God's Relationship With Women

God's relationship with women often comes under fire. Women have been oppressed forever and it seems to be justified because of the Bible. Or that's what we are told. We have heard the story of Adam and Eve, Lot's wife, and many others. The laws of the the Old Testament seem to play favorites with the advantage going to men. But if you read the scripture in its entirety you will find a different picture.

Though we may have heard about Deborah, the woman judge of Israel, most of us have only heard it once. How about the woman in the temple who blessed Jesus when He was born? We know Mary was special and Elizabeth. But for the most part woman are told to be seen and not heard by church leadership.

This is not an accurate picture of God's relationship to women. The new testament was about law and establishing order out of chaos. It addressed the weaker side of human nature. But the New Testament seems to point out that the Old Testament was taken wrong. That it was being applied wrong in many areas. Jesus said of many things, "You have heard that it hath been said,... But I say unto you..."

Below is an excerpt from a daily devotional I subscribe to distributed by Crosswalk.com. It is by Girlfriends in God for December 7th, 2007.

Today's Truth

 "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear." Isaiah 59:1

Friend to Friend

When the writers of the Old Testament penned the words to the long list of lineages, the so-and-so begat so-and-so's, they always listed the males. But when we turn the page from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we see God honoring women in a brand new way. Even in the lineage of Jesus recorded in Matthew chapter one, we see four women in addition to Mary in the list! For that time in history, that was quite radical!

Now, if you were going to be part of this liberating radical movement to recognize women in the Holy Scriptures, whom would you pick? Oh, I'd probably include Mrs. Noah. She had to be very patient, submissive wife to be able to put up with all those animals and Noah's wild ideas.

Or perhaps I'd pick Mrs. Moses. Zipporah must have been a very godly woman to allow her husband to travel about in the desert for all those years. Besides, any woman who has a husband in leadership knows the sacrifices she must have made.

Or perhaps I'd pick Sarah. After all, she did bear a child when she was ninety and was married to the Father of many nations.

But no. God did not choose one of these women to be listed in the lineage of our Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ. He chose Rahab -- a redeemed woman who had been a prostitute before she joined the children of God. He chose Tamar -- who had an incestuous relationship with her father-in-law. He chose Bathsheba -- who had an affair with King David and bore a son. And He chose Ruth -- a woman from a cursed nation.

Oh, friend, do you see it? I am so glad that God chose these women. Through their lives, God shows us that there is no place so far from God that He cannot save us, redeem us, and ultimately use us for His glory. His arm is not too short to save us from the deepest pit imaginable. That was true for those four women, and it is true for you and me.

Let's Pray

Dear Heavenly Redeemer, I am so thankful that you chose the weak things of the world to shame the wise. I am one of those "weak things" and I am constantly amazed that you chose me and use me for your glory. Praise You, Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Over the next few days, go back, read the stories of three women listed in Jesus' genealogy, and see what you can learn about their lives.

Rahab: Joshua 2

Tamar: Genesis 38:1-30

Bathsheba: 2 Samual 11

After reading about them, answer these questions: What did God take them from? What did God take them to?

What does this tell you about the people that God can use?