King James Version

The Book of Numbers

Chapter 27

Commentary

Numbers 27

The daughters of Zelophehad sue for an inheritance

¹ Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
² And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

It's obvious that there is a process by which the People were to address a matter. We can see in verse 2 that there are many people involved in the process of making such an address. The princes, the congregation, not even Moses would simply be standing by as they wait for someone to petition the authorities about an issue.

There is likely a system in which a person must initiate this hearing. Perhaps they used the "buddy system". Maybe someone nudged the shoulder of another and whispered the concern. Maybe one needs only to mention this issue to an authority and it will go automatically to the authorities. It could be that when a person has an issue that needs to be brought before a councel, that person brings it to the attention of the captain of his or her group of people.

Moses, at the suggestion of his father-in-law, formed this system after the People crossed the Red Sea. Exd 18:13

³ Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.
⁴ Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.
⁵ And Moses brought their cause before the Lord.

Sometimes when a matter is too difficult for the simple judges that Moses had appointed

⁶ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
⁷ The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.
⁸ And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

In the matter of inheritance, the daughters of Zelophehad did get their portion. Furthermore, it has become a statute of judgement, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁹ And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
¹⁰ And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
¹¹ And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.

Moses is told of his death

¹² And the Lord said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

Even though Moses will not be permitted to enter into the Promised Land, God did grant him a beautiful panoramic view of the land, from atop mount Abarim. This is a kind of "last rites" for Moses. He is fading and must be laid to rest soon.

¹³ And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.
¹⁴ For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

He asks God to appoint his successor

¹⁵ And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying,

In a truly humble mindset, Moses had only the heart to request that God appoint a successor, so that the People are not left unled. It has been a more challenging battle simply to keep the People within God's statutes, and to not provoke the LORD's anger, even with a leader. What a disaster it would prove to be, should the People go only a short time without the authority of leadership to guide them.

It is not in the heart of the people that God would lead them directly. It's good that He don't, because this People have far too much sin to withstand the Almighty God. The leader that was chosen to replace Moses will be Joshua. It is a great choice. It was not going to be any of the ten who doubted themselves with the ill report about the inhabitants of Canaan. It would not be one of them who said that the inhabitants are giants, and "we are like grasshoppers in their eyes". This leadership must go to a person who is able and is willing to go when God says to go, and to stay when God says to stay. This leader will be Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit.

¹⁶ Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,
¹⁷ Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd.
¹⁸ And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;
¹⁹ And set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.

It is time. Moses has passed his authority over to Joshua before the congregation. Joshua will now command the people, to do just as Joshua instructs them to do. Moses will now be laid to rest, as was Aaron.

²⁰ And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
²¹ And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.
²² And Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation:
²³ And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

Num 27:1-23 (KJV)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009