The Levite tribe, which makes its basic living from tithes and offerings for service to God, will not receive territories like the other tribes, However, the other tribes were to give the Levites 48 towns surrounded by pastures. This unified the Israelites under one God by distributing the priests among them.
Six of the towns, 3 on each side to the Jordan were designated as cities of refuge. People that killed a person accidentally could flee to one of these cities for a fair trial. If the person was found that it was “accidental” they could stay in the town until the High Priest died and then could return home. However, if the person was found guilty of murder they would be executed.
So what’s with the High Priest death you ask? Good question! The death of the high priest atoned for the sins of the person who killed someone. The death of the High Priest, therefore, had an atoning value like animal sacrifice did.
Click here for a handout.(But you probably won’t need it)
A verse worth underlining in your Bible is:
30 “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
Why am I bringing this up? Another good question! You have lots of good questions today. Two witnesses are needed to put someone to death:
Matthew 26: Jesus’ on Trial
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally, two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
That’s all they needed ☹️
Chapter 36
Inheritance of Zelophehad’s daughters. So if you decided to jump in here is the recap from Numbers 27:
When a man had no sons, his daughters would divide his property. If he had neither sons nor daughters, brothers, or uncles, then the father’s nearest relative would receive the inheritance. In chapter 36, the Lord placed a restriction on daughters who inherited their father’s estate. They had to marry within their own tribe, in order to keep the inheritance within that tribe, just as it would have remained if the father had had sons.
So now what? The last scripture is: 13 These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.
Should we send this next generation in? Or should we teach them the past, present, and future of God’s Promises?
Reading the Bible - 2021 