The Character of a Wise Woman, a 10-Day Plan by Allison Danielsنموونە

A wise woman speaks.

Psalm 37:30 - The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.

Just outside Washington, D.C., is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is a monument in tribute to fallen soldiers who have not been identified. Their service to their country was so significant that even though their names were a mystery, their lives deserved a place to be honored.

In 2 Samuel 20, there is a story of another individual - nameless, yet notable for her transformational impact in a time of war. The woman's history is unknown, but her story is remarkable enough to be recorded in Scripture. She bears no distinction except for one powerful detail - wisdom.

We meet the wise woman in the context of David's volatile, messy family story.

His daughter had been assaulted. One son murdered his brother and led an insurrection against the king, only to be killed himself. David's house is in an uproar, to say the least. Judah and Israel are divided in ongoing violence.

In the middle of cultural chaos, we encounter the wise woman who chooses to be an agent of peace in an age of war. An egregious act of violence is committed against one woman, leading to a trail of brutality. God uses the wise woman to speak words that only heaven could give to bring peace to an entire city.

The wise woman gets word that King David has dispatched Joab to bring back Sheba, a "troublemaker" who ran and hid in her city. Joab and his soldiers are doing everything they can to destroy the walls of the city to get to Sheba.

Chaos is unfolding all around her, and it is here that the wise woman speaks.

Maybe you come into this study in similar life circumstances, swirling with mayhem and living in the consequences of other people's bad decisions and facing the reality of your own decisions. Friend, let me encourage you: God is still looking for wise women who will speak up and live out His heart in the middle of the hardest seasons of their lives.

Reflection: Imagine the day when the Lamb's book of life is read, and this woman, this Wise Woman, is remembered. What will heaven one day say about you as a wise woman?