Transcript of Day 73: Inheritance of Land (2026)

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 73, and we are reading from Numbers chapter 26, Deuteronomy chapter 27. We are also praying Psalm 111.

As always, the Bible translation that I'm using today, and pretty much every day, is the Revised Standard Version, the Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. You also can subscribe in your podcast app to receive daily episodes. But as I said, today we are reading from Numbers 26, Deuteronomy 27, and we are praying Psalm 111.

I want to give you fair warning, Numbers 26 has a lot of names. This is another census of Israel, so just get your census caps on, get your names cap on and some numbers, because we're going to go through the family of the house of Israel once again. This is the census at the end of Numbers, right? So we had the census at the very beginning of Numbers. Here we are with the census at the end of Numbers to, uh, kind of say, okay, after 40 years, what's going on?

Who are the people? Who are the people that are coming into the Promised Land who have made it through the wilderness What are their names, and how many are there? That's today in Numbers chapter 26.

The book of Numbers 26. Another census of Israel. After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, "Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel from 20 years old and upward by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go forth to war." And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, Take a census of the people, from 20 years old and upward, as the Lord commanded Moses. The sons of Israel, who came forth out of the land of Egypt, were: Reuben the firstborn of Israel. The sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of Carmites.

These are the families of the Reubenites, and their number was 43,730. And the sons of Pallu: Eliab. The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a warning.

Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah did not die. The sons of Simeon, according to their families: of Nimuel, the family of the Nimuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jakin, the family of the Jakinites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites; These are the families of the Simeonites, 22,200. The sons of Gad according to their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; of Arad, the family of the Aradites; of Arelly, the family of the Arelites; These are the families of the sons of Gad according to their number, 40,500. The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Judah according to their families were, of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites.

And the sons of Perez were, of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. These are the families of Judah according to their number, 76,500. The sons of Issachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puva, the family of the Punites; of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. These are the families of Issachar according to their number. 64,300.

The sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. These are the families of the Zebulunites according to their number, 60,500. The sons of Joseph according to their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. The sons of Manasseh: of Makir, the family of the Makirites; and Makir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites; these are the sons of Gilead; of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; and of Shemida, the family of the Shemidites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters.

And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Malah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These are the families of Manasseh, and their number was 52,700. These are the families of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Aran, the family of the Aranites. These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to their number, 32,500.

These are the sons of Joseph according to their families. The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; of Shephupham, the family of the Shephuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman. Of Ard was the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. These are the sons of Benjamin, according to their families, and their number was 45,600.

These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families: all the families of the Shuhamites, according to their number, were 64,400. The sons of Asher according to their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites. Of the sons of Beriah, of Heber, the family of the Heberites. Of Malkiel, the family of the Malkielites.

And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. These are the families of the sons of Asher according to their number, 53,400. The sons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jezreel, the family of the Jezreelites. Of Guni, the family of the Gunites; of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shelem, the family of the Shelimites. These are the families of Naphtali, according to their families; and their number was 45,400.

This was the number of the sons of Israel, 601,730. The Lord said to Moses, To these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names, To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance. Every tribe shall be given its inheritance according to its numbers. But the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller.

These are the Levites as numbered according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites, of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites. These are the families of Levi: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram. The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt And she bore to Amram, Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam their sister. And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unholy fire before the Lord. And those numbered of them were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the sons of Israel. These were those numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. But among these there was not a man of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had numbered the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said of them, They shall die in the wilderness.

There was not left a man of them except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

The Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 27. The Inscribed Stones and Altar on Mount Ebal. Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. And on the day you pass over the Jordan to the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster, And you shall write upon them all the words of this law, when you pass over to enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD the God of your fathers has promised you. And when you have passed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you this day, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster.

And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You shall lift up no iron tool upon them. You shall build an altar to the LORD your God of unhewn stones, and you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God, and you shall sacrifice peace offerings, and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, and you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly. And Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, Keep silence, and hear, O Israel. This day you have become the people of the Lord your God.

You shall therefore obey the voice of the Lord your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you this day.

12 Curses at Mount Ebal. And Moses charged the people that same day, saying, When you have passed over the Jordan, these shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel with a loud voice, Cursed be the man who makes a graven or molten image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret!. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

Cursed be he who dishonors his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he who removes his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he who misleads a blind man on the road.

And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he who perverts the justice due the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. 'And all the people shall say, "Amen."' 'Cursed be he who lies with his father's wife, because he has uncovered her who is his father's.' 'And all the people shall say, "Amen."' 'Cursed be he who lies with any kind of beast.' 'And all the people shall say, "Amen."' 'Cursed be he who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' 'And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law, and all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he who slays his neighbor in secret, and all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person, and all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them, and all the people shall say, Amen. Psalm 111: Praise for God's Wonderful Works. Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright in the congregation.

Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who have pleasure in them! Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness He sent redemption to his people. He has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all those who practice it.

His praise endures forever. Father in heaven, it is true. Your praise endures forever, and we give you thanks. Let us praise you every day. Let us be like Judah.

Let praise go up first. In this moment, we offer you our first fruits. In this moment, we offer you our hearts. We offer you our everything. In the best way, Lord God, that we know that we can love you, these three ways that we know we can love you, we know we can show you our love by worshiping you.

We can show you our love by obeying your commandments. And we can show you our love by loving and caring for our brother and our sister among us. Help us to do all those three things, Lord God, and help us to be people who love you with everything we have and everything we are. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. So at the book of Numbers, as I said, it was— I warned you, gonna be some names and the families of the people, the tribes of Israel. We can lose a little bit of the story here, but keep this in the context of the story. At the very beginning of Numbers, we went through the numbering of the tribes of Israel, and now here at the end of Numbers, they're numbering the tribes of Israel Why are they doing this?

Well, just like in the beginning, because who did God save from slavery in Egypt? Let's number them. As they're wandering through the wilderness, let's number them, because God's intention was that they would go up in and take the land, right? Take possession of the land he was going to give to them, but they failed. And so now here, 40 years later, they're numbering once again who are the fighting men, what's the number of the fighting men in each one of these tribes.

And this is really important because why? Because the next step is going to be battle. The next step is going to be people of Israel, tribes of Israel, go to war. Now interestingly, some of the tribes grew, some of them, uh, did not grow, they got smaller. Overall though, what we have is we have very little change.

Ultimately, there's roughly 603,550 who were in the first census, and at the end we have 601,730 are now with the people of Israel. So it went down by a little less than 2,000 people at the end of Numbers versus the the beginning of Numbers. Moses also makes it very, very clear that here they are, they're going to take the land, but also the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names, right? So for a large tribe, they get a large inheritance. For a small tribe, they get a small inheritance.

At the same time, this strikes me as so powerful, is that they wouldn't say, okay, well, you're the tribe of Benjamin, therefore you can have like phenomenal land. You're the tribe of Manasseh, you're gonna have terrible land. What they did is they did it by lot. It was the fairest way you can do this. Divided up the property according to the size, according to the size of the tribe, and then said, okay, according to the lot, that's where your land is going to be.

Lastly, of course, we have the family of Levi, and they did not get an inheritance. God himself was their inheritance, as scripture has already made very, very clear. And so they will live in those towns. They will also lead worship in the place that God will point out. He has not yet done this because they have not gotten the Promised Land.

They will lead worship in the place where the Ark of the Covenant and the temple, essentially, ultimately the tent of meeting, will be set up. But right now, they do not have any inheritance except for God himself, which is a remarkable thing for us to be reminded of. Um, a number of things The numbers— we get numbered because why? We're called to go into battle. Number 2, we get numbered because we're given land according to their size.

Number 3, that land is given by lot. Not when I say lot, I don't mean the Lot, the, you know, nephew of Abraham. I mean lowercase l lot. Just being a jokester. Um, but here we are today, given that space by God's hand.

So again, you can say chance, but also we would say as believers that God is involved in everything by providence. And there are those people, those Levites, whose inheritance is not land and inheritance is not property, but whose inheritance is God himself. We are continuing this journey every single day. We're getting close to the end of the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. We're going to go into the Promised Land soon with Joshua.

And then life in the Promised Land, Judges, Ruth— that's all coming up very, very soon. But we're not in any rush to get through Numbers, to get to the end of Deuteronomy, because God continues to speak to us. He continues to shape our minds, our hearts, and how we see him and his word and his world by his scripture. So keep praying for each other, you guys. We've gotten to the end of day 73.

Keep on moving forward. Don't give up. I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike.

I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.