Shalom, Boker-Tov ( good morning ),

Last week I shared about the role that the kinsman redeemer played in helping the deceased man to perpetuate his family name and to inherit the assigned property. The closest relative will have to marry the widow and help to produce an heir to provide for her. You might ask what happened if the child born out of this new relationship is not a son but a daughter - what then?

The Lord is really gracious. As though anticipating our questioning minds, he had provided the answer. In the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament, Numbers 27: 1 - 11, we read;
1. The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.
2. They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said,
3. "Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons.
4. Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father's relatives."
5. So Moses brought their case before the LORD
6. and the LORD said to him,
7. "What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them.
8. "Say to the Israelites, 'If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter.
9. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers.
10. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father's brothers.
11. If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.'"

The five girls were really brave. They took up their case and went straight to Moses to appeal their right to a share of the inheritance that rightfully belonged to their father. If they had not gone and stated their case, the inheritance situation might have been different. Girls might still be subjugated and not be given a share at all. Praise the Lord for the five ladies; the law was amended and they became landowners like the men.

The law for the ladies was further refined. In Numbers 36: 6 - 8, the LORD commanded Moses to issue the law to the five ladies that they were to marry only within the tribal clan of their father so that the inheritance did not get passed on to another tribe but remained within the tribe of their father.

I wondered how many of us are aware that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was from the tribe of Judah just like Joseph her husband. Now you might wonder what significance that has. Jewish record keeping, especially of family trees, is rather immaculate. According to their history, Mary was the only child in the family and therefore she, like the daughters of Zelophehad, was given the inheritance of her father and interestingly enough, the records traced her ancestry back all the way to King David. Mary was a direct descendant of King David through his son Nathan. Her husband Joseph was also a direct descendant of King David through King Solomon ( read Matthew 1: 1 - 17 ).

Therefore whichever way you want to look at it, Jesus is indeed a direct descendant of King David and is of royal blood. As the Son of David, He fulfills all the prophecies given in the Old Testament with regards to the Messiah and we believe in the true Son of God. He foresaw the need to change the inheritance law otherwise there might have been many disputes over whether our Lord Jesus was indeed from the line of King David. As it stands, He was from the line of King David; all praise and glory to the Father.

The Lord blesses you and keeps you,
The Lord makes His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and all your loved ones,
The Lord lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you His shalom peace.
Numbers 6: 24 - 26

Have a blessed week ahead, shavrou-tov
Shalom,

Andrew L W Lee