Psalm 139:13-18
Significance can be described as a quality or character that should mark something as important but is not obvious and may or may not be recognized by others. The English word ‘significance’ does not appear in the bible and the nearest to it ‘signification’ is only used negatively to mean that something ‘without signification’ cannot be understood. The idea of signification is to make known or clear, often using words or signs. Words such as important, powerful meaningful or remarkable which can be similes of significant may be found and the context will determine their meaning. So what is the idea of a woman who is significant meant to suggest?
The women mentioned in this series have had an important role in God’s eternal plan of redemption. They may not have been aware of the part they played and they may have been ignorant of the effect it would have. Some of these women are not well known while others are what might be called Biblical celebrities! Some are obvious such as Eve or Mary the mother of Jesus while many are more obscure like Damaris or Susannah. Some women intended their actions for good while others like Potiphar’s wife had the opposite intent, some acted entirely out of self interest while there were those whose desire was to serve others. They were not significant because of the their personal agenda or characteristics but because God worked in and through them to bring about the plans and purposes he had for the redemption of the world.
The Contemporary English Bible puts 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 this way: ‘My dear friends, remember what you were when God chose you. The people of this world didn’t think that many of you were wise. Only a few of you were in places of power, and not many of you came from important families. But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.’ These thoughts are reflected in the women that God chose to be significant. That is not to say that there were not those who were wise, or in places of power and influence, or from important families, but this is not what made them significant.
Some of these significant women were married, while others were divorced, widowed or single; some were old, like Elizabeth and Anna while there were children like Miriam, who was later significant as an adult and young teenagers like Mary, the mother of Jesus and Rachel and Rebecca. There were business women including Lydia and Priscilla, women of high social standing and those of dubious backgrounds (Rahab, Mary Magdalane and the woman of Samaria). There were servants (Rhoda, Hagar) and independent and wealthy supporters of Jesus and the apostles. They were called wives, mothers, grandmothers and sisters, prophets, apostles, deacons and disciples, some were poor and oppressed while others rich and powerful. Each one was made in the image of God, chosen and set apart by him and recorded in his word as an example and encouragement for our sake.
As we read the stories of the Bible and see the characters who appear there, we can see the hand of God actively encouraging and guiding each one so that the way is prepared first of all for the coming of his son, and then the building of his church. Even now he is guiding and encouraging ordinary men and women into places of significance where their words and actions will be important in determining the future of not just their families and friends but the world beyond them, for eternities sake.
- Do you feel significant?
- How often do we look at ‘celebrities’ as our examples?
- Who have been the significant people in your life?
Richard W.Foster 