20th.: A Little Give and a Little Take
An atheist colleague of mine, once claimed that an unchanging God,
will only have unchanging rules.
The Old Testament's example disagrees.
One Old Testament character, Zelophehad, had five daughters, and no sons (see Numbers 27:1-11).
The daughters were concerned that their dad’s name would one day be forgotten.
So the daughters went to Moses, and the elders of Israel.
With the different Jewish families all receiving a piece of the new land God was giving them,
they asked for a piece of property that could be passed down (see Num. 27:4).
Moses, in turn, took this concern to the Lord.
The Lord commended the daughters, “The daughters of Zelophehad had spoken right, …” (Num. 27:7).
They were to receive the property that had been their dad’s.
In fact, because of their question, God amended the Israelite laws (see Num. 27: 8-11).
If the daughters of Zelophehad (Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah & Tirzah) had not asked,
they would not have received. Nevertheless, they had to accept a stipulation,
“Let them [the daughters of Zelophehad] marry to whom they think best,
only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.” (Num. 36:6).
The sisters honored this stipulation (Num. 36:11-12). With a little give and take, they got what they wished.
In a sense, God changed his law, at a request from average people.
“Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Matt. 7:7)