What role does obedience play in receiving God's blessings, as seen in Numbers 26:35? Setting the Scene • Numbers 26 records a new census taken near the end of Israel’s wilderness journey. • The first generation had died off because of rebellion (Numbers 14:29-35). • In this fresh count, only those who had remained under God’s discipline and order were still alive to be numbered. • Verse 35 lists clans from Ephraim: “These were the descendants of Ephraim: the family of the Shuthelahites from Shuthelah, the family of the Bekerites from Beker, and the family of the Tahanites from Tahan.” (Numbers 26:35) Why a Simple List Matters • Every name represents a lineage preserved. • That preservation came after forty years of testing in the desert. • Disobedient families were cut off; obedient families remained to inherit Canaan (Numbers 26:64-65). • The census, therefore, is a tally of blessing—God counting the faithful whom He will bless with land and legacy. Obedience and Blessing: Biblical Threads • Deuteronomy 28:1-2 — “If you fully obey… all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you.” • Psalm 1:1-3 — The obedient are “like a tree planted by streams of water… whatever he does prospers.” • John 14:23 — “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him.” • James 1:25 — The doer of the word “will be blessed in what he does.” Lessons Drawn from Numbers 26:35 1. Obedience safeguards a future. – These Ephraimite clans had survived judgment and were poised to receive land. 2. Obedience is generational. – Parents’ faithfulness shaped the destiny of children and grandchildren listed. 3. Obedience is counted. – God literally counts the obedient, underscoring individual worth and corporate responsibility. 4. Obedience positions us for inheritance. – The census immediately precedes the allotment of the Promised Land (Numbers 26:52-56). Living It Out • Submit daily choices to the clear commands of Scripture; obedience today secures tomorrow’s blessing. • Cultivate family habits of faithfulness; future generations reap what we plant (Proverbs 20:7). • Remember that God still “counts” obedient lives (2 Chronicles 16:9; Revelation 3:8) and delights to pour favor on them. |
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