Verses 1-23
Numbers 27 - INHERITANCE AND THE NEXT LEADER
A. The case of Zelophehads daughters.
1. (Numbers 27:1-5) The request of Zelophehads daughters.
Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the
son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of
Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah,
and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the
leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting,
saying: Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those
who gathered together against the LORD, in company with Korah, but he died in his
own sin; and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from
among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our fathers
brothers. So Moses brought their case before the LORD.
a. Then came the daughters of Zelophehad: Normally, the land inheritance
should be passed from a father to his sons in Israel, not to the daughters. What
then in the case of Zelophehads daughters, whose father had no sons? Will their
fathers inheritance simply be assumed by someone else, or will his name live on
through his inheritance?
i. In generally, the system was not completely unfair to women. A woman
received a dowry from her father as a wedding present. Typically, the father
required his potential son-in-law to provide much if not all of the dowry. A dowry
might consist of clothes, jewelry, money, furniture or more, and it was thought
that the dowry could help provide for the woman if her husband left her or
unexpectedly died.
b. So Moses brought their case before the LORD: Moses did what he should
when faced with a new situation: He sought God.
2. (Numbers 27:6-11) The settlement.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: The daughters of Zelophehad speak what
is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their fathers
brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. And you shall
speak to the children of Israel, saying: If a man dies and has no son, then you shall
cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. If he has no daughter, then you shall
give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, then you shall give his
inheritance to his fathers brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall
give his inheritance to the relative closest him in his family, and he shall possess it.
And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the LORD
commanded Moses.
a. The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right: God seemed pleased that
the daughters of Zelophehad brought this issue before Moses. God declared that
if a father had no sons, the inheritance then could go to the daughters.
i. Allowing daughters to inherit, where there were no sons in the family, created
another problem though. When they married, they would take the family land
with them, thus destroying the fathers estate. To deal with this, chapter 36
brings in additional rules governing the marriage of heiresses. (Wenham)
b. If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers:
However, if there were no daughters, the inheritance then went to the fathers
brothers. If there were no brothers, the inheritance went to the next of kin.
c. And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment: The
remarkable thing about these laws is that they were all made in anticipation - in
faith - of coming into the inheritance of land in the Canaan. This was a real issue at this time - for the daughters of Zelophehad shows they were real women of
faith, concerned about dividing up what they did not yet have in their hands, but
knew they would possess by faith.
B. The passing of Moses and the appointment of a new leader.
1. (Numbers 27:12-14) God tells Moses of his coming death.
Now the LORD said to Moses: Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which
I have given to the children of Israel. And when you have seen it, you also shall be
gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. For in the Wilderness
of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to
hallow Me at the waters before their eyes. (These are the waters of Meribah, at
Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)
a. You also shall be gathered to your people: Moses was first told he would die
before coming to the Promised Land in Numbers 20:1-29. It was still many months
until Moses would climb to the top of the mountain, able to see the Promised Land
but not able enter it, and die there (Deuteronomy 34:1-12). Yet God told him of it
here, so as to prepare his heart for the right time.
2. (Numbers 27:15-17) Moses response to Gods announcement.
Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all
flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them and go in
before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the
LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.
a. Let the LORD . . . set a man over the congregation: After hearing of his
coming fate, Moses does not try to talk God out of it, or complain - his only
concern seems to be for the congregation, for the people, not for himself.
b. That the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no
shepherd: Sheep without a shepherd are in constant danger; they face slim
provisions of food and water, and they are never led to where they should be. God
still wants His sheep to have a shepherd!
i. In the ultimate sense, this is fulfilled by Jesus Christ, who is the Good
Shepherd, as was prophesied in the Old Testament (Micah 5:2-4), and revealed
in the New Testament: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His
life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
ii. In an additional sense, this is also fulfilled by the New Testament office
of pastor-teacher - because the Greek word for pastor is the word
for shepherd (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2). As 1 Peter 5:4 puts it, Jesus is the Chief
Shepherd, and pastors are under-shepherds.
iii. The job of shepherds is simple: To feed (John 21:15-17), and to lead; to lead
them out and bring them in, that is, to give guidance and direction for the sheep
to follow.
iv. Jesus was also moved with compassion when He saw the people as sheep
without a shepherd (Mark 6:34); Moses is showing the nature of Jesus by his
concern.
3. (Numbers 27:18-23) Joshua chosen and given authority.
And the LORD said to Moses: Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in
whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest and
before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall
give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel
may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before
the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at
his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him; all the
congregation. So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set
him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. And he laid his hands
on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.
a. Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay
your hand on him: Up to this point, Joshua was mostly known by his servant-like
association with Moses (Exodus 24:13). That time as Moses humble servant
prepared him to take the leadership he was now called to.
b. And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him: This public presentation
and laying of hands on Joshua was important. It let the whole nation know that
Joshua was now the leader and the nation should expect to follow him.
