There is a pretty cool story being unraveled as I read through the Old Testament…it is bringing forward a thought that I am not too sure where the end destination will be…

All the more reason for me to flush that thought out through writing!

The thought that is swirling in my mind is about really asking for what you want…and how asking for it demands courage, will make you step out of your comfort zone, and will take effort.

I guess, in the end, we will see if it’s what you really want~because if it is, then it will be worth the effort to ask.

The story begins with Moses in Numbers 27.

He was dividing the Promised Land into territories prior to the Israelites taking possession of the land- seperated for the families as God commanded (Jacob’s sons were the Twelve Tribes or “families”).

Joseph’s line (remember him? Coat of Many Colors, thrown into a well, sold into slavery, became 2nd in command in Egypt, etc..) continued with his two sons. However, the descendent of Manasseh (Zelophehad) did not have any sons: he had 5 daughters instead.

In the days of the Hebrew Bible, women were not land owners and not did receive any real inheritance from their father at his death. Women were used as necessary helpers to better life:good for breeding, homemaking, and uniting families through marriage.

These five daughters of Zelophehad boldly approached Moses to request the inheritance due to their father saying in Numbers 27:4

Why should the name of our father be removed from his family because he had no son? Give to us a possession (of land) among our father’s brothers.

Moses didn’t know what to do so he asked the Lord directly: God declared that their request was justified.

Not only was approval given to these bold sisters, but God also declared that if a man dies and has no son, you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.

THIS IS A HUGE DEAL FOR WOMEN’ RIGHTS IN THOSE DAYS!!

But that’s not the point I am driving to…

Jump forward to Joshua 17.

Moses has died but prior to his death he turned the leadership of the Israel nation over to Joshua as God had told him to do. Joshua was blessed as a leader because he always sought God first in his decision making.

So, here we are in the Promised Land with Joshua in command. His role is to divide up the territories as Moses had previously discussed with the people.

Those same five sisters now had a choice to make: wait and see what would happen with the agreement about their inheritance OR be assertive in an effort to make sure the agreement made stood firm.

They would have to approach a second leader in command to basically ask for the same right to own their father’s inheritance.

Joshua 17:4

They came before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the leaders and said, ” the Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.”

Think about those two situations: these women- who had no rights and no voice- first went to MOSES (the man who SPOKE with God) to ask for something that no other woman in history had ever been able to receive (LAND OWNERSHIP).

Pretty stinking bold gals~ if you ask me! Strength in numbers, maybe?? They stood together as a united front and fed off each other’s confidence perhaps??

Still not the point, here, I don’t think…

THE BIGGER DEAL IS THAT THEY HAD TO ASK FOR IT AGAIN…TO A NEW LEADER.

How badly did they want their inheritance?

How strongly did they believe it was theirs to claim?

How fervently did they believe that their father’s line should not be broken just because he did not have a son?

They believed in their cause with everything they were and owned… rejection could have meant death or being cast aside as nothing with nothing.

They took a huge chance with Moses…

They took a huge RISK with Joshua…

Let’s make this personal…

How easy is it for you to ask someone for something you want pretty bad?

It could be a promotion.

A raise.

An opportunity to lead or do something different.

It could be to borrow a car or money or house.

It could be to teach a class, sing a solo, preach a sermon or a conference, change your job schedule.

It may be hard to step forward and ask for it….but most of us manage to do so at some point in our lives, right? Especially if whatever it is matters to us enough.

The hard part would be to ask again…

You mean I have to remind someone that they said I could do, have, or be something but it hasn’t happened yet so I have to humble myself by going to them a second time??

Yup.

You mean because there has been a change in leadership and I have no idea if Leader Two has the same plan of agreement as Leader One…so I have to humble myself by going to them for a second time to know for certain what the plan is for me is??

Yup.

I have a hard enough time reminding the wait staff at a restaurant that I ordered coffee with my dessert when the dessert comes but no coffee…

I find myself saying “nah~it’s alright… I’m good..”

But, dang it, dessert is so much better with coffee!

We don’t get what we want if we don’t ask for it,right?

And we won’t get what we want if we sit back on our laurels waiting for life to happen to us…assuming that people remember our requests or know our desires…

Our relationship with the Lord is in this too…

God told Moses to give the women their land. Joshua knew that. But the women weren’t sure about how Joshua would deal with the agreement.

They could have said to themselves that God told us we would have it. Therefore, because it is ours, we will sit here and wait for it to be given to us.

They could have felt they were entitled to the promise so their work or effort in receiving what was due them was finished.

They could have made assumptions- either positive or negative- and stayed quiet out of fear of their own self worth.

Ouch.

The truth that God has put forward so many promises, but I have to do my part to receive them or bring them into fulfillment.

I have to ask.

I have to remind.

I have to be humble.

I can’t sit back and wait until someone does it for me or it “feels like the right time” for me to finally do it.

I can’t assume something or someone’s role/opinion without knowing all the details.

I HAVE TO DO MY PART.

I admire those women for giving me an example of stepping forward with a request to have something that maybe, in the world’s eyes, I don’t deserve…

I admire those women for showing me that the unseen can still have a voice, deserve to be listened to, and have the same rights to receive something that is being offered- especially if they ask for it.

I admire those women for exhibiting tenacity and not just sitting back to assume something was going to happen to them.

They took a risk by being courageous yet humble to ask for what they wanted.

Jesus said to ask and you will receive…the opposite of that is if you don’t ask you don’t get.

Be bold to keep asking for what the Lord has placed on your heart.

Be confident in the dreams God has given you…and I will strive to do the same.

Who knows? Maybe this time next year, I’ll have what the Lord has placed on my heart as desire because I kept going after it.

To be continued…