But the angel said to Him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” Luke 1:13

Luke is the only gospel to record Elizabeth’s story, and in this first mention of her Luke includes the mention of Zacharias’ prayers for Elizabeth to conceive, giving strong evidence of the long years he prayed and the long years he and Elizabeth endured together, childless. We can only imagine the depths of Elizabeth’s disappointment and long-suffering in waiting for a child that never came as her life was measured out month by month by month. But then comes this day of breakthrough, yet unknown to Elizabeth and peculiar in the use of language. For Gabriel doesn’t say, “your prayers ‘have been’ heard.” Rather, he speaks in the present tense – “your prayer is heard.” This may merely reflect the Hebrew language use of ongoing present tense, as later in the New Testament, translated from the Greek, it’s recorded/translated into English that an angel spoke to Ananias saying “your prayer has been heard, but it may also signify Zacharias’ faith to continue to pray and God’s ever-present work in our lives, as He is always doing a present work in our lives. At any rate we cannot possibly imagine the grief Elizabeth endured in the years of her ongoing barrenness.

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We’re going to hit the ground running for part two:

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at the time. Judges 4:4

Here we have the Hebrew word (H802) “Ishshah ”(ish-shaw) translated as “wife” in this verse. It is “ishshah” in the singular and “nashiym” (naw-sheem) in the plural. It’s the derivative and the feminine form of i…

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Deborah carries the distinction of being one who broke out of tradition and became the only female judge in a time when the hearts of the children of Israel see-sawed between serving the One True God and the Baal and the Asherahs of the land. She carries further distinction in that she is one of only two judges identified also as a prophet. And she carried such authority that people came up to see her, up into the mountains of Ephraim where she sat to judge, to settle their disputes. Coming up the mountain to see Deborah likely wasn’t an easy task, but the people were willing.

And Deborah sat under a palm tree. The prophetic symbolism here is that she sat and ruled from a place of joyful victory. And the palm tree was known as “the palm tree of Deborah” further signifying the level of authority she carried in the land.

By the time Deborah’s story begins, the LORD, in His displeasure with their behavior, had sold the children of Israel into the hand of King Jabin, a king who harshly oppressed them for twenty years, with nine hundred chariots of iron under the command of Sisera. It' is in this harsh climate that Deborah rises up as a prophet to judge a nation - until the Day everything changed, as all things must eventually change.

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Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” Joshua 15:19.

In all of Achsah’s story, these are her only recorded words. But in these few short words, we can clearly hear and sense the boldness in her request, bordering on “demand” even, for she knew who she was. She knew she was her father’s daughter and she knew could not let the opportunity pass her by to ask her father for more. She grew up watching her father wait for his inheritance and she knew this was her moment to ask for more. Because she had learned a thing or two about inheritance after watching a generation wander in the wilderness and lose their inheritance. And she was determined by all means not to lose out on any measure of inheritance that could be hers for the asking.

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Understanding our starting point for Abigail and we will progress from this virtue, according to the chronology of Abigail’s story, but first, to extract from the Websters 1928 app:

Understanding: 1. The faculty of the human mind by which it presents the real state of things presented to it, or by which it receives or comprehends the ideas which others express and and intend to communicate. 3. Intelligence between two or more persons; agreement of minds; union of sentiments. There is a good understanding between the minister and his people.

Additionally, understanding is a word related to authority. Understanding has to do with whose authority you stand under. Ultimate understanding therefore comes through submitting to God’s authority. And Abigail had an immediate understanding of the intensity of the situation her servants reported to her.

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Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil and evil in his doings… 1 Samuel 25:2-3

Here we are introduced to Abigail as a woman of “good understanding” in stark contrast to the description given to her husband, so let’s look at the Hebrew word for “understanding.”

Sekel (H7922): Intelligence, by implication success: - knowledge, policy, prudence, sense, understanding, wisdom, wise.

In the Hebrew, each word in the definition carries equal weight and application. This means Abigail carried all of the above traits. And because “sekel” is only used 16x in Scripture, this implies that the wisdom and understanding Abigail carried was rare. And it is one of the same the words used to describe Solomon. In all likelihood Nabal’s prosperity was connected to Abigail’s wisdom, particularly her wisdom in managing their household and their servants.

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Just as meekness is a strength (strength under control) and not a weakness, femininity is also a strength and not a weakness. For femininity, like masculinity, is a virtue. And it is not a lesser virtue. For any reference to a woman as a “weaker vessel” refers only to physical strength; it does not speak to her spiritual and emotional fortitude, which springs from her feminine virtue, which is no less than that of a man.

And thankfully, both the feminine and masculine strength are needed; the design of male and female each has its vital and complementary part. Therefore, when femininity and womanhood are properly understood and admired, it will not be a requirement that masculinity be dishonored or despised. Both have virtue. Both have honor. Both are meant to be celebrated. And even though many have come out of alignment with the male and female design and our private and public relations with one another, this can be remedied with a fuller understanding of the God-given strengths of femininity and how it was meant to be expressed. For the original design of womanhood was never meant to intimidate men, or to rob men of their strength.

Because woman was created, like man, to be powerfully impactful on this planet and to stand with man in the dominion mandate give to both “male and female.” ..... To be continued

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.”

These are the words of Achsah as recorded in Joshua 15:19. Do you hear the boldness in her request? But first, an introduction:

Achsah is the daughter of Caleb who’s been taking conquest of the land that’s been promised to the Israelites – the one who had made his own bold request when it finally came time to take the land, “Give me my mountain!” And on the outskirts of a city yet to be conquered Caleb had announced “He who attacks Kirjath-Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” Caleb’s nephew Othniel rises to the occasion and takes the city, thus obtaining Achsah as his bride. Othniel however, receives much more than what he had been originally promised, and this was because of his willingness to listen to and receive the words of his wife.

But a quick side note – a woman who’s not given a choice as to who she will marry isn’t too tasteful by today’s standards, but let’s look at this from the culture out of which it came. Caleb was one of only two men who were willing to take God at His word and who had believed and declared “we can take the land” while the other ten men had said, “there are giants in the land and we are grasshoppers in their sight.” And during those forty years while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness waiting for the next generation to rise up and enter the promised land, imagine the stories Caleb likely shared with Achsah – the stories of God’s mighty deeds on behalf of his people. Imagine also Caleb instilling his spiritual DNA into his daughter through the telling of these stories. It’s highly probably Caleb raised her to be a strong woman. And what does a strong woman need? A strong man! And so by giving his daughter to the victor, Caleb was ensuring a strong man for his daughter, as he knew that only a strong man would suit her.

But back to Achsah now. Newly married to Othniel, she employs an astute and discerning eye to her situation and the land that’s been apportioned to her, and makes the bold decision to ask her father for more! Because she has accurately assessed that the land that’s been granted to her is far from ideal. It’s a land without water and a land without water or water rights is not enough! It will not reach its capacity for fruitfulness and Achsah is not willing to settle for less. She wants the full measure of her inheritance; she wants all that’s within her right to receive as the daughter of the one who’s been instrumental in taking the land.

Achsah therefore, after consulting with her husband, approaches her father with the only recorded words we have of her, “Give me a blessing…give me also spring of water.” In actuality, this is more of a demand than a request, and with these actions and these words we glean much insight into the character and virtue of Achsah. She comes not with timidity, but with boldness and with same measure of confident faith her father had expressed when he had boldly declared “we can take the land!” She portrays here that she is indeed her father’s daughter.

And without hesitation Caleb grants her both the upper and lower springs. He is her father and not surprisingly he wants what’s best for his daughter. And Achsah must have known this. After forty years spent in the wilderness, wandering with no battles to fight and no land to take, Caleb had ample time to share his heart with his daughter. Achsah models for us that we have a responsibility to ask, lest we become like those James speaks of who “have not because they ask not.” One of Achsah’s virtues was her boldness and her willingness to simply ask. She knew her father’s heart and she knew all she had to do was ask. She could have settled for less, but she understood there was more to be gained in the asking. And she asked forthrightly, without shame, and without guilt. She knew her worth in her father’s eyes. And in the asking and receiving, she proved her worth to her new husband through her role in the expansion of their newly-acquired territory. She honored him as well, by consulting him first, and in doing so she modeled she was a wife worthy of his trust.

You also have a loving Father who wants what’s best for you, a Father who has an inheritance for you, a Father who is more than willing. And able. And perhaps you also know your current situation is not enough. You know God has more for you. You have the vision and you see it. It doesn’t matter that others can’t see what you see or that other may only see what “is” and not what could be or should be; or that others may be willing to settle for a lesser portion. Hold true to who you are and what you know God has for you, as did Achsah. You too have a Father you can approach boldly with your requests, and there is never any reproach in the asking. In fact, God delights in the faith tucked inside of your ask. He is your father who delights to give you good gifts out of the abundance of the goodness of His heart toward you.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the counsel of His will…. Ephesians 1:11

Just as meekness is a strength (strength under control) and not a weakness, femininity is also a strength and not a weakness. For femininity, like masculinity, is a virtue. And it is not a lesser virtue. For any reference to a woman as a “weaker vessel” refers only to physical strength; it does not speak to her spiritual and emotional fortitude, which springs from her feminine virtue, which is no less than that of a man.

And thankfully, both the feminine and masculine strength are needed; the design of male and female each has its vital and complementary part. Therefore, when femininity and womanhood are properly understood and admired, it will not be a requirement that masculinity be dishonored or despised. Both have virtue. Both have honor. Both are meant to be celebrated. And even though many have come out of alignment with the male and female design and our private and public relations with one another, this can be remedied with a fuller understanding of the God-given strengths of femininity and how it was meant to be expressed. For the original design of womanhood was never meant to intimidate men, or to rob men of their strength.

Because woman was created, like man, to be powerfully impactful on this planet and to stand with man in the dominion mandate give to both “male and female.” .....

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27