Inheritance Laws
“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 father’s brothers.”
So Moses brought their case before the Lord.
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 father’s 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 father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to 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.
Joshua the Next Leader of Israel
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.)
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.”
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.”
The Israelites are about to enter Canaan, and now God is dealing with very practical matters. The land will be allotted to tribes and to clans within the tribes, but what happens if a man dies who has no sons or who is childless? How can the land be preserved for the tribe? There is a man from the tribe of Manasseh named Zelophahad who has died, leaving four daughters but no sons. These daughters ask for an inheritance within the tribe of Manasseh. God answers, “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 father’s brothers. And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ”
In an age in which women are generally regarded as chattel, God is demonstrating that He places a high value on them. God is also issuing these laws to prevent fights and lawsuits in the future.
Next, God orders Moses to ascend a mountain from which he can see the Promised Land and then die there. Moses has forfeited the opportunity to enter the Promised Land by failing to honor God at the waters of Meribah. Notice that Moses does not argue with God, but rather begs God to appoint someone who will lead the Israelites wisely. God selects Joshua, who has been Moses’ assistant for years and who has spent long amounts of time in the Tabernacle simply worshiping God. Those years of worship have allowed the Spirit of the Lord to enter Joshua’s heart and mind and to remain there. There is nothing to indicate that Joshua has ever been jockeying for position as the next leader; he has simply been communing with God. Moses inaugurates Joshua in the presence of all the people, laying hands on him and imparting part of his authority.
APPLICATION: Few things can divide a family like a big fight over an inheritance, particularly where love has been given conditionally. Children will fight over everything, including the smallest pieces of jewelry from a parent in the hopes that by possessing these things, they are proving that their mother/father/uncle/aunt really loved them. Lawyers may drag out the settlement of estates for years in hopes of garnering large amounts of money. These struggles can result in long-term resentments and mistrust. Here God is taking steps to prevent such dissension.
After a rocky beginning, Moses has become a class act. When God tells Moses that he must go up on Mount Abarim, see the Promised, and die, Moses doesn’t argue with God. Moses only begs God to anoint a successor who can lead the Israelites successfully. Heaven knows, Moses realizes that his successor must be a man of God with infinite patience, courage, and resourcefulness. God orders Moses to hand over authority to Joshua. God has been preparing Joshua to take over from Moses for forty years. Not only has Joshua accompanied Moses part way up Mount Sinai, but Joshua has remained in the Tabernacle for hours, even after Moses has left to give God’s messages to the people. Close contact with God has allowed the Holy Spirit to enter Joshua’s heart, preparing him for the challenges ahead.
Psalm 75:6-7 tells us, “For exaltation(promotion) comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” Want promotion? Get close to God. Study His Word and worship Him. When the time is right, God will send you to your next assignment, a task for which God has prepared you.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, thank You for preparing a future for each one of us. Help us to study Your Word, to worship You, and to spend time with You so that we will be prepared when You call us into that work. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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