“The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting & said, ‘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 sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.’”
- Numbers 27:1-4 -
By law and custom, only sons enjoyed inheritance rights in Israel. Since Zelophehad had no sons, his daughters challenged this practice. We learn few things from them:
First, the women’s actions represent a faith statement. Although the conquest is still an unrealized promise, these women act out of the assurance that it will take place, demonstrating that ‘faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
Second, they had just cause for concern, since disappearance of the family name (v 4) was frequently associated with divine judgment and ‘an inheritance’ in the land (v 7) was linked to fellowship with God and inclusion in the covenant.
Third, although they are assertive in approaching the tabernacle (v 2), these women are not aggressive but submit their concerns to God’s appointed leader.
Moses didn’t dismiss the case out of hand, citing tradition or personal opinion, but sought God’s direction (v 5). Progress is often viewed as moving with the times, but really it’s about moving closer to God’s original intention – in this case, going back to the beginning, where men and women were, equally, image-bearers of God and inheritors of his blessing. The coming of the new Moses, Jesus, represents a giant leap forward into a new community where women would be co-heirs – not merely inheriting in the absence of sons but equally together with sons. It reminds us of Hebrews 4:16, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Prayer: Thank you, gracious Father for your gift of the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of my inheritance in Christ. Thank you for the blessings of today, as well as for those waiting for me in heaven.
(A Summary and Edition from Encounter with God)