March 22, 2021
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Reading along with us in Numbers? Here’s today’s reading:
Numbers 27 (NIV)
Zelophehad’s Daughters
1The daughters of Zelophe had 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........Continue Reading
God provides for His people in two ways here. First He establishes a system of inheritance for daughters with no brothers after a father passes.
He also provides a new shepherd for the Israelites to enter the promised land since Moses won’t enter. Moses so humbly accepts the news of his death before entering the land and he worries only for the people that they may still have a leader. God hears this concern and instructs Moses that it will be Joshua who up to this point has also been a humble servant to Moses.
Numbers 27
Numbers 27
God always provides!
What a great provision for God to make for these daughters and kudos to them for speaking up. It shows God’s heart for women even within this patriarchal society. And he makes sure that it will be a long lasting provision.
And Joshua is a natural choice to follow Moses as the leader of Israel. It is interesting to hear Moses ask God if He is going to appoint someone after God reminds him that he will not go into the promised land. It shows Moses care for the people as well as his intimate awareness of the need these people have for a leader. You can almost hear the urgency in his statements as he gives details of what they need a leader to do..all the things that Moses did so well…..
Women come to Moses regarding their inheritance. Moses says, “I’ll check with God.” God says that they are right and sets up inheritance laws to provide for them and others in the future.
God has Moses inaugurate Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. We looked at these verses when we began our study in Joshua. Who was Joshua? Joshua assisted Moses faithfully and God here says that the Spirit is in Joshua. Whenever I encounter the Spirit in the Old Testament, I wonder how He worked then. He spoke through Balaam, even though Balaam was so worldly. I guess what Jesus said makes sense in John 3, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” You can’t really predict where He will turn up. I am thankful that He is the deposit guaranteeing our salvation.
Numbers 27
18So the Lordsaid to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. 19Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. 20Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. 21He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
22Moses did as the Lordcommanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. 23Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the Lordinstructed through Moses.