Primogeniture & the 5 Landed Women of the Conquest (Joshua 17:3-6)
by Valerie Geer (10-5-2014) Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn male child to be the recipient of the family’s inheritance, particularly land. Throughout history, many nations and groups of people, including Israel, have operated by this principle. Not only was primogeniture the normative custom in the Ancient Near East (ANE), but it was prescribed in Mosaic law. Also called the “birthright,” this law provided that a double-portion of the father’s estate be given to the firstborn son; the other sons got an inheritance, too, but the firstborn’s was double. A daughter did not receive a portion because her “place” in the family was impermanent, i.e. she would belong to her husband and his family. An important pause is now in order. I must say something about the significance of the Promise Land for Israel as a nation, particularly as it relates to the custom of primogeniture. I’ll try to be brief and simple: When God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him, part of the deal was the land he and his descendants would get. Abraham was called from his homeland (Ur of the Chaldeans) to go to a land that the LORD would give him, i.e. the Promise Land. The purpose of this calling of Abraham and the formation of a nation was so that God would bless His people (nation of Israel) so that they, in turn, could bless all the nations of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3). (This ultimately would be fulfilled in the Messiah coming from / through the nation of Israel for the purpose of the salvation and redemption of all humanity.) The land was an integral part of this promise to Abraham, and they physical location of the nation of Israel. During the conquest, when the land allotments were given, they were given to the 12 tribes. Primogeniture served the function of keeping the land allotments within the 12 tribes of Israel. Even though this was the culture and practice in the ANE and in Israel, it is interesting to note how many times the LORD did the opposite of this law. In fact, the very first time we read about “birthright,” it is in the story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27). Remember, it was Jacob, the younger brother, who got the birthright / double portion, not Esau the firstborn. In 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 we read how the firstborn’s, Reuben’s, rights were given to Joseph and his sons, and, although “Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler came from him, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.” In 1 Samuel 16 we read about God’s choosing of David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, to be king over Israel. Perhaps the quintessential point of all this reversal of the law / breaking of the established order is best expressed like this: “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). I will argue that one of the key reasons God breaks / reverses this law (and many others in the OT, by the way) is because He is intimating a time when the law, a system unable to save anyone, will be fulfilled in Christ, and the ultimate ethics of the kingdom of God, which could not be reached through the law, would be revealed through the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the establishment of the His catholic church. These ultimate ethics, i.e. shalom or the way things are supposed to be, will finally be reached / made manifest in the eschatological fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. (By the way, this line of thinking is often referred to as redemptive movement hermeneutic. For further reading, I recommend William Webb’s book Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis.) This brings us to the five landed women of the conquest: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tizrah. As Joshua leads the people in the conquest of the Promise Land, various tribes receive their lots of land. This is according to the word that the LORD spoke to Moses. The land was their inheritance from the LORD, what He promised he would give the patriarch Abraham. The nation that the LORD would make for Himself, the people He would draw unto Himself to bless and be a blessing…they would receive this through their occupation of the land. The land is a big deal, a huge deal, in the identity of Israel. We must know this if we are to give the women of Joshua 17:3-4 their place of significance in Scripture. In these verses, and the ones surrounding them, we learn that it is Manasseh’s turn to receive his lot. Manasseh was the firstborn of Joseph, and Machir his firstborn received Gilead and Bashan. There was also a lot given to all the other male children of Manasseh (17:2). However, one of the sons of Gilead (Manasseh’s great grandson), Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh…did not have any sons. Instead, he had five daughters. After the lots were distributed to all of the male offspring, these daughters made their move. Apparently they had not been given any lots as the offspring of Zelophehad, precisely because they were not male. Together they approached Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the rulers of Israel and reminded them that the LORD commanded Moses to give them an inheritance. (Genesis 17:4) They were right. They spoke truth. They spoke the Word of the LORD to the leading men, even the priest, because the men had not been diligent to act on this truth. They had courage. They knew the truth. They did not let their cultural norms and the limitations of their gender keep them from claiming the promise that the LORD Himself made to them and their father’s house. Because their assertion was the command of the LORD through Moses, all of the leaders of Israel who heard it, heeded them. They gave these five females land. Land. In a patriarchal system, in a nation of people to whom land was prime, these women were landed. This was from the very beginning of the conquest and settlement of the land in the time of Joshua. From the beginning of the history of the people of God in the promise land, God made it a point that women inherited the promise too. In a time when women were not landed citizens of a nation…soooo far from it….Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were exactly that. In fact, Scripture notes that because these daughters of Manasseh received an inheritance among the sons, ten shares, besides Gilead and Bashan, fell to the tribe of Manasseh. These women widened the territory and place of their people. So much more could be said about primogeniture and firstborn status, its significance in Israel and its overall Messianic overtones. Since I’m blogging and not writing a book or scholarly article at this time, let me just skip to the really good part: Jesus the Christ (Messiah), as the one and only Son of God, i.e. the ultimate firstborn, completely fulfills the law, including primogeniture (read Colossian 1-2). Furthermore, His inheritance as sole heir of God has been accorded to any and all who believe, without regard to nationality, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other external characteristic (Galatians 3:26-4:7). People who put their faith in Christ are co-heirs (Romans 8:15-17) with Him. We are beloved children of God, full inheritors of the promise of God. Therefore, enough with the church-sanctioned patriarchy within evangelical Christianity! Not only is it uncalled for; it is unbiblical. Why is this particular part of the law adhered to so readily? We do not insist on circumcision, maintaining Jewish food laws, observing a literal Sabbath, etc., so we do not need to insist that males are special in God’s kingdom (church leadership, the Christian family, etc.) simply because they are males. Males, firstborn or otherwise, do not occupy special positions within the family of faith. Christ, alone, occupies and fulfills the special position of firstborn / only Son of God. He has so lavished us with His loving grace that He gave to all of us the same inheritance rights as co-heirs, beloved children of God. Is this not evidenced by the outpouring of the Spirit on all people on the Day of Pentecost as prophesied by the prophet Joel? Do we not affirm the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers? Inclusion in the family of God, the presence and grace (gifting) of the Holy Spirit, and the call to exercise these gifts for the edification of the Body and the furtherance of His kingdom is for everyone. I repeat: Enough with the perpetuation of patriarchy in Christianity.
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Valerie GeerWriter. Women's activist. Theologian. Providing authentic reflections from a female perspective. Archives
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