Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were the 5 daughters of Zelophehad. Ever heard of any of them or their father before? I’m sure I probably skimmed over their names before in one of my attempts to read through the entire Bible, but I never stopped to think about their story or why God chose to include it in Scripture. That is, not until the other day when I was considering what I would share with you about God’s promise to the Israelite people.
I almost overlooked it in my attempt to find something a little more exciting or out of the ordinary. But something kept me attached to this story, something that made me think more deeply about these 5 women and the faith and courage that prompted them to do what they did. The first seven verses of Numbers 27 tell us what happened.
The Problem
“Then the daughters of Zelophehad … came near: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and all the congregation, at the doorway of the tent of meeting saying, ‘Our father died in the wilderness, yet he was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah; but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons.'” Numbers 27:1-3
What’s going on, what is the context in which these women bravely present their case before Moses, the priest, and the people of Israel? Forty years have passed since Moses led the Israelites from Egyptian slavery; most of the older generation has died, including their father, and they have no brother to inherit the father’s share of land in the tribe of Manasseh and keep his name alive. Soon, Moses will pass from the scene; Joshua will become Israel’s new leader and will bring the people into the Promised Land, just as God had promised. When this happens, land will be distributed to the twelve tribes, and then to the families within those tribes.
It is also good to remember that women in that day and culture were not afforded all the same rights as men. Property passed directly from fathers to sons, with no provision for daughters to inherit it. This is the situation for the 5 daughters of Zelophehad. So, in this context, this was a brave thing for these women to do, a request for a justifiable change in “the way things had always been done.”
Can you imagine the whispers in the crowd, the quizzical looks, and the thoughts that may have been going through people’s minds when the 5 daughters of Zelophehad spoke to Moses about their case?
The Petition
Have you ever been in a situation at work, in your family, church, or organization where you had strong feelings and convictions about something unjust or unfair? What did you do? Become passive-aggressive? Gossip? Or decide to be brave and address it respectfully, as the daughters of Zelophehad did?
I imagine the daughters spent some time discussing the issue and how to make their case. They recognized the risk of ridicule and rejection, but their courage was stronger than their fear of what others may think or say. There was also a strong element of faith in what they were doing. Think about it; they, like the rest of the Israelites not yet in the Promised Land, were convinced God was going to deliver on His promise. They knew the land would be given to their father’s tribe and wanted to ensure that his portion came to them.
“Why should the name of our father be withdrawn from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.
They would need to be respectful of Moses’ leadership and straightforward. Also, they wanted to respect their father’s name and memory, and seek a reasonable solution to a problem that needed to be addressed in Israel’s civil law.
Moses’ Response to the Petetion of the 5 Sisters
What did Moses do about what the sisters wanted? There is no record of anything he said. Nor is there an indication that he asked Eleazer, “What do you think about this?” And, he didn’t ask the elders to vote on the question. Here’s what he did, “And Moses brought their case before the Lord.” Numbers 27:5. Moses sensed the gravity of this situation and took it directly to the God of all wisdom, a very wise choice.
God’s Gracious Provision
The Lord cares for all in our society who are needy and expects us and those in places of authority to treat them with mercy and kindness. What did He tell Moses to do? “Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘The daughters of Zelophehad are right in their statements. You shall surely give them a hereditary possession among their father’s brothers, and you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them.'” Did you notice the instruction, “And you shall transfer the inheritance of their father to them?” The land that would have gone to their uncles was to be “transferred” to them! But, did it really happen?
The Rest of the Story
The seventeenth chapter of Joshua tells about how a portion of the Promised Land was given to the tribe of Manasseh, their father’s people. Here, we see the 5 sisters making their claim on the land that God had given them. “And they came near before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son on Nun and before the leaders saying, ‘ The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.’ So according to the command of the Lord he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.” Joshua 17:4.
God is faithful to keep His promises. It is our responsibility to trust him completely and act in faith that all He says He will do.