Day 37: Numbers 29-32

Summaries:
God continues to give Moses laws for the Israelites regarding how to celebrate the feasts, including New Year's Day, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths (29). Next God gives the laws regarding vows, including that a man's vow is binding, as is a woman's, unless when a woman's father or husband finds out about it, he immediately objects (30). God tells Moses to send men to battle the Midianites, and the Israelites defeat them, sparing only the virgin women and female children. Those who battled are to purify themselves before returning to the camp and turn in all that they have collected so that it may be evenly divided (31). The Gadites and Reubenites request of Moses and Eleazar to have the low-laying grazing land for themselves and their large amoutns of livestock, but Moses rebukes them since they are about to cross into the land which the Lord has set for them, but they reply that they only wish to build flocks there and towns for their families, while they themselves would be with the rest of the Israelites, and they all agree (32).

Reflections:
I once again find myself a bit confused, but overall glad that God continue to instruct his people and lead them closer to him.

I thought it was interesting when the people asked Moses if they could have the land outside of Canaan and Moses rebuked them saying something like "Haven't you seen how God has punished us for not doing what he asks, and now you want to do what?!" But then after it is all explained and it makes sense, they all agree to it.