A Woman of Merit

She is called the Wise Woman of Abel-Beth-Maacah. This unnamed woman lived in Israel at the time of King David. Her home was the historic city of Abel-Beth-Maacah. She goes without a name in Scripture but she proves herself to be a great person of merit.

At this point in history, a man called Sheba was leading a rebellion against King David. When he fled from David, Sheba ended up in the city of Abel-Beth-Maacah. The commander of David’s army, Joab, came to the city in search of Sheba. Joab was ready to lead a full out attack on the city just to capture Sheba.

The wise woman shows great courage and leadership by seeking out Joab and giving him an alternate plan to destroying her city in search of Sheba. In her negotiations with Joab she indicates that her city’s inhabitants are “the peaceful and faithful in Israel” and asks Joab, “Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?” (2 Samuel 20:19 NIV)

This woman works with diplomacy to resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner for her city. When she discovers that all Joab wants is Sheba the leader of the opposition, the wise woman promises to deliver Sheba’s head if Joab will leave her city alone. This woman shows great leadership and rallies the forces in her city to capture and execute Sheba. Her actions and willingness to step up and create a plan, saves the lives of many.

While we do not exactly who she is, her record in the history of God’s people is an important one. She is a strong example of seeking God’s wisdom and using diplomatic skills to solve conflicts.

So, what does this woman have to do with us? She is a reminder of how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

For this woman to have gained the attention of King David’s forces she must have been someone who was wise and well respected in her community. She maintained calm, cool authority and had the ability to mobilize her people to action. It would have taken immense courage to do what she did and stand for what is right.

We might not be facing an approaching army but we do face the enemy each and every day. We can face any situation with courage as we have the Lord fighting with us.

Wisdom is critical in meeting today’s challenges and the Holy Spirit guides us to provide it. If we think we can tackle alone all that the enemy throws at us, we are mistaken. We can stand firm, trusting in our identity as God’s children and knowing that He will support us.

While we may see many things going wrong in our world, we cannot fix them all. But God has given each of us our own sphere of influence. Like the woman in 2 Samuel, God gives us a time and a place where we can make a difference in the lives of others.

We might not be saving a whole community as the woman of Abel-Beth-Maacah did, but we be just whom the Lord needs in our own corner of the world to make a difference in someone’s life.

It does take courage to step out and make an impact. I know some days I don’t feel very courageous. Feeling intimidated seems more common. Yet, we have the confidence in our God who keeps His Word and promises to give us what we need when we need it.

Sheba started an uprising against God’s anointed King David. This was most certainly not okay and it needed to be stopped. Today our world faces similar challenges when it goes against what God’s Word teaches us is right. It will continue if believers do not stand firm and use the full armour of God to stand against those who would defy the Gospel.

Perhaps you feel like you don’t have the courage or the skills to make a difference. I pray that you would ask our Heavenly Father for the tools you need to stand up for what is right and true. Without His backing, our efforts are usually fruitless. He will support us. Who knows what people we may touch or situations we may change if we take the opportunity?

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