006 – The Rights of Women in the Bible and the Daughters of Zelophehad

Episode #6

Have you ever had to take a stand for justice?

There’s a wonderful story in the Bible about five sisters, the daughters of Zelophehad, who made a courageous appeal for justice.

When it appeared they might not get their father’s inheritance in the Promised Land, they took bold action to claim their rights.

We can learn from their example:

• They spoke up for themselves
• They went together
• They went to the top authority, Moses
• They presented a logical and reasonable plan that appealed to a higher sense of justice

Also in this episode:

• What to do you do when there is no justice
• Be alert when others don’t get the justice they deserve, even if you got yours
• How to act when you’re in a position of authority

I hope this episode has been helpful. Please share this with a friend.

I’d love to hear how you have worked and prayed for justice. Please share your thoughts, questions, or experiences in the comments below.

Thanks so much for your support.

Blessings,
James

P.S. Click here to sign up for email notifications so you won’t miss a single podcast episode or blog post.

P.P.S. Here are the Bible references mentioned in this episode:

Numbers 26:29, 33
29. The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the clan of the Machirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites.
33. Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters. And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Numbers 27:1-8
1. Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, son of Gilead, son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of Manasseh the son of Joseph. The names of his daughters were: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.
2. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying,
3. “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died for his own sin. And he had no sons.
4. Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.”
5. Moses brought their case before the LORD.
6. And the LORD said to Moses,
7. “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8. And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

Numbers 36:1-13