7.12.26 – Inheritance

This topic is not a simple one. We often read passages in books or hear sermons that make it seem as though the inheritance is all signed, sealed, and delivered the moment we accept Jesus into our hearts.

Yesterday's double Torah portion made inheritance a major theme—and that brings us to a topic that may seem completely unrelated: circumcision.

Have you ever wondered why Paul had Timothy circumcised but not Titus?

I want to explore tribal boundaries, inheritance laws, and how they create complexity within the kingdom. It is already cutting deep, isn't it?

Yesterday's Torah portion addressed this question, though in a very covert way.

This past week's Torah portion deals with inheritance, boundaries, and the division of the land. In the portion of Massei, God gives Moses detailed instructions for apportioning the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel. The Torah carefully defines the borders of the land and the specific inheritance allotted to each tribe, ensuring an orderly and equitable distribution. But these inheritances were about far more than geography—they preserved each tribe's identity, heritage, and generational legacy by keeping them connected to their ancestry. The land was anchored to both God's promise and each tribe's unique calling within the nation. These boundaries revealed God's wisdom in establishing Israel and provided a foundation for the nation's future in the land.

The Torah portion of Massei is the final portion in the book of Bamidbar (Numbers). It begins in chapter 33 by recounting the various journeys the children of Israel made during their years after the exodus from Egypt. Chapter 34 defines the borders of the land given to the children of Israel as their inheritance. Chapter 35 outlines the cities to be given to the Levites. And in the final chapter, chapter 36, we learn foundational principles regarding biblical inheritance.

Before we dive into this account, we need to understand a couple of inheritance-related issues. First, although this matter has been scrutinized in many previous years, according to scriptural law, Israelite identity is inherited through the mother. This explains, from a cultural perspective, why Paul was very outspoken against circumcision for Gentiles—yet he circumcised one of his disciples and left another uncircumcised. According to the account in Acts, Titus was clearly not Jewish; he was Greek and was not obligated to be circumcised, since he had no Jewish mother. This is not the case, however, with his disciple Timothy. According to Acts 16, Timothy is never referred to as Greek. He was the son of a Jewish woman and a Greek father. Legally and logically, Timothy was Jewish. His father, being Greek, probably did not want him circumcised as a child, so Paul urged Timothy to fulfill his obligation as an adult by taking on the sign of the covenant through circumcision. Timothy's Jewish identity, inherited through his mother, mandated his need for circumcision.

Second, although Israelite identity is inherited through the mother, tribal identity is paternal. For example, John the Baptist's father, Zechariah, was a priest in the line of Aaron (Luke 1:5), making John a Kohen as well. Paul, a Benjamite, inherited his tribal affiliation from his father, who was also descended from Benjamin. This also helps explain the problem of intermarriage in Ezra chapters 9 and 10, and why Ezra had the men of Israel divorce and send away their foreign wives along with their children. Hmmm…

Finally, our current Torah portion concludes with the incident involving the daughters of Zelophehad. We have talked about them before, but now a new issue arises. This incident addresses two matters of inheritance: the material inheritance of daughters and the tribal affiliation of wives. In this unique situation, a man named Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh, had five unmarried daughters but died without producing any male offspring. Since he had no sons, his inheritance was divided among his daughters. This created a problem concerning inheritance and the potential transfer of property through intermarriage. The kinsmen spoke up: "If they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe to which they marry" (Numbers 36:3).

Since property was passed down through the males, it remained within the tribal possession no matter how many times it was inherited. However, problems arose when a daughter inherited property—to whom did ownership pass upon her marriage? It was assumed that once a woman married, she took on the tribal identity of her husband. This would cause the property to be taken from the tribal boundaries originally assigned to her father's tribe. As one can see, this would quickly become a problem. Rather than having stable boundaries for the regions of Judah, Dan, Ephraim, and so on, the land would become a patchwork of tribal territories that would change from year to year.

To remedy this potential problem, the Lord commanded Moses: "Every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any of the tribes of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another" (Numbers 36:8–9). The solution was that daughters who had inherited property had to marry within their own tribe. They did not own property otherwise; but if they did, they were bound by this restriction. This restriction was placed upon them in regard to whom they could marry.

But why does any of this even matter? Because Israel belongs to God, and He cares for it dearly. Although most believers are not concerned with the land given to the children of Israel, it remains an inheritance of great concern to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His eyes are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year (Deuteronomy 11:12). The allotment of inheritance for us, as the children of Israel, will be very clear when King Messiah reigns from Jerusalem. The Torah will go forth from Zion, and the laws of the kingdom will be implemented with cutting-edge clarity—perhaps soon, and in our lifetime. I think so 😊

As we conclude the book of Numbers, we are reminded that God's promises are far from finished. The inheritance laws we have explored may not be practiced exactly the same way today, but they point toward the day when He will reign from Jerusalem. Yet this hope is not just about the future.

Family identity always remains intact. The inheritance in the Promised Land, however, is volatile. For multiplication, our future inheritance will increase, and on the flip side, the inheritance can be forfeited completely.

Ephesians 1:13–18 is true for all of us—that we would know the hope of our calling and the fullness of the inheritance in the saints.

Shalom!!
Alan