Zelophehad's Daughters (Numbers 36)

Concluding Numbers with Zelophehad’s daughters, highlights the equality and independence guaranteed in Israel’s land grants. Greedy oligarchs, predatory Communist party bosses and selfish billionaires do not exhibit God’s way. Are we narcissistic takers or selfless givers? Let’s look at Numbers 36.

What dilemma did Zelophehad’s five daughters face if they married outside their tribe?

The leaders of the households of the clans of Gilead, Machir’s son and Manasseh’s grandson, of Joseph’s clans, approached and spoke before Moses and the chiefs, who were the leaders of the Israelite households. They said, “The Lord commanded my master to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites. But my master was also commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. If they are married to someone from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance will be taken away from our household and given to another tribe into which they marry. Then it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. At the Israelite Jubilee, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they married. Then their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of our ancestral tribe.” (Numbers 36:1-4 CEB)

Did Moses enquire of an answer from God or just make an “executive” decision? Could tribal land pass to another tribe?

So Moses told the people that the Lord had said: These men from the Manasseh tribe are right. I will allow Zelophehad's daughters to marry anyone, as long as those men belong to one of the clans of the Manasseh tribe. Tribal land must not be given to another tribe—it will remain the property of the tribe that received it. In the future, any daughter who inherits land must marry someone from her own tribe. Israel's tribal land is never to be passed from one tribe to another. Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah the daughters of Zelophehad obeyed the Lord and married their uncles' sons and remained part of the Manasseh tribe. So their land stayed in their father's clan. (Numbers 36:5-12 CEV)

Where did the commandments contained in the book of Numbers come from?

These are the commandments and the rules that the Lord commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. (Numbers 36:13 ESV)

In a world without such beneficial laws, are we greedy and selfish or the exact opposite?

For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me.’ (Matthew 25:31–46 HCSB)

What will Jesus say on judgment day to those who refused to help the needy?

Then he will say to them, ‘I tell all of you with certainty, since you didn’t do it for one of the least important of these, you didn’t do it for me.’ These people will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. (Matthew 25:45-46 ISV)

Concluding Numbers with Zelophehad’s daughters, highlights the equality and independence guaranteed in Israel’s land grants. Greedy oligarchs, predatory Communist party bosses and selfish billionaires do not exhibit God’s way. Are we narcissistic takers or selfless givers? You decide!