Details

Principle

Faithful obedience to GOD's instructions was key to Israel maintaining possession of the land.

Explanation

Israel was encamped across the border from Canaan. Moses was soon to die. In his final days, Moses reminded Israel to keep GOD's ordinances, warning them of the severe consequences of disobedience. Numerous important truths are found in Moses' words.

One such truth was that obedience to GOD was essential for Israel to keep the land they were about to take control of:

1 “Now, O Israel, listen to the ordinances and judgments I teach you today to observe, that you may live and become numerous and inherit the land the Lord God of your fathers is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, all that I command you today. 3 Your eyes saw all the things the Lord our God did at Baal Peor; for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

5 “Surely I taught you ordinances and judgments, as the Lord commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land you go to inherit. 6 Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Gentiles, who will hear all these ordinances and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?

Details

Principle

God set the boundaries for Israel's territory.

Explanation

As Israel was preparing to enter the land of Canaan, GOD told Moses:

2 “Command the children of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall come into the land of Canaan, and it shall be your inheritance, the land of Canaan with its borders.

3 ‘Your southern border shall be from the Desert of Sin to the border of Edom; so your southern border shall extend eastward to the end of the Salt Sea; 4 and your borders shall go around from the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Sin, and be on the south of Kadesh Barnea; then it shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon; 5 and the border shall go around from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and its termination shall be the sea.

6 ‘As for the western borders, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your western border.

7 ‘Now this shall be your northern border: from the Great Sea you shall measure your border along the mountain range; 8 and from the mountain range you shall measure your border to Hamath; and its termination shall be the borders of Zedad; 9 and the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and its termination shall be Hazar Enan. This shall be your northern border.

10 ‘You shall measure your eastern borders from Hazar Enan to Shepham; 11 and the borders shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the borders shall go down to Bela behind the Sea of Chinnereth from the east; 12 and the borders shall go down along the Jordan, and its termination shall be the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding borders.’”
(Numbers 34:2-12 OSB)

 

Biblical Principles List

Details

Principle

God told Israel to destroy all Canaanites and cleanse the land of Canaan.

Explanation

As Israel was preparing to enter the land of Canaan, GOD told Moses:

50 Now the Lord spoke to Moses west of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘You are crossing over the Jordan into the land of Canaan. 52 Then you shall destroy all the inhabitants of the land before your face; and you shall remove their high places, and as for all their molten idols, you shall destroy these; and you shall remove all their pillars. 53 You shall also destroy all the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I give you their land as an inheritance. 54 Therefore you shall inherit their land by lot among your tribes; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not destroy the inhabitants of the land from before your face, it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be thorns in your eyes and arrows in your sides; and they shall be at enmity with you in the land where you dwell. 56 Moreover, it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’”
(Numbers 33:50-56 OSB)

Special instructions were given for the Amalekites because of what they had done to Israel earlier:

Details

Principle

The tribes of Gad and Reuben, and half of Manasseh, received their inherited land east of the Jordan River.

Explanation

As Israel was preparing to enter the land of Canaan, the tribes of Gad and Reuben brought a request to Moses:

1 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle, and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead; and they saw the place was a place for cattle. 2 So the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the rulers of the congregation, saying, 3 “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, 4 the country the Lord delivered over to the children of Israel, is a land appropriate for feeding cattle; and your servants have cattle.” 5 Therefore they said, “If we have found grace in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not make us cross over the Jordan.”
(Numbers 32:1-5 OSB)

Apparently, Moses perceived this request as an expression of faithless cowardice, for he responded:

Details

Principle

Joshua succeeded Moses as Israel's leader.

Explanation

As Israel was preparing to enter the land of Canaan, GOD told Moses to appoint Joshua as his successor:

18 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man who has the Spirit in himself, and put your hand on him; 19 and stand him before Eleazar the priest and give orders to him before all the congregation, and give orders concerning him before them. 20 You shall then give some of your glory to him, that the children of Israel may obey him. 21 So he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, and they shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel in one accord, even all the congregation.” 22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him, and taking Joshua, he stood him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 Then he put his hands on him and appointed him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
(Numbers 27:18-23 OSB)

 

Biblical Principles List