“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).
God has established specific roles for men and women. Both are essential for life, but men and women have different roles in life. The man is a leader. He is designed to be a strong hunter and protector. There are always exceptions, but these roles were established in the Garden of Eden.
It was Adam who received the order from God not to eat the forbidden fruit, but it was Eve who was deceived because she chose to question God, but believed Satan’s lie. Quite often, women are viewed as weak or not worthy of God’s attention. That isn’t true. God can and will use anybody who is willing to be obedient to Him.
The first strong, God-fearing woman we read about lived during a very trying time. Israel was a nation, but had become very pagan in their ways. They had turned away from important points of Jewish Law, and God allowed enemies to make trouble. At that time, judges ruled over Israel. They were chosen by God for a specific purpose. Most were men, but there are times when a man cannot be found who is willing to serve God. It must be noted that God didn’t allow trouble to afflict Israel for no reason, but disobedience always has consequences. It was during a time of disobedience when the Canaanites became a problem.
“And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel” (Judges 4:1-3).
Like us, Israel caused their own trouble because of disobedience, then when trouble resulted, they would call out to God. God will never abandon Israel. This time, there was no man who was worthy to be called, but along came Deborah.
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time” (Judges 4:4).
She served God and was willing to do whatever He asked. As she was serving God, some of the Israelites came to her for judgment and help against the Canaanites. Deborah was wise enough to know that she would need a man to lead the attack. She called for Barak to lead the army. Barak said he would go, but only if she went too.
“And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:9).
So, off they went to fight Sisera. His army was all killed, but Sisera escaped and ran to hide in a tent of Jael, the wife of Heber. He thought Jael would protect him. He thought he was safe, “Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died” (Judges 4:21).
Just as Deborah prophesied, Sisera was killed at the hand of a woman. God uses willing and obedient people.
As we read through Scripture, we find many strong women. In 1 Samuel, we read of a man named Elkanah who had two wives. Now, I’m not advocating multiple wives, but it was normal for a man to have more than one wife during the Old Testament days. This was a way of protecting a woman and providing for her. It does underline that bad feelings can come from an arrangement like this.
One wife was Peninnah. She was a very insensitive person who thought she was superior because she had children. Then along came Hannah, a very gentle woman who desired to have children. She didn’t want them for a status symbol, but a way to serve the Lord. She honored God. Peninnah was an adversary who treated Hannah terribly.
“And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb” (1 Samuel 1:6).
Hannah didn’t fight back, but quietly cried and lost her appetite. Instead of lashing out, Hannah went to God. “And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head” (1 Samuel 1:10-11).
That may sound strange to us today, but what Hannah promised God, that if He would allow her to have a son, she would give him back to God. She promised a Nazirite vow for the child. Hannah was sincere in her prayer and prayed so intensely (mouthing the words) that the priest Eli saw her and thought she was drunk. He told her to put away her wine.
“And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:15).
Eli gave her a blessing and assured her God would answer her prayer. God delights in answering prayer, and Hannah did indeed become pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel. Hannah kept him close to her until he was weaned, then she took him to Eli, the priest. Hannah didn’t forget her promise to God, nor did she forget that it was God who allowed her to have a son.
Hannah told Eli, “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD” (1 Samuel 1:27-28).
Samuel did stay with Eli and became a great prophet who served the Lord faithfully. It was Samuel who anointed David as king of Israel. Hannah is an example of a woman who desires to give her best for the Lord, and through her, blessings continue.
The nation of Israel had many gaps in their service to the Lord. His blessings were rich when they obeyed Him, but times were tough when they rebelled. The Southern Kingdom had stopped allowing the land to lie fallow every seven years, so God allowed them to be taken captive to Babylon. The captivity would not be permanent, but long enough to give the land rest.
When they were allowed to leave Babylon, many decided to remain because it had become their home. As time went on, a king named Ahasuerus came to rule Babylon. During a party, he wanted his wife to parade herself in front of the men so they could see her beauty. The queen refused, and Ahasuerus banished Vashti, which left him without a queen. It was decided that pretty young girls would be brought before the king, so he could choose which one he desired to be his queen.
There was a lovely Jewish girl who lived near the palace. Her name was Hadassah. She had been raised by her cousin Mordecai because her parents had died. As it happened, Hadassah, known as Esther, was one of the girls kidnapped by the king’s men. Mordecai was able to see her as he walked by the place where Esther was held, and he warned her not to let on that she was Jewish.
All of the young girls were bathed in fragrant oils, and eventually, each one was taken to the king to see if she pleased him. One by one they were rejected, but then it was Esther’s turn.
“Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her” (Esther 2:15).
The king fell in love, and Esther became his queen. There was another man who lived there, named Haman. He was evil and hated the Jewish population and plotted to have them all killed. Haman had built himself up in the king’s eyes, and instigated a decree that everyone was to bow in reverence to Haman, but Mordecai refused. Haman was irate.
“And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai” (Esther 3:6).
On a specific day, all of the people in the kingdom were to kill the Jewish people. The king set his seal on the decree. Then came Esther. She learned about the decree and was grieved. She knew that she could not approach the king on her own because he could have her killed, but she also knew that she was the only one who could make him see what was happening. She also knew that when all Jewish people were killed, she would be among them.
Esther first called for fasting and prayer. Then she dressed in her finest attire and said, “If I perish, I perish,” and went to seek an audience with the king. Thank God, King Ahasuerus held out his scepter to her and allowed her to come near. She invited the king and Haman to a dinner, and during that dinner, she was able to expose the evil plan of Haman. Instead of the Jews being killed, it was Haman and his sons who died. Because Esther did what was needed in spite of the danger to her own life, the Jewish peoples were saved.
Time continued to pass, and prophecy drew closer to fulfillment. Some people knew what prophecy said concerning the Messiah and believed God. Others stopped looking for Him to come and thought God really meant something other than what He clearly said. It was sort of the same scenario as the Rapture. God says it will happen, but people re-interpret what God says.
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Galatians 4:4).
Then along came Mary. She was nothing more than a human girl growing up in Nazareth. In those days, children were taught to be responsible adults. Boys were taught to be men, capable of supporting a family and leading them to follow God; girls were taught to run a house and be a good mother to her children, and a good wife to her husband. The Law was followed, and things like adultery were clearly against God’s Law.
Mary was young and betrothed to a man named Joseph. This meant they were considered married, but until all things had been prepared, they would live separately and the marriage would not be consummated until all things were ready. Mary would be a virgin until then.
Roman rule was very oppressive, and the people longed for their Messiah to come and deliver them from the Roman rulers. Although they were under Roman rule, the Jewish people still honored the Law of Moses. They knew their history and also knew prophecies regarding the Messiah.
Both Mary and Joseph were direct descendants of King David. Joseph was from the royal line through Solomon, while Mary was descended from Solomon’s brother Nathan. Joseph and Mary looked forward to being husband and wife and raising a family. One day, things changed. The angel Gabriel was sent by God to tell Mary she was chosen to give birth to the Messiah… God’s own Son.
Although some denominations try to say Mary was more than human, they are wrong. Mary was fully human, and that’s very important in order for Jesus to be our Kinsman Redeemer. The message from Gabriel was confusing, and Mary was afraid.
“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:30-33).
She could only ask how this could come about because she had never been with a man; she was a virgin. Gabriel told her the Holy Ghost would come upon her and the power of the Highest would overshadow her. The child would be called the Son of God. Mary submitted to God’s plan.
That’s the powerful truth of all the women mentioned above. They submitted to God, and He gave them strength to endure. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38).
Then came the reality of the situation. She had to tell her family and also tell Joseph that she was with child. According to Jewish law, Mary could have been sentenced to death because she seemingly had committed adultery. Joseph was preparing all things for his soon-to-be bride when she was suddenly pregnant. The shock and disappointment must have been overwhelming.
“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily” (Matthew 1:19).
Joseph was a special man and didn’t want to bring charges against Mary, but decided to quietly “divorce” her. He was about to have another shock. “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
Joseph obeyed, and after Jesus was born, the marriage was consummated. Joseph and Mary had sons and daughters together, but Jesus was the firstborn. Before Mary gave birth, they had to travel to Bethlehem because of a census which Rome decreed. Many people had made the journey to Bethlehem, and the only lodging Joseph could find was in a stable. While they were in Bethlehem, the blessed Lamb of God was quietly born in a manger, with only Joseph and Mary there to witness the birth.
God’s holy angels couldn’t contain their joy, and announced the birth to shepherds in the fields. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:10-14).
The joy of His birth continues today to all who believe in Him. Glory to God in the highest!!
Throughout time, women have been able to serve God in ways that men can’t. Deborah stepped up when there were no men willing. Hannah desired a son that she promised to dedicate to God, and she was faithful. Esther was the only one in a position to protect the Jewish population from extinction. Mary was willing to submit to God no matter what it may have cost her.
Ladies, don’t usurp the authority of a God-fearing man, and always submit to God. His truth is found in Scripture, and He will never ask you to do anything that is contrary to His Law. Both men and women have an important role to fill in God’s perfect plan.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).