Women in the Bible

INTRODUCTION

It is only in recent years that attention has been given to the stories of biblical women. The growing awareness of women stories has revealed a rich variety. There are stories of queens and slaves, assassins and victims of rapes, mother and wives, sisters and in-laws, each of these women has unique characteristics or the mother figure of each of these stories is food for our imaginations. The modern debate about the role of women in the church has been approached from many points of view, and especially relevant is the question of the ministry of women. Although there is evidence, not many of them concentrate on an exegetical approach. There are many problems regarding the women particularly male dominated society. The Bible also provides us with stories of what it means to be a woman created in the image of God, and stories of God portrayed in the image of a women.

Women in the Old Testament: Any study of the theological of the relationship between men and women in the Old Testament starts with the account of that relationship in the creation narrations. There are contained within the Old Testament many theological insight s which the nation, as their prophets repeatedly told them, failed to appreciate or to apply correctly.

Rebekah:  Rebekah is the daughter of bethuel and granddaughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. She becomes the wife of Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, the child of promise. When Abraham sends his servant to look for a wife for Isaac giving him instruction that young is generous woman, strong and reliant, there she is the rights servant reaches to Mesopotamia she offers him a drink and quickly lowers her jug to give him water and to the camels.

Rebecca offers the servant hospitality: Servant is amazed that God has not only provided this generous and energetic young woman, but that she is one of Abraham’s relatives. He offers her gold jewellery to her. She runs to tell her family. Servant is not ready to eat until he has accomplished his errand. So he starts “if therefore you have in mind to show true loyalty to my master, let me know, but if not, let me know that, too. Her brother and mother called Rebekah and asked whether she wanted to go with the servant. She said yes, Apparently they knew that men decide Rebekah made up her own mind when as is customary, during the marriage. Rebekah becomes a worthy daughter –in-law of Sarah. She is a beautiful woman of decision, capable of acting on the decision. She leaves, not only for a land she has never seen, but also for a husband she has never seen. She is a brave woman; God has chosen a good wife for Isaac child of promise.

Rebekah is as decisive with God’s word. She complains, “If this is to be so, what good will it do me?” The two children Jacob and Esau are really two nations, the people of Edom and the people of Israel. (Cf.Gen.25: 30; 32:29). The final note indicates that Isaac prefers Esau while Rebekah prefers Jacob (25:28). If we consider the three wife sister stories in Genesis, we see Rebekah suffering the same humiliation as Sarah. Their husbands deny both women. Rebekah is described again as very beautiful (cf.Gen.24: 16). She is like Sarah, holds life and death. She was blessed her mother and brother (cf.Gen.24: 60). Rebekah, who would know her husband, wills prepares a meal that Isaac likes. When Jacob is afraid that his father will discover him and give him a curse instead of a blessing, his mother Rebekah says, “let my curse against you, son, fall on me?” She is ready to sacrifice for her beloved son. In Rebecca’s final scene she is protecting her younger son from her elder son. Equally predictable, Rebekah solves the problem indirectly. She proposes to Isaac that Jacob go back to Haran to find a wife. Rebekah does not see her favoured son again. Her death is not reported, but she is not mentioned when Jacob finally returns to the house of Isaac (Gen35: 27). It was demanded of Abraham that he sacrifice his son; it was demanded of Rebekah, too, that she give up her beloved son. Rebekah married the child of promise; she mothered and chose the child of blessing.

Ruth: 3:1-18. Ruth is the widowed daughter –in-law of a widowed mother-in –law, woman surrender by death she is stranger in Israel. (Deut. 23:4-7;says,  “No Ammonite or Moabite may ever admitted into the country of the Lord… She is undaunted by this situation how ever. She faithfully follows her beloved mother –in-law. She speaks the words that have become a well-known testimony to undying love. (Ruth.1: 16-17). She goes to work to support herself and Naomi a(2:2). She is diligent, working and humble. When Boaz, the owner of the field, speaks kindly to her, she replies: “Why should I, a foreigner, be favoured with your notice?” She brings her mother-in-law only what she is gleaned, but even what she had saved from lunch (cf.2: 17-18). Ruth is also brave and daring and does exactly what her mother-in-law suggests. She obeys without question .She bathes and anoints herself, puts on her best cloths, and goes to the threshing floor at night. There she uncovers the sleeping Boaz and lies down at his feet. Her actions are hardly expects of a respected woman? She also puts herself at considerable risk, but she was unharmed. Boaz, however, has become her protector (cf.2: 8-9,15). When she informs that he is her nest of kin, he blesses her. He adds that the town peoples know that she is “a worthy woman.” Even though she is a Moabite, daughter of a hated enemy, he finds that she observes the covenant and is worthy of being his wife.

Finally (Ruth 4:1-22), Boaz settles the prior claim and marries Ruth. Ruth becomes the great grandmother of David, Israelite’s greatest king. The neighbour women also praise Ruth. They rejoice with Noami in the daughter-in-law who loves her: “She is worth more to you than seven sons. There can be no greater praise in a society where a woman’s worth and survival was dependant on sons. Ruth is foreign woman, a Moabite, who not only practices covenant virtues but becomes a mother of the covenant people. The devoted love between Ruth and Noami, two childless and powerless widows, gives rise to the line of David whose dynasty, God promises, will endure forever.

Women in the New Testament:

Mary Magdalene: Now after he rose early on the first say of the week. He appeared to marry Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons (MK16: 9-11). As Jesus of Nazareth was called a ‘Nazarene’ (Mt2: 23), the women of our story, who hailed from the town of Mandela’ is called Magdalene. There are numerous references to her in all the four Gospels. Twice she is called by name Mary (Jn20: 11-16); and twelve times she is name Mary Magdalene or Mary called Magdalene. Out of these 14 occurrences, 8 times her name is attached to the company of other women; once she appears with Mary the mother of Jesus (Jn 19:25) and the rest of the 5 times she is portrayed alone (cf. Mk 16:9;Jn20:1-11.16.18). In all these instance, except for Jn 19:25, she always healed the list of the company in which she is found. Is it perhaps to show that among all the women who followed Jesus extraordinary? It is the one who is found with Jesus from the beginning of is public ministry to the time when he ascended into heaven.

From the fact that her name is mentioned among the women –disciples who looked after the needs of Jesus and the apostles during their ministry (Lk 8:1-3), we may easily surprise for that she too offered herself and her possessions for the welfare and the upkeep of the wandering preachers. Since nothing is recorded about her parents or family, we may presume that she had given herself up also to following Jesus in his arduous travels and fatiguing journeys. In any case, nowhere it is said, as is believed in tradition and by many of us today, that she was a sinner? Unfortunately, in late Christian traditions she has been identified as “Mary Magdalene, the sinner”? These traditions drive their origin from the Talmud, a collection of Jewish rabbinic literature which records that Magdalena   was a town filled with prostitutes and women of the town has also affected Mary of Magdala?  “Magdalene’s Home” founded in Italy in 1324 for the protection of unwed mothers and the numerous “Magdalene Home” that have sprung up in various parts of the world unfortunately carry on this tradition. And thus we have come to believe that Mary of Magdala was a sinner and a prostitute, a belief that is based on mistaken premise. If she were public sinner, Luke who narrates the story of another, women of the city, who as sinner; (Lk 7:36-50), would have surely told us that Mary Magdalene too was a sinner. But his statement that she was one “From whom seven demons had gone out”(8:2), goes to show that he knew that he was saying. Because seven had restored her from great infirmity the grateful woman had been the greatest among all his women-disciples. She was the chief among those who were ministering to him and waiting at the foot of the cross. Mt.27; 57; Jn. 19:25. She is the chief among these who were there when the body of Jesus was laid to rest in the tomb (Mt27: 61; Mk15: 47) She is the chief among these who came to the sepulchre after the Sabbath day. (Mt 28:1; Mk16: 1;Lk 24:10) She is also chief among those to whom the risen Lord showed himself (Mk 16:9; Jn 20:11-12). Mary Magdalene thus stands out among all the disciples of Jesus as a singular woman not even a single evangelist mentions that risen Lord appeared to his mother Mary. But at least two of them (Mark and John) bear witness to the fact that Jesus after he was raised from the dead appeared first to the woman from Magdala.Her closeness’ to the Lord comes out very eloquently in the scene of the apparition. When all the disciples had gone back to their homes after the burial of Jesus, and no sooner the day of Sabbath was over, than Mary Magdalene come to the tomb quite early in the morning even when it was still dark (Jn 20:1). “As a hart longer for following streams”. (Ps 42:1), so was her soul thirsting for God. Jesus her Lord and master. She stood for long at the tomb weeping for her Lord. To the angels’ question why she was weeping, her reply was, “They have taken away my Lord…”(20:13). When the risen Lord himself appeared to her in disguise as a gardener, her earnest plea to him was “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away”(20:15). Was it possible for a feeble woman to carry the dead body away? It was of course, a language of love? The climax is reached when Jesus addresses her by her familiar name, “Mary”. In the portrayal of the woman of Magdala we may not fail to notice that fact which John wants to convey, namely, the steady growth in the love of this woman to the Lord. Having seen the empty tomb she runs to the disciples to say, “they have taken out of the tomb”(20:2). Confronted a little later by the angels, she expresses her deep sorrow saying, “They have taken away milord”(20:13). Met by the gardener her words become bold. “If you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away (20:15). And now, face to face with the Lord and in response to him call of her name “Mary”, she cries out, ‘Rabboni’ (20:16), an emphatic expression which means ‘my Master’, and clings on to him, till she is made his ‘Apostle’ through the command, “Go to my brothers and say…. (20:17). Being a disciple she grows to be an Apostles, because before Jesus only a ‘The Lord’ for her, but later he becomes “My Lord”. The time comes when in an expression of intimate friendship Jesus calls here by name Mary and she acknowledges it. Now she belongs to her ‘dear Lord fully’. Therefore she proclaims the good news, “I have seen the Lord”(20:18). She has become an Apostle. Mary of Magdala is an example of how anyone can grow in grateful love of the Lord; she reminds us that what the Lord has done to her (For us) is more than what she (we) in turn had done for him?

Martha of Bethany: Those who are very religious mind read this gospel negatively by the words of our Lord, as given in Luke. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the better position” (Lk.10: 41-42). It seems too derogatory worked of Jesus unfortunately. But does that need to be so? Is Martha to be condemned at the expense of her sister Mary? Not necessarily, so among the evangelists, only Luke and John Who have mentioned about Martha and Mary, because Matthew and Mark look at women more from a Jewish point of view, there is not so much importance given to them in their gospels. But it is not the same in the case of Luke and John. They look from the point of view of the Hellenist culture. Therefore they do not fail to respect and with considerable frequency, given in two women, one is busy with worldly things and other is involved with spiritual life. From John we know that Martha was from Bethany and she had a brother named Lazarus and a sister by name Mary (Jn 11:1). Jesus was a close friend of the family and he loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus (Jn 11:5) of no other family is such a compliment given in any of the Gospels; and the family deserved such a compliment? Jesus was always found in the Martha’s house because he loves them. Jesus who “had nowhere to lay his head “ (Lk 9:58) was always received by Martha into her house (10:38). In fact, the words, “Jesus came to Bethany….…There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him” (Jn 12; 1-2) showing a picture that must have been a frequent reality? The words of Luke that “Martha was distracted with much serving “ (10:40), and John that Martha served (12:2) underscore the same diligence, charity, service mindedness, and hospitality of Martha. Is not Martha then an excellent example of undivided devotion to the Lord’ about which Paul speaks so eloquently to his Corinthian community? (1Cor 7:35). Even after the death of Lazarus it is this same devotion to Jesus that makes her go out of the house of morning to welcome Jesus “while Mary sat in the house” (Jn 11:20) weeping and wailing? Apart from this one thing is clear that Martha had a keen sense of duty. Being the elder of two everything full to her lot to be available and more hospitable as well as serviceable to the guests. (Mk 10:45), Martha has shown that in service to others she has lived the values of the kingdom preached by Jesus himself. The hospitality and service-mindedness of Martha is an out flow of her love and devotion to the Lord, which is expressed in the picture, painted of her by John. She not came out of her house to meet Jesus halfway, but also addresses him with unfailing confidence would not have been died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you? (Jn 11:21-22). To the reply of Jesus that “her brother will rise again” (11:23), she has again a quick answerer “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (11:24). When Jesus says that he is the resurrection and life. Martha comes out with affirm declaration, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the word” (11:27), a confession equal on to that of Peter who Proclaimed at Caesarea Philippi; “You are the Christ the Son of the living God” (Mt 16; 16; Lk 9:20). It is surprising to see that what the synoptic writers consider as the supreme declaration of faith in Jesus made by a man is presented in John a pronounced by a woman? What an honour to a woman to be put in the company of Peter, the first among the apostles as well as the leader of the Twelve? Martha’s sensitively and loves for Jesus is seen also from another incident. She would have surely known that the Jews were plotting to do away with Jesus (cf 5:18; 6:64; 7:1; 8:39-41; 12:19 etc). When Jesus was coming to her house she did not want the Jews who were gathered there to know that. Hence, she went and called her sister ‘quietly’ to come to the master (Jn 1:28). The tactfulness of Martha in this scene should not go unnoticed? Martha then is an extraordinary character. If Jesus has said of Mary that she has chosen the good portion, with equal justice we may affirm that Martha too has chosen the good portion, in so far as we find in her faith that is as strong as the maintain couple with actions that gives meaning to that faith and make it live.

CONCLUSION: this is to realise that the violation of women’s rights can only push half of the humanity into a further position of degradation making the achievement of gender equality and gender justice a mockery. Combating the ideology of patriarchy of women in the country is a felt-need to advance women’s development and empowerment Feminist method of biblical interpretation have arisen from the experience of women who have come to realise that bible has not always been used to bring them fullness of life. These have been a dawning awareness that the scripture has been used to legitimate patriarchy and violence toward women. Before describing feminist methods of biblical interpretation, detritions of terms are needed. I have taken these women because very often they are misunderstood. They have done the wonderful works of the Almighty God and have executed the will of God through their various activities. In the Indian context the attitude and action towards women have not been significantly different of better.  Both the Sruti and Smriti literature of Hinduism have not advocated the rights and equality of women, and therefore, the negative attitude towards women was crystallised through structures like - Sati, Child marriage, Enforced widowhood, Devadasi, Dowry, Female infanticide and so on. Therefore, It is the Church, who can bring out the dignity and equality of women in the Indian context too through the example of women in the Bible who are model for our Mission of Christ.