Order, Words, & Voices
06.09.24, Faces – Numbers 27:1-11, Daughters of Zelophehad
Order
Pre Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close
Songs Shout Hallelujah (new) Lynn/Team
We Praise Thee Oh God
Passage/Prayer Numbers 27:1-11 Cricklins
Songs 10,000 Reasons Lynn/Team
O Praise the Name
Message Daughters of Zelophehad Rick
Music Same God Lynn/Team
Community/Benediction Rick
Closing Peace Rick
Closing Music Firm Foundation (He Won’t) Lynn/Team
Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close
- Please have video card in camera and ‘recording’ on for entire service. Thanks!
- On the Video Leave Room above Rick’s head for the reshaping for Instagram post.
Music (Slides) Lynn/Team
Shout Hallelujah CCLI Song # 5106066
Shout hallelujah
Shout hallelujah
Shout hallelujah unto the Lord
(REPEAT)
Sing aloud to God
Let the people shout before His throne hallelujah
Sing aloud to God
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord
Shout hallelujah
Shout hallelujah
Shout hallelujah unto the Lord
(REPEAT)
From the ends of the earth
From the depths of the sea
Let all creation praise His name
(REPEAT)
Shout hallelujah
Shout hallelujah
Shout hallelujah unto the Lord
(REPEAT)
Revive Us Again CCLI Song # 28232
Verse 1
We praise Thee O God
For the Son of Thy love
For Jesus who died
And is now gone above
Chorus
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Hallelujah amen
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Revive us again
Verse 2
We praise Thee O God
For Thy Spirit of light
Who has shown us our Savior
And scattered our night
Chorus
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Hallelujah amen
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Revive us again
Verse 3
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain
Who has borne all our sins
And has cleansed every stain
Chorus
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Hallelujah amen
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Revive us again
Verse 4
Revive us again
Fill each heart with Thy love
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above
Chorus
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Hallelujah amen
Hallelujah Thine the glory
Revive us again
Passage/Prayer (Slides) Cricklins
Before the Israelites entered the promised land, God instructed Moses and the Priests to take a census of all the tribes, clans, and people. When the census was completed the daughters of Zelophehad came forward.
Zelophehad was of the clans of Manasseh, and a descendant of Joseph. The names of his daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. The five women stood before Moses, the priest, the leaders, and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying,
“Our father died in the wilderness; he was not part of Korah’s revolt against the Lord. Our father died a natural death, but with no sons. Why should our family name not be on the census just because he had no sons? We should also be given our father’s property along with his brothers.”
Moses brought their case before the Lord. The Lord responded to Moses, saying, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father’s brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them.”
God continued, “Also, tell the Israelites that if a man dies and has no son, his inheritance shall be passed on to his daughter. If the man has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. It shall be for the Israelites a statute and ordinance from God.”
Numbers 27:1-9, 11b
Join me in the prayer of Jesus,
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us.
And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
Music (Slides) Lynn/Team
10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
CCLI Song # 6016351
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
Verse 1
The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
Verse 2
You’re rich in love and You’re slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
Verse 3
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
Chorus
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name
Tag
Worship Your holy name
Lord I’ll worship Your holy name
O Praise Thy Name CCLI Song # 7037787
O praise the Name of the Lord our God
O praise His Name forevermore
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord oh Lord our God
Message Rick (Slides)
Contemplating Zelophehad. How did women know they had a voice? Was it exampled and/or taught by parents, was it the touch of the Spirit?
[Slide – leave Screen Share on until noted to stop] Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman summarizes our passage for today. ‘I imagine Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah’, the daughters of Zelophehad (notice that they are actually named – important) were an odd sight in this ‘place where they were met by powerful men, a place meant and purposed to be a place of sacrifice and worship, a space unaccustomed to women’s voices.
[Slide] The text says the women came forward; they stood, they spoke, they questioned, and they even demanded. Any one of those actions alone is difficult for the unseen and unheard. All they wanted was to receive the inheritance of their father and to keep his name from fading.
[Slide] I’m sure the pain of their father’s death was potent, but they needed to be recognized, valued, and seen as human beings in order to survive. The catalyst for this moment isn’t only the women’s strength; it also took a man in power to listen, to open his heart, to wrestle, and to offer his grasp over this patriarchal law to God.
[Slide] When Moses offered up his control and dared to consider a new way, God heard the voices of these women. “They are right,” God said. The old law was no longer suitable, so God made way for change. Though the laws were probably carved into stone, God shows us in this text that the law is living, breathing, adaptable, and changing.
[Slide] This text invites us to come forward, to stand, to speak, to question, and to demand change when we experience injustice. When the powers in place don’t budge, it is not the end of the story. When you, or I, are not personally experiencing injustice, that does not mean you should bask in your comfort.
[Slide] For those voices less valued, for those who go unseen, for those who have fought a long and continuing fight, we must breathe life into those old, tired, worn-out laws. Winds of change, the breath of God, surrounds the tent and the voice of God descends on these women, hearing their cry. New life sprouts from the ground as the law is heard afresh.’ (Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman)
[Slide] How did these women come to recognize that they had a voice?
- Parent instilled this truth in them
- The example of others, or parents, that validated questions/challenges‘ of the ‘indisputable and holy’ truths
- The power of each other
- An understanding of God that did not match up with the sexism that they were experiencing, that it did not match up with God’s promise to Abraham and them
- A nudge from the Spirit to say ‘you are wrong, this is not right’
[Slide] To answer this we must first understand that Land ownership was identity to the Israelites.
- It was the promise of God that not only would this people become a blessed people but, also, that they would be a people who possessed the promised land.
- Land was identity, land was power, land was a legacy.
We assume that the request of these five women was an attempt to secure a stable and a financially secure future
- Land can mean income but it is more – income provides survival long after then to descendants.
- This was all taken away just before they entered the land, dividing up the land to each clan, tribe, and family.
- [Slide] These five named women recognized that the loss of the inheritance was not just about land or money but it was also about identity.
- Land connected them to their tribe and clan as well as to the Abrahamic promise to be a people.
- Land would make these women legitimate.
- It was not fair for them to be excluded, it was a wrong that needed to be addressed for these five women and all women and marginalized.
[Slide] We have to confront the question, ‘Did God Really Make These Laws and Ordinances?!”
So God created humans in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.”
Genesis 2:23
“May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus, Matthew 6:10
To the woman God said, “I will make your pangs in childbirth exceedingly great; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”
And to the man God said, “Because you have have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you,, ‘You shall not eat of it, ’cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:16-19
- Sin/Choice cursed the Man, the Woman, Their Connection, and the Land
- Man forgot the blessing of the helper/coworker, equal, while attempting to care for creation outside of the garden, the pain of tilling the ground.
- Woman lost the purpose of working with the man, was relegated to helper but not equal
- Law was written in the gut instincts of man until man was ready to be reminded of God’s plan of equality
- God said daughters were wronged when man’s heart was ready to receive it.
- The daughters of Zelophehad challenge was the starting point when humans were ready for such a challenge – and God was waiting for this moment.
[End Screen Share]
After the answer from God there was not an outroar, old men did not gather at the local diner to complain about this ‘outrageous’ development, older women didn’t question ‘Why do these girls think they are?!’ The community was only concerned about losing their land which was the fulfillment of the promise to Abarham. It was what made them a people, it was their identity, it was what made them Israelites. Inheritance was their proof of ancestry, ancestry was their tie to Abraham, Abraham was the spring of their blessing and their blessing on the world.
The tribe and clans did not want to lose any portion of their corporately held land – the possibly had no real opinion towards the five women keeping their right to land. Community was an essential element of life as well as of faith. The truth was that more ancestors oddly meant for a more families, which meant more power – not less land, more blessing – no less prestige.
Five brave women fighting for their father’s legacy, for the stability for their own identity, and for their own survival – now the playing field had been leveled – justice prevailed.
A Call to Search for Truth – Choices when Bible passage cause a problem with our reality or interpretations
- We can choose to just acceptful the unacceptable
- We can choose to give up on the Bible
- We can search and not give up
Inclusion in Inheritance/Identity –
- The cross of Christ is the great equalizer. John 3:16 says, “Whoever believes,” and that is an all-inclusive statement that leaves no one out on the basis of position in society, mental capacity, or gender.
- We also find a passage in Galatians that speaks of our equal opportunity for salvation. “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
- There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28).
- There is no sexism at the cross. (Michael Houdmann)
Music (Slide) Lynn/Team
Same God CCLI Song # 7183537
Verse 1
I’m calling on the God of Jacob
Whose love endures through generations
I know that You will keep Your covenant
I’m calling on the God of Moses
The one who opened up the ocean
I need you now to do the same thing for me
Chorus
Oh God my God I need You
Oh God my God I need You now
How I need You now
Oh Rock oh Rock of ages
I’m standing on Your faithfulness
Verse 2
I’m calling on the God of Mary
Whose favor rests upon the lowly
I know with You all things are possible
I’m calling on the God of David
Who made a shepherd boy courageous
I may not face Goliath
But I’ve got my own giants
Chorus (x2)
Oh God my God I need You
Oh God my God I need You now
How I need You now
Oh Rock oh Rock of ages
I’m standing on Your faithfulness
Bridge
You heard Your children then
You hear Your children now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You answered prayers back then
And You will answer now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You were providing then
You are providing now
You are the same God
You are the same God
Bridge
You moved in power then
God move in power now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You were a healer then
You are a healer now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You were a Savior then
You are a Savior now
You are the same God
You are the same God
Chorus (x2)
Oh God my God I need You
Oh God my God I need You now
How I need You now
Oh Rock oh Rock of ages
I’m standing on Your faithfulness
Bridge
You freed the captives then
You’re freeing hearts right now
You are the same God
You are the same God
You touched the lepers then
I feel Your touch right now
You are the same God
You are the same God
Verse 3
I’m calling on the Holy Spirit
Almighty river come and fill me again
Chorus
Oh God my God I need You
Oh God my God I need You now
How I need You now
Oh Rock oh Rock of ages
I’m standing on Your faithfulness
Community (Slides) Rick
- Faces Of Our Faith, Go to ‘Sunday Passages’ on gfnorman.com
- Next Sunday, 06.16.24, Faces of Our Faith – Deborah, Judges 4-5
- July Food and Games night TBA (no June Night)
Closing Responsive Reading Benediction (Slides) Rick
Leader: We are all created in the image of God.
Response: We all have life from the breath of God.
Leader: We are all created by God, bone of my bond, flesh of my flesh.
Response: We are created equally and created for equity.
Leader: We are called to use our voices to call out injustice.
Response: We are called to hear the voices of others.
Leader: We are called to the love of our Creator.
Response: We are called to live out the love of the Father.
Leader: May we go from this place to recognize our sameness.
Response: May we go from here to be the unboundaried love of God.
Closing Peace (Slides) Rick
[Slide] Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.
[Slide] Response: And also with you.
Closing Music Lynn/Team
Firm Foundation (He Won’t) CCLI Song # 7188203
Verse 1
Christ is my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
When everything around me is shaken
I’ve never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
‘Cause He’s never let me down
He’s faithful through generations
So why would He fail now
Chorus 2 (x2)
He won’t He won’t
He won’t fail
He won’t fail
Order, Words, & Voices 