Women in the Old Testament: Conclusions

For the past several months, I have shared with you the lives of the women in the Old Testament. We have seen the things we can learn from them and the things we need to avoid through the mistakes they made. We have also discovered ways we could be better and impact our families, communities, nations and the world at large.

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)

We have seen God’s agenda for creating the woman: “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18). This is very significant because helpers are important for the growth and increase in the people they help. For example, when Jesus was about to ascend to Heaven, He promised His disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit who is the Helper to them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:4‭, ‬8). Prior to Jesus’ death and Resurrection, He told His disciples this: “I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.” (John 14:25‭-‬26 AMP). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the universal church has grown even in the midst of Oppression and persecution.

Imagine a woman as the helper suitable for the man! God made the woman for more. Although through the Old Testament, we see women who underwent societal oppression making them vulnerable, we also identified women who made maximum impact in their families, societies and nations. Whenever a woman availed herself, God worked amazing things through that woman. Remember, God made the woman to impact the world. Anytime women face oppression, know that it is not the plan of God.

You can go back and read all the posts on women in the Old Testament. There were a few women whose accounts were not published but will form part of the compendium that will be released later. Watch this space!

If you have any question that has been unanswered throughout this series, please comment under this post or send me an email via michaelandmaryagronah@gmail.com. Visit our website www.michaelandmaryagronah.com for more Bible blogs and also to check up on our bookstore. God bless and see you in the New Testament!

Jehosheba: The woman on rescue mission

There are many great men and women who are celebrated today because they risked their own lives to save the lives of other people who were facing persecution. For example, Nazi Germany’s state sponsored Holocaust killed about six million European Jews. During this mass murder operation, there were people who risked their lives to save the Jewish people and this included a Polish woman named Irena Sendler. Irena Sendler successfully rescued 2,500 Jewish children out of the Ghetto in Warsaw, Poland. Her brave action saw the lives of 2,500 people saved. Irena Sandler might not be a household name because until recently,  not many people heard of her heroic act. Similarly,  there were men and women who risked their lives to rescue others in the Bible. These people knew that their action was tantamount to death if they were caught, but they did it anyway. One such woman in history is Jehosheba. Her name might not sound familiar to you and it is possible that you might not have heard any sermon that ever mentioned her name. Jehosheba risked her life to save her brother’s son. The son she saved, rose up to become the king of Judah. 

But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. (2 Kings 11:2 NIV)

In a previous post, we considered how Athaliah, the mother of king Ahaziah deliberately wiped out the royal family when she realized her son Ahaziah had been killed. Athaliah was brute and she wasn’t ready to spare a soul. She was so wicked and heartless that she was ready to kill her own grandson and any other person who identified as a royal. The opposite of Athaliah is Jehosheba. While Athaliah’s vengeance cared less of her own family members, Jehosheba’s compassion led her on a dangerous mission. She could have been killed by Athaliah if her action was found. Jehosheba went on a rescue mission. The story of Jehosheba’s rescue of Joash is recorded in 2 Kings 11:2 and 2 Chronicles 22:11. The 2 Kings 11: 2 account states that, “But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.” In 2 Chronicles 22:11b we get to know that, “Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.” Thus, Jehosheba was not just an aunt to Joash, she was also the wife of the priest, Jehoiada. 

In other words, both Athaliah and Jehosheba were public figures. Athaliah was the mother of the late king and Jehosheba was the sister of the late king and the wife of the priest. These two women all had some sort of power. Athaliah used her own power to take away lives. Jehosheba, on the other hand, used her power to save a life. Jehosheba’s compassion is a typology of the compassion God has for us. Jehosheba saw in Joash a helpless baby who was likely to be killed by a heartless woman. Jehosheba risked everything to hide Joash and his nurse. The wicked Athaliah could have killed Jehosheba for that rescue mission, but Jehosheba still went ahead and saved a soul. Six years after this rescue mission, Joash, then seven years old, was crowned as a king (2 Kings 11:21). The evil Athaliah received the wages of her sins, she was killed (2 Kings 11:15‭-‬16). King Joash had his own flaws but he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him (2 Kings 12:2). Joash did some major repairs on the temple of God in Jerusalem (2 Kings 12:1-16). 

The story of Jehosheba teaches us to have compassion for the poor, weak and vulnerable. We also learn that whatever position we find ourselves can be used to save lives or to waste lives. We identify that sometimes, taking the stand for the good could be risky but it pays off in the long term. Jehosheba teaches us that women can play significant roles even if they work in the background. You don’t necessarily need to be the queen to fight, you can be the wife and still be a warrior. Women who look forward to a bigger stage to do exploits might end up doing nothing but those who create their own opportunities even in the unlikely situations would be celebrated. Don’t be comfortable in your small space, be a Jehosheba who identifies the wrong and fix it with the right. 

Sarai: Finding strength in the midst of pain

In our modern world, there are still national protests in some countries and territories advocating more rights for women. Until recently, women in a certain country were not even allowed to drive. Women rights have always been human rights. If in the face of technological advances and overblown knowledge, women are still treated as second class citizens in some places, imagine the state of women 1000s of years ago. However, even in these stifling conditions, God still used different women to achieve His purpose and to bring His will on earth. We started a journey with Sarai (later to be known as Sarah) and identified that she was a woman with a burning desire; she was childless. Sarai and her family had enjoyed their lives at Ur of the Chaldeans until she was told that it was time to move. I am not so sure if Sarai was consulted before the relocation. It was time to move on and her father-in-law had plans to take them to Canaan. 

Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there. (Genesis 11:31)

Ur might have been a place of comfort and fun. It is possible that Sarai had extended family and friends in Ur. Social and family ties serve as a strong support system and we get attached to what we have known for a long time. However, it was time to move and “Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there” (Genesis 11:31). The plan of Terah to go to Canaan was aborted at Haran. The family settled on a land that was not their final destination. “Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran” (Genesis 11:32) without fulfilling the desire of moving to Canaan. Many of us are like Terah, we gear up for big dreams but at the end, we settle for less. Sarai was far away from Ur (where her past life was built) and far away from Canaan (where her future is destined for). Between Ur and Canaan is Haran, the land which was not meant to be the final destination. Settling in Haran does not bring fulfillment. It stalls vision and dreams. In the midst of pain, Sarai was still the support system for Abram. Her inner strength to move and to live shows in her physical appearance (she was well taken care of and a beautiful woman who could catch your attention).

Sarai, the woman with an issue, was in a strange land. Her father-in-law who took them to the land had died. She remained childless and possibly had to keep all her pain to herself. Haran is a new land with new people. Have you ever felt alone surrounded by people you can hardly relate to? Sarai might have felt the same. Have you ever felt that your prayers have taken so long to be answered? Sarai might have felt the same. Have you ever wondered when you will finally get to see what you have been waiting for? Sarai felt the same. She was a woman who moved along with her pain of childlessness. She might have cried at some point, she might have asked Abram to give her a child but she was still strong. She was still the submissive wife who followed her husband wherever he went. When we are dealing with internal pains, sometimes it reflects in our relationship with others. We tend to vent our anger and frustration on people who might not have any idea of the pain we are going through. 

In the New Testament, Peter’s teaching on marital submissions used Sarah (Sarai) as an example; 
“For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her Lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.” (1 Peter 3:5‭-‬6)

Dear sisters, no matter the situation we find ourselves, we should not lose ourselves to pain. 
Dear brother, be a support system for your wife, your sister and that female friend. When we cannot find peace, help us to understand that total peace is found in the Lord. 

Like Sarai, the destination might look far, but we will get there in Jesus name. 

Woman: taken out of man

Recently, I got the opportunity to take part in a quiz competition organized by the women’s ministry in my church. The focus was on hidden heroines in the Bible. The Bible is not a misogynistic book. In fact, from the beginning to the end, we see different women in different positions. God made the male and the female and He loves both genders equally. For the next few weeks, we shall spend time studying the lives of some women in the Bible. We will consider the good, better and the best of women, and the bad, worse, worst of women mentioned in the Bible. Each character presents an opportunity for us to learn. It could be a new knowledge to attain, or an attitude to avoid. No name in the Bible is insignificant. Even those who were considered a bad influence, give us an opportunity to avoid certain character traits. 

The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:23)

On the sixth day of creation, God made mankind. The Genesis 1 verse 27 accounts states that, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” The first lesson here is that both males and females are God’s creation and both received God’s blessing, the command to be fruitful and the mandate to have dominion over creation: “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)
The Genesis 2 account of creation specifically presents the step by step creation process. Let’s look at the following verses:
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” (Genesis 2:7‭, ‬18‭, ‬20‭-‬23)

From these verses, we identify that God saw the need for man (the male person) to have a helper. Thus, the woman came to fulfill a need. Woman was taken from the man, she is a bona-fide part of the man. She was presented to the man and the man named her woman because she was taken out of man. The female gender has faced a couple of struggles since antiquity. However, we see from today’s memory verse that the man was impressed by his female helper. So why do women still face oppression in modern day societies? We shall consider some biblical principles of building a good character as a female and how to overcome oppression. 

No creation of God is worthless, you are here for a purpose. God does not discriminate against genders. He loves the male and he loves the female. If you ever feel less loved, know that your Maker loves you and has made every provision to ensure that you remain in His love. Do you love Him?

“But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”- Happy Mother’s Day

One of the biggest annual celebrations is Mother’s Day. While some women look to the day with joy, others dread the celebration and the pomp that comes with it. Most times, we are caught up so much that we forget to make the best out of the day. My biggest joy is knowing that women of all walks of life are celebrated. The most motherly of all women are those who fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Every Christian woman aspires to be the Proverbs 31 woman and most Christian men desire to marry a Proverbs 31 woman. 

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:31)

As we celebrate the day dedicated to women of all backgrounds, let us focus on how to build our inner beauty. Outward appearance attracts, but the inward beauty retains and nourishes. Cosmetics can change one’s look temporarily but the fear of the Lord gives the godly woman a distinctive permanent beauty.  As women, we should spend quality time to build ourselves in things of eternal value. It is also important to be industrious and innovative.  We should not be busy bodies but take advantage of the time we have to grow in grace. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all women! You are amazing!