And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. Luke 2:36-37 ESV1
Read Luke 2:21-24 & 36-38
Why was this old woman living in the temple? The temple wasn’t a house. It wasn’t a hotel. It had no bedrooms, no restrooms, no kitchens. Most of it didn’t even have a roof. As a woman, Anna wouldn’t have even been allowed in the roofed part. Where did she sleep? What did she eat and drink? Where did she bathe? From where did she get her clothes, and how did she keep them clean and mended? Who cared for her when she was sick?
The Scriptures don’t answer all of the questions we are dying to have answered, but they do tell us what God wants us to know. The Bible tells us, “She was advanced in years” (Luke 2:36b). That is an understatement! It is unclear from the original text if she had been a widow for 84 years, or if she was 84 years old. Either way, she was an old woman. Even for a woman half her age, this kind of living would be tough. But for Anna, the difficulty must have been outweighed by what she considered the benefit of being always in the temple.
Luke tells us that Anna had “lived with her husband [only] seven years” (Luke 2:36c). In the time period in which Anna lived, women were often married in their early teens, therefore; Anna could have become a widow even before her 20th birthday! When young women were widowed, they most likely went back home and lived with their parents. After a time of mourning, they often remarried. Even in our day, such a scenario is not uncommon.
Could it be that it was in her coming home that she ended up at the temple? Actually, that is a question the Bible does answer for us, and the answer is definitely, “No.” Anna’s father wasn’t a priest. Luke makes a point of mentioning that her father was “Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher” (Luke 2:36a). No man from the tribe of Asher was ever a priest. Those who were from the tribe of Levi, specifically descendants of Aaron, were the priests. God was pretty particular about those who were allowed to serve Him and how they were to serve Him. With even a limited knowledge of Israelite history, the reader would be aware of this. (Check out Leviticus 10:1-3, 2 Samuel 6:5-9, and 2 Chronicles 26:16-20). There is also no indication that Anna had been married to a priest or that she had raised a son who was a priest. So, it wasn’t her family which brought her to the temple.
So, what was she doing in the temple? Though the Bible doesn’t answer why she was in the temple, it does answer what she was doing there. The Scriptures tell us, “She did not depart from the temple, [because she was] worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:337b). Anna must hold the world’s record for the longest continuous participation in a worship service. She held her own decades-long prayer meeting. That is quite an accomplishment.
At first, the priests, the townspeople, and the frequent visitors to the temple must have thought Anna was always there because she needed to do some serious mourning over the loss of her husband. But as the time dragged on, they probably began to think Anna was crazy. I can only imagine the stares and the negative comments she may have heard. But that didn’t deter Anna; she kept on doing that which she knew she must.
I imagine, over time, she became known as a woman of wisdom and prayer. Other women probably shared their concerns with Anna and asked for her advice. She likely prayed for many individuals and families. I am sure she listened intently to current events and lifted up those to God, as well. In a society where women were considered most valuable when they could produce children, eventually, childless, husbandless, Anna became known as a prophetess (see Luke 2:36). She had gained the respect of others.
Because she was available in the temple, and because she was so intimate with God, when Jesus’ parents brought Him into the temple on the day of His dedication, Anna was one of the first to recognize the Savior. She was able to prophesy and “to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). Many were likely encouraged that day because Anna was where God wanted her to be and was doing what God called her to do.
I believe before Phanuel ever gave away his daughter in marriage to a young man, Anna had given her heart to God. When she lost her earthly husband, she knew where she belonged, and she went to live with her Heavenly Husband. She heard and believed the voice of God when He said, “For your Maker is your Husband, the LORD of Hosts is His Name” (Isaiah 54:5). In the temple, she was safe and cared for, she found protection from the elements, and she had all the food and the clothing she needed. Though we don’t know exactly how we can be sure The Lover of her Soul provided for her. In His presence, she found purpose and had all she needed.
In His presence, we can also find purpose and all we need. “God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Take up God on His word. Spend time with Him. Allow yourself to be cared for by Him. Enjoy being loved by Him. Before long, He will become the most important Person to you. And when He is most important, everyone and everything else will fall into proper place (see Matthew 6:33).
1Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise marked. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.