Article of Faith: Faith against the odds (2), By Femi Aribisala

Christian women should not shout in the street.

How does a Canaanite woman, dwelling in Gentile territory, have all this inside knowledge of the promise of God to Israel?

How can a Canaanite woman living in Sidon know the Hebrew scriptures?

The Jews themselves were not sure.

Matt 12:22-23

22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 23 And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

“Could this be the Son of David?”

But a Canaanite woman was sure. She said:

Matt 15:22

22 “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!

Those who could see were not sure.
But the blind were sure.

Matt 20:30

30 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

Kingdom Dynamics of Salvation

Jesus says:

John 9:39

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

The knowledge of this Canaanite woman can only be by the power of God.

Sandra Chikan asked me:

“Doctor, how do you know the person who spoke to you on Airport Road was Jesus Christ?”

That is the power of God.
You know what you don’t know. Jesus says:

Matt 16:17

17 “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

God the Father Drew the Canaanite Woman to Jesus

God is the Apha and the Omega of everything.

Jesus says:

John 6:44

44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.

So, this Canaanite woman must have been drawn to Jesus by God, the Father.

Indeed, since God is the Uncaused Cause of everything, then Jesus must have come to the region of Tyre and Sidon because of her.

But why would Jesus come looking for a Canaanite woman?
Why not a Jewish woman?

This is kingdom dynamics.

Jesus says:

Luke 4:25-26

25 I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

Jesus is the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.
He did this before.
He sent Elijah to a widow in the same place, in the region of Sidon.
He then came to Sidon so many years later, looking for another Canaanite woman.
He is the Lord, He does not change.

He met Peter after Peter fished all night and caught nothing.
He then made him fish in the same place and catch a big haul.
After He rose from the dead, He met Peter again, fishing without success.
Again, He told Him to throw his net to one side of the boat, and Peter caught 153 fishes.
Therefore, Peter knew immediately that the man standing on the shore was Jesus.

How do you know it is the Lord?
There is a special signal, a special tradition, that He establishes with you.
It is peculiar to you.
You cannot borrow it from someone else.

You cannot just say, “Samson did not cut his hair, so I will not cut mine.” You are wasting your time.

The Silence of God

Back to the story of this precious Canaanite woman from Sidon.
This is where the story takes a strange turn.
If Jesus came for this woman, why did he ignore her?
“He answered her not a word.”

Have you ever prayed and God did not answer?
Have you ever prayed, and all you got was the silent treatment?
What did you think was happening?

Do you realise that you are in very good company?
Jesus validated our frustration when God falls silent.
On the cross of Calvary, He cried the cry of David:

Ps 22:1-2

1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.

Isaiah says of Christ, our Saviour:

Isa 63:9

9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them.

Did you think God has forsaken you?
Did He forsake Jesus on the cross?
Yes, He did.
Jesus was crucified, and He died.

But He died by appointment.
Can’t you see?
The problem you are going through is by appointment.
The challenges you are facing are ordained.
It is appointed by He who works all things according to the counsel of His will.

Ps 34:19-20

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20 He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Yes, Jesus was forsaken on the cross.
But only for a moment.
He was forsaken on the cross, but not one of His bones was broken.

Rom 8:29

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

We are born again in the image and likeness of Christ,

That is what God does.
He hides His face from us, but only for a moment.

Isa 54:8

8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Jesus ignored the Canaanite woman only for a moment.
But this woman would not be ignored.
She had a persistent faith.
She would not give up.
By the grace of God, she understood the dynamics of the kingdom.

Luke 18:1-5

1 (Jesus) spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Don’t you know that your healing is God’s vengeance?

1 John 3:8

8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Sickness is appointed by God, but it is the work of the devil.

Luke 13:16

16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound — think of it — for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

Is this Canaanite woman also the daughter of Abraham?
Yes, she is! How come?

Gal 3:7-9

7 Therefore, know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

This Canaanite daughter of Abraham did not give up.
Instead, she did something unacceptable in Jewish culture.
She started shouting.
Hebrew women should not shout at men.

In women:

1 Peter 3:4

4 It is the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Women of Virtue

There is something very strange about this Canaanite woman.
There must be something very strange about Christian women
Ruth must be strange.
Esther must be strange.
Deborah must be strange.

The Bible says of Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith:

Isa 42:2

2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

Christian women should not shout in the street.
They must not shout at their husbands.
As a matter of fact, there is something wonderfully strange about many women in the Bible.
Miriam, Deborah, Rahab, Esther, Ruth, Hannah, the Samaritan woman, Deborah, Mary: they are all exemplary.
The big exceptions, of course, are Athaliah and Jezebel. CONTINUED.

[email protected]; www.femiaribisala.com