BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Anna The Faithful Witness

Twelve Extraordinary Women

by John MacArthur

Chapter 7--  Anna: The Faithful Witness

Luke 2:38

She gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Virtually all faithful believers in Israel were already expectantly awaiting the Messiah and looking diligently for Him at the exact time Jesus was born.  The irony is that so very few recognized Him, because He met none of their expectations...

Anna is the final witness of Israelites (Mary and Joseph, shepherds, and Simeon were  the others).  They were all humble unremarkable people.  All we know of Anna is recorded in three verses in the Bible--Luke 2: 36-38.  It appears from the text that she may have heard Simeon blessing Jesus and understood what was happening.  Nevertheless, she did understand and did not keep it a secret.

Description of Anna from the three verses:

• A prophetess--Not a fortune teller or an "office" in ministry,  but one who spoke the Word of God

• Of the Tribe of Asher--Her tribe was known for its rebellion in the Northern Kingdom.  The fact that she speaks the Word of God exhibits the grace of God in her life that kept her as a faithful remnant.

• A widow--Widows in this time period typically led a life of extreme poverty.  Her devotion to prayer and fasting attest to her complete dependence on the Lord which was a regular part of her life.

• She spoke of Him to all--She was able to identify the true worshipers (those looking for redemption) and sought them out to tell them the Good News.

Anna is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible.  These three verses are her legacy for all eternity.  

In Sunday school in church we are reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love.  I highly recommend it. Last week's lesson included thoughts about our life here on earth and in view of 10,000 years (much less, eternity), and what a speck it is on a timeline.   Although at least 84 years old, Anna's life "in the Bible" is such a speck, yet her godly example speaks to us today.

Do you / I speak the Word of God to others regularly? or just our own opinions or thoughts?  

Do you view yourself as a remnant in this culture in which we live?  Thank God for His grace, if so.  I can attest to being a remnant in my family as my parents were not Christians growing up (my dad finally accepted Christ at 81 years of age).  As far as I can tell, from our extended relatives there are very few Christians. Add that to the fact that I am adopted and I regularly thank God for saving me and keeping me faithful to pass that legacy on to our children (and extend His grace to other family members also).   We, like  Queen Esther,  each have a specific place and purpose in this time and age.

Do I / you regularly pray as though dependent on God for our very breath of life? or do we only pray that way when in a crisis?  or are we so comfortable with the status quo? 

Do you / I speak of the Lord in our everyday life? or just with other people we know are believers?  Getting out of our comfortable-ness and reaching out to others will keep you on your knees asking to be salt and light in a dark world.  The dark is a scary place sometimes but the Lord is our light in the very darkest places, even when other lights go out (as Galadriel might say).

I am part of a ministry to younger women called Titus 2 Moms where older women teach the younger (of course, they teach us, too).  It is good to see in the Bible, older women than I am that teach me as well.

BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Mary--Blessed Among Women

It's been a couple of weeks since I've continued with this book--spring break, family vacation, working on our taxes...

Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur
Chapter 6
Mary: Blessed Among Women

Luke 1: 26-38

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin 1engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 

There is so much controversy among denominations about Mary.  The Bible makes it clear that she herself knew she was profoundly blessed by God (Luke 1:48) not that she was a fountain of grace to be given to others.  That role is for her Son, Jesus, alone.  She is not the mediator between God and us. Again, that is the role of Christ.  Much superstition and religious tradition lead many to worship her, pray to her and trust her for salvation which totally contradicts what scripture, and Jesus Himself,  says about her (Luke 11: 26-28).  

What we can learn from Mary's example is her humility.  Here is the mother of the Lord here on earth who remains mostly in the shadows being Joseph's wife and Jesus' mom.  I fear that I myself might have wanted to "slip" and let everyone know just who my son was if it had been me.  Mary was certainly in a difficult situation after the angel appeared to her with the news of having a baby and not being married.  There is no indication in scripture that she was afraid of what would happen but trusted God for the outcome  (Luke 1:38). She had great joy over the Lord's plan for her.

Wow!  How do I / you react when we recognize His plan for us and it becomes uncomfortable, awkward or even painful at times?  Mary was probably a young teenager when all this transpired yet her maturity is amazing in the midst of such circumstances and unknowns.  I pray that I continue to grow (yes, even at my age) and respond with worship to the Lord rather than anxiety and/or complaints.  How about you?

Luke 1: 46-57 

The Magnificat

And Mary said: 

My soul exalts the Lord, 

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 

For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; 

For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 

For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. 

AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION 

TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. 

He has done mighty deeds with His arm; 

He has scattered those who were proud in the2thoughts of their heart. 

He has brought down rulers from their thrones, 

And has exalted those who were humble. 

HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; 

And sent away the rich empty-handed. 

He has given help to Israel His servant, 

In remembrance of His mercy, 

As He spoke to our fathers, 

To Abraham and his descendants forever.

BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Hannah, A Portrait of Feminine Grace

Twelve Extraordinary Women  by John MacArthur

Chapter 5:  Hannah, A Portrait of Feminine Grace

1Samuel 2:1 

Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Thy salvation."

Hannah's name means "grace".  A study of her life reveals the classic profile of a godly mother.  Grace, godly mother...how do we put the two together?

Hannah's  life closely parallels that of Sarah especially re: her faith and perseverance.  She foreshadows Mary the mother of Jesus.  1Sam. 2:1-10 is very similar to The Magnificat in Luke 1: 46-55.   Surrender to God's will cost each of them dearly in terms of emotional suffering.  In Hannah's case, the separation from Samuel while he was a toddler.   Those of us who have sent children off to school for the first time can understand a bit of this, although Samuel never came back  home to live with his mother once he left.   

The Old Testament women we have discussed so far--Eve, Sarah, Rahab and Ruth-- all had the hope of God's promise of a Messiah to sustain them.  None of them lost hope even though they never saw Him in their lifetimes.  How we must learn to be like them in never losing hope that the Lord keeps ALL of His promises to us and never waiver in our confidence in Him.  

Hannah longed to be a mother and scripture is not vague about her grief at not being able to conceive. (1Sam. 1:5-10).  I have friends now for whom I pray (one young one in particular) who ache to have a child.   This is one gift that we older women can give the younger, is to pray for their heart's desires.   John M. reminds us that motherhood is a noble calling and one that God has uniquely gifted women to fulfill.  Honor and eminence in the Bible is nearly always closely associated with home and family.   The answer to Hannah's prayer request was the birth of a son who was the beginning of a series of events that helped turn back the spiritual darkness and backsliding in Israel at that time.  

One thing he mentions that is easily overlooked in the story of Hannah is her love for  her husband Elkanah.  I love what John M. says about this:  Contrary to popular  opinion, the most important characteristic of a godly mother is not her relationship with her children, it is her love for her husband.  This is the key to a thriving family.  Families should not revolve around the children.  How we mess things up when we alter how God has designed things.  I speak from experience on this as  we have made this mistake on occasion as well.  Keep on the lookout for this "easy to fall into sin" as it can create major disunity in the family, immediate and extended.

The remarkable prayer that Hannah prayed for her son included the clause that he would be fit to serve in the tabernacle [i.e. razor shall never come on his head].  She WANTED to give him back to God.  Here, another "not of this world" attitude that most mothers have a difficult time with.  We raise these young arrows and then when it's time to shoot them out of the quiver, we tend to hang on to them.  Again, I'm speaking from experience with this one.  I have gradually been letting go of our older son over the last few years; our younger son will begin his journey in 2 years as well.  God is good because generally we don't empty the quiver all at one time!  :)

Lots of lessons to be learned from this godly woman, Hannah.  She is certainly a good role model for all of us, whether we have children or not.  I encourage you to get the book and read the entire chapter.  It will enlighten your life and renew your mind about what the Lord has in mind for us as women, contrary to what popular culture maintains that women should be. God can do amazing things through the life of just one faithful woman devoted to Him.  Remember this, if you are at home with toddlers and/or teens, typically stressful times in the life of a mom.

NEXT WEEK:  Chapter 6--Mary, Blessed Among Women

BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Ruth-- Loyalty and Love

Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur

Chapter 4:  Ruth--Loyalty and Love

The story of Ruth is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  Just like Esther, an entire book is devoted to its telling.    Set in the Old Testament times Ruth's name means friendship.  As you can see from reading, she had friendship with her mother-in-law and an eternal friendship with the Lord who blessed her more than she probably ever asked or thought.  

After Naomi's husband and two sons died, Naomi lamented:  Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me?... she wants them to call her Mara, which means bitter.  John M. explains that she was not suggesting that she had become a bitter person but that God had handed her a bitter cup to drink.  She was actually a woman of great faith, willing to leave the pagan land where her husband had moved them and return to her homeland in poverty.  A righteous woman as well, under the umbrella protection of the Lord for her obedience to her authority (her husband in this case).  

God provided for Naomi through her loyal daughter-in-law Ruth who refused to leave her.  I can only say that Naomi must have been the perfect mother-in-law because such devotion to an in-law is often not the case in our culture. Though expressed from a younger woman to an older one, the  poetic way Ruth refuses to leave her from chapter 1:16-17 is often used in weddings for its message of firm resolve and commitment as well as its beautiful words.  Naomi apparently loved Ruth and as was customary in that culture set about trying to orchestrate an arranged marriage for her.   Widows in that time were destitute without a man to care for them.

You've heard the illustration, I'm sure, of the tapestry of life, how we see parts of the weaving from the underside and the Lord sees the completed piece of fabric from the top with every stitch blending and fitting together as He has planned.    That is so evident in Ruth's life.  From Ruth's marriage to a Jewish man who had left his homeland for a pagan land (very unusual), to the ancestry of Boaz (his mother or grandmother was Rahab, a foreign woman like Ruth herself), to Ruth finding a job in the fields of the kinsman-redeemer for their family, to Boaz having a significant harvest where Ruth could work and get food after so many years of famine...the list goes on.  Romans 8:28 is illustrated throughout this entire book.  Sometimes in living our daily lives we miss seeing the little twists and turns of life as an actual path that the Lord has prepared for us.

God chose Ruth in his beautiful tapestry and rewarded her for her faithfulness, loyalty and love, as well as her submission to authority by providing her with a husband to care for her and her mother-in-law as well as giving her a son who was to be a predecessor of  King David and hence, Christ.  Her name is recorded in the Bible for all eternity, something that she probably would  never have asked or thought.  

Have you ever taken time to ponder your own life's timeline, its highs and seeming lows, its twists and curves from what you have planned and where you are today?   Take a few minutes today and actually write it down as a pathway that you have been on, remembering that your path has not yet ended if you're reading this. :)   If you have been following my blog for any length of time you know that my mother passed away recently and that I was adopted into our family as an infant (like Ruth was adopted into the family of God).  Due to family conflict among our elders resulting in 40+ years of separation, several in our family were reunited this past week and our family in many ways was reborn for my brother and me. So, even in death, we have discovered new life in our family.  I was even reunited with a childhood friend after 30+ years of separation as well.  A little twist in the road from our day-to-day lives resulted in abundant blessings for us as the events of the week were far better than I would have ever asked or thought as with Ruth.  God is good.  The tapestry continues weaving as our lives go on...

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, 

according to the power that works within us, 

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. 

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good

  to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

NEXT WEEK:  Hannah--A Portrait of Feminine Grace

BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Rahab--A Horrible Life Redeemed

Continuing with John MacArthur's book Twelve Extraordinary Women...Just posting once on this book this week since I will be flying out on Thursday for my mother's funeral.
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Chapter 3

Rahab:  A Horrible Life Redeemed

It's funny how some Bible stories are so familiar that any alterations from what you're used to seems very strange.  The story of Rahab the harlot in Jericho would seem odd if she and her family had NOT been saved when the walls came tumbling down but oh, what a different illustration that would have been for us.  Just another "you get what you deserve" story rather than one of God's amazing grace.   It is always comforting to remember that in our lives, when the culture or job or neighborhood or even churches sometimes, seem their worst, there is usually still a remnant of people whom God has drawn and is drawing to Himself.  Perhaps you are, or have been one of them.

Rahab had always been a willing participant  in her civilization's trademark debauchery and had profited from the evil that permeated that whole society...why shouldn't Rahab also receive the just desserts of her own deliberate sin?

How is it that she appears in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1?  

It's interesting to me that Rahab even hid the two spies at all.  She had heard stories of YHWH (God) as had her kinsmen who were somewhat  fearful of Him.  John M. believes that she had probably never met anyone who actually knew Him personally, particularly having lived in Jericho all of her life.  Just that one night of conversation with the two spies changed her heart and led her to hide them from the city guards. Her home high upon a wall was the only part of it that did NOT fall down (remember that children's song?).  Rahab only asked that she AND her family be saved.  She turned her back on her former lifestyle of prostitution and walked away from the corrupt place where she had been for so long.   Amazing.   Even more amazing is that she apparently lived our her life quietly with the Israelites, married and is in Christ's genealogy as well as in the book of Hebrews as an example of faith to us.  Not because of WHAT she did in protecting the spies (remember, she lied about them), but because of God's extraordinary grace and apparent choice of her in His plan.

This story a wonderful example of how telling others (some of whom we may never see again) our own story and who God is from the scriptures, can be used by Him to change someone's heart in dramatic ways.  For myself I know this is true since I had heard most of my life about the Lord, been to church periodically,  sang in the choir, read the Bible stories (and parts of the Bible itself), been through the "plan of salvation", etc.  Still, I only knew these as "stories"  and experienced them as "activities".  Most people thought I was a Christian long before I ever truly believed.  I had never met anyone who knew Jesus personally until I was a senior in college just about to graduate.  A young man whom I met and dated for several months after college, who assumed I was a Christian at the time, talked about the Lord regularly, prayed with me, studied with me and introduced me to a singles group with many young people my age who did the same and were serious about their faith and living for Him.  God used his life and our relationship to lead me to a good church home and be nurtured by others both my age and much older.  He and I eventually went our separate ways, both married and both have sons, all six of whom are also believers and followers of Christ.  33 years later... I will forever be thankful.

2Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; 

the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 

Book STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Sarah Hoping Against Hope

Chapter 2, p. 42-50 (part 2)

Sarah:  Hoping Against Hope

Genesis 17: 15-17

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 

I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."  

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 

The rest of this chapter focuses on God's incredible promise to Abraham and both his and Sarah's complete trust that it could come to pass. Interesting that Abraham was not seeking God but He was seeking Abra(ha)m at the time.  John M. also discusses the incident with Hagar and Ishmael when Sarah was harsh with them and cast them out.  I've always thought that she was cruel for doing that, but according to the culture, she was not being unreasonable.   In fact, part of the reason for her sending them away was her belief in His promise.  

As I ponder this section I marvel that both Abraham and Sarah are commended in the book of Hebrews as examples of  faith.  We know from reading Genesis that there were several incidents where neither appeared to be faithful and each behaved in  in ungodly ways at times i.e. Abraham's lying 2x to different people about Sarah being his sister; Sarah "helping" God fulfill His promise by having Hagar sleep with Abraham to conceive a child...  They were sinful people just like we are. They made mistakes and bad choices, some big ones, too, just like we do. Their behavior was not always perfect or kind or wise, as is ours.  I think that these occasions are emphasized for our benefit to show the mercy of God and that He looks at the heart not just on specific occasions but throughout one's life.  They were both quite old [Abraham 175, Sarah 127] when they died and these occasions are relatively few when you consider their entire lifetimes which were generally ones of devoted godly people.   Nevertheless, Scripture says:  

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

It is comforting to read that  the Lord considers them faithful servants and to know that they are in heaven with Him simply because God is merciful to those He has chosen.  That's a promise that we can cling to and trust as well and one that gives us peace in all circumstances.

NEXT WEEK:  Rahab--A Horrible Life Redeemed

BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Chapter 2 / Sarah the Wife of Abraham

Chapter 2, p. 27-42

Sarah:  Hoping Against Hope

Hebrews 11:11 

By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. 

NOTE:  The life of Sarah is told in Genesis 12-25; she is also mentioned in Isaiah 51:2, Romans 9:9, iPeter 3:6.

So many topics in this section to discuss:

1. Sarah's extraordinary beauty even into old age
2. Sarah's name change (Sarai to Sarah)
3. Sarah's devotion to her husband despite some foolish actions on his part
4. Sarah's sense of pressure that the birth of a nation depended solely on her
5. Sarah's willingness to leave all that was familiar and go with her husband to an unknown place
6. Sarah's scheme to "ensure" that what God had promised would be fulfilled and its consequences (Hagar/Ishmael)

Let's talk about # 5--Sarah's willingness to leave all that was familiar and go with her husband to an unknown nation.  This can apply to single women as well as to those who are married since the Lord is the Bridegroom to each of us.  

I have to admire Sarah for her adaptability to change especially since she and Abraham were urban people from the city of Ur, not nomads from birth.  I can hardly imagine moving away from our home in the suburbs to live in the remote mountains or the country with no neighbors, stores or friends.  In our culture people often move every few years but I have never liked it.  Our family moved several times when I was growing up and I could hardly wait until I was on my own and could stay in one place.

Sometimes though, a family must move due to health, new job opportunities, financial and family issues.  Usually it is the husband who must decide whether  to go or stay. Sometimes it’s to a new neighborhood, sometimes it’s to a new state / country, sometimes into a new business venture.  Do you complain and  argue and nag?  Or do you quietly pray and follow your husband where he leads you?  Sometimes it’s a matter of your husband leading you into decisions that you would say no to.  Unless it is outright sinful, let him lead you there without your kicking and screaming.  Sometimes men (and women) misunderstand God’s direction and make mistakes, other times they hear Him clearly and blessings are bountiful. My point is, let your husband lead.  Men learn from their mistakes and in doing so, often learn how to lead better as a result.  A wise woman once told me that men can’t learn to lead unless we women let them. Men often will give in or concede to an aggressive, argumentative wife just to keep the peace.    Trust the Lord that you are under His umbrella of protection by submitting to your husband.

If your husband does not lead, that’s a different story.   In that case, pray and seek wisdom from your pastor or church elder what to do.  Maybe it’s just a matter of him not having had a father or a good role model from which to learn how or that he’s not in the company of other men very often who can encourage and counsel him.  Iron truly does sharpen iron.

If you are single, where is the Lord leading you that you do not want to go?  Into a ministry? a new job? a relocation?  a new relationship?  Let Him direct your steps and take ONE step at a time where it seems He is leading.  Sometimes by rushing too fast  we don't see the warning signs, detours or turns in the road.  Take it slowly and keep going in whatever direction seems right.  Pray for Him to show you any roadblocks or dead ends if you feel you are going astray and trust that by submitting to His authority you are in no better place.

Remembering...

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 

BOOK STUDY: Twelve Extraordinary Women / Chapter 1, Part 2

I got pretty lengthy on Monday with the first post about Chapter 1.  From now on, I'll choose TWO topics from each chapter and write a couple of paragraphs for each post.  I will probably still divide each chapter into two sections every week since they are about 20 pages long. The intent is for you to read with me and discover what is mostly impressed upon you as you read.  I am just emphasizing what is interesting or special to me.  There is quite a bit of content in each chapter and since a thorough study and workbook have been written by John MacArthur himself, there's no need to duplicate.

Chapter 1, pages 15-27

Sometime that stood out to me that I had not noticed in reading Genesis, that there was a good deal of grace given by God, even in the curse.  John MacArthur comments:

...Eve might have been made subject to the serpent to whom she had foolishly acquiesced.  But instead, she remained under the headship of her husband, who loved her.  She might have been utterly destroyed, or made to wander alone in a world where survival would have been difficult.  Instead, she was permitted to remain with Adam who would continue to care for her and provide for her.  Although their relationship would now have tensions that did not exist in Eden, she remained Adam's partner.  Even though she might have justly been made an outcast and a pariah, she retained her role as a wife.  In the worst case, Eve might have even been forbidden to bear children.  Instead, although the experience would be painful and accompanied by sorrow, Eve would still be the mother of all living...the promise that Eve would still bear children mitigated every other aspect of the curse...a ray of hope for the whole human race.

Wow.  I had never really considered what might have become of Eve.  It was always just a "given" that she would continue living with Adam and life would go on.  I suppose God could have made another wife for Adam just as easily as he did the first one. The story of Adam and Eve is so familiar that it  would sound strange being Adam and Elizabeth or Adam and Rebecca, etc.     Eve would have been the first example of a "throw-away" relationship instead of the mother of all the living.  Thankfully, we do not have that as a role model from the beginning.  Instead, we have a couple whom God kept together through thick and thin.

Our daily choices...how much they affect others in ways we sometimes do not realize. We  can't second guess ourselves in every situation.  I'm sure Eve wasn't even thinking that eating an apple might affect her children for generations.  What she didn't see was that eating the apple was actually disobeying  and doubting God.  What apples / choices are we eating today that we have not pondered and prayed about the future consequences, good or bad?  Even if we make a bad choice, God still gives grace to those who love Him and continues to work things our for our good as He did for Eve.  A little foresight, wise counsel and submission to authority, however, might avoid some of the bad choices we might make.  For me, I prefer to be cautious and careful before making a decision.  Some decisions can be changed and/or the consequences are brief; some, you (and others) live with for a lifetime.

NEXT WEEK:  Sarah--Hoping Against Hope