January 1, 2014 - Wednesday

Start Time: 10:05 A.M.

End Time: 10:24 A.M.

TITLE: Women and Land Inheritance

Scripture: Numbers 36:1 - 13

God’s Message / God’s Promises / God’s Warning:

→ Then the heads of the family groups of the Gileadites, the descendants of Machir, the descendants of Manasseh, approached and spoke before Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families.  They said that the Lord commanded to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the Israelites and God also commanded to give the inheritance of Zelophehad to his daughters (these are the siblings with no brother).  They say that if these daughters married to one of the men from another Israelite tribe, their inheritance would be taken from the inheritance of their fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry.  As a result it will be taken from the lot of the tribe of Manasseh and when the Jubilee of the Israelites is to take place, their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry.  So their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of their ancestral tribe.  Moses gave a ruling on this and sided with the tribe of Josephites.  So Moses’ decision was to let Zelophehad’s daughters marry whomever they think best, only they must marry within the family of their father’s tribe.  In this way, the inheritance of the Israelites will not be transferred from one tribe to another but every one of the Israelites must retain the ancestral heritage.  And so it happened as God commanded Moses.  The daughters of Zelophehad were married into the families of the Manassehites, the descendants of Joseph and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

NOTES:

Ø Each one has his or her inheritance and it is given by God and must be passed on to your descendants.  God ensures there is equality among the tribes and that the inheritance will not be a source of fight or conflict in the future.  Moses seeks this as well and so the inheritance stayed on the Manasseh tribe and no inheritance must be passed on from one tribe to another.  What was given shall remain for them and not to someone else.

Realization / Application:

Ø God has a specific inheritance for each one and it must not be passed on from someone else.  This inheritance must run within one’s family only and should be kept within the same tribe.  Some culture does such practices (like the Chinese – where they marry within their own race as much as possible). 

Ø God knows the hearts of the people and wants to make sure that no one will have a reason to envy or be jealous or be in conflict with someone else just because of a specific inheritance.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You because You gave me a specific inheritance.  I am Your daughter and You have set inheritance, a portion, just for me.  Thank You Father.  Thank You because this inheritance is for me only and my descendants.  No one else can take this inheritance away from me because it was given specifically to me.  Thank You Lord because this inheritance will run from generation to generation in my family.  Thank You for passing it on to us and this inheritance will keep us in focus on You and never doubt Your generosity.  Holy Spirit, help me to be true to my inheritance and that I will keep it within my descendants and never transfer it from one tribe to another.  Give me the strength to stay true to it and accept it in full obedience and commitment.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!