OCTOBER 14, 2025

Numbers 34:1-15  (HCSB)
Boundaries of the Promised Land
34 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Command the Israelites and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, it will be allotted to you as an inheritance with these borders:
3 Your southern side will be from the Wilderness of Zin along the boundary of Edom. Your southern border on the east will begin at the east end of the Dead Sea. 4 Your border will turn south of the Ascent of Akrabbim, proceed to Zin, and end south of Kadesh-barnea. It will go to Hazar-addar and proceed to Azmon. 5 The border will turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, where it will end at the Mediterranean Sea. 6 Your western border will be the coastline of the Mediterranean Sea; this will be your western border. 7 This will be your northern border: From the Mediterranean Sea draw a line to Mount Hor; 8 from Mount Hor draw a line to the entrance of Hamath, and the border will reach Zedad.9 Then the border will go to Ziphron and end at Hazar-enan. This will be your northern border. 10 For your eastern border, draw a line from Hazar-enan to Shepham. 11 The border will go down from Shepham to Riblah east of Ain. It will continue down and reach the eastern slope of the Sea of Chinnereth. 12 Then the border will go down to the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. This will be your land defined by its borders on all sides.” 13 So Moses commanded the Israelites, “This is the land you are to receive by lot as an inheritance, which the Lord commanded to be given to the nine and a half tribes. 14 For the tribe of the Reubenites and the tribe of the Gadites have received their inheritance according to their ancestral houses, and half the tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two and a half tribes have received their inheritance across the Jordan from Jericho, eastward toward the sunrise.”

Braxton Craig
The best way to describe Numbers 34 is that it paints a map of the God-given boundaries of Israel. I found it difficult to have much discussion on this chapter but then felt led to look at maps of the boundaries established in Numbers 34 vs. the current boundaries. The boundaries of Israel have been long disputed in the world and it has led to many wars, even currently with The Gaza War. I could not possibly discuss all of Israel’s boundary struggles over the past 2,000 to 3,000 years, but the research into the history is fascinating. This chapter made me think about how a book written 2,000 years ago has clearly laid out Israel’s rightful boundaries, yet the greediness of human nature still leads to conflicts and war just because people want what they don’t have. Think of a scenario where two boys are playing together in the park. Timmy brought his ball to the park, and his mom made sure to write his name clearly on the ball. Timmy plays catch with Bobby at the park, but when it is time to go Bobby grabs Timmy’s ball to take home with him. It is pointed out to Bobby that the ball is Timmy’s and even has his name on it, but Bobby doesn’t care because this is a cool ball, unlike the one he has, and he wants it.