The heads of the tribe of Manasseh speak of the land of their possession, and the inheritance of their fathers, with as great assurance as if they have it already in their hands, knowing whom they have trusted. They foresee trouble in daughters who have an inheritance marrying outside the tribe, and they bring the case to Moses, that he

There is a great deal of gospel in the cities of refuge. There are several cities of refuge, and they are in several parts of the country that the man-slayer, wherever he lives in the land of Israel, might in half a day reach one of them; so, though there is but one Christ appointed for our refuge, yet, wherever

The laws about the tithes and offerings have provided very plentifully for the Levites, but now care must be taken to provide homes for them, in which they might live comfortably and usefully. Cities are allotted to them, with their pasture land. They don’t need fields because they are not to sow, or reap, or gather into barns. Their heavenly

God limits Canaan within certain bounds. The borders are set that the Israelites might know whom they are to drive out, how far that extends, and what they can expect to possess themselves. God sets bounds to our circumstances and possessions, and we need to learn to be content with that. The Promised Land is actually quite small. It is

While the children of Israel are in the wilderness their total separation from all other people keeps them away from temptation to idolatry, and perhaps this is one of the things intended by their long wandering in the wilderness, that the idols of Egypt might be forgotten, and the people purified from that infection, and the generation that enters Canaan

This review of the travels of the children of Israel is a memorable history and worth preserving, to the honour of God that leads them and for the encouragement of the generations that follow. It can be helpful for us to put in writing an account of the providences of God towards us, the constant series of mercies we have

We don’t know if Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh intend to help the rest of the Israelites all along, or if Moses’ rebuke makes them rethink their proposal. If they did intend to help, it is an instance how often that which is honestly meant is unhappily misinterpreted; yet Moses is excusable, for he has plenty of reason to suspect the

Reuben and Gad ask that the land which they have recently conquered, might be assigned to them for their inheritance. They have a great multitude of cattle, above the rest of the tribes, and want land in proportion to their large herds. At first glance this seems like a really bad idea to Moses, and he rebukes them. It seems to

God himself directs how the spoil should be distributed, preventing arguments. All we have is from God, and therefore must be subject to His will. The war is undertaken on behalf of the whole congregation; they would all have been ready to go to the help of the Lord against their enemies, if they had been so ordered, and they

The Midianites land was not designed to be given to Israel, nor would Israel have meddled with them if they had not sent their women among them to draw them to fornication and idolatry. God will have the Midianites punished. God will have us count those our worst enemies that draw us to sin. There is a day coming when