March 13th 2020 – Numbers 34:16-29

We can do no better than give the following comment on these verses by George Philip, formerly of Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church, Glasgow, 'Here now is a list of names of the people to whom God entrusted the immediate carrying out of His will and work. He trusted them, frail, fallible creatures that they were. It is natural that Joshua and Eleazar, the spiritual leaders of the people, should be mentioned first. But they, like all the others, were under the direction of the Lord. There was no freelance independence. In the list beginning in v 18 the first to be mentioned is Caleb who now reaped the longterm reward of his earlier faithfulness. We know nothing about the rest of the men, save that they were the individuals selected by God from each of the tribes. But why these men? Why should the issues of equity and spiritual administration be entrusted to them rather than to others? Is it because they had proved themselves over a spell of time, as Caleb had done, to be worthy of trust? We cannot answer the questions but we can point the lesson. If we are called to serve the Lord in specific duties we must be ready, willing, trained and of sufficient capacity. No one will ever feel worthy or competent and this causes us to cast ourselves on God for His constant and sufficient grace; there is no greater snare than selfconfidence. These were men for God. 'The names provide interesting insight into Israel's name system, e.g. Shemuel, name of God; Eli- dad, God has loved; Hanniel, favour of God; Elizaphan, my God protects; Paltiel, God is my deliverance; Pedahel, God has redeemed, etc.' (New Bible Commentary). We may not have God in our names quite in that way but if our lives are centred on the great redeeming God who saves His people, then we are at the beginning of being trusted with the holy things of God on which He sets such high value.'