Day 9 

# 9  Ladies-In-Waiting:

Old Testament Women

Their stories are found through out the Old Testament

Genesis 24-26/ Rebekah, Joshua 2 / Rahab, Judges 4-5 / Deborah, Ruth 1/ Naomi,

 2 Kings 11/ Huldah, Esther1-10 / Esther. 

 Their Character: 

These women had varied character, just like us. They all had faith in God.

What they waited for: 
God's promise of the Messiah to rescue them from the pains of this world.

 John MacArthur writes about the women (and men) who were waiting for the Messiah in his book 12 Extraordinary Women in the chapter about Anna:

It is truly remarkable that when Jesus was born, so few people in Israel recognized their Messiah. It was  not as if no one was watching for Him. Messianic expectation in the early first century was running at an all time high. 

Daniel's famous prophecy about "Messiah the Prince" (Daniel 9:24-37) had practically set the date. Daniel wrote, "Seventy weeks are determined... Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks." Daniels's timetable would put the appearance of "Messiah the Prince" around AD 30, which was the year of His triumphal entry. 

Scripture records that when John the Baptist began his ministry. "The people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not." As a matter of fact, several of the disciples first encountered Christ for the very reason that they were watching expectantly for Him to appear, and they came to John the Baptist, who pointed the way to Christ. 

The fact is, virtually all faithful believers in Israel were already expectantly awaiting the Messiah and looking diligently for Him at the exact time Jesus was born. The irony is that so very few recognized Him, because He met none of their expectations. They were looking for a mighty political and military leader who would become a conquering king; He was born into a peasant family. They probably anticipated that He would arrive with great fanfare and pageantry; He was born in a stable, almost in secret. 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 

but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. 

Proverbs 31:30

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself" 

Luke 10:27

TO PONDER IN YOUR HEART: Which woman do you relate to in the Old Testament? What is God teaching you through her story?  It is better obey than to repent. 
Learn from her example.