How does Joshua 17:3 highlight God's provision for women in inheritance matters? Setting the Scene • Israel is dividing the Promised Land tribe by tribe. • Within Manasseh’s allotment, Scripture pauses to spotlight five sisters who refuse to be overlooked. • Their brief mention carries a weighty testimony of God’s justice. Text Spotlight “Zelophehad son of Hepher, son of Gilead, was the son of Machir, son of Manasseh. He had no sons, but only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.” (Joshua 17:3) God’s Provision Displayed 1. Upholding an earlier promise • Numbers 27:1-7 records the sisters’ original plea: “Why should our father’s name disappear…? Give us property.” • The LORD declared, “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly. You are to give them an inheritance…” (Numbers 27:7). • Joshua 17:3-4 shows that promise kept. God’s word is not a suggestion; it is a settled guarantee. 2. Counter-cultural care • In a patriarchal society land transferred through sons, yet God legislated a direct path for women when sons were absent (Numbers 27:8-11). • By naming each daughter, the Spirit underscores their individual worth. Their identities are neither blended nor forgotten. 3. A statute for future generations • Numbers 36 establishes that the sisters’ victory molded permanent inheritance law in Israel, safeguarding land for countless future daughters. • God’s intervention here shapes civil policy—His compassion is practical, not merely inspirational. 4. Integrity in covenant distribution • The land was ultimately God’s (Leviticus 25:23). He determines its stewards without partiality. • Granting the sisters a share preserves tribal boundaries while honoring family legacy—both faithfulness to covenant structure and personal justice. Supporting Passages • Psalm 68:5: “A father of the fatherless and an advocate for widows is God in His holy dwelling.” • Isaiah 40:8: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”—the daughters saw this truth realized. • Galatians 3:28 highlights the redemptive trajectory: in Christ “there is neither… male nor female,” echoing God’s equal valuation already hinted in Joshua 17. Principles to Embrace Today • God remembers every promise; He will not overlook any child who trusts His word. • Scripture’s historical narratives carry enduring legal and moral authority; what He decreed for the sisters still reveals His character now. • Women are never spiritual afterthoughts. Their names, needs, and futures matter to the Covenant-Keeper. • The church can promote justice by echoing God’s heart—creating structures that honor both men and women without compromising biblical order. The five daughters of Zelophehad stand as living proof: God’s law upheld their cause, His leaders obeyed, and His people witnessed that the LORD provides inheritance for all who bear His image. |
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