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"The daughters of Zelophehad are right
in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among
their father's brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to
them" (Numbers 27:7).
Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah! Wonderful names of five wonderful
women who made it through the wilderness with Moses — and lived to help change
a law for women.
If you haven’t heard of them before, you’re not alone. Their story is
one of the best-kept secrets in the church, it seems. But we’re out to change
that!
Their story — found in Numbers 27:1–8 and in an epilogue in Numbers 36
— is a wonderful story of five young sisters who banded together to right a
wrong. First, it’s remarkable that Scripture records their names. Scripture
doesn’t always name the women in its stories; when it does, the reader knows
that what follows is important.
It happened that the sisters — whose father had died during the wilderness
trek and who had no brothers — initiated a congregational meeting, with Moses
and others attending. There they proposed that, since their father had died
without sons, they, the sisters, be allowed to inherit their father’s land
and possessions. Now that had been unheard of; it was always sons and uncles
— males — who got the family inheritance.
But Moses, the judge of all the people, brought their case before the Lord
(27:5). And the Lord said, "Go for it!" Well, the Lord actually said
the words printed above. But you get the point! What a decision, what a
breakthrough for women! What a gracious Lord!
It is amazing sometimes how few people it takes, acting together rightly, to
make a difference in people’s lives. Many freedoms that women enjoy today
exist because of those women, and men, who banded together to make changes for
the better — both in society and in the church. Name one or more of those
changes (just to yourself or to a friend), and thank God for them.
Prayer
Thank you, O God, for Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Empower us,
also, to hear you when you call us to work on behalf of others for a world of
peace with justice. Amen
Nancy J. Stelling served Women of the ELCA as editor of Lutheran
Woman Today, 1987-2000.
*See Noah, Build Your Boat: Old Testament Stories and Pictures by Kids
(edited by Jeff Kunkel and available from Augsburg Fortress). It contains a
child’s version of this Numbers story — titled "The Z Man’s
Daughter," the child writer says, "because no one could pronounce his
name."
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible,
copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. All rights reserved.
May be reproduced for use in congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America provided the copyright information above appears on every copy
with these words: Used with permission.
For all other purposes
contact Women of the ELCA.
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