Numbers
chapter 36 is a short chapter that concludes an important book. The
chapter begins with an issue concerning inheritance of the land.
“The
sons of Manasseh, who were from the clan of the descendents of
Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders.”
In Numbers chapter 27, the daughters of Zelophehad (one of the sons
of Manasseh) had complained that because their father had no sons,
his inheritance in the Promised Land was lost unless the daughters
received his inheritance. As a result the laws of inheritance were
changed to allow for property to pass to the near relative. The men
of the tribe see a problem with this, “Suppose
they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance
will be taken from our ancestral tribe and added to the tribe they
marry into“.
On the surface, this seems so petty, but the Lord commanded Moses,
“What
the tribe of the descendents of Moses is saying is right.”
The inheritance of individuals in the land was critical to determine
the power of each clan. The law had to ensure that no clan lost its
inheritance.
This
is what the Lord commands for the daughters of Zelophehad, “They
may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal
clan of their father… Every daughter who inherits land… must
marry someone from her father’s tribal clan… no inheritance may
pass from tribe to tribe“.
Since they had 53,000 cousins in their tribe that was not difficult!
“So
Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses… they
married within the clans of the descendents of Manasseh, son of
Joseph.”
Remember, they had not yet taken possession of the land, so these
daughters showed great faith to believe the land was already theirs.
It is good to note that faith and obedience must go together.
Without obedience to God, there is no real faith IN God.
The
book of Numbers concludes, “These
are the commandments and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to
the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from
Jericho“.
Moses is simply the instrument God uses to communicate His truth in
preparation for crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. Perhaps
you have a “river” to cross ahead of you. May God give you the
faith to be obedient to His promises. “Let
us run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”
(Hebrews 12:2) Amen!