FIVE WOMEN OF COURAGE, FAITH AND HOPE
READING OF THE TEXT / Number 27:1-11
The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. They approached the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, "Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives."
So Moses brought their case before the LORD 6 and the LORD said to him, 7 "What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and turn their father’s inheritance over to them.
"Say to the Israelites, ’If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.’ " (Numbers 27:1-11)
INTRODUCTION
Throughout history, the rights of minorities have been neglected, ignored, and abused. Even in the twentieth century, most nations and communities still do not give equal rights to minorities. Mistreatment of people still takes place, the abuse of different races, nationalities, religions, and positions. The handicapped or physically deformed are seldom given equal rights within any society. Sometimes unequal rights are deliberately fostered by communities and nations; at other times equal rights are deprived out of ignorance—people simply are not aware that a person is not experiencing equal rights. But there is one person who is aware of mistreatment and abuse: God. Concern for the mistreated is the beat of God’s heart. God cares for the helpless and the needy, for the abused and unprotected, for the underprivileged and the people who do not have adequate provision. God cares for every need we have, for the lack of any provision in our lives.
MAJOR POINTS OF THE TEXT
1. The godly heritage & the names of the women (v.1).
2. The courage of the women (v.2).
3. The concern, the great faith, and the hope of the women (v.3-4).
4. The case was taken to the Lord by Moses: a picture of seeking God for help in solving problems (v.5-11).
WHO WERE THESE WOMEN?
Our passage begins with the names of the women. They belonged to the tribe of Manasseh who was one of the two sons of Joseph. Remember: one of the most godly persons in Scripture was Joseph (Genesis 39:1f). His godly and moral character soared to the highest degree imaginable, just as an eagle soars above the clouds of the earth. Because of his godly character, his son Manasseh lived a godly life; and because Manasseh lived a godly life, his grandson Makir lived a godly life. Because Makir lived a godly life, his son Gilead lived a godly life; and because Gilead lived a godly life, his son Hepher lived a godly life. And because Hepher lived a godly life, Zelophehad lived a godly life. As Zelophehad was the father of these five godly daughters, the godly heritage was carried through the entire line of Manasseh, who had a godly father, Joseph himself. This is the first fact to note about these five women of enormous courage, faith, and hope: they had a godly heritage.
The need for a godly heritage cannot be over-emphasized. Parents need to live godly lives before their children. Children need parents...
· who believe and trust the Lord
· who will love them, nurture and nourish them
· who will take care of them and look after them.
· who will teach and instruct them in the ways of the Lord
· who will encourage them and see that they receive an education
· who will discipline and correct them when they are wrong
Parents need to live holy, pure, and righteous lives for the sake of their children, yes. But this is not all. Society desperately needs the example of a godly heritage. The cry of society is for godly parents, parents who will leave a godly heritage to the world. Lawlessness, violence, immorality, abuse, greed—all the evils of society—will be corrected only through the example of godly parents. A godly heritage cannot be over-emphasized.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephes. 6:4).
"When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also" (2 Tim. 1:5).
"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15).
"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children" (Titus 2:4).
"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deut. 6:7).
"For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name" (Psalm 61:5).
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
THE COURAGE OF THE WOMEN
The remarkable courage of the women is seen in two facts. First, they approached the Tabernacle, the very place that symbolized God’s holy presence. As they approached, they obviously had complete confidence that they were not displeasing God at all. They were well aware that God’s holiness struck out and consumed any who violated God’s presence, who approached God with hypocritical motives. Obviously, within their hearts, they had prayed and entrusted their case into the hands of God. Second, they approached the highest legal body of the nation, Israel’s supreme court. There they stood before Moses himself, Eleazar the priest, and all the other leaders of the whole nation. What enormous courage!
THINK ON THIS:
These dear women—all sisters—stand as a dynamic example of courage for all believers of all generations. They felt that an injustice was being done, not only to them, but to so many other of the women throughout the nation. The injustice will be seen in the next point. For now, the point to see is their courage—their great courage. Just as these women stood up against injustice, so we must stand up against injustice, so we must stand up and be courageous. We need courage to stand against the injustices, lawlessness, violence, immorality, and sins of society. Courageous people—people who will stand staunchly, with hearts filled with courage—are desperately needed. Fearlessness is needed to combat the evils of this world. Brave, bold, valiant people are needed, people with courage, people who are lionhearted.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13).
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephes. 6:10).
"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephes. 6:13).
"Only let your conversation [behavior] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God" (Phil. 1:27-28).
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God" (2 Tim. 1:7-8).
"Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:1).
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3).
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Deut. 31:6).
"When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet" (Proverbs 3:24).
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident" (Psalm 27:1-3).
"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday" (Psalm 91:2-6).
"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me" (Psalm 118:6).
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2).
THERE WAS THE CONCERN, GREAT FAITH AND HOPE OF THE WOMEN.
In the ancient world, a father’s property was divided among his sons. The oldest son received twice as much as the younger sons. Daughters did not receive property. Rather, when they were married, they received a dowry or a wedding present from their father. Of course, what they received depended upon the wealth of the father. Wealthy fathers were known to give large dowries such as expensive clothing, jewelry, perfumes, money, furniture, slave-help, and sometimes even houses and entire cities. Once the daughter had married, the father had no more responsibility for her, and she received no inheritance of land or property upon his death. By law she became a full-fledged member of the family into which she married. This was the deep concern that had gripped the hearts of these five dear sisters. The Scripture and outline state in very simple terms the injustice they were feeling, no doubt an injustice that existed with other women throughout the nation.
The father of these dear sisters had died with no sons, leaving only them as the surviving members of the family. Note that he had died believing in the promised land, not in Korah’s rebellion that sought to replace Moses and to lead the Israelites back to Egypt. Their father had been a true believer in God’s promises: he had not been a seeker after the pleasures of Egypt nor of this world.
Their faith in the promised land was strong. No doubt their testimony touched the hearts of the judges who sat on the supreme court hearing their case. Note what they wanted: their father’s name—the testimony of his faith—preserved. Therefore, they were requesting his inheritance (Numbers 27:4). Note what they asked the supreme court: Why should the name of their father disappear from history, lose its identity—just because he had no sons? The point to see is the great faith and hope of the women in the promised land. Keep in mind that Israel had not yet entered the promised land, yet these dear women had faith in God. They knew that God was going to lead the Israelites into the promised land and give them their inheritance. Entering and inheriting the promised land was not a question to them. They knew that God was going to fulfill His promise. They were women of deep conviction, faith, and hope in the great inheritance promised by God. Their faith was strong, so strong that they did something that had never been done in the history of the world. They appeared before the supreme court of the land to change one of the most basic and ancient laws in all of history, a history that had been dominated by men. That law was the law of inheritance or of the birthright, a law that gave the inheritance of land only to the sons of a family. But these dear women believed God’s promise, believed in the promised land so much that they were willing to risk everything in order to secure their inheritance. They wanted the godly heritage and inheritance of their family’s name to be carried on through succeeding generations. They wanted their inheritance in the promised land of God.
THINK ON THIS:
The only person who will ever enter the promised land of heaven will be the person who follows in the steps of these five dear sisters. Murderers will never enter the promised land of heaven. Neither will the violent, the lawless, the abuser, the drunk, the drug addict, the greedy, the immoral, the hater, the liar, the thief, nor the person who uses profanity and takes God’s name in vain—no person who walks or lives in sin will ever enter the promised land of God. As stated, the only person who will ever enter heaven is the person who follows in the steps of these five dear sisters. They believed with all their hearts in God and in the promised land. Their faith in the inheritance promised by God was strong, very strong. Our faith in God and the promised land of heaven must be strong. God promises us an inheritance in the new heavens and earth. By faith, we must lay hold of our inheritance, lay hold of the promised land of heaven.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matthew 6:20).
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:1-3).
"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor. 5:1).
"For our conversation [behavior, conduct] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil. 3:20-21).
"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:8-10).
"These all [believers] died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:13-16).
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:3-4).
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:10-13).
"And there shall in no wise enter into it [heaven] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life" (Rev. 21:27).
CONCLUSION
The case was taken to the Lord by Moses. This is a picture of seeking God for help in solving problems. Keep in mind the earth-shattering case of these dear women, a request to change a law that was commonly known and had been practiced by all civilizations down through human history. At the very least, the judges sitting on the supreme court of the nation were bound to be surprised if not shocked by the request of the women. Most rulers and courts of that day would have reacted against such a request. But note the spiritual sensitivity of God’s servant Moses. Obviously, he sensed the deep faith and sincerity of these dear women. Therefore he did not react but, rather, responded. He took their case before the Lord. The Scripture and outline demonstrate a wonderful fact: the love and grace of God are as open to women as they are to men. With God there is no partiality or favoritism, no discrimination whatsoever. There are no minorities: not women or men, not black, red, yellow, or white. There is no race or nationality or sex that stands as a favorite with God. There is no discrimination with God whatsoever. This is the clear teaching of Scripture.
Note that God granted the request of these dear sisters (Numbers 27:6-7). He gave them their father’s inheritance, honored their faith and hope in the promised land.
God established the case as a legal precedent for other cases (Numbers 27:8-11). Simply stated, if a man had no son, his inheritance went to his daughter(s) (Numbers 27:8). If he had no daughter, then the land passed to his nearest male relative (Numbers 27:9-11). The point of the law was to keep the inheritance as close as possible to the family line.
THINK ON THIS
This was an earth-shattering case, a case that created a serious problem for Moses. In seeking God, Moses sets a dynamic example for us. When problems confront us, we should seek the face of the Lord. The Lord will help us if only we will seek Him. Too often we attempt to handle problems and circumstances alone, in our own strength. In so doing, we often dig ditches so deep that it is difficult to claw our way out of them. We merely create more and more problems for ourselves. The answer to problems is the Divine Helper, God Himself. God wants to help us. But He wants us first to seek Him, to draw near Him, to fellowship and commune with Him. This was the very purpose for which He created us; therefore, we must first seek Him. When we seek Him, He steps in and helps us conquer the problems of this life. Seeking the Lord is the answer to a victorious life. We triumph over the pitfalls of this life, over the problems and circumstances of this life when we seek the face of the Lord God Himself.
FINAL SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened" (Luke 11:10).
"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24).
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).
"Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds" (Col. 4:2-3).
"Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:13-14).
"But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Deut. 4:29).
"Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually" (1 Chron. 16:11).
"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him" (Psalm 91:15).
"Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore" (Psalm 105:4).
"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6).
"Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity" (Isaiah 58:9).
"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).
"For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live" (Amos 5:4).
"Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger" (Zeph. 2:3).
MARANATHA
JD