Today's Reading is Numbers 26-27...
My thoughts on today's reading...
Oh great, another census! You might be thinking you can just skip pass Chapter 26 as there probably isn't much but a list of names and a count of how many were in each tribe, but just wait there are some really neat little gems of information tucked away in those list. For example, look at verse 11. We hear about how Korah led a rebellion and 250 men died in that rebellion when the ground opened up and swallowed them, but verse 11 tells us Korah's sons didn't die. I find this interesting because it means they chose not to join in their father's rebellion or they would have been swallowed up with him.
Then in verse 19, we hear how the sons of Judah, Er and Onan died in Canaan. I had to go back and remind myself that Er was struck down by the Lord in his sin, and Onan didn't carry out his responsibility of providing a son to carry on his brothers name. Er's wife was Tamar, and that of course leads to the story of Judah's sinful actions against his daughter-in-law. This is the same Tamar who will show up in Matthew in the genealogy of Jesus.
I also find it interesting in verse 46 the mention of Asher's daughter Serah. No details about her at all in the Scriptures, but she is mentioned here and in Genesis 46:17 and 1 Chronicles 7:30. As much as some would point to the whole patriarchal emphasis of the Bible as being a sign of the lesser value of women, we get attention drawn to Serah, with no other context. I guess it affirms to me that God places great value in us all, male and female.
A couple of other interesting notes... remember this count of Israel is coming after spending 40 years in the wilderness, where the previous generation are gone, and yet in counting those able to go to battle as they prepare to enter the Promise Land, there is only a decrease of 1,820. Compare Numbers 1:46 to Numbers 26:51. And for the Levites there is an increase of 1000 if you compare Numbers 26:62 to Numbers 3:39.
For a chapter with a census in it, there are some interesting things that appear in the text. Then in Chapter 27 we see the Lord agreeing with the daughters of Zelophehad on their claim to inheritance and the Lord even established a statute and rule for His people, which again, shows an indication that women were valued.
One final thing to note about God appointing Joshua to lead God's people after Moses is gone is that Moses cared deeply for those he had been leading. He didn't want them to be like sheep without a shepherd. You would think that after as much trouble as they caused him, he would have thought to himself that its no longer any of my concern, but I see in Moses request a genuine love for those he served.