Skip to main content

Numbers 27:1 - Thoughts on inheritance - Day 138

Good afternoon friends,

Didn't get this one finished yesterday. Thought about "some people will do anything to get their names in the Bible" as a title.  People name their children after biblical characters, but I don't think I have ever met a Zelophehad.

Blessings

Jeff

Another odd episode in the journey to the  promised land.  A very specific situation where a certain man of a certain tribe died leaving 5 named daughters. Out of the roughly 600,000 able bodied men who left Egypt, it would seem that this is the only case where there was no male heir. But we have already seen how specific applications of the law come through such examples.  In modern terms, the Supreme Court is still making specific applications of the Constitution.  So it is possible that this was the case that was brought to Moses' attention.  However, we must not take this as something that surprised God.  In essence, this can be seen as a test.  Here is something unexpected.  Does Moses try to figure out for himself or does he seek God's direction?

Interesting distinction that the daughters make about their father.  He was just a run of the mill rebel who refused to go into the promised land, not a really bad rebel who joined with Korah in openly opposing Moses and Aaron..

Inheritance is a very important theme in the Bible.  The Promised Land is all about what Abraham's children through Isaac will inherit.  The laws concerning the Jubilee when land is returned to original owners,  Continues in the New Testament. Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:12.  Sermon on the mount -Mt 5 - the meek shall inherit the earth.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leviticus 18:21 - Partial restoration of creation order

Dear Friends, Some times we forget that Moses wrote Genesis.  Obviously, he did not have first hand knowledge of the events of creation.  But God did and revealed them to Moses.  The "story arc" is clear to Moses despite the millenia of history between Genesis and Leviticus.  The plan for ultimate restoration is hazy, but God is at work repairing some of the damage. Blessings, Jeff What is the prohibition on child sacrifice doing in the list of prohibited sexual relations? Be fruitful and multiply - First commandment in Genesis.  God made the world to be inhabited.   Having children is how this  was to happen.  So child sacrifice was a direct violation of this first command to Adam and Eve. Marriage is one man and one woman is the creation order. Seems simple enough.  I can imagine men thinking, Yeah but God didn't say which woman.  I will do the one woman thing if she is my sister, or aunt or …..  So God gives all these examples of unlawful unions.  To this day, man stil
Post a Comment
Read more

1 Chronicles 24:1-6 How about those Levites! Day 332

Good morning friends, Good foundations are important.  Our author turns to the religious life of the returning exiles. Blessings, Jeff We have seen the emphasis on the Davidic line in the  political life of Israel.  The other area of emphasis is the Aaronic priesthood and Levitical workers. In this passage we have a quick review of the somewhat sanitized picture of the start of Aaron's line.  The returning exiles would have known that Nadab and Abihu did not just "die before their father without children".  They rebelled against God by offering unauthorized fire and were themselves consumed by fire from the Lord. Leviticus 10.  The case of Abiathar  son of Ahitub son of Ahimelech, who was faithful to David, but later rebelled with Adonijah is also not mentioned. But the passage points to the importance of the Aaronic line to the rebuilding of the temple by the exiles.  The history of the northern kingdom which was without the Levites from the beginning could not be repeat
Post a Comment
Read more

Matthew 22:23 - the danger of not knowing Scripture - Day 193

Yesterday's passage was not very theological.  Today's is very theological.  I have only scratched the surface, but hope this encourages us to question ourselves about "knowledge of Scripture and the power of God". Blessings  Jeff This is a fascinating dialogue between Sadducees and Jesus.  So let's interrogate the passage. What distinguishes the Sadducees from other Jewish doctrinal positions?  They deny that there is a resurrection.  They are absolutely committed to this doctrine. How does their commitment shape their thought and questions? Even though they don't believe in the resurrection, they formulate a question focused on showing the absurdity of the resurrection.  They are not pointing to a passage of scripture that supports them, but asking a hypothetical question to make resurrection look silly. What is the purpose of the "Levirate marriage"? Deuteronomy 5:5-8.  First this is not a violation of the 7th commandment (adultery).  Brothers wer
Post a Comment
Read more