3 Important Lessons from the Daughters of Zelophehad

Where Are These Women Found in the Bible?

The daughters first appear in Numbers 26:33 in the genealogy of Zelophehad of the tribe of Manasseh. But the meat of their story is found in Numbers 27:1-11. Here they petition Moses to reconsider inheritance laws. Their father had died in the wilderness, though not in Korah’s rebellion, and because he had no sons their “father’s name would disappear from his clan” (v4). They asked for property among their father’s relatives so that his name would continue. Moses brought their case before the LORD and the LORD said, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.” (v6-7) This case not only expanded to include Zelophehad’s daughters but also other similar situations, thus impacting OT Law for centuries. 

It is not only in Numbers 27:1-11 where these daughters appear. They appear again in Numbers 36:1-13 in another legal case. The decision made in Numbers 27 could have had an unintended consequence, if they married outside their tribe then this would have taken their father’s property with them. Thus, the property allotment for Manasseh would greatly diminish, and their father’s name could disappear once again. God instructed the daughters to only marry within their tribe (if they wanted to keep the inheritance), this way inheritance would not move from tribe to tribe. Once again, these daughters impacted OT Law. 

What Do We Learn from These Women?

There are many lessons we can glean from these women. I’ve selected three.

1. We should never be satisfied with injustice.

Can you imagine the boldness it would have taken for these women to approach Moses? This is not something that was to be done. Women themselves were often treated as property. For them to boldly approach Moses and ask to receive the inheritance as a son was unheard of. And yet, just as the persistent widow in the New Testament (Luke 18:1-8) these women refused to be content with injustice. We should follow their example. Wherever injustice is found we should cry out to see things made right. 

I would, however, note one disclaimer. For the most part, and especially in the New Testament, our fight against injustice is often most passionate when we are fighting for others. There is something to be said of Jesus’ silence as He was unjustly taken to the cross. We can follow Christ in silently enduring injustice in our lives. But Christ was not silent when it came to fighting for justice for the vulnerable people around him. 

2. God cares about the vulnerable.

What would have happened if this ruling would not have gone in the favor of these daughters? During this time, identity and personal wealth were tied up in land. In the social structure of the day, a female was dependent upon the men in her life in order to survive and succeed. They were not yet allowed to own property. When their father died, they would have lost everything. All of his possessions would have been taken from their tribe and given to another because he did not have a male heir. These women were in a vulnerable position. 

Moses, thankfully, took this case directly to God. And God, as He so often does, stood up for these vulnerable women. He told Moses, “These women are correct…” When I hear those words I cannot help to think of some of the ways that Jesus spoke up for the vulnerable when he walked the earth, especially vulnerable women. God cares about the vulnerable. I appreciate this reminder from Diane Langberg: 

He who had all power never used it to feed on a vulnerable person, to increase His stature, or to protect Himself. Any power we have is His and is to be used to bless others with His grace and truth.

3. The law was made for man, not man for the law.

I’ll be honest, when I first read the story of these daughters, it shook me a little. I wasn’t shaken because God was caring for these vulnerable women—that is consistent. But what shook me was the way in which the law seemed more fluid than static. 

I’ll let you into my thoughts for a moment. God gave the law to Moses. And in that law were all of the rules about land. Before these daughters came forward, there was no provision for them. God loves the vulnerable. God is all-knowing. Why didn’t he put this in the law in the first place? It almost feels as if these daughters have seen something that God did not, they point it out, and he says they are correct. And then it happens again later in Numbers. Why not put in place an absolutely perfect law that doesn’t require these changes? Isn’t the law supposed to be perfect? 

I was wrestling with these questions, as I think we ought to do. As I did this, I realized that my view of the law doesn’t square with how God intends the law to be used. If God only desired robotic obedience, he could have written a law that was incredibly detailed. But he didn’t. Because God desires relationship. And relationships are fluid and often messy. 

Think of the Pharisees in the time of Jesus. They wanted more specificity to the law. God said, “Honor the Sabbath,” but they created several laws around that core law. By the time of Jesus, the Sabbath laws were not life-giving. They were crushing. The law, while it does expose our sinful hearts, was not intended to be crushing. It’s only crushing because we have hearts that cannot follow. The law was meant to give life. This is why Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

This is why God did not establish rigid codes and laws from the beginning. Instead, he weaved into the fabric of the laws the ability for these daughters to appeal. He invited a relationship. He asked for an appeal. Why? Because humanity wasn’t made for the law. The law was made for us to thrive. When we miss this point, we end up being crushed by the law instead of freed to joyous obedience. 

Their Story Points to Jesus

Worrying about land and provision was not something that was present in the Garden of Eden. It was richly supplied. The first couple had everything they needed. Had humanity not fallen, it is reasonable to assume that their children and their children’s children would have lived plentifully. There would not have been death, and so there would be no need for inheritance laws. No squabbling for a position on social ladders or laboring to keep yourself or your family from crushing vulnerability. But the fall changed all of that. Because of our rebellion and the impact it has had upon our being, we’ve inherited our own mess. The daughters of Zelophehad should have never had to make this appeal. 

When they do make the appeal, and God comes to their rescue—fighting for the vulnerable—we see something of His heart as well as His aim for our future. In Christ, there will be an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. The inheritance for these daughters was precarious, you can see this in how their case seems to keep coming back up. They were, in essence, fighting for a little piece of the Promise Land. Though they are noble characters, their efforts were not able to secure an inheritance that could not be taken. But the inheritance of Christ is certain. 

As you see these sisters fighting for an inheritance, let their story point you to the work of Jesus. Jesus has fought to establish for us this inheritance. And he has succeeded. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Photo Credit: SWN