Naming Light

As indicated in yesterday’s introduction, we will be lighting Prophetess lights. Anna was brought to us. Who then is Anna? I am constrained to bring you all that is told about her in Luke 2: 36 – 38, so that we can receive an illumination, as never received before. Let’s listen and be lit up.

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Like all the other words we have received as lights given to us, draping us to be God’s Advent illumination, so too we are ready to be fitted with little, lower lights, but shining lights none the less. We have details about Anna’s personal life, but we also have precious details about her spiritual life and work. In this string of smaller, lower lights, which we are being offered as prophetess lights, we joy. There is no mystery here, for just as we see strings of small Santa Claus lights, adorning Christmas trees all over the place, we have spiritually illuminating prophetess shaped lights, to be placed upon us.

Four spiritually burning lights are before us, which shall be presented as the week goes by.

The first light to be illuminated, is in the Naming Word. It is simply the name prophetess, which is given to Anna. Who is a prophetess? In gender distribution, we know of prophetess as against prophet. However, in terms of service, is a prophetess comparable with a prophet? We delve headlong into this fact-finding mission as we look at prophetesses in the Bible, well-known and not so well known. We will spend some time on prophetesses, for a variety of reasons.

One reason is that although prophetesses are obscure in many respects, they are God’s servants, called and chosen by God and He makes good of their work. Also, in bringing these to you, I know one or two of them will be new lights to some, lights never seen or known before, as I confess it has been for me also. Added to this, in bringing these prophetesses before you, we are drawn much closer to the fulfilled promises of God, in God the Son, coming to earth at Advent and God the Holy Ghost, coming to earth at Pentecost. Advent and Pentecost.  

May we all, with thankful hearts and eager minds receive, as our faith affords.

It is most interesting to note that in the Bible, the number of recorded prophetesses to prophets is most noticeable. I do not know the exact ratio difference, but I do know it is astoundingly different. It will not be an exaggeration or statement amiss in the least, to say that female prophets, as shown with Anna in the Advent narrative, are not high-profile and up-front. Nevertheless, God has not omitted them and they mean much to Him in His service. Let’s now spend a moment to look at women in the Bible, who were named prophetess, or woman prophet, and why they were thus named. We anticipate that this exercise will take us through today's offering and into tomorrow’s offering as well. 

We delve first into one, who is from a family of priests as she is a Levite by birth. She has two brothers who are high-profile servants of God. Her name is Miriam. We observe her as she leads a band of women in high, animated praises to God. Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dances. Exodus 15: 20. Miriam was a prophetess, who led the women in high-spirited worship to God. Some view her as a worship leader. How does this apply to our worship leaders today? Whether male or female, are they named prophetess or prophet? Are they called by God? Is it what they have been born to do and be in God’s service?   

Perhaps this may encourage and compel some of us to spend more time before God, concerning our worship leaders. Are they God’s prophetesses?