Thursday, August 01, 2013

Thou Shalt Inbreed
Numbers 36


Some of the representatives of the clan of Gilead came to Moses all concerned.  There had been some dispute about the inheritance of Zelophehad- we talked about it a while back.  In case you don't remember, here it is: http://chiphall.blogspot.com/2012/06/susan-b.html

Anyhow, since the daughters were given the inheritance, the concern was that if these women went on to marry outside the clan, then the inheritance wouldn't be equal.  Whichever tribe married in would by default pick up extra land.

God says that this is a good point and decrees that these women can only marry within the clan. In fact, this is to be the case for any women inheriting land.   Zelophehad's daughters agree and decide to marry their cousins.  I'm not sure which is more puzzling- the fact that the land staying in the clan was more important than who these women married, or the fact that this story ends the book of Numbers.  Moses isn't so great at narrative structure.

I'm struggling to find what to take away here.  Maybe that God takes His promises seriously.  He didn't want the land to leave the people he promised it to.  Maybe that even when life is less than fair, God's people still follow.  Maybe that the 21st century isn't such a bad time to live?  Regardless, Numbers ends with this odd tale perhaps reminding us that God's will is complex, and not always easy to explain.