This is the thing which Jehovah hath commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry whom they please; only they shall marry one of the tribe of their father,
Numbers ends by returning to five sisters whose father died without sons, and to the land God gave them. Their own tribe now raises a worry: if these heiresses marry outside the tribe, the family land goes with them.
The verse holds two things at once. The women may choose their husbands, but the choice runs inside a boundary God draws.
First the Lord gave the sons of Joseph the chance to express their desire. If a man is to receive an answer from God, his faith must always be active. Then the Lord grants every liberty to the institution of marriage, and gives it His full approval — on condition that it takes place within the bounds of the tribe.
The concern was not the wedding but the land. A marriage outside the tribe would move a portion for good. The jubilee, the year when land went back to its owners, would then seal that move instead of undoing it.
Weakness may have come in. The lack of male heirs may seem to put the inheritance into the hands of others, and the jubilee itself would then keep it from ever passing back out of their hands. But everything must give way to the first great necessity: the inheritance God allotted must stay with those He allotted it to. Nothing will change this. Nothing, blessed be God, will stop any of His own from enjoying for ever the inheritance He has prepared.
The same faith that asked for a portion must now accept a condition attached to it. The sisters had still not set foot on the land these rules protected.
But faith has its restraints as well as its possessions... Some would have thought this an unwelcome restraint. But it was completely necessary, so that the property would not pass out of the tribe. Every ability and privilege carries a restraint with it. "Property also has its duties." At any rate it is typical of Zelophehad's daughters that they accept the condition laid on them and keep it with loyalty and submission. They had not yet seen so much as a grain of the earth of their promised possession.
God had honoured what these women asked, and that honour carried its own risk. Others in the tribe had claims too.
The "fathers" of the house of Joseph must be heard as well as the "daughters." The faith of the daughters was most lovely. But there was a danger. Faith had raised them to a high position, and there they might forget the claims of others and remove the landmarks that guarded the inheritance of their fathers... We need guarding on every side, so that faith and the testimony keep their integrity. We are not to force things through with a high hand and a strong will, however strong our faith may be. We should always be ready to yield to the adjusting power of the whole truth of God.
Rossier applies the tribal limit to believers choosing a partner, and ties one person's choice to the whole company's loss.
Christians, is it not the same for us with marriage? Marriage must be within the bounds of the family of God, and within the realm of faith, or disorder will soon enter the Assembly... Every individual alliance with those outside is a loss for the body as a whole. To that extent it keeps the body from enjoying at least part of its inheritance.
The timing of the answer matters as much as its content.
The Lord did not anticipate the difficulty. He knew it would arise, but He waited until His servant brought it to Him before He gave His mind on the matter... He would have His people in constant dependence, and so gave only the word for the moment — the wisdom as it was needed... It is beautiful to notice the ready obedience of all concerned to the word of the Lord. His word was all they wanted, and having obtained it they yielded willing submission to it.
- Asked — God waited until His people brought the question to Him. He gives the word for the moment, to keep them depending on Him.
- Granted — The sisters kept a real choice of husband, and God gave marriage His full approval.
- Bounded — The one condition was the tribe. A marriage outside it would move the family land for good, and the jubilee would seal that loss instead of undoing it.
- Accepted — They took the restraint while still owning nothing they could see. Faith that claims a possession must also accept the duty tied to it.
- Kept — What God allots stays with those He allots it to. One person's alliance outside can cost the whole company part of the inheritance it enjoys.
that no inheritance of the children of Israel pass from tribe to tribe; for every one of the children of Israel shall keep to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.
Numbers 36 ends the book with one more question: the daughters of Zelophehad had won their father's land, but marriage into another tribe would carry it away. Verse 7 answers it, and behind the answer lies a bigger question — why does God guard an allotment so closely?
This is not property law for its own sake. God Himself handed out the land, and what He gives stays where He puts it.
Weakness may have come in. The lack of male heirs may seem to put the inheritance into the hands of others, and the jubilee itself would then prevent it ever passing back out of their hands. But everything must give way to the first great need: the inheritance God allotted must stay with those He allotted it to. Nothing shall change this. And nothing, thank God, shall stop any of His own from enjoying forever the inheritance prepared for them.
God settled each portion by lot. That tells us something lasting about the way He gives.
God cares that each of His people should keep the inheritance allotted to him. This teaches us that His giving never changes, for He decided everything by lot, and He controlled the lot. It also teaches that He means each person's own portion to be kept distinct. The person and his portion in the land, as God allotted it, are so joined in His mind that no separation is to take place.
The same women had already come up earlier in the book. This chapter handles their case in a different way.
In Numbers 36 we have a further point which winds up the account of the daughters of Zelophehad. The earlier passage honoured their faith. This one acts as a guard and puts the matter in order. It secures the glory of God and prevents confusion among men, for the tribes of Israel must be kept as they should be. On the one hand, God's goodness let the daughters inherit when there was no son. On the other hand, the inheritance could not pass out of the tribe of their fathers.
There was a danger hidden inside their success.
The faith of the daughters was most lovely. But there was a danger in the high place that faith had given them. They might forget the claims of others and move the boundary stones that guarded the inheritance of their fathers... However strong our faith, we are not to push things through with a high hand and a strong will. We should always be ready to yield to the adjusting power of the whole truth of God.
The gift came with a condition attached.
But faith has its restraints as well as its possessions... Some would have thought this an unwelcome restraint. But it was absolutely necessary, so that the property would not pass into other hands. Every ability and privilege carries a restraint with it. "Property also has its duties." It is typical of Zelophehad's daughters that they accept the condition laid on them. They keep it with loyalty and submission, though they had not yet seen so much as a grain of the soil of their promised land.
God's answer reaches past the one family that asked for it.
So from a particular case God draws a general principle, and it becomes binding at once... "The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses" (v. 10). They had been given a revelation that met their own particular need. They themselves treated it as a commandment of the Lord.
Centuries later King Ahab tried to get land that belonged to a man named Naboth.
On the surface this was fair and honest. But Ahab knew, or should have known, that he could only have it if Naboth broke the law of God. Naboth valued obedience to the Word above the king's favour and his own advantage. So he answered, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." (See Num. 36:7.)
One writer brings the marriage rule forward to believers today.
In the Church of God today there are no tribes, for it is "one body," but believers are warned not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14), something every believer should carefully observe. It is good that these young women submitted to these instructions and married within their tribe.
- Given — What God allotted, He allotted for good. He joins the person to his portion, and no missing heir can break that link.
- Guarded — The faith He once honoured He now fences in, so one family's blessing never becomes another family's loss.
- Restrained — They could marry, with one condition. Every privilege carries a duty, and they obeyed before ever seeing the land.
- Made law — One family's case became a rule for all Israel. The sisters took the answer to their own need as a command from God.
- Held — Naboth stood on this verse against a king and died for it, long after the tribes had settled the land.
And every daughter that possesseth an inheritance among the tribes of the children of Israel, shall be married to one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may possess every one the inheritance of his fathers,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
and the inheritance shall not pass from one tribe to another tribe; for each of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep to his inheritance.
Numbers ends not with a battle or a census but with a property rule: when a woman inherits her father's land, her marriage must not move that land into another tribe. This verse gives the reason behind the rule, and raises a question about how seriously God takes the portion He gives.
The ruling was prompted by one family — the five daughters of Zelophehad, who had no brothers and had already been granted their father's land. Commentators note that God takes their situation and turns it into a rule for everyone.
This is the answer to Manasseh's request (vv. 8-9)… So from a particular case God draws a general principle, which at once becomes binding. In the same way we recall the setting up of the Lord's Supper, of the first day of the week, of the collections, and a special case of discipline at Corinth — all of them becoming general obligations.
The pressure here came from a weakness — a family with no male heir. Yet the lack of an heir is not allowed to unsettle the tribal map.
Weakness may have come in, and the lack of male heirs may seem to put the inheritance into the hands of others. The jubilee itself would then stop it from ever passing back out of their hands. But everything must give way to the first great necessity: the inheritance God allotted must stay with those He allotted it to. Nothing shall alter this. Nothing, blessed be God, shall stop any of His own from enjoying for eternity the inheritance prepared.
The same writer draws out what this care tells us about the way God gives.
God cares that each of His people keeps the inheritance allotted to him. This teaches us the unchangeable character of His giving, for it was all settled by lot, and He controlled the lot. It also teaches that He means each person's own place in the inheritance to be kept.
That principle later gave one man ground to refuse a king. Naboth would not sell his family vineyard to King Ahab, and the same writer explains why: "Naboth's refusal was based on the Lord's word. The Lord's mind about the change of possession had been given in Numbers 36:7-9."
Earlier the daughters had asked for their father's land, and their faith was honoured. Now the heads of their families raise a concern that limits them. One writer sees the danger that faith itself can bring.
Their faith was most lovely. But there was a danger. Lifted up by that faith, they might forget the claims of others and move the boundary markers that guarded the inheritance of their fathers. This had to be thought of and provided for… We need to be guarded on every side, so that faith and the testimony keep their integrity. We are not to force things through with a high hand and a strong will, however strong our faith. We must always be ready to yield ourselves to the adjusting power of the whole truth of God.
One writer holds two sides of the rule side by side: God's goodness to the daughters, and His care that each tribe keeps its own.
The earlier note honoured their faith. This one acts as a guard. It stamps order on the matter, securing the glory of God while avoiding confusion among men, for the tribes of Israel must be kept as they should be. On the one hand, God's goodness meant the daughters should inherit if there was no son. On the other hand, God would not permit the inheritance to pass out of the tribe of their fathers.
One writer applies the boundary to marriage today, and notes that the tribes themselves are gone.
In the Church of God today there are no tribes, for it is "one body." But Scripture warns believers not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14), and every believer should watch this closely. It is good that these young women submitted to these instructions and married within their tribe.
One writer adds that the loss is not only personal.
Every individual alliance with those outside is a loss for the body as a whole. To that extent the body is hindered in the enjoyment of at least part of its inheritance.
- Allotted. God gave the land by lot, and He controlled the lot. The inheritance is His gift, not a human arrangement.
- Guarded. Because His giving never changes, the law fences it. No tribe's portion may drift away through marriage, weakness, or a missing heir.
- Adjusted. Real faith welcomes the fence. The concern of the family heads completed the daughters' claim; it did not crush it.
- Widened. One family's question became a standing rule for all Israel. God answers one need in a way that serves everyone.
- Enjoyed. The guarding has an end in view. Nothing will stop any of His own from enjoying for eternity the inheritance prepared for them.