Zelophehad's Daughters

Passage: Numbers 27:1-11; 36:1-13

One of the major themes of the Book of Numbers is the work God invests in preparing the Israelites for life in the Promised Land. At times this involves God introducing ethics for community life, worship, and civil law intended to sustain them as an established nation. At other times God focuses his attention on how his people deal with property rights and land ownership. Several chapters go into monotonous detail about which territories go to which tribes. The monotony is interrupted briefly by the accounts of Zelophehad’s Daughters. These two vignettes provide a window on the territorial allotments that in turn teach us something essential about God and his dealings with people.

In Numbers 26 God instructs Moses to parcel out land to the tribes, clans and families of Israel according to size – smaller groups get smaller tracts, larger groups get larger ones. These tracts of land will stay in the families to which they were originally given. Every family in the nation is guaranteed a piece of the Promised Land. But the land is distributed according to family name, and each family is named according to a patriarch, a male representative. That patriarch serves as the claimant for the land.

A problem arises in Numbers 27 when the daughters of a deceased man named Zelophehad approach Moses. “Our father’s dead,” they say, “and we have no close male relative to claim his land. Let us claim it.” Moses and his advisors are stumped. This is unprecedented, and God hasn’t given any instruction for such a situation. They consult God, who provides them a new set of rules to deal with contingencies such as the one raised by Zelophehad’s daughters.

Not long after, members of the clan of Gilead, from the tribe of Manasseh – Zelophehad’s tribe – raise a followup concern. They say, “Right now Zelophehad’s land will stay within our tribe. But as soon as his daughters marry, their land will go to the their husbands’ clans and tribes. What can you do to make sure their land stays in its proper place?” Again Moses consults God, who says, “Valid concern. Zelophehad’s daughters can marry whomever they want, so long as they marry within their father’s clan.”

These two vignettes raise a couple of questions. First, why was the allotment of land so important, and why was it done so carefully? As I mentioned, every Israelite was promised a piece of the Promised Land. This is the inheritance God promised to give Abraham’s descendents, and God is careful to make good this promise. In the immediate land represents livelihood for each family. In the long run, family tracts represent longevity and the permanence of a family name (not unlike having a town named after your great-great-great-great grandfather). It’s a way God guarantees his people that they won’t be forgotten.

Second, why is it so important that the individual tracts stay within their original clans and tribes? God is careful to allot the land as equitably as possible. Tribes get an amount of land that’s directly proportional to their populations. This means two things: First, no one can accuse God of being unfair; second, no tribe can claim to be more important or more powerful than any other. Each tribe gets, proportionally, exactly what every other one does. Moreover, tribes cannot in the future go to war against each other for more land. Each allotment of land is a God-given trust, and God guarantees that he will see to it that every tribe keeps what was given in the first place.

Ultimately God reminds his people that what they have is a gift. They haven’t earned their land or won it in battle. God has given it simply on the basis of his grace rather than on the basis of merit. No one can lay claim to more than what they’ve been given; no one can claim that God hasn’t been fair.

Restore Us

Passage: Psalm 60

This psalm begins with the paradoxical statement,

You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry – now restore us!

The Psalmist goes on to list the specific troubles of his people:

• Brokenness of the land.
• “Desperate times.”
• Intoxication of the people.
• Vulnerability to enemies.

He attributes these problems not to chance or the caprice of a cruel world, but to the hand of God. Regarding the upheaval of the world around; the desperation of his people’s circumstances; and the intoxication of the people, the Psalmist concludes, “This is God’s doing.” God has brought difficulty upon his people. God has given them over to the vices that make them stagger. And God has left them to their own devices, leaving them helpless to fend off the attacks of their enemies. For what sin has God allowed his people to struggle? The Psalmist doesn’t say. He merely places his people’s trouble in the context of their relationship with God.

So doing, the Psalmist identifies the solution to his people’s problems. The God who has brought trouble upon them has the power to alleviate it. Instead of trying to get themselves out of trouble; instead of turning to some other power to save them, they turn to the only one who is truly able to do so. Instead of being an indictment of God, Psalm 60 is an invitation to renewed relationship with God. God’s people have fallen out of right relationship with God. Only God can restore that relationship. When the relationship is restored, so will be the people themselves.

Any trouble that we face, whether we like it or not, comes to us at the hands of God. God brings us through trouble not to hurt us or to punish us. God’s purpose is always to draw us into right relationship with him. If you’re in trouble; if your community is in trouble; if your world is in trouble, make Psalm 60 your prayer: Restore us, oh Lord!

From God's Mouth to Your Ear...

Passage: Numbers 22-24

As the Israelites move into the more populous regions of Canaan, they are met with increasing hostility. The locals aren’t all that friendly, and aren’t all that interested in having a whole nation move into their back yards. The Israelites engage in a series of armed conflicts. They emerge victorious, and their reputation begins to precede them. All the nations in the vicinity are on high alert, not knowing when they’ll find themselves in the path of the advancing hoard. Several nations adopt very creative approaches to dealing with the Hebrew threat.

Perhaps the most creative of these is Moab, whose king, Balak, recruits a prophet named Balaam to curse the Israelites on their behalf. It turns out that Balak is at least semi-legitimate. No sooner have the Moabites come knocking than God himself bends Balaam’s ear. “Balaam,” says the LORD, “who are your visitors?” Balaam knows God well enough to recognize the sound of his voice. He doesn’t know God well enough to know that God already knows the answer to the question. Balaam responds, “Funny you should ask. They’re Moabites, and they want to pay me to put a curse on the Israelites.” God says, “Don’t go with them. The Israelites are blessed. You can’t curse them.” Balaam dutifully goes back to the delegation and says, “Sorry, I can’t help you. The LORD won’t let me.”

Apparently Balak is a man who won’t take “No” for an answer. He sends a larger group of more important dignitaries to persuade Balaam to help him out. Balaam listens to their pitch, and says, “It doesn’t matter if your king offers me the royal treasury. I’m helpless to do anything against the will of the LORD my God.” Shortly thereafter, however, God reverses his previous order and tells Balaam, “Go with them, but do only what I tell you.” Balaam seems not to realize he’s being set up.

He sets out first thing in the morning astride his trusty donkey. No sooner have they gotten on the road, however, than the donkey starts to exhibit a previously unseen rebellious streak. First she veers off the road into an open field. Balaam has to beat her with his staff to get her back on track. Then, as they pass between two walled vineyards, she presses to one side, grinding Balaam’s leg into the wall. Balaam beats her again as best he can, pinned as he is. Finally the donkey lays down in the middle of the road, and refuses to get up no matter how hard Balaam hits her or how loud he curses.

And then the LORD intervenes on the donkey’s behalf. She says to Balaam, “Why are you beating me?” Balaam is so mad he doesn’t stop to reflect on the new skill his beast has acquired. Inside he points out to her what a fool she’s made of him. She responds, “In all the years we’ve had together, have I ever behaved this way before? Do you think I might be trying to tell you something?”

And then Balaam eyes are opened to the reason for his donkey’s behavior. An angel stands in the road, sword drawn. “You should pay better attention to your donkey,” the angel says. “She just saved your life.” Balaam puts on a proper show of humility. The angel continues: “Since you weren’t willing to listen to the donkey, you’ll have to hear it from me. I’ve been sent here to interrupt you. God sent you on this journey, but you’ve embarked recklessly. You’re planning on running the show down there in Moab. That’s God’s job. You just do what he says.”

This delay causes Balaam to show up in Moab later than expected. Balak meets him at the border. He’s a little worked up. “Where have you been?” he asks the prophet. Balaam tries to act nonchalant. “Hey, I’m here now.” Then he remembers the angel. He sits taller in his saddle, and adopts a tone of authority. “Don’t forget, now. I can only say what God tells me to say.”

“Sure. Whatever,” says the king. “I think this’ll be a good place to curse the Israelites from.”

Altars are built. Cattle and sheep are slaughtered. The time comes for Balaam to deliver the agreed-upon curse. Balak rubs his hands together gleefully; elbows some of his closest advisors and nods in the prophet’s direction. He can’t wait to hear what Balaam has cooked up. Balaam launches in. And Balak’s expression changes from eager anticipation to confusion; confusion to concern; concern to rage. Balaam is gearing up for a repeat of the chorus,

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?

when he turns and catches a glimpse of the faces of his employers. They’re looking at him like he’s a hockey player who’s just scored on the wrong goal during the gold medal match. “What?” he says.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” says Balak. “Did I say 'bless?' What I meant to say was CURSE THE ISRAELITES! Now try again before I lose my temper.” Balaam does try again. Two more times, in fact. Each time, Balaam says only what God tells him to say. Each time Balaam spits out ever-increasing blessings upon the Israelites.

Finally Balak, who is apoplectic with rage, says, “Enough! Just stop talking! Every time you open your mouth you just make it worse!” Balaam says, “Hey, I told you up front that I’d only say what God told me to say. But oh no, you were all, ‘Just get up there and do your thing.’ By the way, when do I get paid?” Balak gets his only moment of satisfaction when he responds, “Um, I think the LORD’s telling me to tell you to get bent. Scram.”

Balaam scrams, but not before he gives one last oracle. This time it’s neither a curse nor a blessing directed at Israel. Instead, it’s a dire prediction about what God will do to all the Israelites’ enemies. The prophet and the king listen intently, equally taken aback. They forget their differences momentarily. Because both their homelands are named in the prophecy. Both belong to nations that, if God is true to his word, will be overturned. And God has proven himself nothing if not true to his word. In silence, Balaam and Balak go their separate ways.

At the beginning of the story Balak had said to Balaam, “Come and curse the Israelites. Because I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.” Recall God’s promise to Abraham:

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

God is the only one with the power to bless and to curse. And no one on earth can resist the will of God. God’s will is done, time and again, in spite of human effort to the contrary. Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the passion narratives of the gospels. In the story of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, and death we see the forces of evil align themselves against God. And for a moment it seems as though they’re victorious. Then what was intended to be evil’s most powerful curse is turned into God’s greatest blessing. God uses the intentions and actions of those bent on evil to undo his enemies. God co-opts the curse of death to unleash the power of eternal life upon the world. Even when people think they are resisting God, they are merely playing into his hands.

Divine Appointment

Passage: Numbers 12; 16-17

In the middle of the Book of Numbers there are three different stories that deal with the same theme: rebellion against God’s appointed leader.

The first story, in Numbers 12, recounts a conflict that arises between Moses and two members of his family. Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ brother and sister, have enjoyed a place of importance as the leader’s closest relatives. As it turns out, they assume that their proximity to Moses entitles them to some of his authority. In response to a disagreement with Moses, Aaron and Miriam ask, “Has God spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” They challenge Moses’ leadership. At this point the narrator interjects,

Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth – a point that is essential to understanding this series of stories.

Immediately God calls a meeting. From the cloud God says to Aaron and Miriam, “Normally I talk to my prophets through dreams and visions. Moses is in his own category. I talk to him face-to-face. How dare you challenge him?” The cloud lifts, and Miriam is covered in leprosy – the physical symbol of the spiritual pariah she has become. Both Miriam and Aaron understand the lesson enough to ask Moses to intercede for them. He is, after all, the one who speaks to God face-to-face.

In the second story (Numbers 16), a group of Levites – the tribe whom God has appointed to be temple workers – confront Moses in a manner similar to that of Aaron and Miriam. Korah, Dathan and Abiram have also let their position of privilege go to their heads. They come to Moses and say, “We’re all God’s people. We’re all holy. Who are you to set yourselves above us?” Moses responds, “Hasn’t God given you enough? You’ve been set apart, and given the most important job. Now you want more? Aaron and I didn’t appoint ourselves. God did. But if you really want to push this, come to the Tent of Meeting tomorrow, and we’ll let God decide.”

They do; and God does. When Korah, Dathan, Abiram and their followers gather the next day, the ground falls away under their feet. The insurgents and their families are swallowed up in the sight of God’s people; fire falls from heaven and consumes those who aren’t consumed by the earth.

Ironically, this event fails to establish in the people’s minds that Moses and Aaron have been appointed to their positions by God himself. They continue to contest Aaron’s role as High Priest. So once again the LORD calls an assembly. He says to Moses, “Take a staff from every tribe. Write Aaron’s name on the staff from the tribe of Levi. Tell the people that the staff of the man I’ve chosen as high priest will bud.” Moses gathers the staffs and places them before the LORD. The next morning not only has Aaron’s staff budded, but it has bloomed and born fruit. God has inarguably demonstrated that Moses and Aaron are his appointed leaders. As Miriam and Aaron did in the first story, the people respond with appropriate awe and fear. They recognize the error they’ve made and the retribution they deserve.

Two things distinguish Moses from Israel’s leadership hopefuls. The first is his humility. Moses hasn’t sought out the role to which he’s been appointed. He’d just as soon let someone else do the job. He exhibits none of the ambition and pride we see in Miriam; Aaron; Korah, Dathan and Abiram. His ego doesn’t need the boost of being called “God’s chosen one.” This is precisely why God chooses him.

The second quality is Moses’ compassion for his people. Moses repeatedly appeals to God’s mercy when God is angry. Because of Moses’ intercession, God repeatedly spares even Moses’ opponents the worst of his judgment. What God establishes in each of these three stories is that he is the one appointing the leaders; and that he chooses according to unique criteria.

God has always chosen unexpected leaders for his people. Often the leadership qualities God is most interested in are the ones that go largely unnoticed. We’re drawn to leaders who are attractive, squeaky-clean, fast-talking and big-smiling. These are the kinds of people we appoint to public office; these are the people we see commandeering our fastest-growing churches. These also tend to be the people who are most attracted to the titles of “politician” or “church leader”. Those of us who find ourselves in these professions must take the above stories as cautionary tales. There is great danger in pursuing leadership on any stage, but particularly in religious organizations, in response to personal ambition or the need for validation. One cannot appoint oneself “God’s chosen leader.” That being said, God’s people must also be vigilant about the criteria according to which they choose their leaders. Look past the convincing speech and the flashing smile. Look for humility. Compassion. Perhaps even reticence. Look for the qualities and gifts God values most in his servants.