Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“The family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph, came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families. They said, "When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our forefathers."
Then at the Lord's command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: "What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father. No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers. Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits."
So Zelophehad's daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. Zelophehad's daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah—married their cousins on their father's side. They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father's clan and tribe.
These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”
Numbers 36
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
It’s been a journey but we have reached the end of the Book of Numbers. As we look at the final chapter, we see where God wraps up the matter of Promised Land inheritance before Israel crosses the Jordan and enters Canaan.
At issue here is a concern voiced by the “family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph”. Scripture tells us they “came and spoke before Moses and the leaders, the heads of the Israelite families”, saying:
"When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot, he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters. Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. When the Year of Jubilee for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our forefathers."
You’ll recall that in Numbers, Chapter 27, Zelophedad had “died in the desert”. Since he had no son, there would be confusion as to who his inheritance belonged to so his daughters petitioned Moses that they should rightfully get the requirement. Moses took their request before God who said:
“Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses."
So the daughters of Zelophedad received his inheritance but the “family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph” brought forth a legitimate concern. Now that the inheritance was being divided up by tribe, what would happen if one of Zelophedad’s daughters married across tribal lines? The fear was that they would then fall under a different tribe who would then stake claim to the land the daughters owned when the Year of Jubilee came.
The Lord considered the concern and said:
“What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad's daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within the tribal clan of their father. No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited from his forefathers. Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father's tribal clan, so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of his fathers. No inheritance may pass from tribe to tribe, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits."
So the solution was rather simple. The daughters earned the inheritance but had to keep it in the clan by marrying someone within. And this guidance would be applicable to any other daughters who might receive an inheritance under like circumstances.
In this passage we see where we serve a God who covers all the bases…a God who does listen to the requests of His people. Unlike the whining, complaining Israelites who failed to give thanks for what they had, instead opting to gripe about what they wished they had, in Chapter 36 we see the family heads of the clan coming forward and exposing a real potential problem in the inheritance plan. For there was a loophole that could be exploited by a clan to gain more land and thus greater power. Could you see where one clan might intentionally have their men marry women who had gained an inheritance from their fathers just so that land could then become property of that clan? God listened to the concern, saw its validity and quickly gave commands to seal up the loophole. All bases were covered and, in this case, they were because God listened to His people.
As we look into the scriptures, we can see how God has covered all the bases in our lives as well. For we need only look to the scriptures…and I mean all the scriptures…to see how we’re supposed to live. We may want to try and find loopholes in God’s plan that would allow us to do what we want to do and chase after our own sinful desires but our efforts end up fruitless. For God’s word only draws us into obedience through conviction…not sinfulness by permissiveness. And just as in the days of Numbers and other places throughout scripture, God listens to His people today. Want to gain illumination on how He wants you to live? Want to gain a better understanding about how His word is to be carried out in your life? Want to know whether what you are about to think, say or do is in accordance with His will, way and word? All you need to do is ask the Lord. He will listen and He will answer you. The question is…are you ready to receive the answer He is going to give you?
So truly, we serve a God who covers the bases and listens. Now that He has settled all the inheritance issues, Israel is ready to finally enter the Promised Land. And with Numbers complete, we are ready to enter the Book of Deuteronomy. See you there tomorrow.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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