Sheerah Is A Lady You Can’t Ignore

1 Chronicles 7:24
His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.

Contemporary English Version
Ephraim’s daughter was Sheerah. She built the towns of Lower Beth-Horon, Upper Beth-Horon, and Uzzen-Sheerah.

The entire Bible is inspired by God. It contains a message from God to human beings of all time. It remains relevant regardless of the changing times. 1 Chronicles 7 where our text is derived from has genealogies. Lists of who was the parent to who and who was a child to who. The lists can be boring and tiresome. We read those lists with an understanding that God preserved them for a purpose. A keen study of those family tree lists reveals many interesting things about people and families. For example in our text today, there is a woman named Sheerah. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

Sheerah is credited with building three cities. Not building a family. Not building a house. Not building a school. Not building a farm. She built three cities. Building one city would already be a huge unforgettable achievement, but three cities throw her into the league of undisputed and outstanding achievements. How do you ignore a lady who built three cities? Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

She built three cities at a time when society was dominated by men. In fact, some Bible scholars have suggested that it wasn’t her who built but her male descendants. They claim that the cities are elsewhere credited to men of her descent. It becomes difficult to understand how a woman would build three cities yet men existed, but she did it. If we make the argument that it is her children who built, it is still credited to her that she brought up children who stood out in history for building three cities. How do you ignore a woman, whose husband is not mentioned, but she is mentioned for bringing up children who built three cities. Whether she built the cities or her children did, you can’t ignore this girl. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

Genealogies or family tree lists would normally list men and rarely women. Sheerah is among the few women who made it in that genealogy. Her being listed in the genealogy is already big enough. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

Sheerah did not give speeches on how women should be given free platforms to be equal to men. Sheerah did not whine about unfairness in her society that favored men over women. Sheerah is not recorded as militant and angry about men and their unfair privileges in society. While gender activism is good and productive to some extent, it is not all that should be focused on. Sheerah did her thing quietly, powerfully, and in an unforgettable way. The insensitive unfair men had to record her in permanent history. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

From Sheerah we learn that action is much more productive than whining and complaining. Mother Teresa stands out in a society that has unequal rights for men and women. Ellen G White stood out in a male-dominated society and church. Golda Meir became a leader all surrounded by men in Israel. It is right to champion for equal rights and push for society to be sensitive to the plight of women who are suffering under idiotic cultures that treat them as less human. However, if a woman in such a culture focuses on her assignment, she can still excel in spite of that culture. Sheerah decided to do her thing and it couldn’t be ignored. She and her descendants built three cities. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

We have a choice to focus on the problem or to move on in spite of the problem. Sheerah chose the latter. She could focus on the inequalities or focus on building three cities. She chose to build the cities and let others deal with problems of inequalities. She realised focusing on the problem is not her calling and would waste her time. She moved on against all odds to stand out. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

What have you chosen today? Are you going towards your goal of life or you are focusing on the challenges standing in your way? You have an obstacle and you have your goal. You can whine about the obstacle or you can go towards your goal by all means. Sheerah stands out by refusing to be distracted by obstacles that were real and huge. When you focus on your goal, a way around the obstacles would be found. She succeeded and the obstacles were never removed in her time. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

You are in school and the food is not as nice as at home. You can focus on addressing the food issue or studying to excel. Government policies and taxation can seriously affect business. You can complain about it and wait for the year things will change, or you can get in business anyway and deal with the situation as it is. You probably don’t like your boss at work. You can focus on that terrible boss and whine about it all year long, or you can focus on excelling at work and standing out. It is either the obstacle or the goal. Sheerah chose the goal. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

As you think of marriage, you discover something about “all men” or “all women” and it really bothers you. You can wait for a time when all of them would change or you can go ahead relate and get married as you address the issues. In marriage, you may discover something you really want to change about your partner. You cannot teach old dogs new tricks. You can focus all your married years whining about what needs to change with your partner, or you can move on in spite of what you dislike. Your children may not necessarily be the best that you dreamt of. You can parent them as they are, or ever complain to them about how they are not what they should be. Your parents may have given you a bad foundation. You can forever complain about it, or move on to greatness. It is either the obstacle or the goal. Sheerah chose the goal. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

The sweetness of victory is overcoming challenges. Achievements, where challenges exist, is what makes us stand out. Excellence, where no challenge exists, is not worth mentioning. May we find grace like Sheerah to excel where challenges stand huge and tall against us. It is either the obstacle or the goal. Sheerah chose the goal. Sheerah is a lady you can’t ignore!

Dear God thank you for opening my eyes that obstacles will forever be there. Thank you for showing me that one can still excel in spite of the obstacles. Forgive me and save me from whining about obstacles, yet there are goals waiting to be achieved. Teach me and help me to focus on my goals and goals alone. Make me as excellent and even better than Sheerah, in Jesus’ name, Amen!