The ripple effect of faith filled questions

Have you heard this saying, “What you sow, you reap”? The whole book of Numbers in the Bible carries a similar effect. If you read through it, you’ll notice that one moment of bitterness caused a generation to be delayed, one moment of healing caused an entire nation to change direction, and one act of zeal caused a plague to stop. From this, I want to take another page and talk through one faith-filled question that shaped a lineage. It’s about the inheritance laws. Would you believe that a question from five daughters preserved the lineage that would ultimately lead to Jesus? Whattttt!!!!! Yes, let’s check it out.

Do you know the term kinsman redeemer in the Bible? If this is the first time you’ve heard about it, you are in for a surprise. But if you already know, I think I probably gave it away in that one line. Let’s get into it and see what this question was and how it relates to the kinsman redeemer.

The stage is set as the next generation is getting ready to enter the Promised Land. There are five daughters - Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah the daughters of Zelophehad, who came to Moses looking for an answer. They said, “Our father died in the wilderness, but he had no sons. Why should his name be removed from among his family? Give us possession among our father’s brothers so that his name is not blotted out." Please note, the question here is not about money but about how not to lose their fathers name. Moses brought this question before the Lord, and God reckoned it as right. He granted them possession and went further by clarifying the inheritance law for the people of Israel, explaining how inheritance was to be redeemed as well. One interesting thing to realize is that God was not upset by this question. In fact, He appreciates faith-filled questions because they believed God would not allow an inheritance to disappear. God wasn’t just answering them; He was establishing a principle that would protect names, land, and redemption for generations—thus revealing His character.

Now, how does this cause that ripple effect? If you read this law, it points to how land and a family name can be redeemed and how a lineage can be protected. While Numbers 27 talks about what must be preserved, Deuteronomy 25 explains how it must be done. Now, let's see the ripple effect of this one question in the book of Ruth. We know the story of how Naomi and Ruth returned to Israel and how Ruth came into connection with Boaz, a relative of her husband. Boaz desired to redeem the land and the family name based on the principle from Numbers 27 and Deuteronomy 25 and first spoke to the closer relative. When that relative declined, Boaz took on the responsibility himself. He then married Ruth, and they had a son named Obed. From Obed came Jesse, and from Jesse came David—the lineage of Jesus.

As you read through this and see how one question from the 5 daughters paved the way for the lineage of Jesus, I want to leave you with this thought, sometimes God doesn’t change history through mighty acts alone, but through faith-filled questions asked at the right time. What you dare to ask in faith today may cause a huge impact for the generations to come.