1. Thu: 2 Peter
  2. Fri: Amos 7-9
  3. Sat: Proverbs 4-6
Sunday · Week 40
The Books of the Law

Numbers 25-28

Week 40 · about 16 min
  1. Mon: John 19-21
  2. Tue: Jeremiah 32-33
  3. Wed: 2 Chronicles 1-6

Israel sins at Peor, a new census is taken, five daughters ask for land, and Joshua is chosen to succeed Moses.

Five Sisters Ask for Their Inheritance

Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

Numbers 27:16 (KJV)

Israel falls into sexual sin and Baal worship with the women of Moab, and a plague follows. A new census shows that the entire old generation is gone except Caleb and Joshua. Then five sisters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, come forward. Their father died without sons, and they ask, “Why should the name of our father be done away?” Moses takes their case to God. God says, “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right,” and changes the law. Moses, knowing he won’t enter the land, asks God for a leader so the people won’t be “as sheep which have no shepherd.” God chooses Joshua.

Reflect: Is there a request you’ve been afraid to bring to God because it seemed outside the rules?

Numbers 25

1Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab;

2for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods.

3Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the LORD’s anger burned against Israel.

4The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to the LORD before the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”

5Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Everyone kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal Peor.”

6Behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the Tent of Meeting.

7When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the middle of the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.

8He went after the man of Israel into the pavilion, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel.

9Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.

10The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

11“Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I didn’t consume the children of Israel in my jealousy.

12Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace.

13It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’”

14Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers’ house among the Simeonites.

15The name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head of the people of a fathers’ house in Midian.

16The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

17“Harass the Midianites, and strike them;

18for they harassed you with their wiles, wherein they have deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the incident regarding Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.”

Numbers 26

1After the plague, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all who are able to go out to war in Israel.”

3Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying,

4“Take a census, from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel.” These are those who came out of the land of Egypt.

5Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

6of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

7These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty.

8The son of Pallu: Eliab.

9The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are that Dathan and Abiram who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they rebelled against the LORD;

10and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign.

11Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn’t die.

12The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

13of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

14These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred.

15The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

16of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;

17of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

18These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were counted of them, forty thousand and five hundred.

19The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

20The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

21The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

22These are the families of Judah according to those who were counted of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred.

23The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites;

24of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

25These are the families of Issachar according to those who were counted of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred.

26The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

27These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred.

28The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim.

29The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.

30These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

31and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

32and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

33Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

34These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred.

35These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

36These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

37These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph after their families.

38The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

39of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

40The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

41These are the sons of Benjamin after their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand six hundred.

42These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families.

43All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred.

44The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites.

45Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

46The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.

47These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred.

48The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

49of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

50These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand four hundred.

51These are those who were counted of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.

52The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

53“To these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

54To the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance. To everyone according to those who were counted of him shall his inheritance be given.

55Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

56According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.”

57These are those who were counted of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

58These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, and the family of the Korahites. Kohath became the father of Amram.

59The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

60To Aaron were born Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

61Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

62Those who were counted of them were twenty-three thousand, every male from a month old and upward; for they were not counted among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

63These are those who were counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.

64But among these there was not a man of them who were counted by Moses and Aaron the priest, who counted the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.

65For the LORD had said of them, “They shall surely die in the wilderness.” There was not a man left of them, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Numbers 27

1Then the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph came near. These are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

2They stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the Tent of Meeting, saying,

3“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin. He had no sons.

4Why should the name of our father be taken away from among his family, because he had no son? Give to us a possession among the brothers of our father.”

5Moses brought their cause before the LORD.

6The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

7“The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. You shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers. You shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them.

8You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies, and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.

9If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers.

10If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers.

11If his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. This shall be a statute and ordinance for the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.’”

12The LORD said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.

13When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered;

14because in the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin, to honor me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

15Moses spoke to the LORD, saying,

16“Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation,

17who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep which have no shepherd.”

18The LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.

19Set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and commission him in their sight.

20You shall give authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may obey.

21He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

22Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.

23He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD spoke by Moses.

Numbers 28

1The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2“Command the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘See that you present my offering, my food for my offerings made by fire, as a pleasant aroma to me, in their due season.’

3You shall tell them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: male lambs a year old without defect, two day by day, for a continual burnt offering.

4You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and you shall offer the other lamb at evening,

5with one tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering, mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil.

6It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

7Its drink offering shall be the fourth part of a hin for each lamb. You shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD in the holy place.

8The other lamb you shall offer at evening. As the meal offering of the morning, and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering made by fire, for a pleasant aroma to the LORD.

9“‘On the Sabbath day, you shall offer two male lambs a year old without defect, and two tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, and its drink offering:

10this is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

11“‘In the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without defect,

12and three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, for each bull; and two tenth parts of fine flour for a meal offering mixed with oil, for the one ram;

13and one tenth part of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering to every lamb, as a burnt offering of a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

14Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bull, the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin for a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.

15Also, one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

16“‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD’s Passover.

17On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days.

18In the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work,

19but you shall offer an offering made by fire, a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old. They shall be without defect,

20with their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil. You shall offer three tenths for a bull, and two tenths for the ram.

21You shall offer one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs;

22and one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you.

23You shall offer these in addition to the burnt offering of the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

24In this way you shall offer daily, for seven days, the food of the offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to the LORD. It shall be offered in addition to the continual burnt offering and its drink offering.

25On the seventh day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.

26“‘Also in the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new meal offering to the LORD in your feast of weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work;

27but you shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old;

28and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the one ram,

29one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs;

30and one male goat, to make atonement for you.

31Besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, you shall offer them and their drink offerings. See that they are without defect.

World English Bible (WEB). World English Bible (WEB), public domain. “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.