“I live in a patriarchal society. I should leave the fighting, conquering, and building to the men. Nevertheless, I can’t ignore the legacy that pumps within my veins. While I was in the loins of my ancestor Joseph, I received an anointing as a ruler and preserver of nations. Additionally, while I was in the loins of his son Ephraim, I heard the prophetic utterance of greatness to found many nations. My father, brothers, cousins, and uncles are not the only ones to whom this blessing of favor belongs. I am Sherah, a near kinswoman, and I will seize that which was promised to us by God.”
– Sheerah, ~1400BC
The first nine chapters of the book of 1 Chronicles is a compilation of lists of genealogies or historical records of the family lines of the Israelites. Occasionally, the chronicler interrupts the lists of family names to elaborate on an individual in a family line. One such interruption occurs in 1 Chronicles 7:20-24. The author zones in on a tragedy that transpires in the family of Ephraim, during the pre-exodus time period. Then he fast forwards generations later, to the time period of Joshua’s conquest of Canaan and zooms in on a daughter (descendant) of Ephraim, Sherah, also known as Sheerah.
Sherah would have grown up hearing stories about her (many times over great grandfather) ancestor Joseph and also of her many times over grand uncles, Ezer and Elead. On one hand was a story of triumph over impossible odds and, on the other hand, a story of defeat that led to tremendous despair, depression and discouragement.
Which story should she allow to inform her future, to shed light on the path before her? Should she choose to sit in the sidelines and let life happen or should she grab hold of her legacy; that which God had promised her family? Were God’s promises worth fighting for?
I read the story of Sherah in 1 Chronicles 7:20-25 and imagined that the self-talk above might have been the thoughts running through her mind as she watched her kinsman, Joshua son of Nun lead the conquest of Canaan. I imagined that this reflection on who she was motivated her, a woman in a patriarchal society, to fight for her legacy. The story she wrote with her fight was recorded in verse 24 –
“And his daughter was Sherah, who built Bethhoron the nether, and the upper, and Uzzensherah.”
This was unheard of in these times; a woman being the foundress and builder of not one city/town but three, one of which was named after her. For generations after her death, one of these towns, Beth-Horon would be strategic in many battles fought in and by Israel. I am sure if I could sit with Sherah today, she would tell me, that all of that, though difficult, was something worth fighting for!
Do you have something worth fighting for?
DIG DEEPER:
1. Devotional – Hold on to Your Promise!
2. Bible Study – Sherah: Daughter of Ephraim