Zelophehad’s Daughters

Sisters Seeking Justice

READ Numbers 27:1–11

After fleeing Egypt, Moses led the Israelite people into the desert, where God began to establish the law and customs that would set his people apart as unique among the nations. God brought them to the edge of the land he had promised long ago to Abraham’s descendants. But when ten of the twelve spies sent to scout Canaan reported giant enemies, the generation who followed Moses out of Egypt refused to enter. God responded to their lack of faith and rebellion by allowing them to wander in the wilderness for forty years.

After forty years, God’s people prepared to enter the promised land. But the five daughters of Zelophehad had a problem. The land allotments were apportioned to the men in each family. Zelophehad, who had died during the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings, left behind only daughters. In an act of boldness, these daughters stood up for their cause, approaching Moses and “the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting” (Numbers 27:2). They reasoned, “Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives” (v. 4).

Moses brought the case before God and received a remarkable reply from the Lord: “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” (v. 7). God then instructed Moses to declare a new law for all future cases like that of Zelophehad’s daughters. In Joshua 17:3–4, when Joshua divided the land allotments for the tribes of Israel, Zelophehad’s daughters reminded Joshua and the leaders of Israel of the Lord’s command to Moses, and Joshua gave them a land inheritance along with their male relatives.

Speaking and acting for justice is a pattern throughout the Bible. In the first five books of the Old Testament, we find special concern for groups such as widows, orphans, the poor, and foreigners. The demand for justice for the marginalized and vulnerable also pervades many of the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah pleaded with God’s people to turn from their hypocritical religious practice and to instead “do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Jesus shared this concern, caring for the overlooked and decrying many of the religious leaders of his day for taking advantage of the oppressed rather than helping them (Mark 12:40). God instructs his people to show special concern for the most vulnerable in society.

Taking up the cause of justice is no less important today. It’s true that promoting just causes will not always make you popular, even in the church. Issues that were not even debated years ago now divide us, and even pastors have felt the brunt of the polarized culture we live in now as they deliver messages and pray over their congregations. This is a sad reality in God’s church today.

The story of Zelophehad’s daughters reminds us and challenges us to pursue justice in light of the gospel. It may rank among the lesser-known stories in Scripture, but it proclaims an important message that God uses unlikely and unassuming individuals for great purposes. This is a lesson worth remembering!

Like these daughters, we need to speak for the causes of justice in our communities. How can you become more involved in God’s justice work around you? Are there ministries or charities you can support or volunteer for that provide care for the poor, for immigrants, for veterans, for recovering addicts, or for single mothers? Remember that central to faithfulness is how we treat and care for other people.