Numbers 27:1-23

The Old Testament Book of Numbers

In the Desert

Numbers

Marion Adams

Chapter 27

Zelophehad’s daughters – Numbers 27:1-11

v1 Zelophehad’s daughters belonged to Manasseh’s *tribe. Zelophehad was Hepher’s son. Hepher was Gilead’s son. Gilead was Machir’s son. Machir was Manasseh’s son. And Manasseh was Joseph’s son.

The names of Zelophehad’s daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They went v2 to the entrance of *God’s Tent. They stood in front of Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and all the *Israelites.

Zelophehad’s daughters said, v3 ‘Our father died in the *desert. He was not one of the men who joined Korah to oppose the *LORD. He died because of his own *sin. But he had no sons. v4 Therefore, our name will not live on in our family. So give some land to us also, like the other relatives in our *clan.’

v5 Moses asked the *LORD what to do about their request.

v6 The *LORD said, v7 ‘Zelophehad’s daughters are right. Give to them the land that their father would have received. They too must receive land, like the other relatives in their *clan.

v8 Tell this to the *Israelites. If a man dies without a son, give his land to his daughter. v9 If he has no daughter, give his land to his brothers. v10 If he has no brothers, give his land to his father’s brothers. v11 If his father has no brothers, give his land to his closest relative in his *clan. This is my law. The *Israelites must obey it.’

Verses 1-4 Like many societies, the *Israelites had male leaders mostly. Men did important and powerful jobs. When a man died, his land and property belonged to his son. Usually, a daughter did not receive her father’s land and property after his death. People expected her to marry. Then she would share her husband’s land. Until she married, the men in her family were responsible for her.

Also, after a man died, the name of his family passed on to the male members of that family. Verse 1, that records Zelophehad’s *ancestors, emphasises this.

But Zelophehad had no sons to receive his land and property after his death. His 5 daughters thought that this was unfair. So they went to Moses and the other leaders to speak about this. They were brave to do this. In their society, people expected women to obey all the customs. But these women knew that this particular custom was unfair. God’s promise to give the *Promised Land to the *Israelites was for both men and women. Even Korah’s *descendants had a right to receive land. And Zelophehad had not joined with Korah to oppose God. (You can read what happened to Korah in Numbers chapter 16). Zelophehad’s *sin was the same as the rest of his *generation. So he had died in the *desert with them. Zelophehad’s daughters explained this to Moses. And they asked him to give some land to them.

Verses 5-7 Moses realised that their request was very important. If he agreed to give some land to these women, the traditional rules about property would have to change. Moses’ decision would affect future *generations. So he asked God what he should do.

Verses 8-11 God told Moses to grant the women’s request. Also, God gave to him new rules about *inheritance. So this was not a favour (kind act) for Zelophehad’s daughters only. It was a law for all the *Israelites. It protected the name of the family of a dead man who died without sons. It made sure that his property remained in the family.

This was very important. The *Promised Land, and each family’s share in it, was precious to God. There was a relationship between each family’s share of land and *Israel’s *covenant with God. Therefore it was wrong for any family to lose their land, even if a man died without sons.

See chapter 36 for the rest of this story.

Joshua and Moses – Numbers 27:12-23

v12 Then the *LORD said to Moses, ‘Go to the Abarim mountains. Climb up a mountain there. And look at the country that I have given to the *Israelites. v13-14 After you have seen it, you will die. You will die like your brother Aaron. This is because you did not obey me at Meribah near the town called Kadesh in the Zin *desert. When the *Israelites *rebelled against me, you did not obey my command. You did not show them that I am *holy.’

v15 Moses said to the *LORD, v16 ‘You are the *LORD. You are God of all people. You know what is in everyone’s heart. So I ask you to choose a leader for the *Israelites. v17 Choose a man who can lead them in a battle. Then your people will not be like sheep who have no *shepherd.’

v18 The *LORD said to Moses, ‘Joshua, Nun’s son, can do this. My *Spirit is in him. Put your hand on him. v19 Make him stand in front of Eleazar the priest and all the *Israelites. Appoint Joshua to be their new leader in front of them all. v20 Give to him some of your authority so that all the *Israelites will obey him. v21 But Joshua must ask Eleazar the priest what I want Joshua to do. Eleazar will use the Urim to discover this. (The Urim was an object that the priest used. He used it to discover what God wanted to happen in a situation.) In this way, Eleazar will direct Joshua and the *Israelites.’

v22 Moses obeyed the *LORD’s command. He made Joshua stand in front of Eleazar the priest and all the *Israelites. v23 Then Moses put his hands on Joshua. He appointed Joshua to be the new leader. That was what the *LORD had told Moses to do.

Verses 12-14 God allowed Moses to see the *Promised Land. But already God had said that Moses would never enter it (Numbers 20:12). God reminded Moses why he would not enter the *Promised Land. It was because Moses had not obeyed God at Meribah. So like the rest of his *generation, Moses would die before he could enter the *Promised Land. Deuteronomy chapter 34 records Moses’ death after he had seen the *Promised Land from the top of the mountain.

Verses 15-17 Moses did not argue with God. Instead, he asked God to choose a new leader for the *Israelites. He knew that the *Israelites would have to fight the people in the country called Canaan. They needed a strong and powerful leader. But also they needed a leader who would look after them.

‘Then your people will not be like sheep who have no *shepherd.’ (verse 17) In the *Old Testament, often the writers compared leaders with *shepherds. This was because *shepherds led their sheep. They guided them. They provided everything that their sheep needed. Also, they protected them from their enemies. A leader had to do all of this for his people.

Verses 18-20 God chose Joshua to lead the *Israelites after Moses’ death. Joshua was very suitable for this task. He had been Moses’ assistant for a long period of time (Numbers 11:28). He had already led the *Israelites in a battle (Exodus 17:9-13). Also, already he had been into the country called Canaan with 11 other men (Numbers 11:26-30). Joshua and Caleb were the only two men of Moses’ *generation whom God would allow to enter the *Promised Land.

God told Moses to put his hand on Joshua in front of Eleazar and all the people. This was the custom to show that Joshua was their new leader.

Verses 21-23 Joshua would not have the same authority as Moses. There would not be another leader who would be like Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9-12). The people had to obey and to respect Joshua. However, he was not the same type of leader as Moses. When Moses wanted to ask God a question, he went to *God’s Tent. There, Moses spoke to God and God answered him. Joshua would not be able to speak to God like this.

Instead, Joshua had to receive God’s instructions by means of Eleazar the priest. Eleazar would not speak to God either. Instead, he would use the object called the Urim. The priest would use this object with another object called the Thummim. We are not sure what these objects were. We do not know how the priest used them. But the words ‘Urim and Thummim’ mean ‘perfect lights’. So probably, they were two precious stones. And the priest used them to ask God about an important decision. In this way, God would guide Joshua about military decisions, too. Joshua would need this help as he prepared to fight the *Israelites’ enemies in the *Promised Land.

This passage shows us that Moses was a very humble man. And it also shows us that he was unselfish and generous. He was not thinking about his own death only. He was thinking about what would happen to the *Israelites. They needed a good and holy man to lead them into the *Promised Land. Moses was not jealous because someone else would do this, instead of him. Instead, he obeyed God gladly. Moses wanted God to choose the new leader. And Moses was pleased to show the people that Joshua was God’s choice.

Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.
desert ~ a dry region, or a region where there is just a little water. A few wild plants are able to grow in some deserts. So people who are travelling can live in these deserts in their tents. And they can lead animals through the desert. The Israelites lived in a desert for nearly 40 years.

Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.
LORD ~ a special name for God that his people use. In Hebrew, it is Yahweh. This name means something like ‘I am’ or ‘always alive’.

Lord ~ one who rules. God is the Lord who rules everyone.

Hebrew ~ the language of the *Jews.
sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.
ancestor ~ a previous member of a family, especially someone who was important during a past century.'Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his *descendants.
inheritance ~ the land and property that relatives receive when a person dies.
covenant ~ a special promise that God made to the Israelites. The Israelites had to remain loyal to God because of the covenant.

Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.

sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.
Spirit ~ the Holy Spirit.

holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.

sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.

'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the *Jews’ holy book. The writers wrote this before the life of Jesus.