About a year ago I came across two influential instances in Scripture that have greatly impacted my thinking to this day and I believe they are important to my journey here. I want to tell you about one of them.
It has to do with five daughters of a fellow by the name of Zelophehad.
In the book of Numbers, the 27th chapter, God had just instructed Moses to take a census of the folks still surviving after wondering in the desert for nearly 4 decades. Then there was talk of dividing the "Promised Land" among the various families. The heads of various families would be awarded lots to divide among their sons and their son's sons.
This is where the problem developed. Zelophehad and his brothers were among the folks to whom land would be allotted to pass on to their sons; but there were two problems - one being that Zelophehad was dead, the other being that he had no sons.
Zelophehad had no sons, but he did have five daughters.
Five women, with no father, no husbands and less-than-glamorous names: Mahlah, Noah, Milcah, Hoglah, and Tirzah ...see what I mean ... They really didn't have much going for them. Nothing to instill confidence.
Now there is a passage of scripture that says that godliness with contentment is great gain. Maybe you, like me, have taken this to mean that God doesn't really like for us to whine or complain. He likes for us to adjust to our situations and when life gives us lemons, we should manufacture lemonade. Right?
Well this story tells me something very different from that. It seems to be saying to me that godliness with contentment is great gain; but God also values godly discontentment at times.
These five daughters of Zelophehad were discontent - listen to what they did:
These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Our father died in the wilderness,” they said. . . . "he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons. Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.” Numbers 27:2-4 NLT
There was no one to take their part. It was a time in which women had no voice. Yet the desperation of their discontentment drove them to action. So they braved the scorning and risked their very lives to take their complaint to Moses, Eleazar and the other leaders.
I expect Moses swallowed his gum.
Perhaps it was their courage; maybe it was the gentleness in which those five women approached the council; who knows - it may have just been the glow of God's favor resting upon them... but for some reason Moses and the others listened.
What's more, they referred the case to a Higher Court:
So Moses brought their case before the Lord. Numbers 27:5 NLT
Now I'm proud of the old boy! He could have rejected them outright, yet he took their case to God. He was associating himself with their case; he was risking his own reputation for their sakes.
When desperation and discontentment drive us to action sometimes we pick up support from unlikely places.
But even more impressive was God's response:
And the Lord replied to Moses, “The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father. Numbers 27:6 & 7 NLT
GET OUTTA' TOWN!! Isn't that the neatest thing you've ever seen?!
God said - "they've got a good point". . . .and I can imagine that everyone involved in this case let out a sigh of relief.
If you read on, you will see that not only did God take their case, but He also instructed Moses to codify the practice. So for generations to come, the influence of the daughters of Zelophehad would affect daughters in similar situations.
What a grand thing they did - yet their action was born in discontentment and desperation.
You've seen that desperation haven't you? Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on that Montgomery bus in 1955. . . . Justice Roy Moore refusing to remove the Ten Commandments from his courtroom. . . . people taking taking action.
So I am looking at discontentment differently these days. Sometimes it prompts me to ask, "what action is God driving me to?" and I am taking my case to God and asking for things that might sound unlikely.
*There were 4 men who suffered from leprosy. In their culture, they were outcasts. Unable to go into the city, unable to live with their families. An enemy nation had risen up against their city and set about to starve its' inhabitants.
In desperation and discontentment one of them said, "why sit we here until we die?". The others agreed that the situation called for action. So they left to turn themselves over to the enemy. The worst they could do was kill them, so these four walked into the enemy's camp.
Their they discovered that God had miraculously driven away the enemy - and what's more - they left their groceries behind! They feasted awhile and then went back and told their fellow citizens.
These four men were the key to the saving of their city!
All because their godly discontentment drove them to action!
What are you feeling discontented about today?
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
*This story can be found in 2 Kings 6 & 7
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