WOMEN IN SCRIPTURE!

I’m uber excited about today’s post because its about to go dooowwwnnn! 💃 We’re looking at all the slay queens and whatnots in the Bible! Still on our Christian History series! So far we`ve talked about Where the English Bible came from , How it became chapters and verses, and Why there are so may versions around today.

Today we`ll walk through the Bible and assess the prominent women that made it in there. This may be pretty long. Brace yourself!

From the top of my head, I can name some popular good women in the Bible: Mary, Lydia, Elizabeth, Ruth, Naomi, etc.

There were also those who crushed men’s world and gained us a bad name, like Jezebel, Delilah, Herodias, etc.

Then we have those who faced unfortunate circumstances or were abused: Tamar, Dinah, Lot’s wife, Hagar etc.

And then this one woman I cannot seem to find a category for: Rahab!

Let’s talk about those who had a significant effect in history. Good vibes anyday so the positive ones first 🤗

1. MARY: The earthly mother of Jesus Christ. 👸🏽

Mary is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Miriam and means ‘wise woman’. And she lived up to her name. Her contribution to Christianity cannot be overlooked. What most people don’t know, though, is that Mary was about 16years when she was filled by the Holy Spirit to bear child. She was there at every crucial point in Jesus’ life, and stood at the foot of His cross to the hour of death. As to whether she was ‘assumed body and soul into heavenly glory’ is not a controversial topic this piece will allow me to explore, but I do know she was present at the Pentecost, received the Holy Spirit but was not specially ‘venerated’ by Peter or any other disciple present. I cannot talk about Mary without adding that Jesus paved the way TO the Father through Him, and does not require us to pray through anyone to Him as He became a friend and brother. It will however be unchristlike to despise her immense obedience and submission to God’s plan for His children.

2. LYDIA:   Acts 16:14 & 15 👸

She is said to have got her name from where she hailed from – the province of Lydia, Asia Minor. Lydia was a seller of purple cloth [which was of great significance and was very expensive] who lived in Philippi and was the first to become a Christian in the whole of Europe. Her household was subsequently the first to be baptised. She catered for Paul, Timothy and Silas while they stayed in Philippi to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. In verse 40, Lydia takes the risk of housing Paul and his companions after they had been flogged and imprisoned. She is considered a saint in some Orthodox churches as St. Lydia or The Woman of Purple.

3. RUTH 👸🏽

She’s so prominent that she’s one of only two women whose names are books in the Bible. Her name means ‘lovely friend’, and that she certainly was to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth was the definition of loyalty and patience. She followed Naomi to a foreign land knowing very well she may be isolated because of Naomi’s predicament. She patiently waited on Boaz to marry her after she lost her husband which later afforded her the privilege of being called the great-grandmother of King David, which placed her in the bloodline of Jesus.

4. ESTHER: The Biblical ‘Yaa Asantewaa’ 👸

Hadassah was Esther’s real Jewish name, a girl without mother or father, but described as beautiful by Scripture. Esther means ‘hidden’ because her true identity was hidden for a very long time. She and her cousin, Mordecai remained in the household of the Persian King after Cyrus had permitted all exiles to return to Jerusalem. After Queen Vashti disobeyed King Xerxes, he divorced her and married Esther. Soon after, he gave Haman his prime minister the authority to kill all Jews in Persia, and this is where Esther stepped in. Haman by then had prepared gallows to hang Mordecai and eventually got hang on them while Mordecai was rewarded for a favour he did the king years back which had been overlooked. She went on a 3day-and-night fast with her people, the Israelites and found courage to go before the King without being summoned [which was tantamount to death at the time] saying ‘…if I perish I perish.’ Esther’s patriotism to her people, her faith in God, and her smartness allowed the Jews to enjoy wealth and peace even as captives in another man’s land.

5. ABIGAIL: 1 Samuel 25 👸🏽

My favourite woman in the Bible!  I’m shaking from excitement just anticipating telling her story. She was a woman with beauty and brains…like myself.  I keed I keed 🤗 Her name means ‘my father’s happiness’ and I bet she was…like myself. I keed I keed 🤗 Even the Bible described her as a woman of ‘good sense and of fair form’. What baffles my mind though is why she married a very foolish man. Literally. His name Nabal meant foolish and trust me he was. He was a drunkard and a very cruel man. Anyway, this man’s shepherds had been treated very kindly and had been protected by Kind David’s servants. When David needed him to return the favour, Nabal replied his message saying, “Who is David, and did he expect him to give him his hard earned meat and water?” I’m pretty sure David’s anger could have boiled yam when he heard this! 😂 He set off to kill Nabal and his household when he was met halfway by Abigail who carried bread, wine, sheep and raisins on donkeys for David. She fell on her face before him and said, “Let my lord not pay any attention to that scoundrel Nabal for he is foolish like his name says. Let God fight for you as He has prevented you from shedding blood.” [Never say that about your husband though! Lol!] And then she presented the gifts. David actually listened [ahem any gentleman 🌚], blessed her for her wise words and went back. But he had spotted her! Nabal died 10days later, and guezz what!! David wasted no donkey time! He went in and married her sharp!

5. DEBORAH: Judges 4 👸🏽

She was a judge, a prophetess and a leader of Israel. I like this woman too 😊 A whole Barak was scared to take Sisera even after God had promised to give them into the hands of the Israelites. He said to Deborah, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 🤦🏽‍♀Deborah said, ‘Certainly I will go with you. But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.’ The rest was history!

There are many more like Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, Zipporah, Sarah, Martha, but you’ll have to make a bed here if I have to talk about each of them. So on to the not-so-cool ones. Who else to top the list but:

1. JEZEBEL: 1 Kings 16:31; 21 👹

A whole Elijah was running away from this woman! The very man who called fire from above! Moral lesson: Fear woman! 😂 I keed I keed 😂🤗 Meanwhile he was asking God to kill him while running away from her. Lol! She was the crafty, cruel, immoral wife of Ahab, King of Northern Israel who worshipped Baal. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name and used his seal on them, killed noble men [both in 1Kings 21], feasted with 400 prophets of Baal, and was the cause of the death of all of Yahweh’s prophets. Her husband wasn’t any better. He was an overgrown baby. He sulked for days and wouldn’t eat after he asked to take Naboth’s vineyard which was making him money, to transform it into a garden. Jezebel arranged for his death and claimed the land for her husband. Such wickedness and childishness! 1 Kings 21:25 says there was no one who gave himself to evil like Ahab and his wife! Geez!

2. HERODIAS: Matthew 14.👹

She was the wife of Philip who was the brother of King Herod. She left her husband because Herod wanted her as wife, and John the Baptist couldn’t help but warn them about their sin, for which he was thrown into prison. She wanted to kill him but was afraid the people would turn against her. So she shrewdly influenced her daughter to demand for John the Baptist’s head on a platter at a feast when the King asked what she wanted for her birthday. Bad bad girl.

3. LOT’S DAUGHTERS: Genesis 19:30-38. 👹👹

These young ladies had good intentions but found themselves in a tight situation. They lived in a cave with their father, Lot, but desperately wanted to preserve their father’s name. So the older daughter got Lot drunk at night and lay with him [yes I’m shpiritual😎]. All the while he had no idea what was going on! [How’s that even possible?]. The second went in the next day and fulfilled righteousness 😁. Their descendants were the Moabites and Ammonites who were always in rebellion against the Israelites.

Much like we sadly still experience even now, there were abused women in Scripture. A few were:

1. TAMAR: 2 Samuel 13 😭

Tamar was a victim of deceit and rape. And as in most rape cases, the culprit was not a stranger. Amnon was Tamar’s half sister. My Bible describes her as a beautiful girl, and Amnon lusted after her till he literally couldn’t eat [crazy, huh?🤦] Amnon did not only have a terribly lustful nature, he also had a terribly wicked and conniving friend called Jonadab. On Jo’s advice, Amnon feigned illness and requested for beautiful Tamar to come and cater for him. Even though she begged and begged for him not to disgrace her in that manner, he selfishly raped her, and much like the way guilt operates, the moment he climaxed, intense hatred from guilt filled his heart for her. Tamar lived a desolate woman for the rest of her life in her biological brother Absalom’s house. Absalom avenged her all the same, and guess what? Jonadab was the one who sent news about the whole issue to their father! Yo! Human beings! 😱

2. DINAH. Genesis 34 😭

Dinah was another rape victim. She was Jacob’s daughter which Leah bore him. She was raped by Shechem, the son of the ruler of that area. However, unlike the wicked Amnon, he didn’t premeditate it. He saw her, lusted after her and raped her. And then asked his father to get her for him as wife. Dinah was also avenged by her brothers. [Brothers are the best, aren’t they?] They asked for all the men to be circumcised before they give Dinah’s hand in marriage to Shechem, and just three days after every male had been circumcised and were all weak, they went in and killed every! single! male! in the town! When Jacob their father complained that they had brought trouble upon him, they replied, ‘Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?’.

And then there’s:

RAHAB: Joshua 2 🤷🏽‍♀🤷🏽‍♀

This is a dicey one because Rahab was a prostitute who harboured Israelite spies and was eventually named in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith. So I don’t know which category to place her in – you decide. Consider James 2:25 [was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?]

There are many more unmentioned women in the Bible. The Old Testament is the old covenant, granted, but it’s CRITICAL to our character formation as followers of Christ. It’s also the fun part of Scripture 🤷🏽‍♀ 

You don’t need action or drama movies; just plunge into the Old Testament. 🤼‍♂🏇🏽🤺

Be encouraged to study more; and thank you for reading to the end. Don’t just read! Like and share…let the beauty of Scripture reach as many people as possible!

★  RAD ★