During my daily reading, something jumped out at me. I was reading Isaiah on Thursday, which so happens to be the day that I read the prophets in my reading plan. And I came to a passage in the fourth chapter of Isaiah. It reads as follows:
And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach." (Isaiah 4:1, ESV)
Wow! There just seems to be so much prophesy in this passage, not only in the short-term period of time after this is proclaimed, but also in the long-term future time of the great Day of the Lord. The mention of the “seven women” reminds me of the seven letters written by Jesus Christ to the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3. These “women” grab hold of One Man, which to me may represent Jesus. They tell him, “we will eat our own bread,” possibly meaning, “we will eat what we want.” They also say, we will “wear our own clothes,” possibly meaning, “we will do what we want and represent ourselves how we want.” However, they want to be called by His name. Back then, it was very unusual for a woman to ask a man to court them with the end being marriage. Usually, the men made that arrangement with the father of the woman, and then it was a whole process. But because of the lack of men at this time due to war and judgment, the women, fearing being single, grabbed on to one man. Also, most women did not share their husband. However, here, they grabbed onto one man in consent to the others all together.
In addition to this, they asked this One Man to “take away [their] reproach.” Reproach is translated from the Hebrew word “cherpah“, which is rendered ‘reproach’, ‘shame’, ‘ repute’, and ‘reproachfully’. It “denotes the state in which one finds himself.” “The unmarried woman or the woman without children carried a sense of disgrace in a society where marriage and fertility were highly spoken of (Strong’s Concordance, H2781).” The disgrace found in a person or a nation became the occasion for taunting the oppressed. The disgraced received abuse by the words spoken against them and by the rumors which were spread about them. They were verbally abused and exiled.
In the short-term, Isaiah was speaking about the reproach of God’s judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. But something tells me that this could also be applied in my own life for the long-term for the end of days, the great Day of the Lord. These “seven women” were not looking for a relationship. They were simply looking for a way out of the situation they found themselves in. Their men were dead as a result of war and judgment. Israel (as a people) found themselves worshiping other gods (idols of the surrounding nations) in addition to the Only True God. They were committing spiritual adultery. They were doing what they “wanted to do” instead of remaining faithful. In this judgment period, the men were gone; the protection and provision were gone; the ability to procreate and bear children to continue their people group and troops were gone. There was “reproach” and “shame”. These “women” were looking for a way to take away that shame and get some sort of protection and provision without knowing how. These “women” said that they would still “eat” what they got and “wear” what they wanted. They just wanted the name. This name would mean the they belonged to someone, and that provided protection from others wishing to harm them or take them. This reminds me in Revelation 22 of how believers will bear God’s name, which gives us citizenship into His Kingdom and showing that we are His protected property.
Paul said that it would be better to be single so that your mind is fully focused on God. But these women focused on the temporal and not the eternal. They did not repent and ask God for forgiveness. They seized onto a man that was there, not wanting a relationship but only His name. Does this sound like some in our churches? Do we do this? Are we grabbing onto Jesus just for His name, or are we in a relationship with Him? Are we asking for His protection and provision but still doing the things of the world? Are we repenting of our rebellion and idol worship? Are we seeking the Kingdom of God? That is what I see here in this verse. I am not a seminary trained theologian. So don’t take this as gospel, but I thought I would share with you some of what the Spirit is teaching me today. I found it to be interesting, and it draws me closer to Him. It shows some dark spots in my heart that need more light. I hope you have a great day.
Gotta fill up my cup…..
Coffee with Candee 