Numbers 27:1-6

This is an interesting event from two points of view. The first is that their case was heard. The second is that Moses, despite his apparently exalted position, quickly admitted that he didn't know the answer, and immediately appealed to God for help. It says that Moses was meek above all men. Moses set a wonderful example here. Despite his closeness to God and his exalted position, he apparently immediately admitted that he didn't know the answer, and he appealed to God.

The first is actually more important at this point in the sermon. Moses could have scornfully rejected the women on the basis that they were only women appealing, because the law specifically said that the inheritance was to go to the firstborn son. If the firstborn was dead, then it would go to the one under him. Here now were women appealing. The lesson here is to quickly admit that you don't know the answer to something, just as Moses did.

The proud have a hard time doing that because in their minds they know the answers! The second one is that no leader, under God, can afford to not listen with full attention to those who might be held to be lowly by others. In this case the women. God has put the leader in place to serve those who are, on the surface, lower than him. Moses did that. A lesser man may not have done it, because the pride would have forced him in another direction.

Numbers 27:1-11

In Numbers 27:1-11 is where the daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses and said, “Look, we don’t have any brothers. We’re going to lose our inheritance.” And Moses said, “You just wait right there. I’ll go ask God.” And so he does and God tells him that these women—the daughters of Zelophehad—should inherit, like sons. Of course, there were a few caveats—that they were to marry within the tribe of Joseph, so that Joseph would not lose the lands that they had inherited, but they were to be inheritors just like sons. Though it is not a complete equity there that was shown (like I said, there were caveats; if there are no sons, then the daughters should inherit), but there was a sort of equity between the sexes.

We might think “Oh, that’s not fair. They should always be able to inherit.” But, truth be told, Israelite law concerning women’s rights and such as that were far advanced over their neighbors. That is why there was a question. Because, normally, everybody else would say: “No, women have no place in this at all.” But this was brought to God’s attention and He made sure it was incorporated into Israelite law that women could inherit. So there is a sort of equity there too.

Numbers 27:1-11

So pretty clear here. If a man has no sons, it goes to his daughters; and if he has no daughters, then it is told very clearly where the inheritance is supposed to go. Okay, that is fine. It is good.