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I have an exercise to write a series of articles about the women who are particularly presented to us in the scripture for our consideration. I have been thinking about the directions which the apostle Paul delivered to the assembly regarding women (1 Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:9-15). Now, I believe that it is in the mind of God that these directions are followed today, just as they were when they were first given – however, that isn’t what I have in mind to explore here. Naturally, if we read these scriptures, we might tend to think that they are rather negative – mostly occupied with what women cannot do. However, I believe that these scriptures show us that women have a particular place in God’s order, and that isn’t the place of a man, nor a place that a man can occupy. I can testify to the blessing and peace which follows from observing the scriptural order, and also, sadly, to the disruption and strife which results from that order being set aside. No doubt some would disagree with my understanding of these scriptures, and I don’t want to cause unnecessary contention by forcing my views upon them. I also am only too well aware of these scriptures have been misused and abused in order to demean our sisters in Christ. So, leaving that aside, I believe it would be positive and edifying for us to study a few of the women of the Bible, and draw out profitable instruction from the scripture regarding them.
I propose to review, briefly, the following women: Rebecca, Deborah the prophetess, Jael the wife of Heber, Abigail, Esther, Mary of Magdala, Lydia, and Lois and Eunice, grandmother and mother of Timothy. No doubt there are others equally worthy of our attention, but these are the few that sprang to mind immediately.
There are three features in particular that I want to draw out in most, if not all, of the scriptural accounts of these women.
Firstly, their operations and movements in the circumstances in which they were.
Secondly, where it exists, the typical representation of the assembly, seen in these women.
Thirdly, the peculiarly feminine positive features seen in each which we can all emulate, men and women.
My exercise is that, having completed this study, that we will all be deepened in our appreciation of what God has done and is doing specially through women, and what is feminine.
Let us begin with Rebecca. She comes to our attention in Genesis 24. Abraham has just buried his wife, Sarah, and he desired that his son Isaac should have a wife. In this chapter we have a beautiful and striking representation of the three Persons of the Godhead, acting in perfect accord to secure the object of divine counsels: that Christ should have a creature vessel which answers to His own heart’s affections. The assembly is often presented to us in the scripture as a feminine vessel: as the spouse in the Song of Solomon, as the “woman of worth” in Proverbs 31, as “the queen in gold of Ophir” in Psalm 45, as “the bride” of John the baptist’s humble analogy (John 3:29), as a “chaste virgin”, espoused to one Man (2 Corinthians 11:2), and again as the bride and “the Lamb’s wife” in the Revelation. We see her pre-figured in the Woman of Genesis 2, of whom the Man can say, “This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (verse 23) – the perfect counterpart, the perfect answer to His affections.
Broadly, in Genesis 24, we see the Spirit of God represented by the servant, sent of the Father with the mission of securing, preparing, leading, accompanying, and presenting the bride to the Son. However, we must pass over much of the instructive detail of this chapter to focus on Rebecca.
From the very first moment we’re introduced to Rebecca, we see a lovely picture. “And the maiden was very fair in countenance; a virgin, and no man had known her” (verse 16). This is what the servant saw. The Spirit knows precisely what will satisfy the heart of Christ. Here, in Rebecca, we see the assembly as a perfect, flawless vessel, with no past history. Each one of us has a past history – we are redeemed, saved, delivered, washed from our sins by the precious blood of the Saviour. We have been brought in to make up one whole, this vessel which has no past history – “a virgin, and no man had known her”.
Rebecca’s response to the servant’s request is telling: “Drink, my lord! And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink.” I believe we can learn a good deal from Rebecca’s movements in relation to the servant, and how she addresses him. Although the Holy Spirit has taken a place of service (blessed and gracious service, we should add), indwelling the believer, we cannot lose sight that of the fact that “the Lord is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17). Although the Spirit never acts forcefully with us, we must never forget that He is God in His own Person, and worthy of our obedience, and all honour. Rebecca, typically, not only recognised this, but responded to the prompting of the Spirit and gave Him what refreshed Him. Did you know, dear brother or sister, that you can refresh divine Persons? There is, of course, no deficiency with God that we can fill up by our own efforts – far be the thought – but by responding to Him in spontanteous praise and worship, we give Him of His own (1 Chronicles 29:14), and that delights His heart. I feel tested as to how much I appreciate the Spirit’s service, and how often I thank Him for it, and turn to Him in worship.
Rebecca is marked by spiritual energy. She “hasted” and “ran” – there was nothing half-hearted or non-committal about her movements. She not only refreshed the servant, but, unprompted, she drew water for his camels also. She provided for what would move the testimony forward. We can do that, you know. Not by any effort of the flesh, but by drawing from the well of divine provision.
She doesn’t stop there. She goes on, “There is straw, and also much provender with us; also room to lodge” (verse 25). It is a vital thing that we provide room for the Holy Spirit to lodge in our hearts and lives – that we sow to Him (Galatians 6:8) and that we do not grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30).
We have seen the purity, the subjection, and the spiritual energy of Rebecca already. This continues later in the chapter. Her answer to the question, “Wilt thou go with this man?” is, unhesitatingly, “I will go” (verse 58). She was one who was characteristically subject to the Spirit’s leading.
The final feature of Rebecca which I would like to draw attention is near to the end of the chapter, as she prepares to meet her husband: “she took the veil, and covered herself.” Her beauty was only for the eyes of the bridegroom – it could not be seen or appreciated by the world. We would be reminded of the scripture that tells us that our “life is hid with the Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Peter, in his first epistle, writes to the sisters, telling them that their beauty shouldn’t consist merely of outward adornment, but of “the hidden man of the heart” (1 Peter 3:4). I believe we see this in Rebecca as one who had Isaac (Christ, typically) in her heart.
So much could be said about this treasure of a chapter – but I have restricted myself to considering Rebecca. We see in her features of the assembly, as secured and formed by the Spirit, and brought to Christ. We also see features which the Spirit would form in each one of us – how He would lead us to Christ individually, as part of that great collective result for the heart of God.