The Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today (European Society of Cardiology)

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The Book of Judges tells the story of Deborah, as a prophet (Judges 4:4), a judge of Israel (Judges 4:4–5), the wife of Lapidoth and a mother (Judges 5:7). She was based in the region between Ramah in Benjamin and Bethel in the land of Ephraim. [73] Deborah could also be described as a warrior, leader of war, and a leader of faith. (Judges 4:6–22). In all three synoptic gospels, Mark, Matthew and Luke, Mary and Jesus' brothers are disowned by Jesus. The Matthew version has it as "Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." [127] In Luke the repudiation is even stronger, there Jesus says his disciples have to hate their mothers. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." [128] What can we learn from Deborah? Deborah was self-sacrificing and courageous. She encouraged others to do the right thing in God’s eyes. When they did so, she generously gave them credit for what they did.

Main article: Mary Magdalene Appearance of Jesus Christ to Mary Magdalene (1835) by Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov Who was Mary? She was a young Jewish woman, and she was a virgin at the time she gave birth to Jesus, having conceived God’s son miraculously.Mary is not introduced in the Gospels in a way that would make her seem noteworthy or deserving of special honor. She is young, resides in an insignificant town, far from the centers of power, with no special social position or status, yet she is the one granted the highest of all statuses, demonstrating the supreme reversal. [126] :14 When she receives the announcement of Jesus' birth, she asks "How can this be?" Then, "...let it be" (1:38). Jesus' mother appears again in John (19:25–27) at the crucifixion, where Jesus makes provision for the care of his mother in her senior years (John 19:25–27). [129] :48,49 Mary speaks not a word and the narrator does not describe her. [129] :49 Jesus' sisters [ edit ]

Kings 4 tells of a woman in Shunem who treated the prophet Elisha with respect, feeding him and providing a place for him to stay whenever he traveled through town. One day Elisha asked his servant what could be done for her and the servant said, she has no son. So Elisha called her and said, this time next year she would have a son. She does, the boy grows, and then one day he dies. She placed the child's body on Elisha's bed and went to find him. "When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, 'Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.' 'Did I ask you for a son, my lord?' she said. 'Didn't I tell you, 'Don't raise my hopes'?" And she refuses to leave Elisha who goes and heals the boy. What can we learn from Sarah? Sarah’s example teaches us that we can always trust God to fulfill his promises, even seemingly impossible ones! ( Hebrews 11:11) And her example as a wife highlights the importance of respect in a marriage.— 1 Peter 3:5, 6. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, ‘I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel’” ( Genesis 29:18). Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile”( Exodus 2:1-3).When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us” ( Acts 16:15).

Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them — and that you will save us from death’” ( Joshua 2:12-13). Shame was a profoundly social concept that was, in ancient Rome, always mediated by gender and status. "It was not enough that a wife merely regulate her sexual behavior in the accepted ways; it was required that her virtue in this area be conspicuous." [90] :38 Men, on the other hand, were allowed sexual freedoms, such as live-in mistresses and sex with slaves. [92] This permitted Roman society to find both a husband's control of a wife's sexual behavior a matter of intense importance and at the same time see his own sex with young slave boys as of little concern. [90] :12,20 What can we learn from Ruth? Out of love for Naomi and Jehovah, Ruth willingly uprooted her life. She was hardworking, devoted, and loyal, even in the face of adversity. Theologians Evelyn Stagg and Frank Stagg say the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 contain aspects of both male priority and gender balance. [36] :21 In the tenth commandment against coveting, a wife is depicted in the examples of things, possessions, belonging to a man that are not to be coveted: house, wife, male or female slave, ox or donkey, or 'anything that belongs to your neighbour.' On the other hand, the fifth commandment to honor parents does not make any distinction in the honor to be shown between one parent and another. [37] :11,12 Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’” ( Luke 10:41-42).What did she do? The prophetess Deborah courageously supported God’s worshippers. At his direction, she summoned Barak to lead an Israelite army against their Canaanite oppressors. ( Judges 4:6, 7) When Barak asked Deborah to go with him, she did not give in to fear but willingly complied with his request.— Judges 4:8, 9. Who was Deborah? She was a prophetess whom Israel’s God, Jehovah, used to reveal his will on matters affecting his people. God also used her to help settle problems among the Israelites.— Judges 4:4, 5. The servant of Sarah, Hagar gave Abraham a son. But after the boy was born, her mistress began to hate her, and eventually cast them out. She wandered in the desert, almost dying. But as Genesis recounts, the Lord knew of her distress. The Hebrew Bible often portrays women as victors, leaders, and heroines with qualities Israel should emulate. Women such as Hagar, Tamar, Miriam, Rahab, Deborah, Esther, and Yael/Jael, are among many female "saviors" of Israel. Tykva Frymer-Kensky says "victor stories follow the paradigm of Israel's central sacred story: the lowly are raised, the marginal come to the center, the poor boy makes good." [38] :333–337 She goes on to say these women conquered the enemy "by their wits and daring, were symbolic representations of their people, and pointed to the salvation of Israel." [2] :333–337