Sheerah's Cities

4/20/2019

Sheerah gets a brief mention in the Bible. In fact, she is only mentioned once, and in 1 Chronicles 7:24: “His daughter was Sheerah, who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah.” She was the daughter of Ephraim and was credited with building Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen-Sheerah. The places she built are referenced in Joshua 16:5 as part of the inheritance of Ephraim, of which we can speculate that she also had claims to--as kinswoman--as the meaning of her name suggests. Thus, she developed what was her father’s lands, and also what was hers.

I may be at fault for viewing from the lens of a modern woman but I imagine Sheerah with her plan and blueprint laid before her. With the map of the area, I see her with some form of writing or drawing instrument and a device for measurement calculating distances and sizes of materials needed. I see her discussing with the masons and carpenters, with hands in the air drawing the imaginary structures, asking them to envision what she sees and hopes will be established. I see the leader that she was, determined and joyful in her work to share with it her name, Uzzen-Sheerah. Or perhaps, I am being too simple-minded in my imaginations, and Sheerah could have literally been a builder. Staying active in the building of the cities: lugging wood, making bricks, mixing mud and clay, lining up stones. Perhaps she was that type of individual to totally immerse herself and “get her hands dirty.”

Now, while we may never know the other events and truths about her, we do know that she was a builder, and this too is sufficient to inspire us. For someone like myself, who also has an interest in architecture and structures, I am definitely motivated by this! That is not to say that I needed to see a biblical female figure do it before I do it and that otherwise would have been non-Christian/unbiblical or whatever. Rather I am reminded that a desire and dream one has is worth pursuing, for the glory of God. So, rock on sisters! Continue to build in character, and in the Lord!