BROUGHT THEIR CAUSE BEFORE THE LORD

Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, of the families of Manasseh, had five daughters but no sons. Since the father died without leaving a male heir, the family name would normally cease to exist because there was no inheritance of land. The daughters of Zelophehad came to Moses. They requested an inheritance of land in the name of their father that his name might be perpetuated in future generations.

The Law of Inheritance. There was no procedure legislated for in Israel to cover a case such as this. There was no law of inheritance for these daughters. Why would they want a claim to their father’s inheritance? Because there was a justifiable pride in the family, and they wanted to perpetuate the name, worth, and heritage of the family. They wished also to preserve the dignity of the woman as an integral part of the family.

Spiritual women today will have a similar exercise in the context of the Christian heritage. There is provision for us to hand on to future generations our Christian heritage. However, for Zelophehad’s daughters there was no provision made in the law of God for them to obtain a part in the inheritance of their father! So, they came before Moses, and the priest, and the princes, and the whole congregation by the door of the tabernacle. They made known their exercise regarding the inheritance. The daughters’ question was composite, ‘Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family?’. In their concern for the family name, they came to Moses and said, ‘Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father’.

Brought before the Lord. It was this concern for the family name that caused Moses to bring their cause before the Lord. The Lord answered that the daughters had a just claim to the inheritance of their father. Then for like future situations, God enlarged the laws of inheritance so that the name and heritage of the family perpetuated itself, not being easily dissolved.

We can make prayer to God concerning our sons that they will grow up as spiritual plants and our daughters be as polished stones, Ps. 144. 12. Paul had a similar prayerful desire for Timothy to pass on to ‘faithful men’ the things committed to him; that is, the heritage of apostolic teaching, 2 Tim. 2. 1.