Anna, a prophetess, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher,1 and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
Luke 2:36-38
I love and appreciate that God allowed Anna, who had heard prophecies about the coming Messiah for many years, not only to believe in Him but to meet Him face to face. Luke wrote that, “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”
Anna, one of the few prophetesses mentioned in the Bible. “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying” (Luke 2:37). After becoming a widow, Anna dedicated herself wholly to the Lord. She never left the temple in Jerusalem but spent her time worshiping, fasting, and praying. Her many years of sacrifice and service were worth it all when she came face-to-face with Jesus, the Messiah, the One for whom she had waited so long. I see the fingerprints of God in the timing described by Luke with these words: “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God.” What stands out to me most is not only her devotion but her delight in seeing Him turned into praising Him and then to sharing Him with “everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.”
Friends, may we be faithful and alert, like Anna, so that we do not miss the presence and work of Jesus in and around our lives. When we see Him, may we faithfully praise Him, and, like Anna, may we then faithfully proclaim Him to everyone.
He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey through the lives of. 12 women in the Bible. Some were very familiar, others not so much. Yet all were beneficial examples of how we are to live our lives as women of faith. As the study guide points out, our names are not printed on the pages of Scripture, but we can still be known as a Woman of the Bible; all we have to do is let the character/qualities of their lives shape how we walk with the Lord.
However, the study guide also comes with a warning and a choice from the book of James, where we read: But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves. 23 For if someone merely listens to the message and does not live it out, he is like someone who gazes at his own face in a mirror. 24 For he gazes at himself and then goes out and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 25 But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out—he will be blessed in what he does. Jame 1-22-25
We can’t just know what the Bible says; we must do what it says. Yes, we must study it, but just as important as knowing God’s Word is living out His Word.
There is a difference between what you know and what you believe. (she, volume 1)
There are many people who know countless facts about Who Jesus is, yet they have not placed their faith and trust in what He did on the cross for them.
She, Volume 1, p76
Friends, the Scriptures and our study guide make it clear that if we want to be a woman of the Bible, it’s not about what we know but how we live that matters. Let’s make it our purpose not only to remember the women we have learned about on this journey, but also to apply what we know about them to our lives. “For, if we do not apply what we know to our life, it simply ends with knowledge.” And that, as James says, is to “deceive ourselves”.
We do not know with certainty who the woman of the city was or why she was referred to as “a sinner.” However, we do know that she was aware she was a sinner in need of a Savior, and she understood that Jesus, the guest of Simon the Pharisee, was the only one who could save her. Because of this knowledge, she risked much, if not everything, to reach Him – and then she humbled herself in a posture and action of worship.
We also know, as our study guide points out that:
She did not come to Him empty-handed
She brought with her an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. (Luke 7:37)
Those who understand the forgiveness of Jesus react in humility and love, not hedonism1 or arrogance.
Bibleref.com
She had faith in who Jesus was and what He could do for her.
As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil. (Luke 7:38)
She wasn’t just enamored with who Jesus was, but “She wept over her sin at the feet of Jesus.” (quote from: She, Volume 1/p71)
She knew she was a sinner in need of a Savior.
We know this because of what Jesus says to her: “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'”… 50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:48 & 50)
We do not need to know what her sins were, but we must not miss that
“Jesus saw her faith and forgave her of all that she had done.”2
And then He spoke to her the best message she would ever hear, a message that would forever change her from the inside out and free her to go in peace, no longer tortured by her sin, and no longer controlled by the judgment or acceptance of ‘man’.
“Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:48)
“Your faith has saved you, go in peace.” (Luke 7:50)
Friends, I know from experience that when we truly understand the depths of our sin and lay them at the feet of Jesus, we receive the forgiveness of God. We hear Him say, “Your sins are forgiven, go in peace,“ and we areforever changed from the inside out. Paul declares that we are “New creations!”He says, “The old is gone, the new has come.”3 Like the woman in the city, we can go in peace – no longer called “sinner”… and as Matthew West sings so beautifully, we are no longer known as “too far gone” but saved by grace and called by a new name: Chosen child of God! I don’t know about you, but I’m shouting a big Hallelujah and thank You, Jesus! How about you?
If you have not placed your faith in Jesus and would like to know the way to this life-changing peace, please message me and let me tell you about my Jesus. You can also check out “Know These Truths” about the way to Jesus. We’re not guaranteed tomorrow, so let today be the day. If it is, let me know – I have a free gift I would like to send to you help you get started in your walk of faith.
What would you do if you were down to only enough food in your house for one more meal for you and your child … and a stranger came along and asked for you to feed him? Would you offer him to share in what you had left, or would you explain honestly that you had just enough for you and your child to have one last meal before you died? Would you turn him away? If you were the man hearing her plight, would you still let her feed you or go on your way?
Our journey today takes us to a time when Elijah finds himself in this very situation. Sent by God to a widow, living in a time of severe drought, was down to her last handful of meal and just enough oil to make one more meal for her and her son. It is a beautiful story of both faith and obedience and there is much we can learn from it today. Gotquestions.org describes the insights like this:
“First, God often uses unlikely people and sources to accomplish His purposes. Second, God’s mercy extends to all people, both Jews and Gentiles, and the Sidonian widow was blessed for her faith (see Acts 10:34–35). Third, God requires faith (Hebrews 11:6). The widow’s miracle only came after she prepared a meal for Elijah—an act of sincere faith on her part.?
Gotquestions.org/The widow of Zarephath
The widow of Zarephath serves as an example of the many promises God has made to us, if only we will simply trust & obey Him.
She, Volume 1/p68
The More We Know
For a wonderful synopsis of Elijah’s encounter with the widow and her son, you will want to visit the link below, from gotquestions.org, and read how Elijah was fed, the woman’s faith was tested, and the widow’s son, though dead, was made alive.
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”
Reflection and Application
Take a minute when you’re done reading to tell us what the testimony of the Widow of Zarephath means to you. You can share your answer/thoughts in the comment section below.
This passage can often be misunderstood or taken out of context, so to help us not fall into this trap, I am starting off with some helpful commentary from bibleref.com:
In a further effort to withdraw from crowds, Jesus has withdrawn from Israel entirely. He has travelled into pagan Gentile territory east of Galilee. Even here, though, it seems He is known at least by some. This is somewhat ironic, as Jesus had earlier referred to this region of “Tyre and Sidon” in His criticism of Israel’s stubbornness (Matthew 11:20–24).
Here, a non-Israelite Canaanite woman comes to Him. She is crying, and she asks Jesus for mercy, addressing Him as Lord and Son of David. This woman’s reference indicates she knows something about Israel and Judaism. She tells Christ that her daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. His response seems confusing, at first, but proves to have an important lesson attached (Matthew 15:23, 28).
Demon oppression and possession were common around the known world of this era. The existence of demons was not debated. Too many people had seen a person oppressed by a demon to doubt it. Various symptoms of demon oppression witnessed in the New Testament include drastic personality change, refusal to wear clothes, supernatural strength, violent actions, illness, being mute or deaf, and intentional self-harm.
Bibleref.com/Matthew 15:22
I love the way the study guide outlines the woman’s actions:
She cried unto the Lord…
She was a mother and desperate for someone to help her daughter.
She fell at His feet in humble desperation…
She was a Canaanite, a gentile, yet she addresses Jesus as the “Son of David,” indicating that she knew He was the Messiah of Israel.
She did not receive an answer immediately…
Jesus seemingly pays no attention to her.
She kept praying…
His silence doesn’t deter her; if anything, it only makes her cry out all the more, so much so that Scripture says the disciples were bothered by her cries for help.
It’s unclear if the disciples wanted Jesus to send her away without helping her. More likely, they wanted the Master to heal the woman’s child, so she’d go away and leave them alone (Luke 18:1–8).1
She persistently prayed for her need…
Whether it was desperation for her daughter or a deep faith in Jesus, or both ~ the waiting did not shake her faith!
Perhaps it was because of the disciples concern over her annoyance, or maybe it was the persistence of the woman, whatever the reason – Jesus answers her, explaining: “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep ~ the people of Israel.” – When the woman persisted by worshiping Him and pleading again for His help, Jesus responds with words that would have, at the very least, been hurtful for the woman to hear, and often a portion of the passage that is “taken out of context, making it seem derogatory, or even hateful. It’s neither: Jesus has a purpose for this dialogue (Matthew 15:28).2”
The suggested purpose by the commentator is that “Christ’s intent, apparently, was to test the woman’s commitment to her request, and her faith in Him.” Which, by their continued dialogue, we see is exactly what happened.
26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.
Matthew 16:26-28
The final observation, and what I believe is one of the best takeaways of the study, cannot be said any better than this: “The Syrophenician Woman serves as an example of how we should be persistent in our faith.”
The Syrophenician Woman serves as an example of how we should be persistent in our faith.
She, volume 1/p58
Reflection/Application
What are you persistently praying about? What could you or should you be persistently praying about?
Consider this encouragement from Matthew 7:7
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
“Some commentators suggest these words imply a progression. It’s possible that ‘asking’ means making a request, ‘seeking’ implies persistence or fervor, and ‘knocking’ represents continued and ongoing persistence.” bibleref.com
Phoebe is only mentioned once in the Bible, here in Romans 16:1-2, where Paul introduces her as a sister in the faith and a servant in the church, and then encourages the Church at Rome to:
…welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.
Romans 16:1-2
One of the things I like about what is known of Phoebe is that she has a willing spirit. One example the study guide points out is that, although she was from Corinth, she had journeyed to Rome to help in some way, and Paul was recommending her for the task, and suggesting that the church help her.
The KJV uses the word “succourer” to describe Phoebe (16:2). It is far easier and understandable to use the word helper, as many of the other translations do. However, in order to understand and appreciate Phoebe’s true character and why Paul was encouraging the church to welcome and support her, we must understand that she was someone who offered practical help and support, or even rescue. She wasn’t just known to help one but many…helping, supporting, rescuing, delivering, assisting as she saw the need.
With Paul’s glowing reference to Phoebe, I believe we can confidently agree with the study guide’s statement that, “Phoebe serves as an example that when we serve the LORD, our labor is not in vain.”
Reflection and Application
What characteristics of Phoebe would you like to have?
And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 2 Samuel 6:16
2 Samuel 6:16
I must admit, while I knew that Michal was Saul’s daughter and one of David’s wives, and that he was moved with passion to dance in celebration and honor before the Lord as the ark of the Lord came into the city. There is, however, much I did not know/remember about her – such as she was his first wife.
Our study guide points out several things about Michal:
She was David’s first wife
She was observant (16)
She despised him for how he danced before the Lord (16)
She mocked David’s humility as he honored the Lord – because she did not understand that David was not being disrespectful or lewd, but he was honoring God
“Michal serves as an example of those who persecute people who are sincere in their worship.”
She, Volume 1/p50
Reflection/Application
The More We Know
I encourage you to learn more about Michal and David, who they were and how they got together, and … did David really dance naked? Just follow the links below
So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. …Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Whatever it was that kept her at the house no longer mattered when Martha returned and secretly let her know that Jesus had come, “she got up quickly and went to Him”.
Mary of Bethany serves as an example of how we must not delay in coming to Him.1
As we saw in the previous post, when Martha ran out to meet Jesus, Mary had remained at the house. We do not know the reason; it could have been a number of things. Some commentaries suggest that she didn’t know He had returned or that she was still caught up in her mourning. I tend to think, knowing her previous desire to remain at Jesus’ feet, that she remained behind only because she did not know He had arrived.
Now, when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at His feet and said to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. 34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.”
– John 11:33-34
Mary had laid her grief and faith at the feet of Jesus
What Jesus did in response to her sorrowful spirit and faith-filled words – was born out of compassion for her sorrow but also from His agitation that Mary (and the people with her) had something to be sad about – as we read in verse 35, “Jesus wept” … and then commanded: “Take away the stone.” … 43 When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!… and Lazarus came out.” It was a miracle that not only delighted Mary and her sister, but it brought many people to faith in Jesus.
Mary of Bethany serves as an example of the difference Jesus can make in our lives when we are willing to fall at His feet. 2
Reflection/Application
What can you bring to His feet today?
The More We Know
“Can you imagine seeing your Savior cry because He cares for you that much?” When I read this question in today’s study guide, I couldn’t help but think of 1 Peter 5:7. It is one of my favorite go-to verses in all of Scripture, which says, “Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.“ I believe what we see Jesus do in response to Mary’s and the other mourners’ sorrow is a beautiful example not only of the truth of Peter’s statement, but also of how deeply Jesus truly cares.
Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. … 8After breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head.She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Mark 14:3, 8-9
For at least the second time, possibly the third (Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8), a woman anoints Jesus with perfume. At the home of Simon the Leper, an unidentified woman anoints Jesus’ head on the day the Passover lambs are being anointed (Mark 14:3–9). Jesus praises her gracious act of worship that prepares Him for His burial the next afternoon. (bible ref.com)
Hey friends, if you read the previous post, you may think I’m repeating myself with this one as we continue to focus on a time when Jesus was anointed with perfume shortly before His sacrificial death and burial. While this post, in part, is repetitious as its focus is, again, on a woman anointing Jesus with oil, there are notable differences. The two that stand out to me are 1)the woman is not named (though, with good reason, she is still believed to be Mary of Bethany) and 2)she anoints his head rather than his feet (John 12:1–8). However, today we zero in on the truth and encouragement that she did what she could (v8).
Mary of Bethany considers worldly losses or gains nonsense compared to the spiritual treasure of having Jesus
Bibleref.com/Mark 14:8
As Bibleref.com points out, “Jesus often warns His followers to count the cost of following Him. ” While the disciples “are more interested in what they can gain (Mark 9:33-38; 10;35-41), Mary of Bethany considers worldly losses or gains nonsense compared to the spiritual treasure of having Jesus (Philippians 3:8).” Remember, this is the same Mary, who had upset her sister Martha by choosing to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him instead of helping her with the duties of hospitality (Luke 10:38–42).
Jesus tells the disciples who question/criticize her actions to “Leave her alone”. He doesn’t stop there, though. He goes on to teach an important lesson for all of us, saying, “Why are you bothering her? She has done a good service for me. 7 For you will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not always have me! 8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for burial.“
Friends, I don’t know about you, but this one “stepped on my toes”, as I realized this isn’t just a lesson for the disciples of Jesus’ day but for all of His disciples. We are all to have this mindset, putting Him before our desires and above the cultural norm, living for Him, serving Him, sharing Him pleasing Him, loving Him and others as He has loved us … dying to self.
Mary did what she did, not so that others would remember her but to glorify and honor her Lord and master. Yet, to this day, just as Jesus said, she is still remembered for what she did. Which begs us to ask ourselves:
What will you be remembered for?
Mary gave what she had, and Jesus used her and her gift to point others to Him and what is important to His cause. The truth is, we do not glorify God or bring others to Jesus through pious acts or great knowledge and wealth. We bring others to Jesus through our worship of God, humility, humble acts of kindness, love, and obedience. When we honor the true and living God with our lives, others will see Jesus and have the opportunity to know Him.
We all have something to give
Our time Our talents Our service
She, Volume 1/p42
I believe that we are wise to remember – God doesn’t desire or need our wealth or wisdom; nor is He looking for outward beauty. His desire is our hearts, given and poured out for Him, our lives a testimony of His love and work on our behalf.
Reflection/Application
What is it that you can give?
How does Mary of Bethany’s sacrifice and service inspire you?
What do you hope to be remembered for?
Response of Worship
1 Living for Jesus a life that is true, striving to please Him in all that I do, yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, this is the pathway of blessing for me.
Refrain: O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee; for Thou, in Thine attonement, didst give Thyself for me. I own no other master; my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
2 Living for Jesus, who died in my place, bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace- such love constrains me to answer His call, follow His leading, and give Him my all. [Refrain]
3 Living for Jesus wherever I am, doing each duty in His holy name, willing to suffer affliction or loss, deeming each trial a part of my cross! [Refrain]
4 Living for Jesus through earth’s little while, my dearest treasure, the light of His smile, seeking the lost ones He died to redeem, bringing the weary to find rest in Him! [Refrain]
I believe it is helpful to start with this bit of commentary from gotquestions.org:
All four gospels present an account of Jesus being anointed by a woman with a costly jar of perfume (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8). Matthew and Mark relate the same event but do not give the woman’s name; Luke tells of a different woman, also anonymous, on an earlier occasion; and, in yet another event, the woman in John is identified as Mary of Bethany (John 11:2), sister to Martha and Lazarus.
gotquestions.org
There are many women named Mary in the Bible, so it should be noted that Mary of Bethany, the woman mentioned in John’s account of the ‘alabaster box’, is also known to us as the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 11:2). While Matthew and Mark did not identify the woman in their accounts by name, they related similar stories. Each story, though brief, is a beautiful display of an “extravagant act of worship”.1
The three women who anointed Jesus recognized Christ’s unequaled value and expressed their gratitude with unreserved love and devotion. gotquestions.org
It is also worth noting that at least one of the disciples (if not all) complained about the woman’s act being extravagant and wasteful. In each of these accounts, Jesus corrects the disciples’ criticism/concern for what she had done for Him. My favorite response is found in Matthew 26:10:
“She has done a beautiful thing to me”. Christ explains that the anointing is to prepare His body for burial and that the woman’s act of love will forever be remembered wherever the good news is preached.
Friends, to borrow a statement of prayer from the journal: “May we pour out our lives in service to Him.” May we worship Him with such reverence and awe that we hold nothing back ~ that He might say of us, “She has done a beautiful thing to me.”
Reflection and Application
(answers, thoughts, and questions may be left in the comment section below)
We may be criticized when we ‘pour it all out for Him’, but we must ask ourselves: Is quitting worth missing out on giving Him the glory He deserves?
Me From the Inside Out 