After Israel’s first generation, who had experienced YHWH deliverance out of Egypt, refused to enter the Land and died from YHWH’s fiery judgment in the wilderness (Num. 20-21), and after YHWH’s burning wrath purged the second generation in the Baal Peor incident (Num. 25), no deaths occurred in Numbers 26-36. Having been miraculously delivered from Balaam’s forces of evil through Yeshua’s power, transforming the curse of death into life-giving blessings, a second census marks the new Israel that will inherit the Land. Whereas the first census was counted according to tribes, the second census was tallied according to family clans within each tribe for the land allotment¹. Specifically not numbered were those families who rebelled against YHWH and were cut off by His burning anger from a land inheritance (Num. 26:64-65). The wilderness sojourn training now behind Israel, and a perpetual warning sign of His holy fire against rebellion² carried on the altar of YHWH, Israel’s seventy listed clans were ready for establishment in the Land. 

Interspersed between Israel’s camp movement, YHWH instructed Israel in specific laws that would help them remain a holy people connected to His throne within the Tabernacle. Since the Book of Numbers coincides with the Feast of Tabernacles (see Blog 119), the wisdom of these laws of holiness pertains to living forever in Eden’s Land of abundant fruitfulness, extending to all the earth under YHWH’s glorious dominion. After the second census (Num. 26), of first import, Numbers 27-36 address the worship of YHWH in the Land bookended with Zelophehad’s³ daughters’ inheritance. This blog explores the instructional narrative within the Zelophehad’s daughters’ framing that YHWH gave the new generation of Israel that they might portray redemption to the nations.

The daughters of Zelophehad, the tenth generation from Abraham, hold the same prominence as Noah, the tenth from Adam, and Abraham, the tenth from Noah⁴. Their significance as Manasseh’s seventh generation (akin to Enoch, seventh from Adam, who walked with God and did not die⁵) surrounds Numbers 27-36, beginning and ending the scroll’s third division. What makes these five daughters hallmarks of life in the Land? Zelophehad’s leadership was replaced with five daughters, giving them each full status as his brother in the land inheritance. The daughters’ courage and fortitude in approaching Moses, Eleazar, and the leaders with all the congregation (reflecting the Camp of Israel’s three-tiered structure) to sustain their father’s name and inheritance in the Land upheld the Camp’s holiness laws of Numbers 5-6. They became defiled by their father’s death and had no name by which they could reenter the camp (Num. 5:1-4). The five daughters sought restitution by fifths for the wrong of having no name and inheritance (Num. 5:5-10). They were devoted, faithful women of YHWH’s covenant, not going astray but dedicating themselves in the Nazir spirit to YHWH, resulting in Him blessing them with His Name in the Camp (Num. 5:11-6:27). They, in essence, became the bride of YHWH⁶. Their new status was coupled with Joshua’s appointment as the next leader of Israel, a military warrior to bring Israel into the land, following a review of the Meribah incident and Moses’ impending death. The old generation’s death in the wilderness contrasts with the new generation’s life of applied tassel law in the Land of YHWH. 

Numbers 28-29 list the offerings in the land daily, weekly, monthly, and on the annual holydays. While Leviticus 23 focused on YHWH’s creating sacred calendar space, Numbers 28-29 defined occupying infinite Sabbath time with YHWH, marked by burnt offerings. The burnt offering Way to live without destruction with YHWH in holiness fulfilled their calling. Israel must be in a perpetual state of surrendered obedience to His will through trusted connectedness to Him, belonging, joined to Him, to the community, and the Land. Why was the number of offerings emphasized? They tell a story. Sukkot’s whole burnt offering bulls totaled 70, 7 × 10 (matching the seven Days of Unleavened Bread’s 70 burnt offerings), rams 14, 7 × 2, and lambs 98, 7² × 2, equaling 182, 7 × 26. On each of Sukkot’s seven days, a goat sin offering was offered, bringing the number of offerings listed during Sukkot to 189, 7 × 27. When adding in the foundational daily morning and evening offerings, the total was 203, 7 × 29, or 7(4² + 3² + 2²), 7(2² + 5²), wrapping the Sukkot dwelling experience in YHWH’s light, perfecting holiness in His people. Seventy Israelites went down into Egypt, 70 Israelite clans received an inheritance in the Land, and 70 nations worship YHWH at the Feast of Sukkot in the time of ingathering (Zec. 14:16). The stress on seven underscores YHWH’s power to bring humanity out of death into the Land of the living to worship Him through a whole burnt offering transformation, devoted to living consecrated to His glory. The altar is central to life in the land.

Numbers 30 charged Israel to fulfill the vows that went forth from their mouth and not to profane their word. Entering the land completed the Israelite wilderness Nazarite vow pattern⁷ of a period of deprivation, cleansing from contact with death, to worship YHWH via the whole burnt offering and peace offering with food and drink. Vow faithfulness kept Israel from apostasy. Numbers 31 related how to stay pure by conquering Midian and properly dividing the plunder, a guard against harlotry. The victory and settling of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh (all displaced firstborns) east of the Jordan in Numbers 32 projected the entire division of the Land to Israel, YHWH’s firstborn. After a review of Israel’s first and second generations’ march from Egypt led by YHWH’s covenant glory, YHWH set the boundaries of Canaan and appointed ten leaders for land division (reversing the first generation’s ten scouts’ failure). He then instructed Israel to set aside forty-two cities for the Levites and six cities of refuge (Num. 33-35) so that they might continue in the Torah justice, keeping the Land from defilement for YHWH’s Dwelling. The marriage of Zelophehad’s five daughters concluded the Book of Numbers, portraying YHWH’s marriage to His bride, to His people, and to the Land. In the same way, John’s Revelation ends with the Lamb’s wife, arrayed in holiness, descending as a city arranged like the Camp of Israel with YHWH dwelling with His people, returning to the Garden Land in the Jubilee of seven Sabbaths.

Takeaway: 
The foremost reason YHWH brought Israel out of Egypt was for them to worship Him, living according to heaven’s appointed rhythm. He arranged their camp spatially to reflect His heavenly dwelling and taught them His salvation through sacred time so they might dwell safely with Him, sanctified. The altar of the burnt offerings was central to Israel’s transformation through continual daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly contact with His holy Name. Being faithful to vows made to YHWH kept Israel from idolatry. The five daughters of Zelophehad’s utter devoted consecration to YHWH captured the ideal holy life of the bride of YHWH, inheriting eternity.

Fun Factors: 
Zelophehad’s five daughters names, Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milch, and Noah total 3053, 43 × 71 or 3000 + 53; 3000 = 3(2³ × 5³) or 3(18² + 26²); made holy (5³) in fruitfulness (1000’s) by life (18) with YHWH (26) in the garden (53). The idea of 1000 is the joining together of the complete amount who have been taught by YHWH, family. The 14^th prime and the 4^th centered heptagonal number is 43, 3³ + 4² or 27 + 16; 4 + 3 = 7, 4 × 3 = 12, the 7 and 12 of the 19-year Metonic cycle. The 20^th prime and the 5^th centered heptagonal number is 71, the sum of the first 20 prime numbers. A double tithe or firstborn inheritance is 1/5 of 100 = 20. Occurring eight times in Numbers 26-36 and ten times in the Tanakh, Zelophehad totals 212, 4 × 53, referring to the Edenic garden (53) city (4).