Numbers begins with a list of leaders from each tribe and now ends with a similar list. A new generation of leaders has arisen, adding credibility to the record of each tribe's location. It also arranges the transfer of land to be done in an orderly and legal way, similar to a modern-day survey.
The two-and-a-half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River had already been identified. East Manasseh was the area north and east, and to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Gad was in the central part of the land directly east of the Jordan River, which runs from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The tribe of Reuben occupied the land east of the Dead Sea.
The theme of the Book of Numbers is how God's people came to enter the promised land. The promise of this land was given long before Israel became a nation and stood on the brink of crossing the Jordan River to see their land, given to them by God. This promise was first made by God to Abraham, then to Isaac, and afterward to Jacob. During their journey through the wilderness, God reaffirmed this promise to the children of Israel, telling them He would send hornets ahead of them to drive out the Canaanites. The boundaries of the land God promised were established by Him. These borders were not left to chance or dispute by those who would claim the land. There was enough for everyone to have what they needed to sustain their lives and support their families.
God established boundaries for us that are clearly outlined in the scriptures. Separation unto God is not narrow-minded or inadequate to fulfill our spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. When we follow His instructions and obey His directives with gladness, He promises to be a Father to us, and we will be His sons and daughters, "saith the Lord Almighty." No promise from God has failed, will fail, nor can fail. God is truth, and His word is truth. No promise He makes will remain unfulfilled. We can rest confidently in all the promises of God in this life and in the future. The promises of God are "Yea and Amen." There is no need for us to go beyond what He has plainly stated in the Bible.
Of great interest and importance is how God arranged for the land to be divided into identifiable and distributable properties. First, God explained what needed to be done; then, He communicated that to others through Moses. He designated specific people from each tribe to oversee the division of the land. By doing this in advance, problems among the people were avoided. The plan for distribution came from the Highest Source so that jealousy, tension, and friction between the tribes and among tribe members would not be directed at individuals.
"This is what the Lord said" should silence every voice of opposition people have when we carry out the commission we have been given. There is no need for us to argue over the things of God or even over our spiritual inheritance when we stay within the boundaries of scriptural teaching, principles, and practice. Our God is a God of order, and what He has planned will come to pass; of that, we can be sure. His plans for our redemption were made before the foundation of the world. A finished work that God has planned comes with the same pattern of operation as we use in our lives.
An idea is followed by a decision to proceed and develop it. Plans are then made to determine how to accomplish the task. Responsibilities are assigned, and a job description is given to those who have previously proven themselves trustworthy. Clear instructions are provided about what needs to be done, and the responsibility to carry out the task results in completed work. God has given us special gifts to accomplish as He builds His church. He has granted us the privilege of working with Him in this effort. It is our duty to carry this out faithfully to Him and with grace toward others.
The key to any work is faithful men who can be trusted to do the work they have been assigned. In Israel, those men were clearly identified, along with their areas of responsibility. One man was chosen from each tribe so he knew the limits of his authority. The people of Israel knew the name of the man they could turn to for guidance regarding their designated property. Not many of those men are mentioned again in the scriptures, and we might think they were not very important.
This same principle still applies today in local assemblies of God’s people. God has given us gifts along with corresponding responsibilities. The purpose of these gifts is clear, and the expectation is that we fulfill our divine assignment by using the gifts for the intended purpose. God works within us to accomplish His plans for His people. Gifts are not given for selfish reasons but for the benefit of the church and others beyond ourselves.
When we do what God desires, we might not be remembered for long in history. Obscurity doesn't mean our work isn't valuable. It's what matters most to obey God sincerely with our emotions, thoughtfully with our minds, and practically with our will. The reward of being allowed to partner with God in His kingdom work and for Him trusting us with a part of His great plan is enough for any true servant. That divine approval far surpasses any praise or honor that people might give us.
We are wise to give our best effort to the work we've been called to do. We should leave others' work to them without interfering, even if we don't see or do things exactly as they do. The situation in one part of the country may differ from another. The goal is for me to do what God intended for me where He placed me. When each person fulfills their role in their own place, God can unite the whole work according to His plan. A person's significance is only measured by God. We recognize them by their faithfulness to God in doing the work He has trusted to them.
Unfortunately, the Israelites did not take all the land God promised them. There was more land they could have claimed. For some reason, they were content with less than they could have had. Sadly, even that was temporary because the people they left in the land influenced them to turn away from the God of their ancestors, who wanted to be their Lord. Israel will someday possess all the land of promise when the Lord Jesus Christ becomes their King.
Today, many of God's people are content with only a small part of what could be theirs in Christ. Some are satisfied with the fact of their redemption, and that is the extent of their interest. Others take a step forward in partial obedience when they are baptized as believers, and then stop there. God has abundant provision for His children, and we will not lack any good thing. Great spiritual blessings are awaiting God's people now if they will only continue to follow the Lord Jesus Christ to the higher ground of Beulah-land and "observe all things" the Lord has commanded us to do. We can enjoy many of the blessings of heaven here and now when we listen to and follow the instructions concerning our inheritance in Christ.
My inheritance began on my father’s side when Emma Caroline Brown was saved as a girl. At 16, while in Plymouth, England, listening to Robert Chapman preach the Gospel, she came to Christ. Then, the man she married, Henry Goff from near Stratford, England, was also saved. After they moved to North Dakota, USA, with their family, my father’s parents were saved. My grandfather and grandmother were both saved before they married. On my mother’s side, her father, David Scott, was saved at age 13 near the city of Omagh in Ireland when James Campbell was preaching. Nellie Rouse, my mother’s mother, was saved as a young woman near Barrie, Ontario.
My father, Ralph Barnes Goff, was saved at age 21 under the preaching of Fred Elliott of Portland, Oregon, at Thatcher Hall. My mother, Margaret Esther Hope Scott, was saved at 17 after listening to Mr. Chowner preach the Gospel in Vancouver, BC.
I was converted through the preaching of L.K. McIlwaine and Sydney Maxwell in Hillsboro, Oregon, at age 13. Linda was saved at age 7 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, while talking to her father, Albert Barbour, who had recently been saved through the preaching of Herb Harris and Douglas Howard.
Many in this family line have been saved because they received a clear Gospel presentation. We have inherited the land of promise and look forward to a bright future because our God has led us onto this path of blessing. This land of spiritual abundance has been given to us as an inheritance, and I pray that for generations to come, if the Lord delays His return, we will continue to cherish, claim, and live in this land of God’s grace and favor. We do not deserve it, but we are very grateful for it and give God all the thanks and glory.