CHAPTER 27

(1452 B.C.)

THE LAW OF INHERITANCE

¹Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

²And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the Priest, and before the Princes and all the congregation, by the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

³Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company of them who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah; but died in his own sin, and had no sons.

⁴Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he has no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father.

⁵And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. (The faith of the daughters of Zelophehad presents a striking contrast to the unbelief of those who fell in the desert. While yet in the Wilderness, they claim by faith the unseen fields of Canaan; and, further, their faith leaped a barrier which both nature and Law set before them.

This was precious and refreshing to the heart of God; and, accordingly, special legislation was given to meet their faith Williams.)

THE VICTORY OF FAITH

⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁷The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: you shall surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brethren; and you shall cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

⁸And you shall speak unto the Children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

⁹And if he have no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.

¹⁰And if he have no brethren, then you shall give his inheritance unto his fathers brethren.

¹¹And if his father have no brethren, then you shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the Children of Israel a Statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses (a Statute determining a legal right).

MOSES AND JOSHUA

¹²And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the Children of Israel. (Moses had already been told that he should not enter the Promised Land [20:12], yet he is allowed the consolation of seeing it with his eyes before his death. It would seem from Deut. 3:25-27 that this favor was accorded him in answer to his prayer Pulpit.)

¹³And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered unto your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.

¹⁴For you rebelled against My Commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the water before their eyes: that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

¹⁵And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying,

¹⁶Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

¹⁷Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd. (The Expositors say, For himself not even a word of complaint at his punishment, which must have seemed, thus close at hand, more inexplicably severe than ever; all his thoughts and his prayers for the people that one might take his place, and reap for himself and Israel the reward of all his toil and patience.)

¹⁸And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand upon him (it seems that the hand of Moses was laid upon him in view of all of Israel, at least of its representatives; but let it be noted that the Lord chose Joshua, and not Moses; as well, the Lord had told Moses long before that Joshua would take his place, and Moses, no doubt, did his best to prepare him);

¹⁹And set him before Eleazar the Priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight (give him instructions regarding his duties).

²⁰And you shall put some of your honour upon him, that all the congregation of the Children of Israel may be obedient (the blessing of Moses would go a long way toward Joshua being accepted by the people of Israel).

²¹And he shall stand before Eleazar the Priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD (this is the Urim and Thummim of Exodus 28:30 and Leviticus 8:8; what they actually were, and how they were actually used in consulting God, it is not told us in Scripture; it does not appear that Moses ever sought the judgment of the Urim, for he possessed more direct means of ascertaining the direct Will of God; nor does it seem ever to have been resorted to after the time of David, for the more sure Word of Prophecy seemed to have superseded it): at his word (the word of Joshua) shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the Children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

²²And Moses did as the LORD commanded him: and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the Priest, and before all the congregation:

²³And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.