The Lord speaking to Moses here is the opening of His instructions for dividing Canaan, and in obedience Moses fixed the bounds of the country as it was to be apportioned among the tribes when they should come to possess it. The distribution embraced the whole land, both the portions already conquered and those still unsubdued. That work was committed to Joshua together with Eleazar the high priest and the heads of the tribes, with a prince from each tribe appointed to attend to the division. The location of each tribe was to be determined by lot.
Each tribe was laid under the duty to fully subdue its own inheritance. If the people proved faithful to God and true to His covenant, He would drive out their enemies from before them and give them still greater possessions. The tribe of Levi was not counted in this allotment because it was devoted to sanctuary service. Instead, forty-eight cities in different parts of the country were assigned to the Levites as their inheritance.
The Lord speaking to Moses here is the opening of His instructions for dividing Canaan, and in obedience Moses fixed the bounds of the country as it was to be apportioned among the tribes when they should come to possess it. The distribution embraced the whole land, both the portions already conquered and those still unsubdued. That work was committed to Joshua together with Eleazar the high priest and the heads of the tribes, with a prince from each tribe appointed to attend to the division. The location of each tribe was to be determined by lot.
Each tribe was laid under the duty to fully subdue its own inheritance. If the people proved faithful to God and true to His covenant, He would drive out their enemies from before them and give them still greater possessions. The tribe of Levi was not counted in this allotment because it was devoted to sanctuary service. Instead, forty-eight cities in different parts of the country were assigned to the Levites as their inheritance.