Numbers 27

One of the first facts I learned about reproduction--and don't worry; I'm not going to get too lurid here (or at least not more than I've been before)--was that eggs always have an X chromosome. The sperm, which can have either an X or a Y chromosome, determines whether the baby is going to be a boy or a girl--which brings to mind this classic Calvin and Hobbes comic panel:

(Full comic here: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/11/1e/25/111e25fa13d9cef0b4d02aa775c13b5c.jpg)

I've forgotten most of what I learned about statistics, but one expects that if you a have a lot of kids, about half of them are going to be boys and about half are going to be girls. However, this is far from guaranteed. John Lasseter, creative head of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, has five sons. Humorist James Breakwell (XplodingUnicorn on Twitter) has four daughters who seem to have inherited his biting wit.

Here in Numbers 27, a fellow named Zelophehad (another one of those mellifluously monikered men) has five daughters and no sons. As members of a patriarchal society, they're understandably worried about not receiving any inheritance. However, they don't come across as greedy because of one crucial statement they make: "Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sins and left no sons" (verse 3). Not only do the daughters recognize the folly of Korah's transgression, but they also are cognizant of their father's own shortcomings. They understand why the generation before them died in the wilderness. God being God, He does the right thing, as Spike Lee might put it, but maybe He also recognizes the sincere hearts of the four daughters. I do wonder, though, how progressive this event was for the male-dominated Israelite society.

Although God makes exception to inheritance rules for families without sons, He does not make an exception for Moses' sin. After He tells Moses that he can see the Promised Land but not enter it (talk about a tease), He appoints Joshua as Moses' successor. God says to Moses, "Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him" (verse 20). Moses has performed some awesome wonders before the Israelites, so I could see how they would be wary of any successor. This reminds me of what Benjamin Franklin said regarding George Washington and the presidency: "The first man at the helm will be a good one. Nobody knows what sort may come afterwards." Joshua does end up doing a smashing job, but the Israelites may have had Franklin's mindset--and remember how much they carped about Moses! God thus prudently effects a smooth transition. Though this must be tough for Moses, he still refers to God respectfully as "the God who gives breath to all living things" (verse 16). Moses will change his tone just a bit in Deuteronomy, but he still acknowledges the importance of God's will over his own desires.