Take examples from Zelophehad five daughters ! (2)

Thursday July 15, 2021

Take examples from Zelophehad five daughters ! (2)

“Why would our father's name disappear from his clan just because he didn't have a son ?” Numbers 27.4

Israel was essentially a nomadic herding people, since the time of Abraham. By conquering Canaan they would become a sedentary people, for whom the possession of agricultural land would become essential. Yet the five daughters put forward the loss of their name as a clan, because they knew how important the name was in their society. A significant detail, they descended in a straight line from Joseph, through Manasseh, his eldest son. They thus dared to claim the blessings granted by Israel, on his deathbed, to Joseph (Genesis 49:22-26). And yet, even though these blessings seemed to be addressed to the men of the tribe, they dared to assert their equality with them. You might ask why God did not include women in His instructions to Moses ? Could He have forgotten such a possibility ? Knowing how precise God is in His plans, how can we imagine that He waited for the request of the daughters of Zelophehad ? Wouldn't it be because He wanted to hear them present their request ? They had a voice like men, they had to use it to demand what was right. Just as it behooves us to open our mouths to raise our prayers before God. Their faith prompted them to speak out publicly, with courage and determination. Even though the women were not even counted in the censuses, they boldly dared to approach the Tent of Meeting, the place where God was transmitting His directions to Moses. Beyond their father's name, which they wanted to honor, it was their identity that they wanted to defend. Our identity is in Christ, an identity which it is for us to defend and honor before men.

Source (His Word for Today)