Link Numbers 26:23 to Israel's promises.
How does Numbers 26:23 connect to God's promises to the tribes of Israel?

Setting the Scene

Numbers 26 records the second wilderness census, taken on the plains of Moab just before Israel crosses the Jordan.

• The census serves two main purposes:

– Confirming that God has preserved a new generation after the rebellion at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 14).

– Establishing population totals for the forthcoming allotment of Canaan (Numbers 26:52-56).


The Text Itself

“ ‘The descendants of Issachar by their clans: the Tolaite clan from Tola, the Punite clan from Puah,’ ” (Numbers 26:23).

• Only one verse, yet it identifies two clans—Tola and Puah—within Issachar’s tribe.

• Each name ties directly back to an individual son of Issachar (Genesis 46:13), grounding the census in real historical lineage.


Linking Issachar to Covenant Promises

1. Promise of Multiplication

• To Abraham: “I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 12:2).

• To Jacob: “Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth” (Genesis 28:14).

Numbers 26:23 confirms Issachar’s share in that growth—living proof that God is keeping His word.

2. Promise of Land

• Land was always integral to the covenant (Genesis 15:18-21).

• The census determines Issachar’s future inheritance: “You are to divide the land by lot according to the names of the tribes” (Numbers 26:55).

• Later fulfillment: “Their territory included Jezreel, Kesulloth, Shunem…” (Joshua 19:17-23).


Foreshadowing Jacob’s Prophecy

• Jacob’s blessing: “Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the sheepfolds” (Genesis 49:14-15).

• The large clan numbers (Numbers 26:25 lists 64,300) hint at the tribe’s strength and agricultural stability later enjoyed in the fertile Jezreel Valley—matching Jacob’s words.


Continuity in Later Scripture

• 1 Chron 7:2 still notes “mighty men of valor” from Tola.

• 1 Chron 12:32 praises the men of Issachar “who understood the times.”

• God’s preservation of these clans across centuries shows uninterrupted covenant faithfulness.


Why This Matters Today

• Every name in the census is a testimony that God counts and keeps His people—He knows ours as well (Luke 12:7).

• The verse reminds believers that divine promises may unfold gradually yet unfailingly.

• Issachar’s clans encourage trust: the God who multiplied and settled them will likewise fulfill every New-Covenant promise (2 Corinthians 1:20).

What lessons can we learn from the descendants of Issachar in our lives?
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