"Just as the censuses of chs. 1, 3, and 4 led to a flurry of preparations for departure from Sinai, so the second censuses in ch. 26 lead to preparations for departure from the plains of Moab and entry into the land of Canaan."252
The writer probably included this incident in the text because it resulted in a further definition of the laws governing inheritance in the land in a common situation. It also shows the faith of these women. They believed God would bring them into the land. Furthermore it reveals the fairness and compassion of God in His provision for these women whose father had died in the wilderness.
Normally when a father died, his sons divided his property with the eldest receiving a double portion. Daughters did not receive an inheritance other than their dowry. The dowry was a substantial present their father gave them when they married. The term dowry also refers to a gift the groom gave to his father-in-law when he married his daughter.
Notice that after Moses heard the women's complaint he took their case to the Lord (v. 5). This is another mark of Moses' spiritual leadership.
God decreed that in Israel when a man had no sons his daughters would divide his property (v. 8). If he had neither sons nor daughters, the father's nearest relative would receive his inheritance (vv. 9-11). Later (ch. 36) the Lord placed a restriction on daughters who inherited their father's estate. They had to marry within their own tribe to keep the inheritance within that tribe as it would have remained if the father had had sons.
This passage is interesting because it shows how case law developed in Israel. When a situation not covered by existing laws arose, like this one, the people involved would go to Moses and the high priest who would inquire of God. God would reveal what the people should do. This revelation then became precedent for similar cases that might arise later.
Another preparation for entering Canaan involved appointing a new leader to take Moses' place.
God foretold that Moses would die without entering the land (cf. 20:1-13). Graciously He allowed His servant to see the Promised Land from Mt. Nebo (Deut. 32:48-52). Nebo was one of the mountains of the Abarim range that runs north and south just east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea in Moab's territory. Pisgah (21:20; Deut. 3:27; 34:1) is the name of the northern part of this mountain range. The plains of Moab sloped down from the Abarim mountains toward the Jordan River.
Moses' reaction to God's announcement of his death was admirable. He did not panic like King Saul (1 Sam. 28:20) or even pray for a few more years like King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-3). Instead he prayed for the welfare of Israel, the nation that had caused him so much grief. Many leaders prefer to select their successor, but Moses asked God to make this crucial choice. In so doing he gave practical testimony to his acceptance of Yahweh's sovereignty over Israel.
Joshua was a likely choice since he had served Moses and worked closely with him for years. Most importantly, as one of the two loyal spies, he was a man of faith. Moses laid his hands on him (v. 18) symbolically imputing his authority to him.
"This spirit was not something that now came upon Joshua, or was temporary (such as the coming of the spirit on the elders in 11:17, 25-26); it already existed in Joshua and was the basis of God's choice of him. Deut. 34:9 applies the phrase full of the spirit of Wisdom' to Joshua, confirming the thought here."253
Joshua served as an associate leader of Israel with and under Moses from this time until Moses died (v. 20). When Joshua began sole leadership he functioned differently from Moses. Whereas God had given Moses directions for Israel "face to face"Joshua would normally receive his divine guidance through the high priest who would obtain this by using the Urim and Thummim. Only rarely did the Lord speak to Joshua directly.
Conflict for the leadership of Israel occurred frequently in the later history of the Northern Kingdom following the split between Judah and Israel. Moses wisely anticipated the problems that might arise if God removed him before the Lord had identified his successor. Therefore he interceded again, and again God granted his request by identifying Joshua at this time. This action by Moses was extremely important because it precluded countless problems for Israel that might have arisen when Moses died.
"The portrayal of Moses' passing his authority (splendor or majesty) over to Joshua and Joshua's reception of the Spirit is noticeably similar to the transition of prophetic office from Elijah to Elisha in 2 Kings 2:7-15. It appears that the writer of the book of Kings has intentionally worked some of these themes into his narrative to draw out the comparison. . . . The type of leadership exhibited by Moses and Joshua is the same as that of Elijah and Elisha. It is a leadership that is guided by the Spirit of God."254
Another step in preparing to enter Canaan involved setting forth in an organized fashion all the sacrifices that God required the priests to offer for the whole nation during a year. These offerings maintained fellowship with God. These two chapters contain a list of the minimum number of sacrifices that they were to offer each year for the nation as a whole. Individuals could and did bring other sacrifices in addition to these.
"The real key to successful conquest of Canaan and happy living within its borders was continual fellowship with God. Hence it was that God at this time presented to the new generation by way of Moses a finalized and complete set of regulations for offerings, most of which had already been given at Sinai. Their observance would encourage an intimate worship of God by the people in the land (cf. Exod. 23:14-17; 29:38-42; 31:12-17; Lev. 23; Num. 25:1-12)."255
"As we, the modern readers of Numbers, think scripturally, this overwhelming emphasis on sacrificial worship has one intent: to cause each reader to think of the enormity of the offense of our sin against the holiness of God, thus driving the repentant sinner to the foot of the Cross. All sacrifices--whether of the morning or evening, of Sabbath or New Moon--have their ultimate meaning in the death the Savior died. Apart from his death, these sacrifices were just the killing of animals and the burning of their flesh with attendant ceremonies. After his death, sacrifices such as these are redundant--indeed, offensive--for they would suggest that something was needed in addition to the Savior's death. But before his death, these sacrifices were the very means God gave his people in love to help them face the enormity of their sin, the reality of their need for his grace, and--in some mysterious way--to point them to the coming cross of Savior Jesus."256
The arrangement in which Moses listed the sacrifices here is by their frequency: daily (28:3-8), weekly (28:9-10), monthly (28:11-15), and yearly in chronological order (28:16-29:38).
Meal and drink offerings accompanied burnt offerings.
"In this cycle of holy periods, regulated as it was by the number seven, and ever expanding into larger and larger circles, there was embodied the whole revolution of annually recurring festivals, established to commemorate the mighty works of the Lord for the preservation and inspiration of His people."257
The chart below indicates what the priests offered on each special day. Note the prominence of the number seven.
Each day was to be a day of worship for the Israelites. They offered sacrifices daily for this purpose. The Sabbath in one sense was not a special day of worship. It was a day of rest for all but the priests for whom this day meant additional service.
"The Tabernacle's daily offering of two lambs with a few pints of oil, flour and wine is as nothing compared with (e.g.) the dailyoffering of 5,500 loaves, 54 cakes, 204 jugs of beer, up to 50 geese, an ox, and a variety of other items all regularly presented at either of the two Ramesside temples just mentioned [in western Thebes in the thirteenth century B.C.]."258
"Every year in future the priests will have to sacrifice 113 bulls, 32 rams, and 1086 lambs and offer more than a ton of flour and a thousand bottles of oil and wine."259
The last chapter of Leviticus (ch. 27) contains instructions regarding how the Israelites were to handle vows under the Mosaic Law. In contrast this chapter deals with when and under what circumstances they could annul vows and when they had to remain in force.
"The reason for the nature of the pentateuchal laws may be that the Israelites assumed, with much of the culture around them, that vows were a legitimate expression of devotion to one's god(s), hence only specific ordinances governing the vows were seen as necessary."260
Perhaps Moses included this section in this context of matters dealing with preparations for entering Canaan because in times of war people tend to make more vows. This is true of soldiers and their wives and children especially. Also vows are a kind of offering to God, so comment on them here is fitting in view of the previous discussion of offerings (chs. 28-29).
Vows were voluntary promises to do or not do specified things if God would or would not do something else. They usually involved fasting or abstaining from other lawful things or giving God some special gift or offering.
Moses explained the basic principles governing vows first (v. 2). The Israelites were to take their promises to God seriously and not brake them (cf. Eccles. 5:4). Then follow four cases some of which constituted an exception to this rule. Others did not.
A girl or young woman living under the authority of her father had a responsibility to obey her father that was more important than her responsibility to keep a self-imposed vow (vv. 3-5).
A woman who married a husband after she took her vow was to place the importance of her submission to her husband above her vow (vv. 6-8).
Another person could not void a widow's vow because she was directly responsible to God, not to her father or husband (v. 9).
A woman who took a vow after she became married was under the authority of her husband primarily and under the authority of the terms of her vow secondarily (vv. 10-12).
Another rule follows (vv. 13-15). A husband could annul his wife's vow when he became aware of it, but if he did not annul it when he first became aware of it, it would remain in force.
"The assumed culpability of Adam in Genesis 3 may stem from the principle behind this law. In 3:6, Adam's wife makes a rash decision in his presence: She took from the tree and ate and gave it to her husband who was with her.' In view of this passage in Numbers, Adam's silence in the narrative makes him culpable for his wife's action."261
This section clarifies the important principle that one should not regard self-imposed religious obligations as more important than God-given duties.
"The matter of vowing a vow or making a pledge was taken very seriously in Israel. If the foundation of the faith was the immovable trustworthiness of God, no wonder a premium was put on being true to one's promises in general."262
