A Great Army of Women

I find it fascinating that I can read over a section of scripture time and time again, and then suddenly, one time, the words just jump out at me.

Today’s text is an example.

I have been reading a one-year edition of the New Living Translation that has an Old and New Testament portion, a psalm, and a verse or two from Proverbs. On March 25, I read Psalm 68, and one line read, “And a great army brings the good news.” Of course, I had to look up the footnote; it said, “Or a host of women.” Wow, I thought, I don’t remember reading that before. I had better check some other versions.

I found that four of the most respected translations all say “women,” as do some other lesser-known versions. Yet another version has “women” in the footnote, and two others just say a “company” or “host” in the footnote.

I have been picturing what could happen if a host, a company, or an army of women went forth to tell anything but especially the Word of God.

I remember Rose Otis, the foresighted woman who started this devotional book series, telling a little joke: If you wanted news to get out, you could phone, or you could tell a woman. That is a truth that can be put to use —put to use in telling the world about Jesus. Psalm 68 is a psalm of David, imploring God to save His people. David praises God for being a God who is the Father of the fatherless and a defender of widows. Besides that, He cares for the lonely by putting them in families, and He sets the prisoners free —free from all the things that bind, as Jesus told His audience in Nazareth (Luke 4). David then praises God for leading Israel through the desert on the way to the Promised Land. He does it with might and physical demonstrations.

And then they settle in peace in the land provided for them.

He gives His word, and the women go forth to proclaim it, even getting the plunder when the enemies are defeated. So it is for us.

We face an enemy, but we serve a mighty God; a God who has, does, and will win; a God who cares for His people, yes, His women.

It is then up to the mighty multitude of women to go to proclaim it.

Ardis Dick Stenbakken