seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Numbers 27:1 The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward 2 and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 3 “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. 4 Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the Lord, 6 and the Lord said to him, 7 “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.
8 “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 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.’”
This is the link to the commentary this morning.I skipped the Census. Please go back and read it when you get a chance.
After the Moabite and Midianite women spread some kind of plague around killing 2400 Israelite men, God ordered a Census.
The Israelites were getting ready to pass into the Promised Land [Canaan]. Once they got to the promised land, they would split the land according to the size of the family. All the men got a share. The location of the property itself was determined by "lot" or "lottery". The size of the land allotted was by size of the family. That way there would be no animosity about the greenest pastures or favoritism.
HOWEVER... That was not the solution for every family amongst the Israelites.
One family had only daughters. There were no sons. There were no brothers. Just the daughters.
These five daughters were the only family left to the grandson of Gilead. They would have no place to go. There was no "man" responsible for them.
I did a search and I could not find a noble thing their great grandfather, Gilead did. Unlike Aaron or Joshua or Moses, Gilead seems to be just a name of a guy who was an Israelite. There are, interesting enough, several mentions of "Gilead" as land. The first time I saw it was when Jacob met his father-in-law, Laban, back in Genesis.
God said it was "right" to give them land. It seems to be described as a tribute to the fallen man.
God made an "exception" because the circumstances were right, unique, and required an "exception".
Now I have a question... if these five women marry... and they pass away... does the land go to their husband or their sons? I'll have to watch for the answer. If they have no sons, does the land pass to their daughters or their husbands? I'll have to watch for the answer. If the land goes to the husband upon their passing, what's to stop the husband from killing them off and taking the land? I'll have to watch for the answer.
Meanwhile.... This story is about those five daughters who were granted land.
God granted those daughters an "exception".
