Day 55: God Fights For You

Today we read Numbers 3, Deuteronomy 3, and Psalm 87. The story in Numbers is a continuation of the organization of the encampment where the Levitical tribe will surround the tabernacle in the center and be in charge of its care. This story is tethered to the last part of Exodus where the law and preparations are still being given and Mount Sinai to the people in preparation for their trip to and entrance into the promised land. It’s interesting to note that Yahweh is accepting the tribe of Levi as the representative “first” son when Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah. We also read more in Deuteronomy about how God fights for us and He asks us to all stand together and be a part of the resistance, the purpose, and the rescue mission. The story describes how there is total victory in the pursuit and response to following God’s plan. It’s anticipating what was stated in Genesis 3:15, a descendent of Eve, which we know is Jesus, is coming and He will crush the head (total victory) over the adversary. We discuss how the Hebrew phrasing and language used by Moses in his speech may be emphasizing this fact more than stating the Israelites participation in the total annihilation of their enemies. The point seems to be that we put our trust in God and He will deliver us, giving us total victory over the adversary. We also read about how Moses will not be entering the promise land and that Moses will play a role in the succession leadership training for Joshua who will take the people into the promise land. 

Resources:

Dr. Millar, Gary (2023) A Deuteronomy Commentary, The Gospel Coalition: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/deuteronomy/

The classic work on this subject is by K. Lawson Younger, Ancient Conquest Accounts, JSOTS 98 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1990)

Credits:

Podcast music by Stockaudios from Pixabay. Speaker, Dr. Rachel Bodell. Podcast Sound Engineer, Alan Darling. Podcast Artwork, Will Gerard.