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An example of that is when David had Uriah killed, and God made Davit’s neighbor rape his wife while everyone watched. Despite all the negative ways women were portrayed they definitely had positive impacts too. Women in the bible can be overlooked quite easily. Women have been important throughout history and it is important that they are not overlooked when looking at the Old Testament. The books in the Old Testament of Esther, Judith, Ruth, Deborah, Rehab, and Rehab are examples of women who were very strong in the bible. Esther is rarely self-assured for a woman during her time.
In a time where it would have been much easier to back down and be passive she was the opposite. She wanted the best for everyone and was strong enough to do so. She was a strong and assertive woman put her own life on the line. Esther proved that a women can have a backbone and put up a fight for a group of people Just the same as a man would. According to Hell (2013) “Some, like Queen Esther, were entrusted with political power that led to life-and-death consequences”. She was put into one of those situations when she stood up for the Jewish people when she could have easily let them all die.
Even though she wasn’t the most powerful person in society she showed that each person’s voice counts and people should do what is right, rather than what society wants. Being the attractive woman that she was, Esther probably used her looks to be chosen by the king in the beginning, but when it was all said and done she was remembered for her actions and her words. Deborah was one of the greatest all around people of all time. She was the only female Judge of Israel and was one of the best at that. Deborah was one of very few female prophetess’ and had more wisdom than any man during her time.
She was the leader of the army, and fought in the front line with Bark against the Canniest in a battle they won. Klein(2003) says in his book “Men may follow women in other aspects when the women, like Deborah, lead the people in the ways of the Lord”. People followed her with their life. Deborah was very well all around. She was a poet, singer, Judge, warrior, and wife. She was also considered the “Mother of Israel” because of how she cared for all the people. She showed women that they could do anything a man could do, and in all honesty she did her Job better than any man ever could.
Also she worshipped God religiously. After winning the battle against the Canniest she gave all the glory to God and said they wouldn’t have win the battle with Him. Judith is definitely one of the most hard to read women of the Old Testament. When she is first introduced it seems as if she is a sinner. She lies to Holystones, the army general from Assyria and eventually beheads him. After more and more time it begins to show that Judith is actually a very good follower of God. She even follows God with her life on the line. Judith does everything in her power to do what she thinks God wants her to do.
She risked her life at the Assyrian army camp for the good of God. She went into the camp “to have sex” with Holystones, and instead that is when she killed him. Deskill (2006) says “Judith is a heroine in the cause of God part because of the risk she was willing to take putting herself in the power of a drunken soldier in order to have a shot at protecting her people and defending the honor of her God”. In her mind the God would have accepted her deception, lying, and killing because it was for the better good. She also showed how much praying rewarded.
Judith prayed before every single Job she did, and proved that she was a obedient servant for God. Even when she killed Holystones she prayed to God direct in front of him. He didn’t matter to her. She knew that God was more powerful and ore important. Like Deborah who didn’t take credit for her success in the war, Judith did not take any credit for killing the general. She gave all the credit to God and He blessed her for doing so. Another influential woman was Rehab. She is referred to, not in the bible, as almost a biblical matriarch. She was the mother of Jacob and the wife of Isaac.
Abraham at the time said whomever brought Isaac water first would be the right woman for him. That woman turned out to be Rehab. She went through a very tough time getting pregnant and couldn’t have a child for over 20 years until eventually she had two sons. Though Rehab wasn’t as much as a dominant peers as Deborah, she was still very strong in her own way. Jacob, her first born son was tricked out of receiving Isaacs blessing. Instead of allowing this to happen she tricked Isaac into blessing Jacob. She showed love for her son in devising a plan to save his life.
Rehab didn’t Just go with what her husband said. She knew what the right thing to do was and instead of being a bystander she did the right thing showing great courage. Rehab when first introduced is a prostitute. Merging (2003) said, “There was nothing religious about her activities that earned her the title ‘harlot’. Rehab was a ordinary prostitute who sold sex for money”. Overtime she starts to follow God and becomes a little more respected. Rehab preaches to people not to create assumptions based on the outside of a person because in the end that person may be the person who’s help you need.
Rehab began to follow God and her entire life changed. She put her own life on the line trying to help strangers because she thought it was God would do, and the right thing. Her main accomplishment in her life was helping Israelite spies into her own city because God had sent them. In he town of Jericho she was actually hated and not respected though. She showed great faith in God and eventually became an Israelite. Also because of her faith, and her act of letting the spies in God spared her family. Ruth was a little different than the other women. Ruth followed God in other way than anyone else.
She followed her mother into Bethlehem where she eventually married Boas. Ruth had the choice on if she wanted to stay true to Naomi. Ruth had the choice to go off and meet a man to marry wherever she wanted, but instead she wanted to do the correct thing which is what God valued most. For these reasons she rewarded her son who would become royalty. Ruth taught people how important the laity of loyalty is and always do whatever God would want most. Ruth did the right thing although it obviously was the harder choice, which is a good lesson for everyone to do what God wanted most.
The biblical women: Ruth, Judith, Esther, Rehab, Deborah, and Rehab, all exemplify positive characteristics, and are widely considered to be the epitome of quality role models. It is important to realize that women in biblical times could achieve wonderful things. To put it bluntly, sexual reproduction wasn’t the only thing these biblical ladies were used for. Women show that even though there are less examples, women are powerful and they can do things on their own. References deskill, D. A. (2006). Judith the heroine?