Characters with Character: Daughters of Zelophehad

The five daughters of Zelophehad –Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah – go to the leadership of the people of Israel to demand the right to inherit their late father’s property since had no sons as heirs. This text is a terrific example of a particular people – the people of God – using words to work together within the culture of their day and time to implement a change which made their society more just and complete. I scheduled this story for today because I want us – on this Fourth of July – to consider how the way we use words impacts the present and future of our nation.


Rev. Dr. Larry Hayward preaches on the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Scripture lesson is Numbers 27:1-11.