The Daughters Get Their Promise, and So Can You!

August 6, 2019

The Daughters Get Their Promise, and So Can You!

Numbers 36

Thomas Freed

Central Truth

God promised the daughters of Zelophehad (through Moses) that they would get the land their family deserved, and then the Lord was faithful to keep His promise to the daughters. God has also made promises to us (1 John 2:25), and we can be sure that He will keep those, too.

The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Marriage of Female Heirs

1 The heads of the fathers' houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel. 2 They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 3 But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

5 And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, “The tribe of the people of Joseph is right. 6 This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: ‘Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father. 7 The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold on to its own inheritance.’”

10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses, 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to sons of their father's brothers. 12 They were married into the clans of the people of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father's clan.

13 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.

Uhhh, what?

If I am honest, the first time I read this passage I didn't see what God was trying to tell me, so I read it again . . . and again . . . and again. Sometimes God teaches us immediately, even when we are not aware; and other times He allows us to spend more time searching for truth before He reveals it to us. This was one of those moments for me.

The daughters of Zelophehad were not born male (something God obviously knew and intentionally planned); and thus, according to custom, they were not in line to receive their father's inheritance. In Numbers 27:1-11, however, we see the daughters of Zelophehad approach Moses to seek to receive a portion of the land on behalf of their family. Moses faithfully goes to the Lord for advice, and the Lord directs him to give the daughters their father's inheritance in the Promised Land. Now, in Numbers 36 we see that the daughters' inheritance is raised as a concern by their tribe because of the possible loss of that land to another tribe were the daughters to marry into another tribe. God (speaking through Moses) indeed keeps His promise, and "[t]he daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses" (Numbers 36:10) by marrying men within their father's tribe so that the land would not be lost to another tribe.

Sometimes, I can forget all that God has promised me. My focus shifts to my own desires, and I stop trusting that what God says is true is in fact true. He is the one who is consistently faithful, and I am not. And what could be a sweeter promise than 1 John 2:25, which promises us eternal life. Are you kidding me . . . eternal life despite my disobedience?!? Now that's a promise worth holding onto! Thank you, Lord!

1. The daughters did as the Lord commanded (Numbers 36:10). What is God commanding you to do? Are you doing it?

2. What sort of things keep you from believing God's incredible promises to you?

3. The Promised Land was amazing for the people of Israel, but think about how much better heaven will be for you and me. Are you sure that you will get to heaven one day? Why or why not?

4. Challenge: Assuming the answer to Question #3 is a "yes," find others who might not be a "yes" and share with them the abundant life they are missing out on.