Bible Women

One of the books on the shelves in my childhood bedroom that I shared with my younger sister was A Little Golden Book: Bible Stories of Boys and Girls. Here the children of the Hebrew Scriptures came alive – Rebekah at the well, Joseph and his dreams, Samuel the Lord’s child, David the shepherd, and Miriam the good sister. Each child had an encounter that, knowingly or unknowingly, brought them closer to God.

The Book of Exodus begins with the bad times that had come to the children of Israel. To stop the ever-increasing number of Israelites in his land, the Egyptian Pharaoh wanted all boy babies killed. A Levite couple, Jochebed and Amram, had a son, and his mother hid him for three months. When she could not hide him any longer, she laid the baby in a covered basket of bulrushes and put the little boat among the reeds by the river bank. The baby’s big sister Miriam stood at a distance to watch over him. Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, and saying she needed someone to care for the child, Miriam stepped forward and said, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” not revealing that she would get her own mother, the mother of the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed, “Take this child and nurse it for me and I will give you your wages.” So the happy mother had her baby back. Because his sister Miriam had watched over him, the boy grew up safe and sound at home, and when he was older, this boy Moses was educated in the Pharaoh’s palace and became the greatest leader his people knew.

Miriam’s role as big sister did not end in the simple tale of one sibling looking after another. She became a leader-prophet of the women of Israel. After crossing the Red Sea, following the great song which her brother Moses sang in honor of all Israel, Miriam organized the women in response, with “tambourines and with dancing”. “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.” The singing of women in ancient times gave expression to war, battle, and miracle. It is believed that the Song of Moses was actually composed by Miriam to articulate and summarize the historical experience of escaping the Pharaoh’s chariots, and also to prepare the people to cope with the forthcoming challenges. And so, Miriam was a herald; she prepared the people for what was to come following the crossing of the Red Sea. She had been the guardian of the vision; having watched over her baby brother, perhaps knowing even then that there was greatness ahead. In the wilderness she was the guardian of the vision that was to be, a new home for their people. She was, in childhood and in adulthood, the big sister who watches and worries and prepares for the future.

Miriam wasn’t a perfect big sister. Who in Hebrew Scriptures, after all, is perfect? Who of us is perfect? She and her other brother, Aaron, criticized Moses and resented his authority. “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” The Lord called the three into a meeting, and at the end of it, Miriam only (not Aaron or Moses) was plagued with leprosy. Because of Moses’ and Aaron’s pleas, the Lord allowed her leprosy to disappear after her seven days of banishment from the camp. In a lovely touch of compassion, the people did not journey until she was brought into the camp again. She lived on, and as tradition tells, became a mother and the forebear of kings.

We Episcopal Church Women are the big sisters of the church. We are women at any age who help others find greatness and find in ourselves the greatness to lead. As some of us look to the future and to the younger women of the church accomplishing wonderful things, we can be their big sisters, watching out for them and accompanying them on their journey. We who are younger can learn from the wisdom of the women around us and know we are never alone in all the works we do. Together we are members of a women’s chorus. We give expression to the concerns of God’s people and we sing not as a call to war and battle but to peace and justice, and always to the miracles of our God. We are sisters to each other.

During the first 2 weeks of December, I will be on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This is my second pilgrimage, and because of Lindsay’s book, I will be looking through new eyes, through the eyes of the women who lived in the land and who spoke at the ancient sites I will see.

++++ Coming December 15th ++++

Chapter 26: Elizabeth and Mary, the mother of Jesus

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

I find it intriguing that the voice within the slave girl had something wonderful and profound to say: “These men are the slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” And yet Paul was irritated and commanded the spirit to come out of the girl. My initial thought is to see her as quite the opposite of an irritant and more as a prophet, like John the Baptist, who came before another and declared the truth. Jesus never got irritated with John’s rantings, but then no one ever expects Paul to behave like Jesus.

William Barkley writes in his commentary on The Acts of the Apostles that the slave girl was called a Pytho, a person who could give oracles to guide others about the future. A Pytho was considered mad and was respected by the people who believed that the gods had taken away the mad one’s wits and replaced them with the minds of the gods.

Of course, I write from what I read, and on the surface I see a girl who is saying good things about Paul and the others, and so must be a prophetess to be heeded. But delving deeper and learning about the original Greek, I discover that the word used to describe the girl’s voice is “false prophet”. No matter what good may be said, if it comes from Satan it may be real but it is not good. And Paul’s irritation is not just with an annoying voice that follows him around, again understanding the original Greek, but irritation of anger and sadness, anger at the slave owners and sadness of the girl’s plight.

The beauty of Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter is the depth of learning that the Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman has provided for us. We begin with Scripture and a few words spoken by a woman or a girl. We look at the verses surrounding those words and see why the woman is important to the story. We dig deeper, into others’ commentaries to learn more from the original text and centuries of study, and we dig deeper, into our hearts and our personal experiences. We bring each of the women into the 21^st Century to understand why they are all still relevant today.

I give thanks to Lindsay+ for taking me on a journey to meet new friends, 93 extraordinary women who said enough to be included in the Holy Bible. I thank her for giving my imagination the freedom to end the stories as I want to see them ended. The fortune telling slave girl? Why, she came back to hear Paul and Silas speak again and there met Lydia, the seller of purple. The girl was adopted into Lydia’s household and adopted into the Household of Christ.

I give thanks to the Episcopal Church Women for coming along on the journey and for sharing their insights with me and with others, either through this blog or in book study groups. I know the studies will continue, long into the future.

++++ Coming June 26th, 2015 ++++

Breakfast with Lindsay Hardin Freeman

48^th Triennial Meeting – Salt Lake City

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

Have you ever served on a stewardship or pledge campaign committee? I have. Not only does the committee work to encourage members of the congregation to give and hopefully tithe in support of the church’s programs and operating expenses, the committee works to educate people on the reason to pledge and how to pledge reasonably. Emphasis on the love of God, the love of God’s creation, and the love of God’s people are all elements of good stewardship education. And it doesn’t matter if the church is large or small, with a healthy endowment fund or none at all; there is always a need for everyone to participate and share in the financial wellbeing of the church. As the campaign goes along, the committee is able to gauge its success, and there may be a call for more giving with a supplemental pledge. The needs of the church are emphasized and the campaign pulls not only on the purse strings, but also on the heart strings. However, never is there a call for anyone to put their personal financial situation in jeopardy in order to meet the church’s goals.

Sapphira and her husband, Ananais, remind me of church members who get too caught up in the joy of giving. The stewardship sermon stirs the heart and there is a desire to solve all the problems and meet all the goals that have been brought to the people. These church members make a pledge, one they plan to fulfill, but as the year progresses the payments lag and by the end of the year the pledge is not met. And perhaps the budget income is not met, and the church scrambles to determine what program, what staff member, or what building need will have to take the hit. Ananais and Sapphira said they would sell their land and give all the proceeds to the Christian community. No one asked them to give up everything; it was their pledge to make. But when the time came to tell Peter and the others the sale price for the land, Ananais lied to Peter. When Peter confronted him, not about how much was given, but about the lie, Ananais fell dead. Wow! Peter is some pledge campaign committee chair! At my church we receive reminder letters if we still owe on our pledge; we hold a Catch-Up Sunday in February to give people one last chance to complete their previous year’s pledge. Peter’s style is quite different from the low-key Episcopal way.

And then Peter asked Sapphira about the pledge and the price for the land. Sapphira answered “Yes, that was the price.” Sapphira was caught up, too, in the excitement of supporting the fledgling community. She made the pledge, too, and she lied about the land’s proceeds. It is best to make an honest and reasonable pledge that can be met, than to raise expectations for those planning for the new year’s ministry.

Now Lydia is an ideal pledger. She was a businesswoman who also was stirred by the “stewardship” sermon. But she responded by pledging not only a portion of her wealth, but more importantly her heart and soul. She and her household were baptized, making a more important commitment to God than any money can buy. I can almost hear Jesus’ words being said about Lydia that Jesus spoke to Martha about her sister, Mary: “She has chosen the better part.” Lydia stayed committed to the new community by opening her home to those who were spreading the Good News to the people of Philippi. “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” Sapphira was judged to be a liar and died for her lies; Lydia was judged to be faithful in her pledge of time, talent, and treasure.

It is for each of us to look at our own commitments to God. What have you pledged from your stores of time, talent, and treasure? Have you set realistic goals? Is the Holy Spirit your partner in meeting those goals? Is there more that you can do to help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ?

++++ Coming May 15th ++++

 Chapter 28

The Fortune-Telling Slave Girl

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

There is something to be said for the early hours of the morning. The sun is just below the horizon and light is beginning to chase away the dark. The noises of humans – cars, delivery trucks, televisions – have not yet permeated the air, so the calls of birds can be heard, from the little chickadee to the raucous blue jay. It is the time of day to be open to possibilities and receptive to God.

This was the time of day when Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to be near Jesus. He was dead, yes, but to be at the place where his body was laid was to be as close to him as she could, or so she thought. We do the same, don’t we? We visit the gravesite or columbarium of a loved one and we plan to just sit for awhile, to listen to the birds, to notice what little flowers are growing around the marker, to simply be in the presence once again of one who is now gone. It is a place and time that is open for remembering, and it becomes a place for more than that, a place that is open to possibilities. Mary arrived at the tomb and found it open. Her first reaction was to run and get the men. She broke the spell of the morning and ran from the possibilities found in the quiet. Peter and John arrived, discovered for themselves the empty tomb, and left again. Once more Mary was left in the quiet of the morning, in a place to remember and reflect. Just as one needs the quiet to hear the songs of the smallest birds, Mary needed the quiet to hear the angels of God. Now she was open to see and hear the angels say to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” She was open to see and hear the gardener say to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She heard the smallest of sounds, like the call of a bird that will be drowned out during the hustle and bustle of the day but can be heard in the early morning hours. She heard the voice of her friend and teacher. She turned to him and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” I hope she stayed awhile, to be in Jesus’ presence, to have a quiet and reassuring conversation with him, before she ran off to tell the others as Jesus instructed her to do.

Mornings are my time to be open to the possibilities of the day. It is early morning now as I write this, a time when I am open to hear the voice of God and to be stirred to do what God calls me to do. Mornings are the time of day to watch the darkness fade and the light appear. In the darkness of our lives, it is Jesus who brings the light to our day and drives away the fears. It is Jesus who gives us a song to hear and creation to appreciate and hope to be reborn. I hope you allow yourself a time in the day to be still and to be open to hear God speak to you.

There is a legend about Mary of Magdala that is depicted in our illustration and in many icons. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene gained an invitation to a banquet held by Emperor Tiberius Caesar. She held up a white egg in front of him and declared “Jesus is risen.” He laughed and said, “that is as possible as your egg turning to red”, and before he could complete his sentence, the egg had indeed turned to red. Mary declared again, “Jesus is risen.” On that day many people in attendance became followers of Christ.

This little story may be hard to believe, and it is relegated to legend, not gospel. But consider the power of God in your life when you are open to hear and believe. As we so often say, with God all things are possible.

++++ Coming May 1st ++++

 Chapter 28

Sapphira and Lydia

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

I recently attended my parish women’s retreat. I led Saturday meditations, guiding the women to BE in the Spirit and not just DO ministry. The women were divided into small groups of four and asked to share with each other, easily and non-threatening at first, deeper and deeper as we progressed through the day. It was all quite congenial and I was pleased to see everyone participating as both sharers and listeners. A deacon’s ministry is to stir things up, to raise awareness of the needs of the world, and to prod people to do the work God calls us to do. And so, deviating from the theme to Be, I, the deacon, asked the women to look at a time and talent assessment form and share how they might expand themselves in ministry at our church. After the women reconvened from their small groups, the youngest woman at the retreat, in her mid-thirties, said quite honestly that she found this exercise disturbing. Family, work, long commute, and volunteer ministries for which she was already committed were taking a toll on her. To ask for more, just a little more, was too much. It took me back to the time when I had all those aspects in my life, too. I was approached to become active with my church’s ECW and I burst into tears. I had to say no. And it was so hard. We women hate to disappoint. Here we were, on a spiritual retreat, and for a few moments the multiple needs of others forced its way into our being. Some women talked about how they struggle to keep balance in their lives and others talked how they have accomplished that balance. Loving support was given to those who are just now learning how to say no when no is the necessary response. The moments passed and we returned to talking and sharing how we can Be ourselves and Be present with God, no matter what or what not we are able to Do.

As I prepared to write about the Women at the Tomb, I was surprised at one of Lindsay’s reflection questions: “Many women are responsible for seeing tasks through in their faith communities and have reached a certain level of fatigue because of it. How do you keep your spiritual life balanced while attending to the many details of your personal and/or professional life?” When I think of the women at the tomb, I don’t think first of fatigue. My goodness, these are strong women who keep on keepin’ on. I think of the courage of staying through the crucifixion, the sadness at seeing the young man’s tragic death, the devoutness of going to make final preparations for the body, and the shock of hearing the angel as he stood before the opened tomb. I don’t think of these women’s exhaustion at yet one more ministry to Jesus. Perhaps it was Mary Magdalene, the youngest of the three women, who showed the most exhaustion. Perhaps she told the disciples’ mothers that it was getting to be too much. And perhaps those older women shared with her how they keep balance in their lives, while caring for their sons, while caring for all the disciples, I think, but also while caring for our Lord.

There is another emotion that comes to mind when I think of the women at the tomb, and that is Joy. There is egotistical joy in seeing a task to its end and receiving accolades for sheer doggedness. The greater joy is simply Being in the moment and seeing Jesus here, with us, drawing us near. As Easter approaches we must first spend those final days and hours with Jesus and walk the way of the cross. It is emotionally exhausting. But we know the Happy Ending, and that gives us strength to say Alleluia, and to say yes to all we are called to do.

++++ Coming April 15th ++++

Chapter 27

Mary Magdalene

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

Prayer is a mystical thing, I think. Prayer in my childhood home was by rote. We were taught the Lord’s Prayer and we recited dinner graces found in The Book of Common Prayer. What to pray in any given circumstance was found in the Prayer Book. From somewhere deep inside of me, I discovered personal prayer in conversation with God. In the Book of Tobit, his son, Tobias travels to Media to claim family money left there for safekeeping; the angel Raphael, posing as Tobias’ travel companion, leads him to the home of a wealthy man, Raguel. Raguel and Edna have one daughter, Sarah. What a perfect match for Tobias. Tobias has been raised to treat others fairly and kindly and he is about to bring back wealth to his family. He will find with Sarah a woman of the same faith, class, and concern for others. There is just one little catch: Sarah is possessed by the wicked demon, Asmodeus, who has killed the first seven bridegrooms of Sarah. Is Tobias to be the eighth? Enter the maid of Raguel’s household. As Lindsay+ has written in her reflections, this is the maid most likely to have prepared Sarah for the seven wedding celebrations. With each wedding, the joy dissipates. I think of Juliet Capulet’s nurse, who was first wet nurse to Juliet and then her closest confidante. It could have been true of Raguel’s maid, who may have loved Sarah as her own. The maid lashes out at Sarah. “You are the one who kills your husbands!” And Sarah wept. Could it be that this maid was like a mother to her? The pain seems like more than just harsh words from the hired help. It is too bad that the maid did not turn to prayer to help the two of them in such a horrendous situation.

But Sarah prayed. She prayed to God with a deep, personal plea. She wanted to kill herself, yet the thought of the grief she would bring to her father was too much. She conversed with God and shared all that had happened, finally asking God to end her life, “but if it is not pleasing to you, O Lord, to take my life, hear me in my disgrace.” At that very moment her prayers, and the earlier recorded prayers of Tobit, “were heard in the glorious presence of God.” Oh, that we can believe that our prayers are heard in the glorious presence of God!

Edna was a devoted wife and mother. Raguel told her to prepare the room for Sarah and her eighth bridegroom, and she did. She brought her daughter there and, wiping tears from her eyes, she said her own prayer: “Take courage, my daughter; the Lord of heaven grant you joy in place of your sorrow. Take courage, my daughter.” In the bridal chamber another prayer was said. Tobias told God that he was taking Sarah with sincerity and asked for mercy “that we may grow old together.” And they both said, “Amen, Amen.”

A final prayer was made that night. Raguel roused the servants and sent the maid to see if the bridegroom was dead or alive. The maid returned and reported that the bridegroom was indeed alive and that nothing was wrong. “So they blessed the God of heaven” and gave thanks to God for all God’s blessings, especially for God’s compassion on Tobias and Sarah. It was most certainly a spontaneous prayer, filled with surprise at the outcome of the wedding night, and with petitions for the children’s future lives together. Can you see Raguel and the maid in prayer together? I can. The maid, the long-suffering servant in the family, the one expected to tend to Sarah through seven, and now eight, weddings and frustrated to the point of hurtful accusations towards the young woman, can finally pray, can finally share her thankfulness and her petitions for the newly married couple. What a blessing for the maid, and for all of us who discover prayer as our personal connection to God.

++++ Coming March 31^st ++++

Chapter 25

Women at the Tomb

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

It is difficult to appreciate Anna, I think, without reading the entire Book of Tobit. It is a relatively short book, filled with the righteous and the unrighteous, with a magical fish, a companion dog, a demon, and the Angel Raphael posing as a common man. The families in the story are financially well off, but they still suffer from great physical and emotional challenges. In the midst of this is Tobit’s wife, Anna, a minor role but essential to the story. If I were casting Anna in a movie, I might consider a lesser known actress like Joan Plowright or Melissa Leo. But who I really would want to play the part of Anna is Anne Bancroft. In even the smallest of roles, Ms. Bancroft could command the screen. She could suffer like a stereotypical Jewish woman, speak her mind, and still show how a beaten down woman can accomplish all that is put in front of her.

Anna’s husband, Tobit, is the main character of this story, written in the first person. He tells the story and he decides what is important to relay. He tells us about his struggles to be a righteous man, how he opened his home to others to share in an abundant meal, how he took risks to bury the dead. He tells in great detail how he became completely blind. For two years after his blindness his nephew Ahikar took care of him. And, oh by the way, “my wife Anna earned money at women’s work.”

The women of the Bible are just like you and me. What has changed over the past thousands of years? When financial hardship hits a family, it is often the wife who steps up to make ends meet. Ego strikes and the former breadwinner can’t stoop to a lesser job. Illness strikes and the other must earn a living. Tobit’s blindness must have affected the family’s finances, because Tobit makes a point to mention that his wife earns money for them as a weaver, right after he mentions that all his kindred feel sorry for him. Not only does Anna earn full wages for the work she does, she also earns a bonus in the form of a goat. She must be very talented at the art of weaving, “women’s work”. And what are the thanks she gets? Tobit accuses her of stealing the goat! It is as if he can’t imagine that his wife could be as successful as he had been in taking care of the family. And Anna says (imagine Anne Bancroft here), “Where are your acts of charity? Where are your righteous deeds? These things are known about you!” I see a woman with lots of hand gestures letting go of a lot of suppressed anger and frustration. I can see perhaps a dish flying through the air, maybe with a nice goat stew on it. Tobit’s reaction is not to say he is sorry, not to thank her for all she is doing to help the family. No, his reaction is to cry. Does he want us to feel sorry for him, too, that his shrewish wife brought tears to his poor, blind eyes? Tobit, she’s doing the best she can and you need to appreciate that she is doing it well enough to receive more than full wages.

All in all, I would like to read the Book of Anna and to read the story in her first person. Perhaps she cries, too. Perhaps she wishes that she is the one blinded. She could bear it better than he does. But that is not how the Bible goes. So we read, we study, we grasp at the few words spoken by women, and we reflect on our own lives to realize that this is the way of women throughout history, right down to us. We may be fortunate to marry a spouse who has the potential to care for us for the rest of our lives. We may be fortunate to be self-sufficient with a great career of our own. But when adversity strikes, we take our skills, or learn new ones, and we step up to keep our families whole.

There is so much more to this story. In a couple of weeks, let’s take a look at the other women who speak in the Book of Tobit.

++++ Coming March 15th ++++

Chapter 19

Maid of Raguel, Sarah, and Edna

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

Do you remember the women’s power suits of the 1980s? They were navy blue or black, just like a man’s suit. There was a jacket with lapels and a pencil shirt with a discreet kick-pleat and a hem that hit just around the knees. The suit was accompanied by high heels, but not too high, with closed toes and closed heels. Some jewelry was allowed; perhaps a subtle pin on the lapel and an interesting wristwatch, but certainly no dangling earrings nor clanking bracelets. The white blouse, like a man’s white shirt, was collared at the neck. And at the neck there was a soft bow, marking the difference from the man who sported his Windsor-knotted ties. It was the blouse that showed that a woman, trying to succeed in a man’s world, still retained an inherent softness while competing with the best of them to climb the corporate ladder and make a name for herself. Eventually work attire changed for both men and women and individuality took hold. But for a time women tried to prove themselves equal to men by looking as close to them as possible.

Huldah was a prophetess in a man’s world and in a world riddled with sin. The land of Judah had turned into a place of Baal worshippers. King Josiah, a good and faithful man, had had enough. He ordered the idols to the false gods be smashed and their altars demolished. While the temple was being restored to its place of proper importance, an ancient book of the law was found. King Josiah read it and knew too well that the people of the land were not following God’s law. So he sent a priest and others to Huldah to ask her for clarity on God’s intentions.

Surely there were male prophets in the land. Huldah lived near the time of Jeremiah, one of the most famous prophets of all times. Why didn’t the priest seek out Jeremiah or another male prophet? Why did the priest go to the prophetess, Huldah?

Some have conjectured that the priest did not want to hear the words from Jeremiah who was known to be the “prophet of doom”. Perhaps the priest was looking for that inherent softness that could be found in a woman. Perhaps he hoped that Huldah would temper God’s intentions for the disobedient people of Judah. But no, Huldah spoke God’s words and was as tough as any man in condemning Judah. “Thus says the Lord, I will indeed bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants … my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.”

The softness shines through as Huldah prophesied the fate of King Josiah. “You shall be gathered to your grave in peace; your eyes shall not see the disaster that I will bring on this place.” As the voice of God, I want to believe that Huldah was speaking with the softness we ourselves can find in God. “We have followed too much the devises and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against the holy laws.” Through Jesus Christ we have come to learn that we are forgiven and God does not bring disaster upon us. Disaster may come, yes, but God brings us love and hope for a better tomorrow.

We women have the gift of softness. We show it in the easy times when we chat over coffee with a friend or drink from imaginary teacups with our children and grandchildren. We also can show it when we have to make tough decisions and speak honestly in difficult situations. Huldah didn’t hold back and we shouldn’t hold back, either. But like Huldah we can remember the softness found in God, a hen that gathers her brood under her wings, and with God’s help we can help others find the love of God and the promise of a better tomorrow.

++++ Coming March 1st ++++

Chapter 19

Anna

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

These women who speak in the Bible are survivors, I think. Their prospects are limited because they are women of their times, of any times really, yet they use various methods to help them meet the challenges before them. The five Daughters of Zelophehad, posted January 2nd, were determined to keep their family land after their father died. It was a problem to solve and they went before the authorities to ask for what they believed was rightfully theirs. These were resourceful women, reminding me of the young women of my parish who use the resources of education to graduate from college and eventually become successful, professional women in the areas of law, finance, education, and the arts. And then there was Jael, posted January 15th. She had a problem to solve, and rather than going to the authorities, she took matters into her own hands, killing General Sisera with a tent peg to the temple. She reminds me of women I read about in the tabloids; not an ideal way to stay out of trouble, but effective for eliminating the problem at hand.

What about you, Abigail? You’re a survivor and you are resourceful. Do you love your husband, Nabal, for all his faults and protect him from his own folly? Are you the real strength in the family, the one the servants respect and trust with difficult situations? You had the fortitude to gather up provisions for David and his men and negotiate a peace. Are you in reality the head of the household? Perhaps you do survive with your diplomatic skills and gift of prophecy. Or do you survive by staying one step ahead of your alcoholic, quick-tempered husband? Are you trying to solve problems behind your husband’s back, in hopes that he will not learn that there ever was a problem?

No woman, or man, can say it is easy to be married to a drunk. Especially when there are children in the house, there is a great deal of caution taken in every word, every action. In the story of Nabal, he lost his temper over the polite request for food from David’s men. Hospitality was an essential part of the culture, but Nabal refused to be hospitable. Did Nabal lose his temper when the children requested more food? When the children fussed or played too rambunctiously? Did he lose his temper when the servants dropped a plate in the kitchen or failed to harvest all the grain before the rains came? To be the spouse of an unpredictable drunk is no easy task, and many women hone their skills of survival by indirect methods. “What if I do this? Will he ever find out? Will it make him happy for a time?” A woman contemplates various scenarios and anticipates outcomes. She chooses one. Abigail chose to go behind Nabal’s back, not telling him what she had done until he was in a sober frame of mind.

Reading about the women who speak in the Bible is like reading about women I have encountered in my ministry. Because I am a deacon in the church, I meet women outside the parish who are living in unhealthy relationships and, once free of one abusive man, immediately move on to the next one. God struck Nabal dead and if Abigail had remembered the story of the five daughters, she might have realized that God was on her side, that God could have helped her become the head of the household and gain some independence. Instead she immediately accepted the marriage proposal of David. Abigail is not mentioned again in the Scriptures without the litany of David’s other wives: Ahinoam, Michal, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, and Bathsheba. This problem-solving survivor married a man who saw his wife Michal given away to another man, who had the husband of Bathsheba killed so he, David, could marry her, and who fathered children with all his wives, as well as with unnamed slave women.

What do you think of Abigail? Do you find her to be a strong woman with great diplomatic skills who finds a place of stature in David’s royal palace, perhaps successfully running that household, too? Or do you find her to be a bit of a mouse, running on a treadmill to nowhere and doing whatever she has to do so not to fall off? Who is this woman who learned to survive? Who do you want her to be?

 ++++ Coming February 15 ++++

 Chapter 12 – Huldah

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam

The story of Jael is also the story of Deborah and the story of General Sisera’s mother. As we drop ourselves into the life of Jael, it is good to understand the situation around her. The Israelites “again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” As Old Testament punishment is often meted out, the Israelites had to suffer at the hands of King Jabin of Canaan for twenty years. Eventually they cry out to the Lord for help. Their help comes in the person of Deborah. She is a prophetess and a judge of Israel. She summons Barak to lead the Israelites against the army of King Jabin, led by his general, Sisera. Barak agrees to go into battle only if Deborah goes with him. She, with her prophetic voice, responds that she will go with him, but he will not receive glory for victory over Sisera, “for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” If I were Barak I would bet that woman is Deborah. Perhaps even Deborah thinks that by going to the battle she will be the one to settle matters with Sisera. All of the enemy’s army was felled by the sword, except for General Sisera who ran away. Sisera ran on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite. The king and the Kenite people were on peaceful terms, and Jael invited Sisera into her tent. “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear.” She offered hospitality of milk, a comfortable place to rest, and a sense of safety. Sisera fell asleep and Jael took a hammer and a tent peg and drove the peg into his temple and he died. When Barak came in search of Sisera, Jael took him into the tent. “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” Much can be read between the lines of this story. Jael’s husband isn’t mentioned as being home; Sisera was a powerful man of his times; Jael was a woman of her times, little more than the livestock in the fields. If she had been physically taken by Sisera in the past, it might explain why Jael did what she did. But also, though she was not a member of a tribe of Israel, some Hebrew blood ran through her veins. Was she motivated by self or by the larger sense of kinship?

The final woman of interest in this story is Sisera’s mother. Deborah and Barak sing a song of victory following the defeat of King Jabin and his army. Here is an excerpt:

“Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera gazed through the lattice: ‘Why is the chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’

As General Sherman said, “War is hell.” Deborah made the decision to wage war, Jael fulfilled the role of warrior, and Sisera’s mother mourned. It’s hard to imagine that any of these three women were ever the same, each being an impetus for death. Deborah’s song of victory glorifies the battle and gives thanks to the Lord, and Deborah remembers Jael in the song, declaring her most blessed. Does Deborah look beyond the victory and see what has been asked of the warrior? Do we look at our own nations’ female warriors and understand how our nations’ motives have wounded these women forever? Deborah also remembers Sisera’s mother. Was it with self pride or was it with compassion? I hope it was with compassion. Do we remember the mothers who have lost their children warriors to battle? Do we lift up these mothers in support and prayer as they mourn their children’s lives or as they care for their children’s mental and physical wounds?

We all are called upon to protect ourselves, be it setting up personal boundaries to avoid exhaustion and exploitation, or be it taking up arms against those who threaten us and our loved ones. Ideally, the day will come soon when our world will accept all as beloved children of God and we will treat each other accordingly. Let us work to that end.

I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Lindsay Hardin Freeman on receiving the 2015 Illuminations Book Award for her book, Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter. The award’s purpose is to shine a light on exemplary Christian books. Bravo, Lindsay, for receiving the Gold! It is well deserved.

++++ Coming February 1st ++++

Chapter 9

Abigail

Content provided by Author Lindsay Hardin Freeman

Illustration: Claire Elam