We have seen from Numbers 36:1-4 that we should be a people of faith: faith in God's promise, faith in God's victory, and faith in God's commands being the three of the areas that we discussed. But our faith is not just in what is, for as Paul says, "Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?" (Romans 8:24) So our faith is combined with a hope in the future, an expectation of what God will do through his awesome victory for us who have kept his commands and come to him by faith. Thus, we who have faith also have hope. Let us look to Number 36:5-9 to understand what we have hope in.
This passage begins with Moses giving a command to the tribes of Israel, in response to the issue that has been brought up on behalf of the daughters of Zelophehad. Moses notes that what he is about to say is not from his own authority, it is from the mouth of the Lord God. The instructions that Moses proceeds to issue from God are instructions regarding marriage not just for the women in this instance, but for all Israelite women. By following the instructions given the inheritance of the clans will never pass between them, but each will always possess what was allotted to his family, in perpetuity. What we see then is that we can have hope that God will protect the inheritance of his people.
I note that we can have hope that God will protect our inheritance because God himself is the one who gives a response to the complaint. This command is not just Moses command. This is not just a good word at the right time so as to prevent internecine warfare. Men were concerned that the inheritance that God had promised them was going to be stripped away, and God himself responded to them by giving them a law that would protect not only their inheritance, but the inheritance of all his people. God cares about our inheritance, he will protect it.
There is one major caveat that must be added to this though. I have alluded to this already: the inheritance that God is concerned about is the inheritance of his people. Those who are not God's people cannot claim the hope that God will protect an inheritance for them. God is not a cosmic vending machine where people can simply put in the necessary spiritual coin and get out the spiritual reward they were after. God is a personable God, and he has a people, and he is only going to protect the inheritance that has been promised to them.
It is this fact that should drive us to be active though, instead of fearful of the future. Paul tells us, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12) Paul also says to us, "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." (Galatians 3:26) Therefore we do not need to fear, wondering whether or not we are the sons and daughters of the living God. We have confidence in our hope in God, knowing that we are his people, if we have faith in Christ. Our faith in Christ leads us to seek to be assured of our salvation though, so that we work out our faith, not doing so in our own power, but being guided by the strength of God to accomplish his ends.
You see, we do not need to be troubled by wondering if we have done enough. That is not the fear we need to have. We do not tremble wondering whether or not we have earned our way into heaven. But, through faith in Christ, we diligently seek to do the things of God, proving our faith by our works, not adding to our salvation but finding assurance in our salvation, even as James has taught us. We do not ever need to fear that God will reject us for a lack of work, for Christ has completed our work on the cross, and we are now the sons of God, our inheritance is assured! But, only if we have faith in Christ.
So we know that God will hear our concerns, and we know that God will give an inheritance to his people, but what is the inheritance to which are we looking forward? We see this addressed indirectly in this text as well. Note that in verse 7 and in verse 9 we read that the sons of Israel will each hold to his inheritance. The inheritance promised to Israel in the land was to be a permanent inheritance. God intended to give his people an eternal inheritance, if they would have faith in him.
Israel failed to have faith, as we noted before, and so their hope was stripped from them. But, even in Daniel we see the prayer of a faithful man, a prayer offered in hope. (Daniel 9) Daniel realized that the time of exile was almost over. He and his people would soon return to the land, just as God promised. Though Daniel lived in a time after the exile, his hope was not crushed forever, but he had faith that God would protect his people and provide for them the inheritance he had promised.
Likewise, we today are able to have faith in God, and to hope in an eternal inheritance that is to come. The land that was given to the Israelites was given to them in this age, and on this earth. According to Hebrews 11 these were people who never received that for which they were looking. Hebrews 4 says that Joshua did not give the sons of Israel rest. Though he would lead them into the promised land, though in his leadership they would go to war and they would take possession of most of the land, yet they would not have rest. The inheritance that is discussed in Numbers 36 is only a type of the inheritance that is to come.
What shall we say then? Are we those who have hope that God will protect our inheritance? Do we have any reason to trust that God will hear our prayers? Do we have any reason to think that God will have us as his people? Do we have any reason to hope in the eternal inheritance God has provided? If we are in Christ, the answer to all these questions is "Yes!"
Are you in Christ though? Have you put your hope in the only begotten Son of God? Have you come to him in faith and laid aside your works to enjoy his mercy? Scripture would command us to do so, for it is the only wise thing to do.
The men in Numbers 36 had faith in God and they had hope in God. Today we can have that same faith and that same hope. There is nothing that stops us from hearing the word of God, and acting in faith in response to it. The application of this section of Scripture is simple: we who long for an eternal inheritance need to have faith in Christ, for he is our only hope to be the children of God and he is our only hope to have access to God. Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. But, with faith in the Son of God we are able to have hope in the inheritance that God has prepared for those he loves, the eternal inheritance that he himself protects.
Have faith!
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