She Has No Name: The Woman Who Brought Down a King

Have you ever read something in the Bible and thought, why in the world have I never heard anybody talk about this? That's how I feel about this woman in Judges 9! We don't know her name. We don't know how old she was, whether she was married, had children, or what she did on a normal Tuesday afternoon. But we do know she brought down a king! And she did it with a millstone!

Now, I have to wonder what I would've done in that situation. I can be pretty wishy-washy sometimes. I might've been standing there trying to figure out what to do, weighing all my options, and by the time I made a decision, it would've been too late! But then again, there are times when I'm strong, courageous, and ready to move forward without hesitation.

Anybody else like that?

So I'm curious. Where would you stand in this situation? Throw a stone or nah?

Let’s Talk About this King

First, we need to understand who this woman was dealing with because Abimelech was not exactly a nice guy! In Judges 9, we read about a man who wanted power so badly that he arranged for his seventy brothers to be killed. Can you imagine? Seventy brothers! Well, technically sixty-nine, because one brother, Jotham, managed to escape. And these weren't strangers. They were his own family!

Abimelech was made king in Shechem, and his story is filled with violence, betrayal, and people turning against one another. Eventually, God brought judgment upon Abimelech and the men of Shechem for their wickedness. By verse 50, Abimelech is attacking another city called Thebez. The people fled into a fortified tower, locked themselves inside, and climbed to the roof. Scripture tells us that the men and women of the city were there. Can you imagine how frightened they must have been? Here comes this man who has already caused so much destruction, and now he's approaching the tower to set its door on fire. And that's when this unnamed woman did something nobody expected.

Judges 9:53 says:

"Then a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull." (ESV)

Well, that certainly changed his plans! Here's this powerful ruler who has been destroying cities and taking lives, and a woman standing on top of a tower brings him down! She didn't have a sword. She wasn't commanding an army. Scripture doesn't tell us that she had any military training. She had a millstone.

Now, I don't know whether she had been watching him approach, whether somebody yelled for help, or whether she simply saw an opportunity and took it. The Bible doesn't tell us. But I do know she acted! And that got me thinking.

What Are You Doing With What's Already in Your Hands?

How many times have we talked ourselves out of doing something because we didn't think we had what we needed? I know I've done it! We think we need more money, more education, more experience, more connections, or somebody to tell us we're qualified. And sometimes we really do need more preparation. I'm not suggesting we just jump into everything without thinking or praying!

But sometimes we spend so much time focusing on what we don't have that we completely overlook what we do have. This woman didn't have the luxury of waiting until she felt qualified. She used what was available to her. Now, before somebody gets carried away, I'm not telling you to start throwing rocks at people! We have enough problems without adding that to the list. LOL! But seriously, what has God already placed in your hands?

Maybe it's a gift you've been overlooking. Maybe it's something you've learned through a difficult season. Maybe it's the ability to encourage somebody, teach, lead, organize, pray, or speak up when something isn't right. And maybe you've been waiting for God to give you something else when He's already given you what you need for this particular assignment.

Remember Moses? When God called him, Moses had all kinds of reasons why he wasn't the right man for the job. And in Exodus 4:2, God asked him, "What is that in your hand?" It was a staff!

Just an ordinary staff that Moses had probably carried around countless times. But God was going to use it in ways Moses couldn't have imagined.

Now, the stories of Moses and the woman of Thebez are different, and Scripture doesn't say God specifically instructed this woman to drop that millstone. But both stories make me think about how easily we dismiss ordinary things. What are we overlooking because it doesn't seem important enough?

He Was More Worried About a Woman Getting the Credit!

Now, this next part almost makes me laugh. Not because somebody died, but because of what Abimelech was worried about! After the millstone crushed his skull, he was still alive.

And instead of asking for help, do you know what he did? He called his young armor-bearer over and told him to draw his sword and kill him. Why? Because he didn't want people saying a woman had killed him! Seriously?! He's dying, and he's worried about a woman getting the credit? Apparently, being defeated by a woman was more than his pride could handle. So his armor-bearer killed him.

But here's what I love about this story. Abimelech tried to control how people would remember his death, yet Scripture tells us exactly what happened! A woman brought him down. He couldn't erase that. And thousands of years later, here we are talking about her! Isn't that something?

We don't even know her name, but we know what she did. That makes me think about how much time we can spend worrying about whether anybody notices what we're doing. Does anybody appreciate me? Does anybody see how hard I'm working? Why does somebody else get the recognition?

And listen, I understand that. We all want to feel appreciated. But what if we spent less time worrying about who gets the credit and more time doing what God has called us to do? Not everything we do is going to come with applause. Sometimes the people we help won't even recognize what we've done. But that doesn't mean it wasn't important.

And This Is Why I Keep Talking About Ezer!

If you've been following Ezer Rising or you've read my book, I Am Ezer, you already know how passionate I am about helping women understand who God created them to be. And yes, I'm going to bring this back to Genesis 2:18 because it's important! When God said He would make a helper suitable for Adam, the Hebrew expression is Ezer Kenegdo. The word ezer means help or helper. And here's what I want women to understand: that word is also used throughout Scripture to describe God as our help!

So why have we allowed the word helper to make us think women were created to be weak, insignificant, or incapable? The word kenegdo suggests someone corresponding to or suitable for another, a fitting counterpart. God wasn't describing someone inferior to Adam. And when I read about women like this unnamed woman of Thebez, I see another example of why we need to stop overlooking the women in Scripture.

Now, was this woman thinking about being an Ezer when she dropped that millstone? Of course not! Genesis 2:18 isn't even mentioned in her story. But I see a woman who acted courageously in a dangerous situation, and I can't help thinking about how many women today are still questioning whether they have anything valuable to contribute. Maybe you've convinced yourself you're too old. Or too young.

Maybe you think you missed your opportunity. Maybe you don't have the education or experience somebody else has. Or maybe somebody told you years ago that you weren't capable of doing something, and you've been carrying those words around ever since.

Can I tell you something?

Just because somebody doesn't recognize what God has placed inside of you doesn't mean it isn't there! And just because you don't have a title doesn't mean you don't have a purpose!

Now, that doesn't mean we run around doing whatever we want and call it God's will. We still need wisdom, prayer, discernment, and obedience. But we also need to recognize when fear and insecurity are keeping us from moving forward.

There's a difference between waiting on God and making excuses.

Sometimes we need to admit which one we're doing! So, What About You? I keep coming back to this woman standing on top of that tower. She probably had no idea that thousands of years later, somebody would be writing about her. She was facing a very real threat, and she acted. And while her story is only a few verses long, it has certainly given me plenty to think about! What about you? Is there something God has been putting on your heart that you keep talking yourself out of? Have you been waiting until you feel more qualified, more confident, or more prepared?

Or maybe you've been comparing yourself to somebody else and thinking what you have to offer isn't enough. I want to encourage you to take those things to the Lord. Ask Him for wisdom. Ask Him to show you what He's already placed inside of you and how He wants you to use it. And when He gives you direction, don't let fear talk you out of obedience!

I pray you recognize the gifts, abilities, and opportunities God has given you. I pray He strengthens you with courage, gives you wisdom to know when to act, and helps you recognize the difference between His timing and your own hesitation. I declare that insecurity, comparison, fear, and the opinions of others will not keep you from fulfilling the purpose God created you for! And remember, you don't have to be famous to make a difference. You don't need a title to have influence.

This woman didn't even get her name recorded in Scripture! But she made a difference. And here we are, thousands of years later, still talking about her.

She has no name. But she has a story. And I'm so glad God made sure we could read it!

Now, I really do want to know. Throw a stone or nah?

Michelle Wyatt Ezer Rising | WRM Ministries

She Has No Name — Part 2 | Judges 9:50–55