What other biblical examples show God's provision for women in inheritance? God’s Provision in Joshua 17:6 • “because the daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among his sons.” (Joshua 17:6) • Six women—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, Tirzah, and an unnamed sister—stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their brothers in the land grant, underscoring that God’s covenant blessings reach daughters as well as sons. Zelophehad’s Five Daughters — Numbers 27 & 36 • These same sisters first appear in Numbers 27:1-7. They courageously petition Moses to secure their deceased father’s portion. • “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You must certainly give them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.” (Numbers 27:7) • God issues a permanent statute: if a man dies without sons, his inheritance passes to his daughters (Numbers 27:8). • Numbers 36 later protects these women’s land by linking inheritance with marriage inside their tribe, guaranteeing property continuity. Caleb’s Daughter Achsah — Joshua 15:16-19; Judges 1:12-15 • Caleb offers Achsah in marriage to the warrior who captures Kiriath-sepher. Othniel wins. • Achsah boldly asks her father for additional springs. Caleb grants both upper and lower springs, showing a father’s willingness to enrich his daughter’s inheritance. • The narrative highlights a woman’s direct voice in land negotiations. Job’s Three Daughters — Job 42:13-15 • After suffering and restoration, Job’s final act is to name, bless, and bequeath inheritance to his daughters—Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren-happuch. • “In all the land no women were found so beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance alongside their brothers.” (Job 42:15) • Even outside Israel’s covenant community, the pattern of honoring daughters with property emerges. The Shunammite Woman — 2 Kings 8:1-6 • Elisha advises a famine-bound widow to leave her land. On return, the king orders: “Restore all that was hers, including all the income the field produced while she was away.” (v. 6) • God safeguards her rights retroactively, proving that absence, hardship, or gender cannot cancel His provision. Ruth and Naomi — Ruth 4:9-10 • Boaz publicly redeems Elimelech’s land “so that the name of the deceased will not disappear.” • Though Ruth is a Moabite and Naomi an aged widow, the kinsman-redeemer ensures property and lineage survive through Ruth’s marriage, eventually leading to King David and Messiah. Divine Principles Repeated • God’s law upholds justice for the powerless (Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 68:5). • Inheritance statutes anticipate Christ’s inclusive kingdom where “there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28, fulfilled principle) Encouraging Takeaways • Scripture shows God attentive to women’s material security. • Bold requests—made in faith—often precede divine provision. • Covenant promises extend to every member of God’s family; none are second-class heirs (Romans 8:17). |
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