Josh 17-18 Daughters of Zelophehad
John 18 What is Truth?
A few thoughts on Truth:
John 18: 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world…
The preposition, ‘of,’ is the Greek word, ek, meaning “out of.” Literally, He said “My kingdom is out of this world.” He is not saying that His Kingdom is not going to be on this earth someday, as He is going to rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
John 18:38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.
Was Pilate a cynic? Was he simply puzzled? He stood in the presence of the Lord Jesus Do you ask, “What is truth?” Is He truth to you? Have you faced reality in Him?
Daughters of Zelophehad
In Joshua 17, we have the fascinating story of the daughters of Zelophehad finally asking for their inheritance.
The Problem
God announced very early that His plan for redemption involved the Messiah being brought forth from the tribe of Judah[1], and specifically from the line of David[2]. The succession of subsequent kings proved to be, with only a few exceptions, a dismal chain. As the succeeding kings of Judah went from bad to worse, we eventually encounter Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin), upon whom God pronounces a "blood curse:” "Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah."(Jeremiah 22:30)
This curse created a rather grim and perplexing paradox. The Messiah had to come from the royal line, yet now there was a "blood curse" on that very line of descent! I always visualize a celebration in the councils of Satan on that day. But then I imagine God turning to His angels, saying in a Texas accent, "Hey, y’all watch this!"
The Solution
The answer emerges in the differing genealogies of Jesus Christ recorded in the gospels. Matthew, as a Levite, focuses his gospel on the Messiahship of Jesus and presents Him as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Thus, Matthew traces the legal line from Abraham (as any Jew would) through David, then through Solomon (the. royal. line) to Joseph, the legal father of Jesus[3].
On the other hand, Luke, as a physician, focuses on the humanity of Jesus and presents Him as the Son of Man. Luke traces the blood line from Adam (the first Man) through to David. His genealogy from Abraham through David is identical to Matthew's. After David, Luke departs from the path taken by Matthew and traces the family tree through another son of David (the second surviving son of Bathsheba), Nathan, down through Heli, the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus[4].
Zelophehad
One should also note the exception to the law which permitted inheritance through the daughter if no sons were available and she married within her tribe[5].
The daughters of Zelophehad had petitioned Moses for a special exception, which was granted when they entered the land under Joshua. C.I. Scofield first noted that the claims of Christ rely upon this peculiar exception granted to the family of Zelophehad in the Torah. Heli, Mary's father, apparently had no sons, and Mary married within the tribe of Judah. In the legal way, this means Heli adopted Joseph, the husband of his daughter because he had no sons to pass his inheritance to. In this way, the curse on Jeconiah was avoided. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, of the house and lineage of David and carrying legal title to the line, but without the blood curse of Jeconiah. I believe that every detail in the Torah -- and the entire Bible -- has a direct link to Jesus Christ.
Psalm 40:7 The volume of the book is written of me.
Earlier Glimpse
This was no afterthought or post facto remedy, of course. It was first announced in the Garden of Eden when God declared war on Satan: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Genesis 3:15). The "Seed of the Woman" thus becomes one of the prophetic titles of the Messiah. This biological contradiction is the first hint -- in the early chapters of Genesis -- of the virgin birth.
John also presents a genealogy, of sorts, of the Pre-Existent One in the first three verses of his gospel[6].
First Turning of Generations in Israel in the Land
Jay
[1] Genesis 49:10
[2] Ruth 4:22; 2 Samuel 7:11-16
[3] Matthew 1:1-17
[4] Luke 3:23-38
[5] Numbers 26:33; 27:1-11; 36:2-12; Joshua 17:3-6; 1 Chronicles 7:15
[6] John 1:1-3