The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 27:11b,
"This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses."
Zelophehad had five daughters and no sons when he died. Because he had no sons, his family would be left out of the distribution of the promised land (when it became available) to the various tribes and clans of Israel. The daughters brought their complaint of this to Moses.
Moses brought it to the Lord and the Lord provided a new provision to the law. It reads, "If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it."
"This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses."
Zelophehad had five daughters and no sons when he died. Because he had no sons, his family would be left out of the distribution of the promised land (when it became available) to the various tribes and clans of Israel. The daughters brought their complaint of this to Moses.
Moses brought it to the Lord and the Lord provided a new provision to the law. It reads, "If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers. If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it."
This new addition to the law came some forty years after God gave the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Why wasn't this new law incorporated in the original body of law at that time? It certainly wasn't because God didn't think of it or didn't anticipate the occasion requiring it.
It seems to me that God didn't give this law originally because it wasn't needed at the time. It would only be needed when the time came for distributing the land and the passing of it from generation to generation. God provided the direction to Moses when it was time for it, when the occasion arose.
This speaks to me of the interactive nature of God. I'm sure many view God in a "fixed" posture. He has done those things he wanted to do, he has provided the Scriptures he wanted to provide. He created history and the accounting of it as he saw fit, but seems aloof and anything but near at hand today.
I don't find God revealing himself that way at all in the pages of Scripture. On the contrary, he presents himself as being immediate ("existing without intervening space or substance", Merriam-Webster) in his posture toward us. He listens and watches us, He is available to us when we call out to him and will respond to things in real time.
The account of Zelophehad's daughters is just one of many pictures of this aspect of God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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