One of the most wonderful truths in Scripture is that God makes provision for the marginalized, devalued, and forgotten. This story repeats throughout each book of the Bible. God’s desire is to care for His creation. He opens doors so that people can have access to Him. He breaks down barriers to meet needs that people cannot meet themselves.
One account of God providing for the marginalized can be found in Numbers 27. This account describes the plight of five daughters. Their names are Mahlah (makh-law), Noah, Hoglah (khog-law), Milcah (mil-kaw), and Tirzah (teer-tsaw). Their father’s name was Zelophehad (tsel-of-chawd).
“They stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders, and the entire community at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, ‘Our father died in the wilderness, but he was not among Korah’s followers, who gathered together against the LORD. Instead, he died because of his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan? Since he had no son, give us property among our father’s brothers.’ Moses brought their case before the LORD.” — Numbers 27:1-5
These five women lived in a time in history where women were typically viewed as property. In most cultures, they would have been undervalued and without privilege. They also lived at the end of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. For the past forty years, the nation of Israel had been living under judgment for rebelling against God. It was in the latter half of this wilderness journey that these women would have been born.
Now it was time for Israel to march into Canaan. They would begin to conquer the Promised Land and divide it into an inheritance for each tribe and family to find a home. Zelophehad’s daughters found themselves with a serious dilemma. They were unmarried women, with no father or brothers to care for them, and they were about to enter a foreign land with no place to call home.
Zelophehad’s daughters teach four lessons in the face of the unknown.
They were bold (v. 2)
According to verse 2, the sisters approached the entrance to the tent of meeting in order to reveal their plight. This was the absolute closest they could get to the presence of God. Here, they presented their case to Moses, their prophet and mediator, and Eleazar, the priest who made atonement for the people. These men would bring their case to Yahweh, the one true King.
They understood sin and rebellion (v. 3-4)
Zelophehad’s daughters understood that the reason they were fatherless was because their father had been a part of the previous generation who could not enter the Promised Land. However, when presenting their case, it is revealed that Zelophehad had not been a part of the rebellion that rose up against God’s appointed leadership.
The sisters would have recently heard Moses’ declaration of the law and God’s holiness through the account we know as Deuteronomy. The account in Deuteronomy would have revealed to the women that sin separates mankind from God, but those who keep God’s law would not be separated from the covenant. However, anyone who rebels against God would not have an inheritance among the people. Their name would be blotted out forever.
The sisters' plea came from humility and belief. They fully understood their father’s sin had prevented him from entering the Promised Land. However, they believed he did not deserve the judgment of having his family cut off from the inheritance that God had promised because he had not lived in open rebellion to God.
They recognized a flaw in the law (v. 5-11)
God had given Israel an extensive law that dealt with sacrifices, celebrations, sickness, life, and death. It covered a myriad of situations, but nothing in the law directly addressed what happened when a father died without a son, leaving only daughters without any provision.
The generosity and love of God knows no bounds. He valued the sisters and made provision not only for their specific need but for all who would encounter a similar circumstance in the future. In a world where women were viewed as property, God valued women and gave them their own property.
They advocated for sonship and inheritance (Num 36:6-12)
Some of Zelophehad’s relatives realized there was still a problem with Zelophehad’s land and daughters. If the sisters married anyone outside of their own tribe, the tribe of Manasseh, according to law the rights of Zelophehad’s land would transfer to their husbands. This would ultimately result in Zelophehad’s family losing their inheritance, which was counter to the sisters' original goal.
God once again provided for the family’s needs. The women were commanded to marry within their own tribe in order to seal the family inheritance so that it could not be taken away from them. This command did not shake Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, or Noah. They willingly obeyed the Lord’s command in order to seal their inheritance and transfer all the responsibilities and privileges of sonship onto their future offspring.
So, what can we learn from the five daughters of Zelophehad?
- We can be bold (Hebrews 4:14-16)
- Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king who cares about our needs. Through Jesus, we have unrestricted access straight to the throne of grace. Whenever we have a question or concern, we can freely and boldly bring it to God.
- We can understand our own sin and rebellion (Romans 3:21-26)
- We deserve death for our sin. Jesus stepped in and took our sin and shame through His death on the cross so that if we believe in Him, we have no fear of being blotted out of God’s love and heavenly inheritance.
- There is no flaw in Christ (Hebrews 7:18-25)
- The law given in Exodus-Deuteronomy perfected nothing and offered little hope. Jesus fulfilled every law and prophecy for us. His fulfillment is permanent and complete. We can have forever hope because of Him.
- We have sonship and inheritance (Galatians 4:1-7)
- Jesus made access so that all who received salvation in Him could become a child of God. Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4).
There is not a single person to walk this earth that God has ever ignored or overlooked. He sees you. He knows you. He desires to have a relationship with you. It was out of the most intense love that God sent His only Son to take the punishment you deserve for your sin so that you can boldly approach His throne of grace. Take time today to enter His throne room through prayer. Present to Him your need for provision and praise Him for taking an active interest in your life.
