The Ear of the Lord by Barbara M. Britton ~ Truth in Fiction Blog

Recently, I published a series on the daughters of Zelophehad. These sisters of faith were tucked away in the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. The story of these sisters was new to me. I have been a Christian for decades so why hadn’t I heard about these girls? The story of five orphaned girls challenging the leader of the Hebrew people to be allowed to inherit their deceased father’s land is historic. Zelophehad’s daughters were bold in their faith and in their trust in God.

We shouldn’t be surprised that Moses listened to the sisters’ request to inherit land. Moses knew God’s heart. God had trusted Moses to write down and teach His laws to the people. Laws that instructed that the orphan and the widow and the alien be listened to and taken care of. Over and over, Moses wrote about God’s affection for the least in society. Check out Exodus 22:22-23, Deuteronomy 10:18, 24:17-22.

So, why did Moses delay in giving land to Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah? Why didn’t Moses pronounce the girls to be right immediately? Why did Moses boot the request to God?

Perhaps Moses knew his people were tired from wandering in the wilderness for almost forty years. Perhaps he knew they were weary from battling their enemies in the land. Perhaps many were confused by stories of other gods. Moses avoided confrontation and argument by going to the One True God. The God who hears us.

My favorite verse is Philippians 4:6-7.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

Moses bought himself and the people time. Time to reflect on God and His laws. Time to think about how best to practice God’s laws and show His love. Moses bought them time to remember that they were a people who served God and should be seeking God’s wisdom regularly.

How much more were the people ready to accept God’s gift of land to orphaned girls when they had time to remember God’s commands and the countless times God showed compassion to them. Each day, God was leading His people with fire and cloud. The people of Israel had a visual reminder that God cared for babies, children, and adults.

We’ve had a difficult year with a pandemic, protests, and politics. The new year has challenges of its own. Remember that like Moses, we can seek God in prayer and wait for His wisdom. Allow God to give you peace and rest among the chaos. Take time to reflect on God’s Word and abide with Him. After taking time to seek God, may you go forth with God into a tomorrow filled with God’s love and guiding light. And may we all learn more about God’s care and compassion from the story of the daughters of Zelophehad.

You can find the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 26:33, 27:1-11, 36:1-12, Joshua 17:3-6 and I Chronicles 7:15.

 

 

While the Israelites struggle to occupy the Promised Land of God, Mahlah bat Zelophehad is orphaned and left to care for her four sisters. But daughters of the dead are unable to inherit land, and it will take a miracle for Mahlah to obtain the means to care for her sisters and uphold the vow she made to her dying mother.

Mahlah must seek Moses, the leader of her people, and request something extraordinary—the right for a daughter to inherit her deceased father’s land. A right that will upset the ox-cart of male inheritance and cast her in the role of a rebel.

But, God is the protector of the orphan and the widow, and five orphaned daughters need His help. With God, anything is possible. Even changing man’s tradition.

Purchase Lioness – Mahlah’s Journey or any of Barbara’s other books.

 

 

Barbara M. Britton lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. Barb is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light in her Tribes of Israel series. She released Historical fiction in 2020 with Until June. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America, and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Find out more about Barb’s books on her website at http://www.barbarambritton.com/books.html