Numbers 36 Devotional

Each Family's Share Protected

“No inheritance in Israel may be transferred from tribe to tribe, because each of the Israelites is to retain the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”Numbers 36:7 (BSB)

Numbers ends where chapter 27 began, with the daughters of Zelophehad. This time the leaders of their clan raise a concern. If the sisters marry into another tribe, their land will pass to that tribe, and Manasseh's portion will shrink for good (36:1-4). Once again, by the LORD's word, the petitioners are told they are right (36:5; 27:7). The daughters may choose their own husbands, as long as each is from their father's tribe, so that every tribe keeps its inheritance (36:6-9), and the sisters obey (36:10-11).

It is a quiet ending for a book full of rebellion and judgment. A generation earlier Israel refused the land. Now, still camped on the plains of Moab across from Jericho (36:13), their children are settling how to keep it in the family. God cares that each family's portion lasts. Peter speaks of an inheritance for believers that will never decay or lose its worth, held safe in heaven for them (1 Peter 1:4). Every tribe's share was guarded, and yours is being kept too.

To think about: What part of God's promised inheritance do you need to hold onto with fresh confidence today?