WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
WOMEN IN
LEADERSHIP
INDEX:
- Introduction
- Dangerous and Cruel Assumptions
- Justice is Coming
- Clarifying The Biblical Order
- The Eternal Benchmark
- What about...; The Person Valuations in Leviticus 27?
Role Distinction Between Men and Women in the
New Testament?
Women Speaking and being in Ministry?
Women Speaking in Church?
Women in Leadership?
The Woman being Deceived?
- What does this Mean?
... Is God doing Something New?
- When We are Exposed to Something New or Different
- Precautions
- CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
“How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter? The Lord will create a new thing on the earth
– a woman will surround/protect a man.” Jeremiah 31:22
Some years ago I was having a debate with the
woman who basically mentored me in the Lord as one of her children. At the time I was
completely against women in leadership, and while I was debating with her, this
obscure verse popped up in my mind. I had taken note of this verse a number of
times, and was troubled by it. I researched the original Hebrew, and other
translations, because at face value the Lord was saying in this prophetic
passage that the traditional and even Biblical role of men, which was to
protect and provide for the women and children, He was intending to pass it
along to women as well (at least to some extent). If you ever want to be amazed
at the power of the Scriptures, it is actually being fulfilled in the world
before our very eyes in this generation. I most certainly had a hard time
with that.
Let me give you a little of my background regarding this issue. My
mother was an amazing woman. Her parents were immigrants from Lebanon, and her
father (grandpa) she adored. She said that he loved and treated his four
daughters the same as he did his sons. He made no difference between them in
their value, as would any good father. She left home before the war (WWII)
as a teenager and headed from Ottawa to Montreal, something that was rare for
girls to do in those days, and got a job. She played on women’s softball teams and even beat
the men, which she delighted in pointing out. She told me more than once that
she resented being a woman because they did not have all the freedoms that a
man had, and she was right. She also told me (one of her five sons), that women
were better than men because men were basically bad. The prison populations
proved it, so how could I argue? She also told me that the world would be a
better place if women ruled it. Now
coming from your mother whom you loved and highly respected, those comments had
huge impact on me. Actually I was one of the few males who got a tiny dose of
what likely most women around the world and throughout history had to put up
with, so I can appreciate their resentment of their gender devaluation. I do not
know if my brothers ever heard her make those claims, and if they did, I doubt
they took it to heart as I did. She very rarely spoke of this.
So when women rise up in
resistance to being devalued because of their gender, they have good reason. I too rose up in resistance to my mother's teaching, because I did not feel in my heart that it was completely right.
Now as a much older adult who has been under the influence of strong women,
female bosses, a brilliant wife, and a super intelligent daughter, considering what God is doing in the world today among and through women, as well as
being a serious student of the Bible, I have come to many resolves regarding
this issue from a Biblical perspective, which I hope will be a help and a blessing to those of you who read this. DANGEROUS AND CRUEL ASSUMPTIONS
Throughout the world and history, not only unjust, but dangerous assumptions had developed that led to harsh and cruel treatment of women, and even children because of the demand, priority and advantage of physical strength among other things. Laws and traditions accordingly were developed that not only restricted, but chained women to subservient and unjust treatment within their societies and this still goes on in many places to this day.
JUSTICE IS COMING
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I Am the Lord, who exercises KINDNESS, JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS on earth, for in these I delight." Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV,
"Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the Lord; for He comes to judge the earth: with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity." Psalm 98:7-9
These verses from the Old Testament and so many more reveal the Lord's intention to set things right in His time. The verse in Jeremiah shows the Lord's heart with regards to what He delights in, meaning the opposite to kindness, justice, and righteousness, He disapproves of. The verse in Psalms calls nature itself to rejoice when He sets things in their proper order and brings about justice. If this be so, will He then not bring justice in this area where His daughters are being mistreated?
In preparation for Jesus’ arrival John the Baptist preached,,, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.” Isaiah 40:3-4
When Jesus arrived on the scene, His treatment of women was radical. For instance, the Syrophoenician woman who pressed Him in spite of the resistance of crowd and His own disciples, gained His approval and He declared that she had great faith, a compliment which He gave to only one other, the Roman Centurion, Mark 7:25-30 (Matthew 15:28). With the woman at the well, Jesus conversed with her openly John 4:9,27 who, by tradition, He should have not even been speaking to; or the woman caught in adultery John 8:1-11 whom He rescued from death by exposing the hypocrisy and sin of the men who wanted to execute her. Never did Jesus cater to public opinion, or social and religious tradition when it came to meeting peoples needs, and bringing about justice!
CLARIFYING THE BIBLICAL ORDER
1 – God created the man and the woman in His image and likeness, and the two together make up the whole being called 'Man'. Man (both the male and the female Genesis 1:26-27) being created in the image of the Creator of the universe, was given dominion over all living things. He also made woman as a help meet for the man, but initially man was not given the role to rule over her. The man, however, was given the role of representative for the human race, and was held responsible for the influences allowed.
1 – God created the man and the woman in His image and likeness, and the two together make up the whole being called 'Man'. Man (both the male and the female Genesis 1:26-27) being created in the image of the Creator of the universe, was given dominion over all living things. He also made woman as a help meet for the man, but initially man was not given the role to rule over her. The man, however, was given the role of representative for the human race, and was held responsible for the influences allowed.
2- Although Eve was the first to disobey, it was not until Adam, who had originally received the commandment "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it..." Genesis 2:17, disobeyed and ate the fruit, that sin was imputed to the Human race. This commandment he received before Eve was created. So when he partook, not only did they both become sinners, but the curse of corruption was passed on to all of creation because of Adam's fall, who was our father, and who was given the responsibility to have dominion. "Cursed is the ground because of you (Adam)...Genesis 3:17-19, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned." Romans 5:12
3 – Originally, at creation, and in
the Garden of Eden, there were no roles indicated other than father and mother,
but after Adam and Eve fell into sin, God delegated roles and responsibilities
for both, not only as punishment, but also for our
safety, taking into consideration the low points/weaknesses of each. Remember, the role of husband and wife is a picture of Christ and His church Ephesians 5:22-23
4 – The responsibility of leadership
was given to the man, specifically and especially in the family "...and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you." Genesis 3:16. This precept is followed through from the Old and into the New Testament "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands (not just to men in general), as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife , even as Christ is the head of the church..." Ephesians 5:22-23. The smallest unit of any culture and nation is the family, and the health and order of the families will directly influence the health and order of the nation. For this reason, the devil launches fierce attacks against the family to disrupt and destroy it from every angle possible. (To add a note of Super Good News, the Lord can take anything broken and make it better than new. So take heart if you are from a broken family).
However, the Lord always throws curves in the Scripture because we quickly make assumptions, even regarding His laws and ordinances. For instance, it has been assumed that because He initially gave leadership to men, that women are not capable of leadership, and that men were superior in some way to women, and that He would not allow women in leadership. But what does He do? He raised up Deborah as the leader and judge in Israel. She was a prophetess and a strong leader Judges 4-5 who helped deliver Israel from their oppressors.
However, the Lord always throws curves in the Scripture because we quickly make assumptions, even regarding His laws and ordinances. For instance, it has been assumed that because He initially gave leadership to men, that women are not capable of leadership, and that men were superior in some way to women, and that He would not allow women in leadership. But what does He do? He raised up Deborah as the leader and judge in Israel. She was a prophetess and a strong leader Judges 4-5 who helped deliver Israel from their oppressors.
5 – Intelligence and skills have
nothing to do with gender. Actually, in the Bible, wisdom is characterized in the female gender "Wisdom cries out, she utters her voice the streets..." Proverbs 1:20. Some of the characteristics of a virtuous woman as described in Proverbs 31 are; she is wise, oversees the affairs of her household, she is a servant and yet a provider, she is industrious, an investor, she is strong, she farms, is a manufacturer, a merchant who runs her own business....interesting. Many assumptions are made because of laws and traditions. Further assumptions are developed over time, and because of the restrictions of roles and responsibilities, either out of need and or custom and tradition it was assumed that women were incapable of the tasks and skills that men were doing. Again, time and circumstances have proved that false, nor did the Scriptures ever in any way state such a thing. In our society today, where women have had the opportunity for the same education as a man, and the same opportunity for training, we have fully observed that skills and intelligence are an individual thing, not a gender thing. Remember both the male and the female were created in the image of our Creator in spite of all our weaknesses and shortcomings in our fallen state.
Catherine Booth, the wife of William Booth (the founder of the Salvation Army), had read the Bible through seven times by the time she was thirteen years old. She defied the assumptions of the day declaring that the Bible teaches that the only advantage the man has over the woman is in the areas of strength and fear (and I would say, unless their children were in danger). At one point William fell sick and could not preach, so she took to the pulpit, and he stated that she was a far better preacher than he. He also made sure that his daughters had the same opportunities as his sons. When Catherine Booth died, apparently several thousand people showed up at her funeral.
6 – Roles and responsibilities do not in any way equate worth or importance. As Christians or disciples of Jesus, our value system must be so different from the world's. "And He (Jesus) said unto them, 'The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so. But He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that does serve.'" Luke 22:25-26. Solomon, Israel's (in some ways) greatest king, set a throne for his mother at his right hand. Mary, Jesus' mother, as a young woman was selected by God to be the mother of the Saviour of the world. Her faith was greater than that of Zachariah the priest. God also saw in her such a holy devotion to Him ("Be it unto me according to Thy Word..."Luke 1:38) that she qualified for the amazing task of giving birth to and raising His Son in this world. Actually, although little was mentioned about Joseph, it appears that Joseph too was a man of like character. These people were nobodies in their society, yet were divinely given the matchless task of raising Jesus Christ the Son of God for His earthly mission to redeem mankind. How awesome is that!!!
ETERNAL BENCHMARK
Before we tackle this topic any further, let us establish this Eternal Benchmark - The real value of every man, woman, and child, was declared by God Who created us in His image and likeness, by the price that was paid to redeem us back to Himself. It is the same price for everyone, and that was the life and blood through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son Who gave Himself for us to pay for our sins. John 3:16 We, thereby, from this perspective, are all valued the same - man, woman, child, age, nationality. Sorry, if anyone is feeling superior.
WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON VALUATIONS IN LEVITICUS 27?
Keeping in mind our above mentioned Eternal Benchmark, this has no bearing on our actual worth before God. The valuation in this chapter was not only according to gender, but also age. It would also seem that it was based on the role and capability of the individual in that society under the laws of Israel (to whom much is given, much is required), which means that it is not applicable in any other society, unless of course they so chose, and definitely not in the Kingdom of God. Many of the instructions of the Old Testament were given in religious terms for religious purposes but carried practical applications for life in general. For instance the instructions for dealing with contaminated substances like mold, or disease like leprosy, quarantining, washing and purifying, clean animals to eat, burying our refuse, and so on, societies have found them to be very helpful for health practices. Regarding this particular passage, I have no revelation, but have little doubt there are valuable nuggets of knowledge hidden in it. On one hand, in that society, the young man had a greater economic value, but on the other hand, when it comes to war, they are more expendable.
WHAT ABOUT ROLE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? In the New Testament, men were still given the role of leadership, but within the function of the early church, we can see the involvement of women in ministry, which was not allowed in the Levitical Priesthood and Pharisaical office. Women were the first preachers of Jesus resurrection Matthew 28:8, Mark 16:1-8, John 20:10-17. In fact, women were from the beginning actively involved in the Gospel work with the Apostles. They were there in the upper room praying along with the men on the day of Pentecost. Now according to the prophetic promise through the prophet Joel, God filled the women as well as the men with the Holy Spirit, making no difference, and even the servants, meaning everyone was anointed for life and service in His Kingdom "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days I will pour out My Spirit." Joel 2:28-29. Notice the extent of the religious and social reformation that He is impacting, where even among the servants and handmaids He is making no distinction. Praise the Lord!!! The Apostle Paul penned it like this, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, neither is there male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:27-28
WHAT ABOUT WOMEN SPEAKING AND BEING IN MINISTRY?
"But I will not allow a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" 1 Timothy 2:11-14
Let us look at 'to teach, usurp authority, to be in silence and deceived (also 1 Corinthians 14:34).
WOMEN SPEAKING IN CHURCH
- On one hand, in 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, Paul is talking about women praying or prophesying in the church, and yet in 14:34, he is saying that they are to keep silence in the church. There is either a contradiction, or something we are missing. If they are being told to keep silent, why does he speak of them praying or prophesying which is no doubt in the church setting? Now we know that in the fulfillment of the Prophesy of Joel where God pours out His Spirit on both His sons and daughters enabling them to prophesy, it would be a sin to silence the Lord by quenching the Spirit in them (1 Thessalonians 5:19), unless of course it would be completely out of order. Where else is it better and more appropriate but in the church that a person be allowed to express their faith in Christ? So what is the order. We know that the social traditions of the time often separated the men and women, and if the men were in a meeting the women were not to disturb it. But we also know that the men and women of the early church got together for prayer and other meetings as in Acts 1 - 2. It appears that some of the issues here are relating to the way things were done in those days, otherwise he is contradicting himself and conflicting with the working of the Holy Spirit.
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP -
When the apostle Paul addresses the issue of a woman teaching and usurping authority/overriding a man, that is a valid and serious concern against anyone pushing their way into leadership. "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:14. For whatever reason (much can and has been assumed and read into these verses) the Lord had set in order the male as the final authority and oversight as a line of defense. IF anyone assumes a role that God has not ordained for them, they become an easy target for deception, and because of their role and responsibility they expose those in their care to more direct attacks. It appears that the devil could not get a clear shot at Adam, but through Eve he could. By taking Eve out, he also was able to take not only Adam out, but also get at all the man was responsible for. When we step out of line, as in a military situation, we can jeopardize the entire platoon. The man is the outer defense, and the woman has his back. This is not meant as a point of contention or a declaration of some female inferiority, but a divine order for safety that we must all heed. We are in a war, and we have an enemy who wants to make a target of us. In the title verse where the Lord says He will create a new thing in the earth, where a woman will compass a man, what kind of social changes are coming, and what are the dangers? This means that the woman will be equipped for the new role as was the man. But this does not negate the value of the original design. Instead if provides flexibility to cover where the original design cannot be implemented.
THE WOMAN BEING DECEIVED - Again, much can be assumed and read into this passage. There are characteristic generalities in the male, the female, families, nationalities... but not everyone necessarily fits into all of them. So to say all men, or all women, or all ... are like such and such, can be presumptuous. God has created each with variations as well as similarities. So He alone remains Lord. Both men and women can be deceived, and it is only the grace of God that keeps any of us. Notice that Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:6. Manoah, Samson's father, was fearful that they would die after the angelic visitation announcing Samson's birth because he thought they saw God. His wife however, correctly reasoned out the experience and therefore assured him of the safety of the visit, Judges 22-23.
On the other hand, Job's wife, after all their disaster, gave him wicked counsel "Curse God and die." Job 2:9
Whenever we come to a passage of Scripture that is not clear, or does not coincide with our reasoning, knowledge, or understanding, we must never disregard it, but uphold it as the truth at face value, and handle it prayerfully in humility and the fear of the Lord. Presumption or arrogance will guarantee error at some level regardless of the direction taken.
WOMEN IN MINISTRY? [Apparently, about two thirds of missionaries are women. What and where would the church be without them?]
When Paul said that he would not allow a woman to teach nor usurp authority over the man, does not mean he was not allowing them to teach. It is obvious through the shepherding and teaching ministry of Priscilla, which Paul clearly supported, who served along side with her husband Aquila, that the Lord is not opposed to women ministering. They were a Jewish Christian couple who worked together with Paul in the ministry. In Acts 18:24-26, it describes how that when they heard Apollos, who was a new convert at the time, speak for the Lord in the synagogue, took him aside to teach him the Word of God more perfectly. Here she is with her husband teaching a developing powerful minister. Look at this verse by Paul, "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles." Romans 16:3-4. Notice how he put her name first. They also led a house church, and by the looks of the type of ministry they had, they were shepherds/pastors 1 Corinthians 16:19. Paul also mentioned other women who worked with him in the ministry - I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant (deaconess) of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well." Romans 16:1 This woman was on a mission and had the God given authority to make requests of His people. To oppose her would being opposing the will of God in this particular situation.
"And I entreat you also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the Gospel." Philippians 4:3
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN...?
When the leaders of the Sanhedrin came together to determine what to do with the disciples of Jesus preaching the resurrection in His name, Gamaliel, a Pharisee of high rank and honor gave some tremendous advise to the counsel, "'...take heed to yourselves...but if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you be found even to fight against God.'" Acts 5:39 In all our judgments we must be careful that we are recognizing and working with God, and not opposing Him. By the way, the ministry of Pharisee was not even in accordance with the original Levitical Priesthood. In the law of Moses, only a man from the tribe of Levi could serve as a priest. In Jesus day, a Pharisee could be from any tribe. Paul was a Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin.
IS GOD DOING SOMETHING NEW?
We so quickly take hold of knowledge and box it in thinking that we have God all figured out, and I for one have struggled with this. When we see something that is supposedly in Christ but does not look like something we are familiar with or fits with the Scriptures as we perceive them, we easily disregard it. What makes it more difficult to discern is the human element that is entangled with it that may very well be out of divine order, and that makes it even more contemptible and difficult to accept. When the Toronto blessing was happening in the early 90's many church groups wrote it off because of some of the strange activities that went on. Even John Arnot, who was the pastor of the Vineyard church at the time acknowledged that some of the flesh was involved. But he said that God was also doing something and the had to step back and allow the Holy Spirit to sort things out "...that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Isaiah 28:21 I personally stumbled over what I observed initially, but the Lord humbled me beautifully and graciously. In the midst God was doing an amazing healing work among His people. The testimonies were not only of salvation, but many were pastors, church leaders and workers who had been suffering from burnout and other forms of oppression that the Lord was wonderfully healing. Truly, it became a time of refreshing and renewal for me as well, in spite of myself.
WHEN WE ARE EXPOSED TO SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT - that is supposedly from the Lord, here are a few guidelines we can follow to keep us receptive and discerning:
1 - Humble ourselves before the Lord, because He resists the proud and tries our heart. We can miss Him thinking we know Him
2 - Step back and watch and pray - we can "be hasty and miss the way"
3 - Examine it in the light of the Scriptures. Does it conflict with the Word of God?
4 - Does it bear witness with the Spirit? Our mind may find it unacceptable, but the Spirit of Jesus within may be bearing witness that it is from Him, or it is not
5 - Does it bear good fruit, and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus said every tree is known by its fruit, and the works of the Holy Spirit will glorify Him (Jesus)
PRECAUTIONS
- CHRISTIAN/JESUS LABEL - Most certainly, just because something has a Christian or 'Jesus' tag does not mean that it is from HIM, and Jesus warned us to be on our guard. Matthew 7:15, 2 Corinthians 11:4
- EXTREMES AND IMITATIONS - Furthermore, whenever God is doing something the Devil attempts to draw people away by deceptive imitations and extremes. The zealots of Jesus day were an example
- CASTING OF RESTRAINTS - Another very dangerous activity that can happen around change is that people sometimes tend to cast off restraints and ignore safety rails. "Where there is no vision, people cast of restraints, but happy is he that keeps the law." Proverbs 29:18 Confusion and disorientation are often the by-product, deception and error soon follows. The French version uses the expression for casting off restraint is , "...sont sans frien" this is the same word used for brakes - are without brakes.
- THE DANGER OF LAWLESSNESS - Lawlessness is the devil's imitation of grace, where anything goes. It looks like freedom, and embracing new ideas and ways are truly 'Open Minded', but can easily be an open door for doctrines of devils. I have noticed that many of the church organizations that have embraced 'equal rights' for women in ministry had soon endorsed marring and ordaining homosexuals, which the Bible clearly condemns as sin. If something is of God, it will not break His commandments, but will honor the integrity of His statutes and precepts.
- OPPRESSIVE LIBERTIES - Giving women equal rights does not always mean justice. I may have previously mentioned this, but some years ago I read a book by a Russian woman who was a member of the Intelligentsia, who was finally forced to leave the Soviet Union because of her protests. One of the issues was because she was a part of the Soviet Feminist movement. She said that one might question why there should be a feminist movement in a country that boasts of equality? Well, she said that they were too equal, and that women were forced to work like men, to the point where it was cruel. True, there are women who can keep up with a man in physical labor, but for the few to set the standard for all is not just or loving.
- GOD'S ORDER IS A SAFETY - As I previously referred to Psalm 19 in the topic 'The Seduction of Reason' where it speaks of the divine order in nature as well as His laws, that there is safety, and also warning when we see them broken...
CONCLUSION - Truly God is doing a new thing in the earth in our generation for and through women. We must be careful to not fight Him, nor be careless and embrace everything that is swept along. I have one piece of advice concerning this, especially with regards to the ministry, and you can decide what to do with it yourself before the Lord. Remember, there is a big difference between the demands of leadership in the house of God, and leadership in the business world. Therefore I suggest that... We should diligently follow the patterns of Scripture, and let the Lord make the variations where He will. With the huge influx of female activity in society, female help and input are definitely needed as they have a perspective and sensitivity that men typically do not, especially when dealing with women. If it is of God it will not disrupt or change the integrity of His divine order, but it may ours. BEWARE OF THE 'EQUAL RIGHTS' AND 'NO DIFFERENCE' DOCTRINES - they can be a smoke screen for a perverse and destructive agenda.
Catherine Booth, the wife of William Booth (the founder of the Salvation Army), had read the Bible through seven times by the time she was thirteen years old. She defied the assumptions of the day declaring that the Bible teaches that the only advantage the man has over the woman is in the areas of strength and fear (and I would say, unless their children were in danger). At one point William fell sick and could not preach, so she took to the pulpit, and he stated that she was a far better preacher than he. He also made sure that his daughters had the same opportunities as his sons. When Catherine Booth died, apparently several thousand people showed up at her funeral.
6 – Roles and responsibilities do not in any way equate worth or importance. As Christians or disciples of Jesus, our value system must be so different from the world's. "And He (Jesus) said unto them, 'The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so. But He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that does serve.'" Luke 22:25-26. Solomon, Israel's (in some ways) greatest king, set a throne for his mother at his right hand. Mary, Jesus' mother, as a young woman was selected by God to be the mother of the Saviour of the world. Her faith was greater than that of Zachariah the priest. God also saw in her such a holy devotion to Him ("Be it unto me according to Thy Word..."Luke 1:38) that she qualified for the amazing task of giving birth to and raising His Son in this world. Actually, although little was mentioned about Joseph, it appears that Joseph too was a man of like character. These people were nobodies in their society, yet were divinely given the matchless task of raising Jesus Christ the Son of God for His earthly mission to redeem mankind. How awesome is that!!!
ETERNAL BENCHMARK
Before we tackle this topic any further, let us establish this Eternal Benchmark - The real value of every man, woman, and child, was declared by God Who created us in His image and likeness, by the price that was paid to redeem us back to Himself. It is the same price for everyone, and that was the life and blood through the sufferings, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son Who gave Himself for us to pay for our sins. John 3:16 We, thereby, from this perspective, are all valued the same - man, woman, child, age, nationality. Sorry, if anyone is feeling superior.
WHAT ABOUT THE PERSON VALUATIONS IN LEVITICUS 27?
Keeping in mind our above mentioned Eternal Benchmark, this has no bearing on our actual worth before God. The valuation in this chapter was not only according to gender, but also age. It would also seem that it was based on the role and capability of the individual in that society under the laws of Israel (to whom much is given, much is required), which means that it is not applicable in any other society, unless of course they so chose, and definitely not in the Kingdom of God. Many of the instructions of the Old Testament were given in religious terms for religious purposes but carried practical applications for life in general. For instance the instructions for dealing with contaminated substances like mold, or disease like leprosy, quarantining, washing and purifying, clean animals to eat, burying our refuse, and so on, societies have found them to be very helpful for health practices. Regarding this particular passage, I have no revelation, but have little doubt there are valuable nuggets of knowledge hidden in it. On one hand, in that society, the young man had a greater economic value, but on the other hand, when it comes to war, they are more expendable.
WHAT ABOUT ROLE DISTINCTION BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? In the New Testament, men were still given the role of leadership, but within the function of the early church, we can see the involvement of women in ministry, which was not allowed in the Levitical Priesthood and Pharisaical office. Women were the first preachers of Jesus resurrection Matthew 28:8, Mark 16:1-8, John 20:10-17. In fact, women were from the beginning actively involved in the Gospel work with the Apostles. They were there in the upper room praying along with the men on the day of Pentecost. Now according to the prophetic promise through the prophet Joel, God filled the women as well as the men with the Holy Spirit, making no difference, and even the servants, meaning everyone was anointed for life and service in His Kingdom "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days I will pour out My Spirit." Joel 2:28-29. Notice the extent of the religious and social reformation that He is impacting, where even among the servants and handmaids He is making no distinction. Praise the Lord!!! The Apostle Paul penned it like this, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, neither is there male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:27-28
WHAT ABOUT WOMEN SPEAKING AND BEING IN MINISTRY?
"But I will not allow a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression" 1 Timothy 2:11-14
Let us look at 'to teach, usurp authority, to be in silence and deceived (also 1 Corinthians 14:34).
WOMEN SPEAKING IN CHURCH
- On one hand, in 1 Corinthians 11:3-16, Paul is talking about women praying or prophesying in the church, and yet in 14:34, he is saying that they are to keep silence in the church. There is either a contradiction, or something we are missing. If they are being told to keep silent, why does he speak of them praying or prophesying which is no doubt in the church setting? Now we know that in the fulfillment of the Prophesy of Joel where God pours out His Spirit on both His sons and daughters enabling them to prophesy, it would be a sin to silence the Lord by quenching the Spirit in them (1 Thessalonians 5:19), unless of course it would be completely out of order. Where else is it better and more appropriate but in the church that a person be allowed to express their faith in Christ? So what is the order. We know that the social traditions of the time often separated the men and women, and if the men were in a meeting the women were not to disturb it. But we also know that the men and women of the early church got together for prayer and other meetings as in Acts 1 - 2. It appears that some of the issues here are relating to the way things were done in those days, otherwise he is contradicting himself and conflicting with the working of the Holy Spirit.
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP -
When the apostle Paul addresses the issue of a woman teaching and usurping authority/overriding a man, that is a valid and serious concern against anyone pushing their way into leadership. "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Timothy 2:14. For whatever reason (much can and has been assumed and read into these verses) the Lord had set in order the male as the final authority and oversight as a line of defense. IF anyone assumes a role that God has not ordained for them, they become an easy target for deception, and because of their role and responsibility they expose those in their care to more direct attacks. It appears that the devil could not get a clear shot at Adam, but through Eve he could. By taking Eve out, he also was able to take not only Adam out, but also get at all the man was responsible for. When we step out of line, as in a military situation, we can jeopardize the entire platoon. The man is the outer defense, and the woman has his back. This is not meant as a point of contention or a declaration of some female inferiority, but a divine order for safety that we must all heed. We are in a war, and we have an enemy who wants to make a target of us. In the title verse where the Lord says He will create a new thing in the earth, where a woman will compass a man, what kind of social changes are coming, and what are the dangers? This means that the woman will be equipped for the new role as was the man. But this does not negate the value of the original design. Instead if provides flexibility to cover where the original design cannot be implemented.
THE WOMAN BEING DECEIVED - Again, much can be assumed and read into this passage. There are characteristic generalities in the male, the female, families, nationalities... but not everyone necessarily fits into all of them. So to say all men, or all women, or all ... are like such and such, can be presumptuous. God has created each with variations as well as similarities. So He alone remains Lord. Both men and women can be deceived, and it is only the grace of God that keeps any of us. Notice that Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:6. Manoah, Samson's father, was fearful that they would die after the angelic visitation announcing Samson's birth because he thought they saw God. His wife however, correctly reasoned out the experience and therefore assured him of the safety of the visit, Judges 22-23.
On the other hand, Job's wife, after all their disaster, gave him wicked counsel "Curse God and die." Job 2:9
Whenever we come to a passage of Scripture that is not clear, or does not coincide with our reasoning, knowledge, or understanding, we must never disregard it, but uphold it as the truth at face value, and handle it prayerfully in humility and the fear of the Lord. Presumption or arrogance will guarantee error at some level regardless of the direction taken.
WOMEN IN MINISTRY? [Apparently, about two thirds of missionaries are women. What and where would the church be without them?]
When Paul said that he would not allow a woman to teach nor usurp authority over the man, does not mean he was not allowing them to teach. It is obvious through the shepherding and teaching ministry of Priscilla, which Paul clearly supported, who served along side with her husband Aquila, that the Lord is not opposed to women ministering. They were a Jewish Christian couple who worked together with Paul in the ministry. In Acts 18:24-26, it describes how that when they heard Apollos, who was a new convert at the time, speak for the Lord in the synagogue, took him aside to teach him the Word of God more perfectly. Here she is with her husband teaching a developing powerful minister. Look at this verse by Paul, "Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles." Romans 16:3-4. Notice how he put her name first. They also led a house church, and by the looks of the type of ministry they had, they were shepherds/pastors 1 Corinthians 16:19. Paul also mentioned other women who worked with him in the ministry - I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant (deaconess) of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well." Romans 16:1 This woman was on a mission and had the God given authority to make requests of His people. To oppose her would being opposing the will of God in this particular situation.
"And I entreat you also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the Gospel." Philippians 4:3
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN...?
When the leaders of the Sanhedrin came together to determine what to do with the disciples of Jesus preaching the resurrection in His name, Gamaliel, a Pharisee of high rank and honor gave some tremendous advise to the counsel, "'...take heed to yourselves...but if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you be found even to fight against God.'" Acts 5:39 In all our judgments we must be careful that we are recognizing and working with God, and not opposing Him. By the way, the ministry of Pharisee was not even in accordance with the original Levitical Priesthood. In the law of Moses, only a man from the tribe of Levi could serve as a priest. In Jesus day, a Pharisee could be from any tribe. Paul was a Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin.
IS GOD DOING SOMETHING NEW?
We so quickly take hold of knowledge and box it in thinking that we have God all figured out, and I for one have struggled with this. When we see something that is supposedly in Christ but does not look like something we are familiar with or fits with the Scriptures as we perceive them, we easily disregard it. What makes it more difficult to discern is the human element that is entangled with it that may very well be out of divine order, and that makes it even more contemptible and difficult to accept. When the Toronto blessing was happening in the early 90's many church groups wrote it off because of some of the strange activities that went on. Even John Arnot, who was the pastor of the Vineyard church at the time acknowledged that some of the flesh was involved. But he said that God was also doing something and the had to step back and allow the Holy Spirit to sort things out "...that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Isaiah 28:21 I personally stumbled over what I observed initially, but the Lord humbled me beautifully and graciously. In the midst God was doing an amazing healing work among His people. The testimonies were not only of salvation, but many were pastors, church leaders and workers who had been suffering from burnout and other forms of oppression that the Lord was wonderfully healing. Truly, it became a time of refreshing and renewal for me as well, in spite of myself.
WHEN WE ARE EXPOSED TO SOMETHING NEW OR DIFFERENT - that is supposedly from the Lord, here are a few guidelines we can follow to keep us receptive and discerning:
1 - Humble ourselves before the Lord, because He resists the proud and tries our heart. We can miss Him thinking we know Him
2 - Step back and watch and pray - we can "be hasty and miss the way"
3 - Examine it in the light of the Scriptures. Does it conflict with the Word of God?
4 - Does it bear witness with the Spirit? Our mind may find it unacceptable, but the Spirit of Jesus within may be bearing witness that it is from Him, or it is not
5 - Does it bear good fruit, and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus said every tree is known by its fruit, and the works of the Holy Spirit will glorify Him (Jesus)
PRECAUTIONS
- CHRISTIAN/JESUS LABEL - Most certainly, just because something has a Christian or 'Jesus' tag does not mean that it is from HIM, and Jesus warned us to be on our guard. Matthew 7:15, 2 Corinthians 11:4
- EXTREMES AND IMITATIONS - Furthermore, whenever God is doing something the Devil attempts to draw people away by deceptive imitations and extremes. The zealots of Jesus day were an example
- CASTING OF RESTRAINTS - Another very dangerous activity that can happen around change is that people sometimes tend to cast off restraints and ignore safety rails. "Where there is no vision, people cast of restraints, but happy is he that keeps the law." Proverbs 29:18 Confusion and disorientation are often the by-product, deception and error soon follows. The French version uses the expression for casting off restraint is , "...sont sans frien" this is the same word used for brakes - are without brakes.
- THE DANGER OF LAWLESSNESS - Lawlessness is the devil's imitation of grace, where anything goes. It looks like freedom, and embracing new ideas and ways are truly 'Open Minded', but can easily be an open door for doctrines of devils. I have noticed that many of the church organizations that have embraced 'equal rights' for women in ministry had soon endorsed marring and ordaining homosexuals, which the Bible clearly condemns as sin. If something is of God, it will not break His commandments, but will honor the integrity of His statutes and precepts.
- OPPRESSIVE LIBERTIES - Giving women equal rights does not always mean justice. I may have previously mentioned this, but some years ago I read a book by a Russian woman who was a member of the Intelligentsia, who was finally forced to leave the Soviet Union because of her protests. One of the issues was because she was a part of the Soviet Feminist movement. She said that one might question why there should be a feminist movement in a country that boasts of equality? Well, she said that they were too equal, and that women were forced to work like men, to the point where it was cruel. True, there are women who can keep up with a man in physical labor, but for the few to set the standard for all is not just or loving.
- GOD'S ORDER IS A SAFETY - As I previously referred to Psalm 19 in the topic 'The Seduction of Reason' where it speaks of the divine order in nature as well as His laws, that there is safety, and also warning when we see them broken...
CONCLUSION - Truly God is doing a new thing in the earth in our generation for and through women. We must be careful to not fight Him, nor be careless and embrace everything that is swept along. I have one piece of advice concerning this, especially with regards to the ministry, and you can decide what to do with it yourself before the Lord. Remember, there is a big difference between the demands of leadership in the house of God, and leadership in the business world. Therefore I suggest that... We should diligently follow the patterns of Scripture, and let the Lord make the variations where He will. With the huge influx of female activity in society, female help and input are definitely needed as they have a perspective and sensitivity that men typically do not, especially when dealing with women. If it is of God it will not disrupt or change the integrity of His divine order, but it may ours. BEWARE OF THE 'EQUAL RIGHTS' AND 'NO DIFFERENCE' DOCTRINES - they can be a smoke screen for a perverse and destructive agenda.
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