A lot of marching and camping. Here's a snippet of the riveting adventure I get to go on while reading this:
"They marched from Elim and camped by the Red Sea. They marched from the Reed Sea and camped in the Sin desert. They marched from the Sin desert and camped at Dophkah." This goes on for 34 more similar sentences.
Lord bosses around Moses some more. He's got to get in all that he can before he sends Moses off to his death. The Israelites need to take over the land of Canaan and drive all the people out and destroy all tokens of their false gods. Lord then gets into some of his trademark threatening, telling Moses that if the Israelites leave any of the Canaanite people in peace, the Canaanite will "prick your eyes and be thorns in your side. They will harass you in the land in which you are living. Then what I intended to do to them. I'll do to you."
I wonder if I'll get to read about any remotely likeable characters again in the next 815 pages of this book. Right now, it's like being stuck in the Cersei point of view chapter in Games of Thrones. A seemingly endless one.
Numbers 34:
Lord repeats his Canaan spiel then gives Moses a geography lesson on the land the Israelites will take over:
"Your southern boundary extends from the Zin desert alongside Edom. Your southern border extends from the edge of the Dead Sea on the east. Your border will turn south of the ascent of Akrabbim and cross toward Zin. Its limit will be south of Kadesh-barnea." This goes on for several paragraphs. If I wasn't writing this blog, I would have quit reading this book a long long time ago. Those 2 to 3 likes a week are all that keep me going.
The chapter ends with an epic battle between the Israelites and Canaanites, filled with vivid detail that makes me feel like I'm really there, and there's character development, and plot. Just kidding. Lord divides up the land to different tribes.
"These are the names of the men who will assign the inheritance of the land: Eleazar the priest and Joshua, Non's son. You will also take one chief from each tribe to apportion the land. These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb, Jeph-." I won't put you through any more of that. No one should have to put themselves through any more of that unless they're getting land in return for it.
Numbers 35:
The Levites, the teacher's pet of tribes, get 48 cities, 6 of them being "refuge cities." Lord says that the refuge cities will be for people who kill someone and need to flee. A safe haven for murderers if you will.
Lord later clarifies that the refuge cities are to hold people who have killed and are awaiting trial by the community which makes more sense than allowing murderers to get off scot free. How could I have doubted Lord for one moment? All his decision thus far have been logical, merciful, and fair. The Levite refuge cities are also for keeping temporary residents and refugees. Do you think the U.S. would be more willing to take in Syrian refugees if they had to live with accused murderers?
Lord gets into detail about the difference between accidental killing and murder. It is...specific.
"...if someone strikes a person with an iron object and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must definitely be put to death. If someone strikes another with a stone in hand that could cause death and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must definitely be put to death. Or if someone strikes with a wood object in hand that could cause death, he is a murderer. The murderer must definitely be put to death" . . . "If in hatred someone hits another or throws something at him with premeditation, he will be put to death. Or if in hostility someone strikes another with his hand and he dies, the one who struck is a murderer and he will be put to death."
Allow me to provide you with murder loopholes: Kicking someone to death. Pushing them off something high. Drowning. Burning. Impaling. Setting someone up to be caught in a stampede. Eating them. Convincing another animal to eat them. Guns. Bees. Dropping a piano on them. Etc.
Lord's pretty lenient with accidental death: "But if suddenly and without hostility someone hits another or throws any object at him without premeditation,"
(You know all those time when you just like, peacefully throw death causing objects at your pal? You know? Without hostility? Like you do?)
"... or accidentally drops any stone on him that could cause death and he dies---even though they weren't enemies and no evil was intended--then the community must come to a verdict between the killer and close relative in accordance with these case laws."
The case laws are that the accidental killer is protected in a refuge city and has to live there until the high priest dies. If they venture out before the high priest dies, and the close relative of the dead person comes across them, the close relative is allowed to kill them.
Some others rules:
1. The close relative gets to put a murderer to death. I wonder if they get to choose the way the murderer dies? Do they get to be creative? Can they ask God to do some plague stuff?
2. One witness is not enough to put someone to death. A suspiciously reasonable rule for this book.
3. You cannot accept a ransom for the life of the murderer or accidental killer. Two reasonable rules in a row. Way to go Lord.
Lord concludes with the real reason he's anti murder: "You may not pollute the land in which you live, for the blood pollutes the land. There can be no recovery for the land from the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. You will not make the land in which you live unclean, the land, in the middle of which I reside"
It all comes back to Lord being a germaphobe.
Numbers 36:
Girls don't get to marry outside or their father's tribe (i.e. their cousins) because otherwise their inheritance and land would be given to another tribe. This seems like less Lord's rule and more creepy and greedy Israelite man rules. And that's how the worst section of this book so far ends, with forced cousin marriage. Feels right.
NUMBERS IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!
Next time I'll be onto Deuteronomy which I'm going to hold out hope is at least slightly more bearable than the last 2 and a half sections. Until next time.
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