Imagine a Bible quiz where you’re being asked to reel off the names of popular women in the Bible, either mentioned directly – like Sarah, Mary and Deborah, or indirectly – like Lot’s wife, the Shunamite woman and the woman with the issue of blood. With some years in church under your belt and some thinking, I’m sure you can come up with a much longer list under either sub-heading.
As I go through my One Year Bible reading plan, I have since come across women that were in a sense hidden because their accomplishments or stories do not get much air time in today’s church world. I’m sure there are many more whose stories are popular for only a season of their lives and not other seasons. An example is Bathsheba, also known as Uriah the Hittite’s wife, who committed adultery with King David but was also very instrumental in making sure Solomon became king in David’s stead before Dave passed on.
Although not an exhaustive list, I’ve listed just a few of these women below. They were mentioned directly or indirectly. Some of them remove the excuses of us women not achieving much while some show the powers we women wield in birthing forth desires and dreams. Here we go:
Sheerah – 1 Chronicles 7:24
She was the person I read of who inspired the title of this post. The mentioned verse says, “He had a daughter named Sheerah. She built the towns of Lower and Upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah.”
Image credit: Huffington Post
I mean, when you build towns you might as well name one of them after yourself. City of David, Solomon’s porch, anyone? I have no idea what ‘Uzzen Sheerah’ means? Any Jewish readers willing to interpret? Anyway, it reminds me of one of the great female architects of our time that passed on earlier this year, Dame Zaha Hadid. So woman of GOD, if thou must be an architect, civil engineer and build, by all means go ahead! Amen?!
Still unsure? See what I found in the first part of Nehemiah 3:12; “Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section (of the wall)” parenthesis mine.
2. Daughters of Zelophehad – Numbers 27:1-11
Anyone that claims to be a christian and simultaneously claims that women shouldn’t have an inheritance from their parents needs to go and read this text. The five daughters of Zelophehad had no brothers from their parents and according to the laws at that time would have been deprived of their dad’s possessions on his passing on. Igbo men, I am speaking to and eye-balling you!!
Image credit: Chabad.org
But they boldly went and protested to Moses, Eleazar the priest, the princes and all the congregation; and Moses “brought their cause before the LORD.” And GOD ‘admitted’ they were right and those five women quintet-handedly changed the laws of the land. Maybe this was the start of the feminism campaign! Haha . . .
3. Jehoshabeath – 2 Chronicles 22:10-11
This woman made sure the seed of David was not cut off by a mother’s weird revenge on the royal seed of the house of Judah after her son, King Ahaziah, was slain in Samaria. She took Joash, Ahaziah’s son and his nurse and escaped to the house of GOD. Joash was hid for six years and began to reign when he was seven years old (2 Chronicles 24:1).
Image credit: WomenInTheScriptures
Had this woman not been swift to think and swift on her feet, LORD knows what might have become of David’s direct male lineage (at least the way I read it).
4. Huldah – 2 Chronicles 34:22-28
Huldah was a prophetess during the reign of Josiah, another young king of Israel (began reigning 8 years old) who brought the word of GOD to Josiah after Hilkiah the high priest discovered the book of the law of the LORD after many years of the children of Israel paying GOD no mind. The Word of GOD must have been scarce in those days, that the high priest had to go and look for her where she dwelt in a college.
Image credit: Sweet Publishing
May we be women constantly connected to GOD irrespective of the darkness and evil that may prevail and surround in the cities and countries wherein we dwell.
5. Phoebe – Romans 16:1-2
Paul the apostle had glowing things to say about this lady. He describes her as “a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: . . . a succourer (helper) of many and of myself also.” She also delivered the letter from Paul who was in Corinth to the Romans.
Image credit: MCWV 2012
In a world very keen on impressive titles, being called a servant might not be as telling as our flesh wants it to be. But even Jesus taught greatness comes from being a servant (Matthew 23:11), washing each other’s feet (John 13:14) and so on.
So if you are feeling like I feel sometimes that the things I do in GOD are not legendary or not on the world-stage, be reminded that you’re having an impact and before GOD you are not hidden. HE sees it all. You may not occupy many paragraphs and chapters recording your exploits but your one or two verses recorded tell a mighty story for those coming behind you.
To your looking to GOD for HIS “Well done, my good and faithful servant!!”, . . .
P.S.: You may have guessed that this list is from the recent texts from the Bible I read as part of my reading plan.
Comments