The Generational Inheritance Covenant Realized — Thoughts & Reflections on Torah Reading 119

Shabbat Shalom beloved of Yeshua Messiah.

This week’s Torah Reading is the 119th portion of the 3-year Torah Portion reading cycle. Num 26:52-27:23 contains this week’s Torah Reading.

In last week’s reading, Abba instructed Moshe to conduct a census of our numbers as we sojourned at Araboth of Moab. (26:63-65) By this time in our Torah storyline, we had entered our 2nd generation after leaving Egypt. Our first generation had all but passed away except for Caleb and Joshua, son of Nun. This is all in anticipation of entering and conquering and parceling out the Land of our inheritance.

Inheriting the Promised Land

The Hebrew concept of inheritance, especially as related to the Promised Land is firmly based upon (1) Yehovah’s sovereignty — such that Yah owns the Land as the entire world and the fullness thereof belongs to Him, and (2) Yehovah promised our patriarchs — Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their seed the land. “Because He loved your fathers — Moshe speaking to us before we entered the Land — therefore He chose their descendants after them” (Deu 4.37 NASB). Thus, the owner of the land had promised to bequeath the land to us, the seed of the patriarchs.

Yehovah viewed us — the nation of Israel — as His firstborn son. (Exo 4.22) Thus, being the owner of all creation, Yehovah our Elohim had every right legally to give us the Land.

A critical note must be made here: Because we refused to take the Land when Yehovah initially instructed us to do so — after we received the bad report of the spies — the generation that left Egypt had all died out, except for Caleb and Joshua. The first generation had forfeited their direct access to the inheritance because they transgressed Abba’s Torah. The promise remained, so the Land was not taken from them. Instead, the land passed down to our second generation. This is illustrative of the reality that the sins of the fathers can and often affect the next generation(s).

We separated the Levites from the whole of our nation during the count. They would not inherit land because their portion was confined to Yehovah. Yehovah took care of all their needs. (26:57-62)

It was imperative to the faithfulness of Yehovah that we inherit and remain in the Land as His promises are irrevocable. When we are not in the Land, the nations have opportunities to “despise and belittle” Yehovah because it appears as though Yehovah is incapable of keeping His promises to His set apart people (Hegg, Torah Studies Numbers, p. 180; cf. Eze 36:19-20).

Yehovah demands that His people sanctify Him on the earth, and thus, He works behind the scenes to ensure that the seeds of the patriarchs receive and keep the Land inheritance as promised.

The Daughters of Zelophechad (Heb meaning “refuge from danger”) petition Moshe for inheritance. (27:1-11) They rationalize that they too are of the firstborn of Yehovah and are thus entitled to the Land inheritance. Yehovah agrees, saying, “The daughters of Zelophechad speak properly.” Here Yehovah established a just next-of-kin order (families inherit the land) that considers situations where a father died having no sons but only daughters to pass his inheritance to. This system has carried over into many modern Western nations.

Yehovah appoints Joshua to lead us after Moshe’s death. (27:12-23) He is installed as leader in a ceremony where Moshe lays his hands upon Joshua. This laying on of hands ceremony, often referred to in modern parlance as an ordination, conveys the message to all in attendance and in future generations that Moshe has transferred his authority to Joshua. This authority, referred to in some texts as majesty, was the same authority that Yehovah conferred upon Moshe at the burning bush back in Exodus 3. It should be kept in mind, however, that despite Moshe’s authority had been conferred upon Joshua, Joshua would always remain under Moshe’s authority. Hegg points out that “a disciple was never ultimately to disagree with his mentor from whom he received ordination, though of course he could expand upon and even enhance his master’s message” (Hegg, Studies in Torah Numbers, p. 181). Thus, Joshua would always be a disciple of Moshe. This is a carryover to us today. Yeshua has conferred upon us a measure of His authority, but we remain steadfastly under His authority. Yahoshua is the original revelation of Yehovah to us (Hegg, ibid., p0. 182). This concept dovetails nicely into this week’s Haftarah reading.

Haftarah

Jos 17:1-6: The daughters of Zelophehad receive their allotment of the Land under the leadership of Joshua.

The Apostolic Reading

Joh 10:7-18: Yeshua is the Good Shepherd. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

Have a blessed day of rest in Yeshua Messiah.