I have admit, it was strange not to post every day.  But, I think the content on our website will be more valuable to you both AND to people in general.   So let’s jump into our new format, shall we?!

Since I was not posting everyday, I had more time to research material for our website.  I also had more time to do things that really matter to me, personally. For example, I led services at church last night. And strangely enough, the bible verses were were covering ended up being about the first feminists in the Bible.  Who knew there were feminists in the Bible?  But there was.  Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.  They were the daughters of Zelophehad and they are featured in the Old Testament: Numbers 25:10-30:1.

So, the story goes that the Israelites make it to the Promised Land.  Once they’ve defeated the Midianites who’ve been living there, Moses decides that Joshua will succeed him and starts to parcel land off the the male Israelites.  But, the daughters of Zelophehad have lost their father.  According to how the law stands, they will inherit nothing as they are merely daughters.  They wait patiently until the time when they may speak to Moses about the injustice of it all.  Moses took their plea to God.

And the Eternal One said to Moses, “The plea of Zelophehad’s daughters is just: you should give them a hereditary holding among their father’s kinsmen; transfer their father’s share to them.” (Numbers 27:1-7)

What I liked best about last night’s Bible section was HOW the girls brought their issue to God and Moses.  They didn’t act like crazy, emotional girly girls.  First, they WAITED patiently for the right moment to speak.  Then, they spoke.  They did not ask to be granted the right to inherit equally with the sons, nor did they question the way things had always been done in the past: sons inheriting, daughters not.  They prepared themselves and spoke REASONABLY and RATIONALLY.  They ACTED COLLECTIVELY and DETERMINEDLY. They knew that working together, they’d have a better chance at success than just having one of them speak for all five.  They SPOKE TACTFULLY.  They did not talk about what they felt entitled to.  I’m sure, in their time period, this went without saying.  But in our time period, entitlement runs rampant, so it bares reminding.

They spoke of perpetuating their clan (which would have been important to the patriarchal society they lived in) and the memory of their father who gave his life in service to the Eternal One.

Because they spoke with such ability and elegance, God saw the righteousness of their request and he granted that they should be given land to live on and prosper in.  After we read this Bible section, a congregant asked “But who could they marry if the land belonged to the daughters.  Would they have to marry men from their own tribe to assure that the land granted to them stay ‘in the family?'”  Perhaps that’s what they hoped for?  To be with the man you love with no barriers to loving him and spending their days and nights with him.  What more do you need?

I guess what I really got from this Bible section was: we gals REALLY need to get our sh!@#$%^ together and stop being crazy emotional, needy girly gals.  There is no power in it.  You gotta be patient, figure out what you want/need, wait for the right moment and then tactfully and courageously state it to the men folk.  Men really are not afraid of strong women.  Men value strong women.  They are waiting for you to step up and be the strong woman that you are meant to be. 🙂