For the next while, I will be taking snapshots of women found in the Bible – women who experienced the same problems as those that modern day women face. King Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 says these words: “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us”.
I have located 33 wiles, 38 woes and 52 wows of women in the Bible – a total of 124 instances of the same found among women today. The material is extensive, and so I have decided to pursue a series of posts on my blog over a period of time.
Today, God is still creating women in the same way, and each one has her own characteristics. Through the ages they have fallen prey to sin, to suffering and they have risen to their individual successes. They marry, bear children and love their husbands and children in the same way.
Women grieve today as before. There are those whose hearts are breaking; there is still the single parent, and there are widows. Women work; run their own businesses; assume responsible roles in the governing world. There are those who serve their Lord and Master; many are excellent wives and many are highly skilled.
Women are wonderfully made. They are gifted and creative. Women make their homes a place of beauty. Conversely, women have the ability to destroy, to harm, to kill, to break up families and to make men grovel in the dust. The tongue of a woman can destroy, slander and injure others. Many have become the temple of Satan, instead of the Temple of God.
Women are loving, compassionate, caring and kind. They are comforters. Many women give freely, like the woman in Proverbs 31:19 (TLB) says, “She . . . gives generously to the poor”. Women are excellent managers in their homes, their work and in their service for the Lord. Many women are highly motivated and energetic. God created them to be able to multi-task in the most amazing ways.
The list of things that women can do is exhaustive. If each Christian woman had to dedicate each of her capabilities and potentials to God, God could use women to change the world. The world would be a hive of activity for the furtherance of the Gospel.
As it was at the beginning of time, so it is today. Women are no better than those before, when God took a rib from Adam, and formed a marvel of a creation. But God can do far more, beyond all expectation, with the woman who has placed every domain of her life in the hands of her Creator. If five loaves of bread and two fish could feed five thousand people, how much more one committed and willing woman – a woman whose desires above all else, are to serve her Savior with every ounce of her being.
1. Eve and Evil
God created Eve and then placed her in the most perfect place – the Garden of Eden. There was only one restriction – her and Adam were not to eat of the Tree of Good and Evil. God said to them, “If you do, you will die” – and they did eat of it! They were tempted by the serpent, Satan, in such a way, that they listened to him and disobeyed God.
They did not know what death meant. They were the first human beings to be created. No one had ever died before. Eve was the first person to commit sin, followed by Adam. God drove them out of the Garden of Eden. How awful that must have been! Previously God had met them in the cool of the evening and they had walked around the Garden with Him. Then He sent an angel with a flaming sword to drive them out of paradise. (Genesis 4:1-12)
From that moment and to the end of time, human beings have and will face death. Adam and Eve unfortunately were confronted with death – the first death ever on earth. Their sin with the consequences, was passed onto their firstborn son, Cain, who committed extreme evil by murdering his brother, Abel. The true meaning of death stared them in the face. This was the beginning of family murders. The sins we commit always affect others.
Centuries later, God’s Son was also murdered – our dear Lord Jesus – a murder for which we are all guilty. It was our sin that was responsible for Jesus’ death. Sin is the most serious act that anyone could commit. It is so serious that the punishment is hell! . . . unless we accept God’s redemption plan – a total commitment to the Lamb that was slain for us – Jesus Christ!
“He who has the Son has life, and he who has not the Son of God, shall not see life”. (1 John 5:12)
2. Boat and Both
What a blessing to have one’s family intact! There is no greater blessing than to have your entire family transferred into Heaven, with not one member missing. Imagine for a moment if your father or your mother, or son or daughter, will be missing one day in Heaven!
Noah was the most righteous man on the face of the earth, and God saved him and seven of his family members from the floods that destroyed all life on the face of the earth. Four men and four women were saved. Father, have you taken the lead? Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Mother, son or daughter are you the only Christian in your family? Be encouraged – take the lead – on your knees, for the rest of your family.
The pic above shows a favored family – all will be present in Heaven!
At one stage Jesus’ earthly family was divided. He had four half-brothers. In John 7:1-9, we read how his brothers scoffed at Him. Verse 5 says, “ . . . even His brothers did not believe in Him”. In Matthew 13:55, we see that His brothers’ names were James, Joses, Simon and Judas. After Jesus’ resurrection, James and Judas accepted their half-brother, Jesus, as their Messiah and eventually wrote the books of James and Jude in the Bible. James’ opening greeting speaks volumes as to how he views his half-brother. He states, “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” What a dramatic change must have occurred in his life when He realized that both he and the Messiah, his brother, lived in the same house. He watched Jesus grow and develop in the family. Acts 1:9 says, “They all continued praying together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers”. 1 Corinthians 9:5, says that “the brothers of the Lord'”, together with Peter went on missionary trips. God does change families – He did that to Jesus’ family, and He can do it for ours.
Jude also stated in his book, “Jude a bondservant of Jesus Christ”. Jesus, no doubt, prayed for His family and even today, as we bring our family members to Him, Hebrews 7;25 (NKJV) states, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them”.
Mother, daughter, sister, is your entire family bound for heaven? We, as women, need to pray for our family members, so that our families may too, be safe in God’s ark – Heaven – one day. If it seems impossible that certain members of your family could ever be saved, remember, “He is also able to save to the uttermost” – from the uttermost to the guttermost!
3. Shun the Son and the “Other One”
“Sarai and Abram had no children. So Sarai took her maid, an Egyptian girl named Hagar, and gave her to Abram to be his second wife. She became pregnant and arrogant, and so Sarai beat her. Fourteen years later Sarai gave birth to Isaac. When a child was weaned at the age of two or three, the parents had a celebration. At the party Ishmael teased Isaac and Sarai become enraged and said to Abram, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son”’” (Genesis 21:10. NKJV)
A common problem found even today, when a spouse was married before, and had children from his or her previous spouse, is that of a stepmother and a stepchild, or stepchildren. If the previous spouse is still alive, the “other woman” is often seen as a problem as well. Often families become divided and many social issues arise. The incident with Sarai and Hagar is common today, including that of Sarai and Ishmael – the “other woman and child” issue.
The unwanted woman and child were sent away from the family. Genesis 21:14 (NKJV) states, “So Abram rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wondered in the wilderness . . .” Many women and children who have been “sent away” through rejection and divorce, wander around in tremendous hardship in their wilderness circumstances.
Our Heavenly Father cares for these “outcasts”. “And God heard the voice of the lad” – “Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water” – “so God was with the lad”. (Genesis 21:17, 19, 20 NKJV) The book of Hosea has wonderful promises for the “other woman” and for the “outcast children”:
“But I will court her again, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak to her comfortably there. There I will give back her vineyards to her, and transform her Valley of Troubles into a Door of Hope. She shall respond to Me there, singing with joy as in days long ago in her youth . . . In that coming day, says the Lord, she shall call Me “My Husband” . . . I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness and love, and you shall know Me then as you never have before”. (Hosea 2:14-16; 20. TLB)
In God’s sight, dearest woman, you will never be an outcast woman.
As for the precious “Ishmaels”, our Heavenly Father says, “ . . . for in You alone, O Lord, the fatherless find mercy.” (Hosea 14:3, TLB)
“There is no other god like our God!”
4. Rivalry to Ruin
Isaac and Rebekah had a divided family. The first sign of a crack in their family, is found in Genesis 25:28 (NKJV). “And Isaac loved Esau . . . but Rebekah loved Jacob”. Parental favoritism causes dissention in the family unit, and is responsible for conflict and heartache within the family circle. It is extremely painful for the children who are not favored, and leaves deep scars in their lives.
Isaac was ageing and he knew that the time of his death was drawing nearer. It was the Jewish custom that the firstborn son of the man, was to receive a double portion of his inheritance. Esau and Jacob were twins, obviously not identical twins, by the description of their features. Esau was born first, followed by Jacob.
Rebekah overheard Isaac asking Esau for a pot of his favorite game dish and telling him that at the same time he would bestow upon him his final fatherly blessing, his birthright. Rebekah went to Jacob, her favorite son and devised a deceitful scheme so that Jacob would receive the double potion of Isaac’s inheritance instead.
God had promised Rebekah when she was pregnant with the twins that “ . . . the older shall serve the younger”, but she had taken the matter into her own hands. Her intervention resulted in serious consequences: (1) Esau threatened to kill Jacob when their father died; (2) Isaac sent Jacob to Laban, and so the family was divided; (3) Laban deceived Jacob during his stay there; (4) He was separated from his family for many years, and (5) His mother died and he never saw her again.
Parental favoritism can have disastrous effects on the family as a whole. Each child that God gives us is different. May we never injure our precious children by preferring one above the other or others! God is no respecter of persons, so why should we be, as parents?
5. Runaway to Roundabout
Jacob served Laban for twenty years. During that period of time, he experienced what it was like to be deceived. He was deeply in love with Rachel, and discovered that his father-in-law had given Leah to him as his bride, instead of Rachel. He changed his wages ten times, hoping to cripple Jacob’s enterprise. Even Laban’s daughter declared, “Are we not a stranger by him – for he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money?” (Genesis 31:15 NKJV)
Jacob had a dream one night and God instructed him, “Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family”. (Genesis 31:13, NKJV) Jacob, the deceiver, could not seek restitution with his brother until he had first been fully reconciled to God. That is the only way to bring total healing to fractured family relationships. In Genesis 32:10-11, NKJV, Jacob prays, “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau”. For twenty years he had been separated from his family.
Jacob prepared a present for Esau comprising 550 animals – goats, camels, cows and donkeys. So Jacob prayed for forgiveness and protection from his brother; he prepared a present, but there was one more step needful for Jacob in God’s plan – a wrestling match – this time not with his father trying to convince him that he was Esau; not with Esau from whom he had deceitfully received his birthright; not with Laban who had repeatedly cheated him; not with his wives over the birth of sons; this time he had to wrestle with the Angel of God, believed to be the Messiah, Jesus Himself. This was the toughest test. Would he be able to endure wrestling with God? “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day”. He clung onto the Angel for all he was worth, even after his hip joint was dislocated. When the Angel said to him, “Let me go . . “ Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless You bless me . . . “ (Genesis 33:10, NKJV)
Genesis 33:1-11 (NKJV) describes their initial meeting and reunion. “Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, Esau was coming and with him were four hundred men. “ . . . But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept. Then Jacob urged him to take the gift of Jacob’s animals, but Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself”. His forgiveness was genuine; he could not be bribed or bought.
God blessed this reunion, and both brothers were able to be with their father Isaac when he died, and together they buried their father (Genesis 35:28-29) It is interesting to note how two other brothers were also brought together again. “Then Abraham breathed his last and died . . . And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him . . . “ (Genesis 25:8-9)
Favoritism fractured Isaac and Rebekah’s family. A mother brought division in her family. May we, as mothers, favor each of our precious children equally!
6. Saved or Seared
Many families are divided following the death of a loved one, when they discover the wishes of the departed one, stated in his or her will. Materialism and the love of it, many times, becomes a wedge between God’s way and the world’s way.
Lot chose the choice land when Abraham unselfishly allowed him to choose the area he desired in which to settle. Abraham said to him, “’”Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left”. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere . . . like the garden of the Lord . . .” Lot’s choice appeared to be the best materially, yes, but the worst imaginable spiritually, as he discovered later on. In the end when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he landed up living in a cave in the mountain outside the city called Zoar.
Lot’s wife was also materialistic and despite being warned by God, and even been taken hold of by the hand by the Angel in great haste, she still turned to take a last look at that which was material. God overthrew the cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and everything that grew on the ground. In an instant Lot lost the choice land he coveted, including his wife, and his wife lost everything she possessed including her life. (Genesis 19:14-26)
Jesus gave us another example of the result of preferring materialism above God, in Luke 12:16-21. A rich man owned a field which yielded bountifully, so much so, that he ran out of storage space. He decided to pull down his barns and build even bigger ones, so that he could gather in even more. Then he would sit back in great ease and drink and eat and be satisfied and happy for the rest of his days. Then God delivered a stinging blow to his comfortable situation. “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee . . .” Jesus warns us , “Take heed, and beware of covetousness; for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth . . . So is he who layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God”. (Luke 12:15, 21)
The prophet Haggai has this to say about placing materialism above God: “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins? . . . Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts; “Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink, you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes. You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. “Why,” says the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house”’”. (Haggai 1:4-5, NKJV)
Peter admonishes women, "”Do not let your adornment be merely outward – ARRANGING THE HAIR, wearing GOLD, or putting on FINE APPAREL – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a GENTLE and QUIET SPIRIT, which is very precious in the sight of God.” (1 Peter 3:3-4, NKJV)
Paul mentions in 2 Timothy 4:10, “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed . . .”
“Take heed and beware of covetousness . . . Thou shalt not covet”.
7. Maternal Mortality
Maternal mortality is rare in developed countries, but happens too frequently in developing countries. What a tragedy! The baby is born and deprived of it’s mother’s love. How sad that the mother who carried her baby and gave birth to it, never had the chance to welcome her treasure into the world. The little helpless one is left alone in the world, and orphaned in the event of the father having abandoned the mother prior to the birth.
The child that grows up without a real mother must truly suffer from a “hole in the heart” for the rest of his or her days. When they learn for the first time and can understand the meaning of death and separation from a mother, they must go through tremendous pain and grief, knowing that their mother died because of their being born. Our world is full of hurting people, hurting from a multitude of causes of severe suffering.
God said through David, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up”. (Psalm 27:10) Jacob loved Rachel, but she was barren. She heard the newborn cry of eleven babies in her home, ten boys and a girl, before she heard the cry of the gift God gave her, Joseph, her beloved firstborn baby. Joseph means, “He will add” and she said, “The Lord shall add another son”. (Genesis 30:24, NKJV)
God spoke to Jacob and told him to take his family and all their possessions, and to go to Bethel, the very place where Jacob had the vision of God in heaven, with a ladder reaching down to earth and angels ascending and descending the ladder. Here God renamed Jacob, Israel, and he set up a pillar of stone as a memorial to God. They journeyed from Bethel and were traveling toward Ephrah, (Bethlehem), when Rachel went into labor with her second son. Her baby was born and just before she died, after he was born, she expressed her deepest sorrow; she named him “Ben-Oni”, the “Son of my sorrow”. Oh! the pain of knowing you have just given birth to your beloved baby and that you are dying! Rachel just did not make it to Bethlehem. Centuries later, Mary did, and Jesus was born there. Israel (formerly Jacob) renamed his son, Benjamin.
The twelve tribes of Israel were divided eventually into two kingdoms, the northern kingdom, which had ten tribes, and the southern kingdom, containing two tribes – Judah and Benjamin.
We, today, as Gentiles have benefited greatly from Benjamin. Paul the apostle was born out of the tribe of Benjamin, (Philippians 3:5), and Paul was chosen by God to become a pioneer missionary among the Gentiles.
How many children’s hearts bleed today, as they think of their beloved mothers who gave their lives for their sakes! How like our precious Jesus!
8. Basket not Casket
“A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousands at your right hand, but it shall not come near you”. (Psalm 91:7, NKJV) That is what happened to baby Moses. Amidst massive infanticide, God preserved the future leader of Israel.
Fearing lest the Israelis would outnumber the Egyptians, Pharaoh instructed the Hebrew midwives to kill all male neonates, but to let the baby girls live. They failed to carry out his orders, and so he went further to command his people to throw every Hebrew baby boy into the river. Jeremiah 31:15 (NKJV) also describes the extreme sorrow of mothers whose children were slain in the Babylonian invasion. “A voice heard in Rama, lamenting and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
When Jesus was born, King Herod wanted to kill Him and he gave orders to kill every male child two years and younger. Once again the “the voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children . . . “ (Matthew 2:18-19)
In the first instance in Egypt, God preserved Moses for His life’s purpose, and his mother Jochabed made him a little basket from bulrushes and pitch. Despite Herod’s threat to kill male infants, Moses was safe, even in the very king’s palace. God made a promise in Isaiah 65:19-20 (NKJV), that during the millennial period, “The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days . . .”
What deep heartache for those women who have lost infants, toddlers and older children. Surely one day Heaven will be more precious, when parents and babies will be reunited, when “the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard . . . “
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