Memos from the Middle

Sisters of Faith

Do you know the daughters of Zelophehad? They get significant biblical airtime in the Old Testament. They are mentioned in three separate books (i.e., Numbers, 1 Chronicles, and Joshua). They have an entire chapter of Numbers devoted to their bold appeal, and in another chapter, their uncles appeal to Moses based on the sisters’ importance. Four of the five sections of biblical history mentioning the sisters go so far as to name each of them by name: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. To put this in context, Jabez, by comparison, is referenced in exactly two verses of scripture (1 Chronicles 4:9-10), and Christians wrote a whole song about his request of God and routinely quote his “enlarge my territory” in prayer. So during this Women’s History Month, I want to elevate these sisters in our consciousness for their importance to the biblical record and their faith.

We first learn of this family in Numbers 26. Their father, Zelophehad, died in the wilderness, along with his entire generation, for his lack of faith in the plan of God. After having been delivered from Egypt, after crossing the Red Sea and seeing Pharoah and his armies drown, after the presence of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, after being fed manna from heaven, after receiving water from the rock, Zelophehad and nearly everyone else, were too afraid to take possession of the Promised Land, doubting the God of their deliverance and provision. By the end of Numbers 26, “not a man was left of them, except Caleb…and Joshua…” (v. 65).

After this older generation died, Moses conducted a second census. God spoke to Moses and told him to divide the land He will give to them by the families. To the larger families, more land should be given. To the smaller families, less should be allotted. 

This became the basis of the case the daughters of Zelophehad brought to Moses. Their father died, and because he had only daughters, no land would be given in his name. To the sisters, an injustice was afoot. Their father was not part of Korah’s rebellion against Moses. While he had sinned in his doubting of God and had ordinary daily sin, so too had everyone else in his generation. Why, they argued, should their father’s name be wiped out and no land be given simply because he had no sons?

These sisters took their case to the doorway of the Tent of Meeting where Moses, Eleazar, the leaders, and the entire congregation were gathered. Imagine the bravery to cry foul before millions of people. Imagine the boldness to stand as women with a complaint in this patriarchal society. Imagine the courage it took to advance an argument about an injustice to the man God handpicked to speak to “face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). 

The sisters then took a step further in faith when they said, “Give us a possession among our father’s brothers” (Numbers 27:4). Two great points of significance lie in these words: 1) These women believed with no hesitation that God would make good on His promise. For them to even request a portion meant that they believed God. The Promised Land was an inevitability for them. 2) They believed that their progeny would be protected in the land of promise. Because the families would receive land that could not be taken from them except by God and due only to their disobedience, the sisters believed that their family line would have longevity in the Promised Land. They believed God not only for immediate provision, but also for long-term provision. 

When Moses took their case to God, the Lord said, “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” (Numbers 27:6-7). Because of their audacious faith, these sisters not only preserved the name of their father, but they also ensured that every father with only daughters had his name preserved as well. The sisters’  faithful act to secure their family name resulted in their protection and that of every family like theirs. And when Joshua distributed the land to the tribe of Manesseh, Zelophehad’s ancestor, those sisters went boldly once more before the entirety of the congregation to remind them of what the Lord commanded Moses concerning them (Joshua 17:4). They saw their case through to the end, never doubting that the Lord would do exactly what He said he would do.

As we journey through this month and beyond, let us walk boldly by faith in the promises of God. The odds may be stacked against us. We may have to move in circles outside of our regulated places or outside of our comfort zones, but remember the daughters of Zelophehad. Remember how Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah took what God had assured them of and allowed that to steer their unity, argument, and faith.