Bold Women Leave Lasting Change

Numbers 36:8 KJV
And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.

Several chapters earlier the daughters of Zelophehad petitioned Moses to inherit their father’s portion in Canaan. Their father had no sons, so the outlined property delineation did not apply to them. Moses sought God and the Lord granted their petition allowing them to own property.

As a mother of 3 daughters, I’m grateful to Zelophehad’s daughters: Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah for being bold enough to ask for their portion. Women throughout the ages have benefited from their boldness for millennia to come.

In the U.S., married women were not allowed to own property in their own name and enter into contracts with their husbands until the mid-1800s, and the change occurred slowly on a state by state basis. Single women, however, were allowed to enter into contracts, buy and sell real estate, and accumulate personal property from the onset of our nation.

As a nation that was founded upon the principles of the Word of God, I believe the allowance of property rights for single women was due to the exchange in Numbers between these 5 bold women and Moses.

Never underestimate the legacy you can leave behind you if you’re just bold enough to ask God for what you want.