March 7: Numbers 25:1 – Numbers 26:65

Baal Worship at Peor – Numbers 25

• While Israel is living in Shittim, some of the men begin having sexual relations with women from Moab. They take part in sacrifices to the Moabite gods, yoking themselves to Baal of Peor.
• God's anger is kindled and he instructs Moses to have the judges put to death (kill and impale) those under their authority who had joined in worshiping Baal.
• One of the people of Israel brings a Midianite woman to his family in the sight of Moses and all of the people. When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, sees this, he grabs a spear and goes after the man. He impales the man, also driving the spear into the woman's belly, and the plague on Israel stops. Even so, twenty-four thousand people have died.

The Zeal of Phinehas

• God tells Moses that Phinehas has turned back His wrath by being jealous with God's jealousy and that He gives him a covenant of peace for making atonement for Israel.
• The name of the slain man is Zimri (a Simeonite) and the slain woman Cozbi.
• God tells Moses to strike the Midianites down.

Census of the New Generation – Numbers 26

• After the plague, God tells Moses and Aaron to take another census of the people of Israel, men twenty years and older.
• The tribe of Reuben includes these clans: Hanochite, Palluite, Hezronite, and Carmite (43,730 men).
• The tribe of Simeon includes these clans: Jemuelite, Jaminite, Jakinite, Zoharite, and Shaulite (22,000 men),
• The tribe of Gad includes these clans: Zephonite, Haggite, Shunite, Oznite, Erite, Arodite, and Arelite (40,500 men).
• The tribe of Judah includes these clans: Shelanite, Perezite, Zerahite, Hezronite (Perezite subclan), and Hamulite (Perezite subclan) (76,500 men).
• The tribe of Issachar includes these clans: Tolaite, Puite, Jashubite, and Shimronite (64,300 men).
• The tribe of Zebulun includes these clans: Seredite, Elonite, and Jahleelite (60,500 men).
• The tribe of Manasseh includes these clans: Makirite clan, Gileadite, and Gileadite subclans Iezerite, Helekite, Asrielite, Shechemite, Shemidaite, and Hepherite (52,700 men).
• The tribe of Ephraim includes these clans: Shuthelahite, Bekerite, Tahanite, Eranite (Shuthelahite subclan) (32,500 men).
• The tribe of Benjamin includes these clans: Belaite, Ashbelite, ahiramite, Shuphamite, Huphamite, Ardite (Belaite subclan), and Naamite (Belaite subclan) (45,600 men).
• The tribe of Dan includes these clans: Shuhamite (64,400 men).
• The tribe of Asher includes these clans: Imnite, Ishvite, Beriite, Heberite (Beriite subclan), and Malkielite (Beriite subclan) (53,400 men).
• The tribe of Naphtali includes these clans: Jahzeelite, Gunite, Jerezite, and Shillemite (45,400 men).
• The total number of men ages twenty and older is 601,723. God tells Moses to divide the land among the tribes, giving the larger tribes more land than the smaller ones.
• The tribe of Levi includes these clans: Gershonite, Kohathite, and Merarite. The subclans include: Libnite, Hebronite, Mahlite, Mushite, and Korahite. The number of male Levites age one month and older is 23,000, but they are not included in the registration because they are not given land allotment. 
• None of these people counted were counted in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron since God had said that they would all die in the wilderness. The only ones who survived were Joshua and Caleb.