The law concerning inheritance.
June 24, 2022
Commentary
The ideal life for an Old Testament Jew was to own his own land and be able to sit under his own fig tree and enjoy it with his family (I Kings 4:25). Hebrew law gave sons alone the right to inherit. The eldest son received two-thirds of the inheritance and the other sons divided the remaining one third (Deut. 21:15-17). The daughters of Zelophehad having no brothers came to Moses to ask for the father’s possessions. (vv. 1-4). God told Moses that if a man died without sons, his inheritance would go to his daughters (v. 8). But the daughters could keep it only if they married within their own tribe, this was probably to keep the tribal boundaries intact. If the father had neither son nor daughter, he could pass the land on to his nearest male relative.
Moses was now 120 years old (Deut. 31:2), and the time had come for him to move off the scene. He had led the people of Israel faithfully for 40 years (Ex. 7:7). Because Moses and Aaron had dishonored God with pride and anger at Meribah, they weren’t allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num.20:2-13). Moses had repeatedly asked God for permission to enter the land but the Lord said no. Now Moses is asking God to appoint a leader who is capable of leading the Israelites in battle, but who would also care for their needs (vv 15-17). Some people are very capable of reaching goals while others care deeply for the people in their charge. This points out the fact that the best leaders are both goal-oriented and people-oriented. It certainly was no surprise that Joshua was the man God chose to take Moses’ place as he had worked closely with Moses since the nation left Egypt and was a perfect successor for him(vv. 18-21). When Joshua was selected, Moses gave him a variety of tasks to prepare him for the transition. Moses clearly told the people that Joshua had the authority and ability to lead them.
Application
Anyone in a leadership position should train others to carry on the duties he may suddenly or will eventually have to leave. I pray that will always be a pattern in my life.
Numbers 27:1– 23 (NET)
1 Then the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh of the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph came forward. Now these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and the leaders of the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness, although he was not part of the company of those that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but he died for his own sin, and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father be lost from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among the relatives of our father.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord. 6 The Lord said to Moses: 7 “The daughters of Zelophehad have a valid claim. You must indeed give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s relatives, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8 And you must tell the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter; 9 and if he has no daughter, then you are to give his inheritance to his brothers; 10 and if he has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his father’s brothers; 11 and if his father has no brothers, then you are to give his inheritance to his relative nearest to him from his family, and he will possess it. This will be for the Israelites a legal requirement, as the Lord commanded Moses.’”
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land I have given to the Israelites. 13 When you have seen it, you will be gathered to your ancestors, as Aaron your brother was gathered to his ancestors. 14 For in the wilderness of Zin when the community rebelled against me, you rebelled against my command to show me as holy before their eyes over the water—the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.”
15 Then Moses spoke to the Lord: 16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all humankind, appoint a man over the community, 17 who will go out before them, and who will come in before them, and who will lead them out, and who will bring them in, so that the community of the Lord may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”
18 The Lord replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission him publicly. 20 Then you must delegate some of your authority to him, so that the whole community of the Israelites will be obedient. 21 And he will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the Lord by the decision of the Urim. At his command they will go out, and at his command they will come in, he and all the Israelites with him, the whole community.”
22 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him; he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. 23 He laid his hands on him and commissioned him, just as the Lord commanded, by the authority of Moses.