Bird's-eye view
In these closing verses of Numbers 34, we are observing a crucial moment of covenantal transition and fulfillment. The generation that fell in the wilderness is gone, and a new generation stands on the brink of possessing the long-awaited promise. Moses, the great lawgiver, is formalizing the distribution of the inheritance. This is not a mere real estate transaction; it is a sacred act, a demonstration of God's unwavering faithfulness to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The passage underscores two key realities. First, God's provision is not arbitrary; it is divinely ordered, signified by the use of the lot. This method removes human squabbling and political maneuvering from the equation, placing the outcome squarely in the hands of divine providence. Second, the passage makes a clear distinction between the nine and a half tribes who will inherit within the formal boundaries of Canaan proper, and the two and a half tribes who have already received their portion on the east side of the Jordan. This arrangement, initiated by the eastern tribes themselves, sets up a significant geographical and, as history would show, spiritual distinction that plays out in Israel's later history. It is a picture of God's meticulous care for His people, His faithfulness to His word, and the solemn responsibility that comes with receiving a God-given inheritance.
Fundamentally, this is about God keeping His word. For centuries, the people of Israel had been defined by a promise of land. Now, on the plains of Moab, that promise is taking on tangible, geographical shape. The commands are precise, the boundaries are set, and the distribution is about to commence. This is the culmination of the exodus and the wilderness wanderings. It is the beginning of Israel's life as a landed nation, a kingdom of priests in the place God prepared for them. And for us, it is a type, a foreshadowing of our greater inheritance in Christ, which is not a plot of land in the Middle East, but the entire renewed earth.
Outline
- 1. The Commanded Inheritance (Num 34:13-15)
- a. The Command to Inherit by Lot (Num 34:13)
- b. The Confirmation of the Eastern Tribes' Inheritance (Num 34:14-15)
- i. Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh Identified (Num 34:14)
- ii. The Location Specified: East of the Jordan (Num 34:15)
Context In Numbers
Numbers 34 comes at the tail end of a long series of instructions preparing Israel for their entry into Canaan. The book of Numbers began with the numbering of the first generation at Sinai, a generation that subsequently perished in the wilderness due to their unbelief. This section of the book, beginning around chapter 26, deals with the new generation. They have been numbered, the laws of inheritance for daughters have been established (the case of Zelophehad's daughters), Joshua has been appointed as Moses' successor, and detailed instructions for offerings and vows have been given. Immediately preceding this chapter, in Numbers 33, we have a detailed travelogue of Israel's journey from Egypt, a memorial of God's faithfulness through their long wanderings. Now, in chapter 34, God lays out the precise geographical boundaries of the Promised Land (vv. 1-12). Our text (vv. 13-15) is the logical conclusion to that description; it is the formal command from Moses about how this defined territory is to be divided. This chapter, followed by the naming of the leaders who will oversee the division (vv. 16-29) and the laws for the Levitical cities and cities of refuge (ch. 35), serves as the final administrative preparation before the conquest begins under Joshua.
Key Issues
- The Sovereignty of God in the Lot
- The Nature of Covenantal Inheritance
- The Faithfulness of God to His Promises
- The Significance of the Transjordan Tribes
- The Land as a Type of a Greater Possession
God's Apportioned Grace
When we read about dividing land by lot, we must resist the modern temptation to see it as a game of chance, a divine lottery. The Scriptures teach something very different. "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh" (Prov. 16:33). Casting the lot was a sanctified method for discerning the will of God in a situation where human wisdom or preference could lead to strife and partiality. By commanding that the land be divided this way, God was taking the process out of the hands of ambitious tribal leaders. He was preventing a land grab.
This was God's land, and He was the one apportioning it. The inheritance was a gift of grace, not a wage earned. The size of the portion was related to the size of the tribe (Num. 26:54), but the specific location was determined by God alone. This method ensured that each tribe would receive exactly the portion God intended for them, and it required them to trust His fatherly wisdom. It was an exercise in submission from the very beginning of their national life in the land. Just as our salvation is by grace, and our gifts and callings are apportioned by the Holy Spirit as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11), so Israel's earthly inheritance was a direct assignment from their sovereign King. The land was a gift, and the address on the gift was written by God Himself.
Verse by Verse Commentary
13 So Moses commanded the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the land that you shall inherit by lot among you as a possession, which Yahweh has commanded to give to the nine and a half tribes.
Moses is functioning here as the covenant mediator, relaying God's instructions to the people. His command is not his own invention; it is an echo of the divine command. The word commanded is crucial. This is not a suggestion. The reception and distribution of the land is a matter of divine ordinance, a matter of obedience. He identifies the subject: "This is the land." He is referring to the territory whose borders have just been meticulously described in the preceding verses. The means of distribution is specified: "by lot." This method, as noted above, is designed to highlight God's sovereignty over the process. The nature of their claim to the land is twofold: it is an inheritance and a possession. An inheritance is received from a father, underscoring the grace of the gift. A possession is something to be held, guarded, and worked, underscoring the responsibility of the recipients. Finally, the recipients are clearly defined: the nine and a half tribes. This immediately sets up the distinction that will be clarified in the next verses.
14 For the tribe of the sons of Reuben have received theirs according to their fathers’ households, and the tribe of the sons of Gad according to their fathers’ households, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.
Here Moses explains why the lot is only for nine and a half tribes. It is because the other two and a half have already staked their claim and had it granted. The text emphasizes the corporate nature of this reception; it is according to their "fathers' households." This is not a collection of individuals getting their own plots, but rather a federal, tribal allotment. Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had seen that the land east of the Jordan was good for their numerous livestock and had requested it from Moses (Numbers 32). Moses had agreed, on the condition that their fighting men would cross the Jordan and help their brothers conquer the land of Canaan before returning to their families. This verse is the formal recognition that their side of the bargain has been accepted and their inheritance is now settled. They "have received" it, past tense. Their portion is secure.
15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan opposite Jericho to the east toward the sunrise.”
This verse provides the geographical coordinates for the inheritance of these tribes. It is "across the Jordan," setting them outside the primary boundaries of Canaan proper. It is "opposite Jericho," giving the people a clear landmark from their current position on the plains of Moab. And it is "to the east toward the sunrise." This is more than just a directional marker. Throughout Scripture, direction matters. East is often the direction of exile, away from the presence of God in the sanctuary. While their choice was permissible, it placed a geographical barrier, the Jordan River, between them and the central place of worship that would be established. Their inheritance was a legitimate part of the promise, but it was on the periphery. This geographical reality would have lasting consequences for these tribes, who were the first to be carried away into exile centuries later. Their choice was honored, but it was a choice that came with inherent dangers.
Application
The principles laid out in this brief passage have direct application for the Christian today. First, we are reminded that our inheritance in Christ is a gift of sovereign grace. We do not earn our place in the kingdom, nor do we get to haggle with God over the spiritual gifts, opportunities, and stations in life He assigns to us. He is the one who casts the lot, and His decision is always wise and good. Our task is to receive our portion with gratitude and to steward it faithfully. Contentment is found not in getting the inheritance we think we deserve, but in joyfully accepting the one our Father has chosen for us.
Second, the story of the Transjordan tribes is a cautionary one. They chose a portion that looked good in a worldly sense, a land good for cattle, but it placed them at a distance from the heart of Israel's covenant life. It is a perpetual temptation for believers to choose what is materially advantageous over what is spiritually central. We can choose a job, a home, or a lifestyle that is prosperous but which puts us on the periphery of a faithful church and robust Christian fellowship. We can settle for an inheritance "across the river" from the main camp of God's people. God may permit this choice, but we must recognize the spiritual peril involved. The call for us is to desire our inheritance right in the heart of the Promised Land, as close to the presence of God and the fellowship of His saints as we can get. Our ultimate inheritance is not land or livestock, but God Himself, and we should never allow anything to create distance between us and Him.