Today's Reading: Numbers 36

 

Doing as the Lord Commanded

Zelophedad was blessed with seven daughters.  He had no sons, which caused a bit of a problem for the girls.  The LORD had commanded that the Land of Israel be divided (apportioned) among the twelve tribes and that whenever the father of a family died, his land was to...

be left to his sons.  In this way, the land would always remain within the same tribe.

But the daughters of Zelophedad felt that they had been left out.  What if dad dies and has no sons?  Who gets the land then?  So, they went to Moses to request equal rights for women.  They felt that they should inherit their father’s land.  So, Moses took their issue to the LORD, and the LORD agreed, "Those girls are right. They shouldn't be cut off just because they're girls, so give them the inheritance too within the land.”

Problem solved, right?  Well, not exactly.  As problems go, one thing led to another. Now some of the men came to Moses confused about the issue.  What if these girls marry guys from a different tribe than their own? Then, when everything reverts back to the original ownership, it means that the part that is allotted to one tribe will also be given partially to another tribe.  This would result in the criss-crossing the boundaries of each tribe and the inability to maintain the apportionment the LORD had commanded.

Once again, Moses took the issue to the LORD to get resolved.  And the LORD gave the solution, “Make sure the girls marry only within their own tribe.”  That became the law of the land, in order to have the inheritance, the women had to marry within the tribe that they were from so their land wouldn't be divided between the tribes.

Notice the girls’ response… “The daughters of Zelophedad did as the LORD commanded Moses.”  They willingly accepted the LORD’s solution and obeyed Him.  What a blessing when we hear the things God has commanded and willingly obey Him.  They trusted God’s wisdom.  They trusted God’s love.  And they obeyed.

And now may the Lord help you to remember those things which He has commanded and may He place a willing heart inside of you to follow those commands.  May you be enriched in the knowledge of God and His will and His plan for your life. May the Lord be with you to bless you, to guide you, and may you be kept by that power of God through faith and trust in Him.