Numbers 27:1-23 - Possessing the Inheritance

Numbers 27:1-23

Inheritance Laws

1 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. 2 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: 3 “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. 4 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.”

5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD.

6 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 7 “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. 8 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. 9 If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 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 (Deuteronomy 31:1–8)

12 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. 13 And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. 14 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.)

15 Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: 16 “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 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.”

18 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; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 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.”

22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Here are accounts of inheritance, both of possessions in the earthly promised land and leadership in it.  These point to the heavenly kingdom to come to all in Christ and those who lead us now in the word and worship of our Lord here and into heaven to come down to earth at the end of time.  The first example was of daughters who were not traditionally allowed to inherit as sons would.  Their father died “in his own sins” and left only them who were left with nothing, so they spoke up to ask Moses that the laws be amended to include them with the same rights as if they were those sons that never came into being.  Moses listened to them and brought the matter to the LORD for a heavenly ruling.  This led to God clarifying the laws of inheritance to not only include their due but also to include brothers or the nearest relatives when they were the only surviving members of the family.  We still apply these laws today, a testimony to the enduring wisdom of God’s laws for us.  The second type of inheritance was that of leadership being put in place for when the time of Moses came to and end and a successor would be required.  God had appointed Joshua through Moses to be that faithful man. He had not betrayed the people (along with faithful Caleb) as others had which led to forty years of wandering before entering into the promised land.  Because he was proven faithful (Acts 6:3, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Timothy 2:2, Titus 1:5), he was to follow Moses as the leader to bring the people of God into their inheritance in the land flowing with milk and honey, the promised place of rest and worship of their LORD.  This is a pattern for spiritual leadership in the church today as well, that whenever possible we should select leaders (pastors and elders) from within the local church whenever possible to continue the ministry of the gospel to serve the people of the Lord and prepare them for possessing the promised heavenly land to come.