Julie
Today's reading was more census taking. I did not really see anything that stood out specifically was they talked about how many were in each clan.
Today's Psalm is seeking God's blessing on all things within a community.
Michelle
The first chapter in today's reading was a second census for this book. It seems it is another generation of the chosen people as they seem to refer to the previous as if they are now gone. As you read on there is reference to when God told the people that their generation would die and would not see the promised land but that their descendants would. That seems to be the case in these chapters. The second chapter is what I found interesting as it is a group of daughters of Zelophehad who are asking Moses to give them their father's share of the inheritance as he had no son's. God agrees and then instructs how the inheritance is to go if this is the case in the future. I find this significant as in these times women don't seem to have authority over anything and don't own anything but are themselves "owned" by their father, husband, brother or some male family member and thus don't have a say in how their life goes. At least that is what I have understood so far and what I know from learning about this region in history and how it is even to this day in some countries. The fact that God acknowledges that the females in the line shall inherit their father's portion is a big deal.
Moses is now being replaced and asks God to appoint a suitable replacement to lead the people as God has told him he will die soon. Joshua becomes his successor and is anointed before the assembly.
The psalm seems to be asking for God's favor on the people and to open their eyes to how short life is and "establish the work of our hands". I am not quite sure what that last bit means but it really stands out to me.
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