Today’s scripture reading contains instructions given to Israel for apportioning the promised land amongst the tribes of Israel, including provisions for the priests and Levites. These verses will illustrate the concept that in God’s eyes, a thousand years are like a day.
Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, the morning light filtering weakly through the blinds. It was exactly sixty-one days since he had clearly sensed the Lord’s promise to provide.
He had been unemployed for nearly half a year after the company downsized. Bills stacked higher each week. Yet, sixty-one days ago, a deep peace had settled over him. He told his small group with quiet confidence, “God’s going to provide. He promised.”
However, after two months, there was nothing, not even an interview that went past the first call. Doubt crept in like a slow fog. Ethan said to himself, “It’s been two months, Lord. How long am I supposed to wait?”
Human life expectancy is less than 100 years; therefore, a couple of months can seem like an eternity to us. If God doesn’t provide immediately, we begin to doubt He will ever provide. Today’s passage helps us look at time through God’s eyes.
There are multiple verses in Genesis in which Yahweh promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants (see Genesis 12:7, 13:15, 26:3, 28:13, and 35:12). When Jacob returned to the land of Canaan after living outside it for two decades (roughly 1900 BC), his sons Simeon and Levi deceived and killed the men of Shechem (see Genesis 34). Jacob was not pleased (see Genesis 34:30). When Jacob was about to die, he prophesied that Simeon and Levi would be scattered in Israel as punishment (see Genesis 49:7).
After Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt, the Israelites lived in Egypt for 400 years, spending the latter years of that sojourn as slaves. After Moses led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and through the wilderness for 40 years, Israel was on the verge of entering the land of Canaan to possess it (roughly 1400 BC).
Moses conducted a census and then commanded that the land of Canaan be divided amongst the tribes according to the size of each tribe. The land was to be divided by lot (see Numbers 26).
Num. 34:16 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num. 34:17 “These are the names of the men who shall apportion the land to you for inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.
Notice the names Eleazar and Joshua. At this point in time Aaron was already dead (see Numbers 20:29). Also, Moses had been informed that he would not enter the promised land and that Joshua would be his successor (see Numbers 27). That is why Eleazar and Joshua would lead the apportionment of the land.
Num. 34:18 And you shall take one leader of every tribe to apportion the land for inheritance.
Num. 34:19 Now these are the names of the men:
Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
Num. 34:20 Of the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud.
Num. 34:21 Of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.
Num. 34:22 Of the tribe of the sons of Dan a leader, Bukki the son of Jogli.
Num. 34:23 Of the sons of Joseph: of the tribe of the sons of Manasseh a leader, Hanniel the son of Ephod.
Num. 34:24 Of the tribe of the sons of Ephraim a leader, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.
Num. 34:25 Of the tribe of the sons of Zebulun a leader, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.
Num. 34:26 Of the tribe of the sons of Issachar a leader, Paltiel the son of Azzan.
Num. 34:27 Of the tribe of the sons of Asher a leader, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.
Num. 34:28 Of the tribe of the sons of Naphtali a leader, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”
Only 10 tribes are listed here because Reuben and Gad received their land on the east side of the Jordan River (see Numbers 32).
Also, note that Levi is not listed. Instead, Manasseh and Ephraim are listed along with their uncles. This fulfilled Jacob’s decision to claim the sons of Joseph as his own (see Genesis 48:5).
Num. 34:29 These are those whom Yahweh commanded to apportion the inheritance to the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan.
Num. 35:1 ¶ Now Yahweh spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying,
The colors on the map indicate elevation. The dark greens are the lower elevations. The browns are the higher elevations.
Num. 35:2 “Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities.
Instead of receiving a block of land as the other tribes, Levi was given cities throughout all the tribes. This fulfilled Jacob’s prophecy that Levi would be scattered in Israel (see Genesis 49:7).
The fulfillment of this prophecy happened almost 500 years after the prophecy was given. This illustrates the fact that with God a thousand years are like a day.
Num. 35:3 And the cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.
Num. 35:4 ¶ “And the pasture lands of the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward one thousand cubits around.
Num. 35:5 You shall also measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities.
Num. 35:6 ¶ And the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be the six cities of refuge, which you shall give for the manslayer to flee to; and in addition to them you shall give forty-two cities.
Num. 35:7 All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.
Num. 35:8 Now as for the cities which you shall give from the possession of the sons of Israel, you shall take more from the larger, and you shall take less from the smaller; each shall give some of his cities to the Levites in proportion to his possession which he inherits.”
Human life expectancy is less than 100 years; therefore, we think anything longer than 100 years is an eternity. On the other hand, God lives forever, so 100 years is nothing in his mind, just as one day is nothing in a human mind.
There are promises in the Bible that were given hundreds of years ago, but have yet to be fulfilled. That doesn’t mean they won’t be fulfilled. It only means God is acting on His timetable, not ours. Just as Yahweh waited 500 years to fulfill the prophecy about Levi being scattered in Israel, so too He is waiting centuries to fulfill many other promises found in the Bible.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”