Names

I am often amazed at how long it takes for me to get something God has been trying to tell me all along. I feel like I am a Spirit filled believer but I just must be dense somedays. Last night I had an epiphany and this one changes the whole foundation of my perspective.

My name is Melissa Simpson, if you don't know me yet or can't tell by the name of this URL. I love the study of words: etymology, particularly the meaning of names: onomatology. I am already familiar with my name being from the greek word for honey bee, over the years I have embraced this because bee's are amazing creatures but I still wished there was a biblical source I could reference.

Last night, I learned what my name means in Hebrew. I am primarily of Jewish descent according to my DNA results, so I thought it would be interesting to see. In Hebrew, Melissa is translated Deborah (bee), the amazing female judge and leader of her people. What was even more amazing to me, is this has been prophesied over me, multiple times by multiple people, that I have the Deborah spirit. I now know why.

I am not a follower, and this has often gotten me in trouble. As a 3rd grader on the playground at my little Lutheran school, I got sent to the principles office for leading a Bible study during recess. My junior year of high school, I wrote devotional pieces for the newspaper that even my teachers were amazed at the insight I could provide. My senior year I was on the prayer evangelism team for my school, and this meant we would go out into our community as representatives of our school and of the body of Christ. I led many to Christ after the 9/11 attack when we were doing street ministry, and spent even more hours on the floor at my church interceding for the nation. I understand that this is not the life of most 18 year olds but I knew that I felt the call of God on my life to be in ministry, just as much as he answered my prayers in bringing my husband in my life to be my safe space, and my children to be a blessing to all those they encounter.

In the Bible, the story of Deborah is found in Judges 4-5. She was a prophet of the Lord, and would sit under a tree and the people would come to her for wisdom. During this time the Israelites were being attacked by the Canaanites, particularly the leader of the army, Sisera. Barak was the leader of the Israelite armies and came to Deborah to ask if God would give them victory, which Deborah prophesied would happen. Barak would not go without Deborah, so Deborah said that she would go but that meant the victory would be in the hands of a woman, which it was. Jael, the wife of a weapons maker, drove a tent peg through Sisera's head, killing him instantly.

This is such a timely word, because there are victories about to happen at the hands of women. There are things we need to speak, to kill, to defeat, and to overcome. Deborah has for years been a great example to me of what God intended women to be in his kingdom. There were so many cultural barriers to women in Biblical times, and even now in the Middle East, but that was not God's intention. If we look back to when God formed Eve, it was the pinnacle of creation, the grand finale, and she was what made creation complete. We need both male and female to create life, to build a home, neither one is more important than the other, but have different roles. There is nothing different in building a church, and building up the people around us- we need all that God has given us as the body of Christ to preach, teach, and train up in righteousness- which includes women.

What gift do you have to offer? There is a gospel to be preached through the living of our lives and now is the time to do it. Let us embrace our "Deborah-ness" and lead the charge to victory.