Reading Luke 2:36-39, Amplified Bible

Now there was one, Anna a prophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

Anna was identified by two things:
her spiritual position - prophetess - and
her Hebrew ancestry - the tribe of Asher.

Asher was the 6th son of Leah, unloved wife of Jacob.
Yet for her this child brought joy and so
she named him Asher, meaning "happy."
(Gen. 30:13)

Jacob blessed this son with something both rich and royal,
to be a source of "rich bread and royal dainties."
(Gen. 49:20)

Then Moses called Asher

"most blessed of sons.
Let him be favored by his brothers, and
let him dip his foot in oil.
Your sandals shall be iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be."
(Deut. 33:24)

Anna's ancestry is noted to give a clue to her nature:
Happy, rich, royal, a source and most blessed.

She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband
seven years from her virginity;
and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years,
who did not depart from the temple, but served God
with fastings and prayers night and day.

A young widow, alone for many years, she gave
her life to God for prayers and fastings.
Living such a life in the temple would be so
reclusive and confined
that for some it would be intolerable.
Yet the blessing of her heritage was this:
that for as many days as she lived,
she would have strength
for every one.

Anna dwelt in such a focused life for over 60 years.
God alone she served, at the loss of any normal life.
It seems that just as Simeon pronounced his blessing
and his prophecy to Mary, Anna appeared and heard it.

And coming in that instant she gave thanks
to the Lord and spoke of Him
to all those who looked for
redemption in Jerusalem.

Anna, remembered in scripture and
noted for the sacrifice of her entire lifetime,
was given the privilege to see, to rejoice in,
the Messiah present on earth.
And she is listed as the second witness of His birth.

Given to a select few, chosen by God
for their unusual intimacy,
it was a Divine Secret the Father shared only with
His faithful daily-and-nightly friends.

Copyright © 2002 Martha Kilpatrick