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1 Chronicles 7 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
God has used women to build, lead and change the world from the beginning of time. Here in 1 Chronicles 7, we get a glimpse of a woman who completed a remarkable feat. During a time when women were looked upon as second-class, Sheerah took it upon herself to construct 3 cities!
“His daughter was Sheerah, who built both Lower and Upper Beth-horon, and Uzzen-sheerah.”
1 Chronicles 7:24 ESV
She was the daughter of Ephraim who was the son of Joseph. We don’t know a whole lot about her, but Scripture tells us that she built cities. Whether that means she actually did the work, or she mostly managed the project, we do not know. However, Sheerah thrived during an incredibly challenging time in an industry that was predominantly centered around men.
We read later in the Word that it would be in between two of her cities, Lower and Upper Beth-horon that Joshua requested for the sun to stand still.
“And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword. 12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.””
Joshua 10:11-12 ESV
In 1 Kings 9, Solomon fortified her cities. They endured for almost 1,000 years after they were built. The point is, Sheerah did not let the hardship of being a woman (at that time) affect the calling God had on her life. She followed through with obedience and created several important cities that God protected for years to come. Although she is only mentioned in one verse here in Chronicles, the legacy of her faithful work went far beyond her lifetime.