Zelophehad’s Daughters – Numbers 27

 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, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward ² and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, ³ “Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. ⁴ Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

⁵ 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 give their father’s inheritance to them.

I read this story and I was in admiration of these five sisters.  These five daughters of Zelophehad were living in a male dominated time of their lives but they did not keep quiet, when it came to their inheritance.  They ‘fought’ for what was theirs’.  Their father had died and because he had no sons, they were not entitled to their fathers’ inheritance.  Thank God for their boldness, as they went to Moses and stated their case before him; Moses then petitioned God on their behalf and God answered their requests.

How can we translate this to the modern world that we live in?

We know that the death of Jesus has paved the way for us all; when He died the veil got torn.  In the old days, during the time of the old testament, only the high priest could go behind the veil and plead to God, on behalf of the people. But the death of Jesus broke all protocol on our behalf and we now have access to the Holy of Holies because of the shed Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The death of Jesus has made it possible for us to pray to Him in His name and do miracles in His name; Mark 16: ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

In Matt 10:1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

In Mark 11: ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

I hope that by now, you are convinced in your spirit that whatever it is that you are going through, you have access to the name of Jesus, to do battle with the enemy.  The enemy has been fighting the children of God for a long time and we are told in John 10: ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  What is the devil coming to steal from us?  Why is he trying to kill us?  Why does he want to destroy us?  By us, I mean the children of God.    The answer is simple, he was kicked out of heaven and of course he will do all he can to also make sure that people do not get there, especially the children of God.

The five daughters of Zelophehad were bold and went to speak to Moses about the fact that their fathers’ inheritance was meant to be for them even though their father did not give birth to a son. 

What has the devil stolen from you?  Are you contenting with your health?  Did your business burn down? Is your husband sick? Is your business at risk? Or you have a sick child? Or a loved one is sick?  Are you fighting for a promotion at work and its not forthcoming?  Have you been lied against?  Are you unemployed?  Are you operating under lack or poverty?  Are you married but under attack?  Are you single and believing God for a partner?  Are your children a source of sorrow? Or child?  Has your husband left you?  Or wife?  Are you stagnant in life?  Do you see an evil pattern of failure at the edge of your miracle?  Are doors of opportunities closing in your face?  Do you have pending court cases?  Are you depressed or oppressed?  Are you operating under a curse?  Do you work hard and have nothing to show for it at the end of the month?

Could it be that you are fighting more than one of what I have listed above and you are getting tired of life.  I want you to take courage in the Word of God in Isa 49: ²⁵ But this is what the Lord says: “Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.   ²⁶ I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine.   Then all mankind will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Remember what it says in 2 Corin 1:²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. 

This is not the time to give up, this is not the time to give in but this is the time to rise up and fight for your inheritance.  You feeling sorry for yourself and questioning God is exactly what the devil wants you to do but I would urge you to believe God once again and pray.  Petition God like the daughters of Zelophehad did. 

One of my favourite scriptures is in Rms 8:³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  This verse says it all, God did not spare his own Son, our Lord Jesus for us; how will He then not give us all things when we ask? Prayer is the key to your getting your inheritance.

No matter what it is that you might be going through as you read this, be encouraged that God is with you and ready to fight your battles for you.  Be encouraged with the story of the daughters of Zelophehad; they were bold and asked for what was theirs’ by birth but not by law and they got a favourable answer from God.  You too can get a favourable answer from God, as you seek His face and because of the shed Blood of Jesus, you will get a positive response from God in Jesus name.  

Why don’t you stand up again; why don’t you seek His face once again, why don’t you use some or all of the scriptures above to pray for your inheritance.  What you are going through is not from God, it is the enemy at work.  Come to the throne of grace, come and obtain mercy in time of need, Hebs 4: ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  We need His grace and mercy more than ever before, the enemy is on a rampage, look at all the devastation around the world. 

You and I need  His grace and mercy in all that we do.  Let us call on our God who is a very present help in time of trouble.  Use the story of the daughters of Zelophehad as a point of contact.  If God can answer them, when they had no right by law to their father’s inheritance, God will surely answer you by the power in the Blood of Jesus.