Anna the prophetess: A great Intercessor

The Israelites were given several regulations by God. These included the purification rites. The books of Exodus and Leviticus give details about this regulation.
Exodus 13: 12, 14-15- You are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’
Leviticus 12:1‭-‬4- The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
Mary had to go through these rites after the birth of Jesus.

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage (Luke 2:36).

Luke records that “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22‭-‬24). While in the temple, Mary and Joseph met two people who confirmed the Messiahship of Jesus: a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. We shall focus on Anna in this post. This is how Luke’s gospel describes Anna: Luke 2:36-37 – “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

First we are told that Anna operated in the prophetic ministry. The prophetic ministry demands a deeper intimacy and relationship with God. Anna spent years developing and shaping her ministry. Anna was from the tribe of Asher and was the daughter of Penuel. At the time Anna met baby Jesus, she was eighty-four years and had been a widow most of her life because her husband died seven years after marriage. You might consider Anna as a sad woman, but she was not. Scripture says that Anna occupied herself day and night in the temple. She was fasting and praying even at eighty-four years. She was busy with matters of God’s agenda. She wasn’t sad and melancholic. She wasn’t bedridden. She wasn’t seeking to be pitied. For most of her life, Anna was interceding for the nation of Israel. She was just an old widow but she fasted and prayed until God answered her prayers.

At the same time Mary went to the temple for her purification, Anna was also at her post doing what she does best. Anna didn’t leave the temple until she met the Saviour she had been praying and longing for. Luke 2:38 (NLT) states that “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.” Imagine how long Anna prayed for the Saviour. Anna and Simeon saw what the priests could not see: that Jesus is the Messiah. Intimacy with God opens one up to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Anna never saw herself as too old to pray. She kept doing the same routine (prayer and fasting) over and over again until she saw God’s redemption.

Dear reader, Intimacy with God is not a Sunday affair. It is a lifetime experience. Don’t give up because you prayed for a year and what you wanted to see didn’t happen. Keep pushing. The whole nation of Israel looked forward to their redemption but only two intercessors were actually in the temple praying and expecting their prayers to be answered. You might be that person God is counting on to pray for the redemption of your family, your community and your nation. Don’t stop praying!

Esther: For such a time as this!

The new Queen of Persia seemed to have an uninterrupted years of bliss until one man was promoted. Prior to the event that shook the whole Persian kingdom, “King Xerxes honoured Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour” (Esther 3:1‭-‬2). Even after persuasion from the royal officials at the king’s gate, Mordecai still refused to kneel and pay honour to Haman. The matter was reported to Haman. Esther 3:5-6 states that, “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.” Why would Mordecai’s impudence be punishable to all Jews? Haman was a vile man who hated the idea of being disrespected by a Jew. Some scholars believe that Haman might have been a descendant of King Agag, the Amalekite king (1 Samuel 15) and as such Haman was avenging for the way King Saul destroyed their nation. The Bible does not specifically state that so we shall consider Haman as a vile person with no compassion. How can Mordecai’s refusal to bow become a national sin?

Mordecai, being Jew knew that bowing to anything other than God was sinful (see Exodus 2: 4-5). All this while, Esther was enjoying life in the Palace without the slightest idea of what was happening. Haman went ahead and chose a day to destroy the Jews through lot casting (the pur). Thus, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, Haman decided the fate of the Jews (Esther 3:7). After choosing the date, he told the king how the Jewish people are a threat to his kingdom and the king gave Haman the nod to do to the Jewish people what he pleases. The edict was sent throughout the kingdom with a set date for the destruction of the Jews. All the Jews in the whole kingdom were in shock and afraid for their lives. Mordecai after hearing all these tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly (Esther 4:1). Queen Esther had no idea of the plight of her people. Her eunuchs and female attendants told her about Mordecai and how he was dressed. Esther even sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther sent someone to find out why Mordecai was acting that way (Esther 4:4‭-‬5). After Esther heard the fate of her people and the evil plans of Haman, her response was that she cannot help because if she goes to the king uninvited, she would be killed unless the king extends her his golden scepter. Esther hadn’t been called in the last thirty days. 

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Literally, Esther said, I CAN’T HELP OR ELSE I WILL DIE. The truth is, she had been condemned for death anyway. When Mordecai heard Esther’s reply, he sent this answer to her: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13‭-‬14). Mordecai revealed to Esther that her ascension as the Queen of Persia was for such a troubling time as this. Esther’s whole life was in preparation for this assignment, the salvation of the Jews. All the people God placed in Esther’s life, was to help her fulfill this task. From Mordecai, to Hagai, and King Xerxes himself, Esther was just preparing for her big day. Esther might have been overwhelmed with the idea of going to the king uninvited but after the words of Mordecai,  Esther gained strength. If God brought her up for a time such as this, then only God could help her. Esther understood the dynamics of authourity. God is the ruler of King Xerxes. Therefore, before she talks to Xerxes, she must talk to God, the ruler of Xerxes. Esther didn’t just take matters into her hands. Although the book of Esther doesn’t explicitly mention God, we see God working through different people for His glory.

Esther told Mordecai to “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Esther declared a national fast to intercede for her. Thus, Xerxes was so powerful that his own Queen could not just walk up to him as and when she wanted. Esther trusted that when the Jewish people fast for her, she will gain favour with the king.

This story teaches us valuable lessons. First, we need to understand that our communion with Christ is not just a Palace lifestyle,  it is an everyday, everywhere lifestyle. We don’t suddenly become obscured to the enemy because we are in Christ. In fact Paul reminded the Ephesians church to daily put on the Armour of Christ (Ephesians 6:11). We need to understand that we don’t fight the enemy with baseless words. We fight with powerful weapons. Esther understood that Haman, the king’s right man cannot easily be defeated. She knew that fighting the spiritual side of the battle before the physical one, guarantees victory. Fight on your knees in your secret place before you appear before the king in the public place. The assignment of your life cannot just be accomplished with degrees and qualifications. You need to be aligned with God and understand the spiritual needs of your call. Heaven is watching and the earth is waiting. Haman is plotting and you have to make a choice because God made you for a specific assignment. Don’t disappoint God and humanity.