Some Old Testament women

D.R.A., E.M.A., etc.

1 Eva, the first 12 Deborah, a mother in Israel
2 Hagar, the Egyptian handmaiden 13 Jael, with unique blessing
3 Sara as an outstanding mother 14 Noemí, outstanding in
restoration
4 Rebeca, a model bride 15 Ruth, a very virtuous woman
5 Rachel, a troubled wife 16 Esther
6 Lea, a chosen mother 17 Bathsheba, forgiven and
favored
7 Asenat, exalted with José 18 The Shulamite, the beloved
8 Jocabed, mother of leaders 19 queen
9 Mary the sister of Moses 20 The Shunammite hostess
10 Rahab as a pagan woman 21 Naaman's maid
11 Ana, Samuel's mother

1 Eva, the first

Eve was the first woman, the first wife, the first mother, the first person tempted by Satan and
who also sinned, the first mother of a murderer, the first seamstress and the first person to
receive a prophecy about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Eve was the only woman who at one time was pure and without fault, and who being made
directly by God was of divine origin. She was the only woman who inhabited the Garden of
Eden. He had no childhood or adolescence. She did not have a midwife or an older woman to
help and advise her in raising her children. And no doubt the children were many, although the
Bible names few. He was given three names: Varona, Eve and Adam. (Not Mrs. Adam, but he
and she were jointly Adam). Note who gave her each name and why; those names denote this
woman's relationship with her husband, her children and God.

It is an illustration of the Church, that is, of all the people as a whole who have been or will be
saved by the work of Calvary before Christ comes. She was given to Adam to be his
companion and to enjoy God's paradise with him. She proceeded from him, having been taken
from his side. The life he had came directly from the breath of life he had received. The
Church receives her life from Christ, and it will be her eternal pleasure. The earthly Eden will
be fulfilled in part in the glory of the millennium, and fully fulfilled in the eternal Jerusalem.
To him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all ages, Ephesians 3.21.

Satan used pride and arrogance as a wedge that would lead to covetousness and then
disobedience. It has been well said that pride is the sin of the spirit. He was the first to enter
the universe, Satan himself, as Isaiah tells us: How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,
son of the morning! ... Thou that saidst in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven; I will exalt
my throne above the stars of God ... and I will be like the Most High.

Having been influenced by Satan, Eve saw that the tree was good for food, pleasing to the
eyes and coveted for wisdom. She took and ate of the fruit. John may have been thinking of
this when he said that all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the
pride of life, is not from the Father, but from the world.

Having eaten, Adam and Eve felt ashamed because they were naked, and tried to sew
themselves aprons of fig leaves. But this was not enough for them, so they hid among the trees
in the orchard. So, every time we dress we are showing that we are also sinners.

The consequences of Eve's sin, we feel them daily in that we have to dress ourselves; women
give birth with pain; and the desire or will of the woman is subject to her husband. Even in the
church today we live the consequence of Eve's sin, as the apostle says: Let the woman learn in
silence with all subjection.... For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not
deceived, but the woman being deceived, she transgressed. But he shall be saved by begetting
children, if he continue in faith, love and sanctification, with modesty, 1 Timothy 2:15.

2 Hagar, the Egyptian handmaiden

Hagar is mentioned in Genesis 16, 21, 25.

Seeing that it was humanly impossible for her to have a child, she went ahead of God's
purposes, and gave her husband her handmaid to bear children by her. The immediate
consequence was the rivalry that arose between Hagar and Sarah. The wife felt that Hagar
looked down on her and so grieved her. Hagar chose to flee, although she had no right to do so
because she was a slave. In the wilderness the angel of the LORD appeared to her by a
fountain and said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where have you come from and where are you
going? Hagar confessed that she was on the run. Again the angel spoke to her: Turn to your
master, and be submissive under his hand.

Then he told him of the great multitude that would be his offspring; that he would call his son
Ishmael, for the Lord had heard his affliction; and lastly he said that Ishmael would be a fierce
man: all against him and he against all. She, now humbled, says: You are God who sees me;
have I not also seen him who sees me here? Hagar returned to Abraham's house.

The second consequence of the problem with Sarah was the rivalry between Ishmael and
Isaac, because the latter was born when the former was fourteen years old. It is now Abraham
who sends Hagar and Ishmael away, on Sarah's orders and with God's approval. He dispatches
them with bread and a wineskin of water. In the Beersheba desert the water soon ran out.
Hagar put the boy under a bush because he was dying of thirst.

She sat some distance away, saying: I will not see when the boy dies. But the boy cried and
God heard him. In another angelic message Hagar's faith was strengthened. Then God opened
her eyes and she saw a fountain of water. He ends the story by saying that God was with the
boy.

The apostle Paul uses the story of Hagar as an allegory to distinguish between grace and law.
The comparison is between Hagar the bondwoman and Sarah the free; between Ishmael the
son according to the flesh Isaac the son by promise. Those who are children of God still have
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Ishmael-the flesh-who pursues Isaac-the spiritual man in the believer. Paul's admonition is:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not subject again
to the yoke of bondage, Galatians 5. The Lord Jesus Christ also tells us: The slave does not
remain in the house forever. Whomsoever the Son shall set free, the same shall be free indeed.

3 Sara as an outstanding mother

Genesis 11 to 25 recount events in the life of Sarah. She is listed as the first truly God-fearing
woman in the Bible. However, there is no indication of this spirituality until she believed she
was going to give birth to a son. The fact is that Sara's entire family is in the context of her
married life, and her faults also have to do with her marital relationship. Some relevant
passages are Isaiah 51:2, Romans 4:19, 9:9 and Hebrews 11:11.

She was Abraham's wife and her story revolves around the way her husband and son impacted
her life and her attitude towards them. Outside of Genesis Sarah is more of a mother than
anything else:
• In Hebrews 11:11 she is the mother of one child: By faith ... Sarah, being barren, received
strength to conceive; and she gave birth even beyond the time of the age, because she
believed that he who had promised was faithful. (Obviously his faith preceded his
moment of conception).
• In Isaiah 51:2 she is the mother of the nation of Israel. It says that Jehovah called
Abraham when he was "one," but it also says that Sarah "gave birth" to the people of
Israel.
• In Galatians 4:21 to 23 she is the mother of all of us who are free under the new covenant,
the promise of salvation by faith in Christ.
• In 1 Peter 3.6 she is the mother of all holy women who hope in God and submit to their
husbands in a gentle and peaceable spirit.
She suffered first because of her barrenness and then because of the strife between the son of
the bondwoman (Ishmael, son of Hagar) and the son of promise (Isaac, Sarah's son). Nothing
is said of Sarah on the occasion when Isaac was to be offered on the altar, but it is to be
thought that she knew ("Take thy son" was demanded before father and son left home) and
that she felt it as only a mother can.

After God had promised a seed to Abraham, she waited ten years and then decided to take
matters into her own hands. She suggested to her husband to raise up seed from the Egyptian
handmaid, Hagar. Possibly she did it in dedication to her husband, but impatience before
God's promises. The consequences of that intrigue are felt to this day in the enmity that exists
between Jews (descendants of Isaac) and Islamic Arabs (descendants of Ishmael and Esau).
Its beauty was enduring. Even at the age of ninety, she was coveted. Two kings wanted it:
Pharaoh and Abimilek. It seems that he shared the lie with Abraham as to the true relationship
between the two of them. They agreed to say that they were brothers and not spouses, so that
he would not be killed because of her.

Abraham laughed for joy at the promise that a son would be born to him, 17:17. Sarah laughed
in unbelief when God tells Abraham that she would indeed have a son, 18.12. But when Isaac
was born he laughed for joy, and says, God hath made me laugh, and whosoever heareth it
shall laugh with me, 21.6.

The apostle Peter emphasizes their obedience and reverence. In speaking of the conduct of
wives and the attire of believing women, he says: "Let your attire be not the outward
adornment of ostentatious hairstyles, ornaments of gold or luxurious clothing, but the inward
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adornment, that of the heart, in the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and peaceable spirit,
which is of great esteem in the sight of God. For even so did those holy women in times past
adorn themselves, who (a) hoped in God, (b) being in subjection to their own husbands; as
Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord; of whom ye are become daughters, if ye do good,
fearing no threatening.

It is interesting that Sarah and others were singled out, according to Peter's approach, for their
internal attire, when Genesis speaks more than once of their external beauty. He gives Sarah
as an example of a woman whose inner attire was reflected in her conduct toward her
husband. It does not say whether it was so throughout their union, or only in all or some of the
circumstances narrated in Genesis. The truth is that Abraham betrayed her by telling Pharaoh
and Abimelech that she was his sister; see Genesis 20:13.

Sara died at the age of 172. She is the only woman whose life span is specified in the Bible,
and her burial is the first mentioned in the Bible. Dead, she left a palpable void in the home.
Abraham mourned for her, and bought the field and cave of Machpelah to bury her there. Of
Isaac her son says that it was only by receiving Rebekah for a wife that he was consoled after
his mother's death.

4 Rebeca, a model bride

The story of this lady is found in Genesis 24 to 29. It is illustrative of (a) the sinner receiving
by faith the great offer of salvation; (b) the Church, planned by the Father, sought and brought
to the Son by the work of the Holy Spirit; (c) certain principles of Christian courtship.

After Sarah's death, Abraham did not want Isaac to take a Canaanite woman for himself
because they were heathen. Therefore, he sent his trusted servant on a long journey-perhaps
900 kilometers-to Mesopotamia to find a wife for his son. Rebekah was the granddaughter of
Nahor, a brother of Abraham who had accompanied him to Haran, Genesis 11:27, 24:15.

The servant having asked God for signs to show him the right young woman, there was no
doubt in his mind that the woman for Isaac was Rebekah. The servant's testimony to the
relatives concerning Abraham and Isaac was: The Lord has blessed my master very much, and
Sarah, my master's wife, bore in her old age a son to my master, who has given him all that he
has. Six times we read in Genesis 24 of the servant on the way; "the LORD leading me in the
way to the house of the brethren," 24.27.

Genesis chapter 24 tells much about this maiden. It highlights her physical, moral and spiritual
beauty; her willingness to work; and her decisive character. When the servant had
accomplished his mission, he wanted to return to his master at once, but Rebekah's parents
(Nahor was Abraham's brother) wanted him to wait at least ten days. The question was put to
Rebecca: Will you go with this man? and she answered: "Yes, I will go. (Ten in the Bible is
the number of man under test to see how he will behave. For the unsaved, the message is: Do
not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what the day will bring, Proverbs 27:1.)

At the end of the long journey, Rebecca saw Isaac from afar. He had been meditating in the
field but he raised his eyes and, seeing them coming, went to meet them. Rebekah asks the
servant, "Who is this man coming toward us across the field? The servant replied, "This is my
lord. She then took the veil and covered herself, as a chaste young woman would do in those
times as a sign of reverence.

The account says that Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah to wife

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and loved her; and Isaac was comforted after the death of his mother. In those times before the
law, polygamy was common, but we never read that Isaac took another wife for himself, not
even a concubine. However, her husband exposed her once to the same danger that Sarah had
known twice; 26.7 to 11. We read that Isaac loved Rebekah, but we do not read of her love for
him.

After several years of childlessness, it was Isaac who prayed for his wife, who was barren.
Jehovah heard. Rebekah had twins, the first ones mentioned in the Bible. Genesis 25.19 to 26.
Unfortunately, we see that over the years there was disagreement between Isaac and Rebekah.
He favored Esau, the hunter, and she favored Jacob, the one most attached to the home. As has
happened many times over the centuries, the model bride did not turn out to be a model wife
or mother. 25.27 to 34.

The day came when what God had said about the children before their birth was fulfilled: The
elder shall serve the younger. The last thing we read of Rebekah is that she proposes to Jacob
to deceive her father and thus secure the birthright. Her aims were to bring about the
fulfillment of God's word, but the means she used brought grave consequences to Jacob, and
an enmity that exists to this day between Jews and Arabs. Jacob left home, and we are not
aware that the mother ever saw her beloved son again. 27.1 to 40. "Now therefore, my son,
obey my voice," 27.8. It seems that their attitude was, "Let us do evil that good may come,"
Romans 3:8, but the standard in James 1:20 is that the wrath of man does not work the
righteousness of God.

For a doctrinal exposition of the question of the two sons in the purposes of God, see Romans
9.10 to 16.

5 Rachel, a troubled wife

We read of Rachel mostly in Genesis 29 to 31; 33; 35.

This wife of Jacob was the granddaughter of Bethuel, Rebekah's brother. One day she was
watering her father's sheep when Jacob arrived from his long journey of nearly 900
kilometers, fleeing from his brother Esau.

Dying in her second childbirth, she exclaimed, "Son of my sorrow," 35.18, and it is in this
spirit of sorrow that the Scriptures project the life of this woman. Employing this mother as a
figure of Israel, the prophet said, "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and bitter mourning,
Rachel mourning for her children, and would not be comforted for her children, because they
perished," Jeremiah 31:15. The prophecy had its greatest fulfillment in Luke 2:16 to 18.

He was of a pretty countenance and beautiful appearance. For Jacob it was love at first sight,
and he offered to work seven years to get Rachel for his wife. He had left his father's house
with only his staff, as he confessed to the impending encounter with Esau. These seven years
seemed like a few days to him, because he loved her.

But even in those days there was the divine principle that whatsoever a man soweth that shall
he also reap, Galatians 6:7. Jacob had deceived his father, and now Laban, Rachel's father,
was going to deceive Jacob. On the very night of their marriage, he did not give her to Rachel
but to Leah, her older sister. When Jacob complained to Laban, Laban told him that it was not
customary to marry the younger before the older, but to let the week of festivities pass, and
then he would give him Rachel, provided he would work another seven years for her.

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It was evident that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. But he was not a fulfilled father; he
dabbled in business at the expense of his household. She turned out to be a troubled wife.
Envious, 30.1. Unbeliever, 30.3. Idolater and thief, 31.32. Liar, 32.35. We do not read about
this type of behavior in Lea.

God saw the contempt to which Leah was subjected by Rachel and Jacob, and gave the elder
six sons. Rachel, on the other hand, was barren, and this situation made her very envious. He
went so far as to say to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die." This demonstrated a lack of
spirituality. However, God saw her affliction and remembered her. José is born. In giving him
this name, she prayed for the first time, as far as the biblical account is concerned, for the
name Joseph means "Add to me God another son." Rachel tragically died giving birth to her
second child. She called him Benoni, a name that means "the oak of weeping", but we know
him by Benjamin.

Although Rachel's two sons were their father's favorites, and Joseph is the most perfect type of
the Lord Jesus Christ that we find in the Old Testament, the truth is that as far as the twelve
tribes of Israel were to come from the various sons, it was Levi and Judah, sons of Leah, who
were to carry the baton most in the nation. Rachel died and Jacob set up a pillar over her
grave, 35.19,20.

6 Lea, a chosen mother

The story is in Genesis 29 to 31; 33 to 35.

Although Leah did not enjoy the physical qualities of her younger sister, she was the one
whom God chose to be the mother of six of Jacob's sons, two of whose tribes were to bring
greater glory to him1. These were Judah and Levi. The blessing of the women upon Boaz was,
"The LORD make the woman who comes into your house [Ruth] like Rachel and Leah, who
built the house of the LORD," Ruth 4:11.

"The LORD saw that Leah was despised, and he bore her children," 29.31. However, her
husband did not have the proper love for her; at the birth of the sixth of her sons, 30.20, she
said, "Now shall my husband dwell with me." However, it was after this that she gave birth to
Dinah, who was to bring serious problems to the family; chapter 34.

According to the names Leah gave to her sons, we see in her a spiritual progress or growth
that is not noticeable in Rachel: With her firstborn, Reuben, she said, The Lord hath looked
upon my affliction. We see salvation in this. And when Simeon was born, he said, The LORD
heard that I was despised. We see his prayer. Levi means: Now this time my husband will join
me. We see their desire for communion. Judah is born and she says: This time I will praise the
Lord, for I was despised. Here is his praise. Several years pass and Issachar is born: God has
given me my reward. His reward was a product of his service. And lastly with Zebulun she
declared: God has given me a good dowry; now shall my husband dwell with me. We see her
in figure dwelling in glory.

Leah, unlike Rachel, was buried where the remains of Abraham Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah lay;
49.31. Her husband's remains would later be taken to this same Macpela field, 50.13.

7 Asenat, exalted with José

Asenath was the wife of Zaphnath-paneah, or, as he is better known, Joseph. What little we
know of her is found in Genesis 41. Living outside his native land, rejected by his brothers,

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Joseph took for himself a wife from among the Gentiles. She was the daughter of a priest of
Egypt. This reminds us of what the Lord Jesus did.

He, being a Jew, sought his spiritual bride from among us Gentiles. John's testimony about
Jesus is that he was in the world, and the world was made through him, but the world did not
know him. To His own - the world - He came; His own - the Jews - did not receive Him. But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name. John 1.10 to 12. God wants all of us to fit into this last group. In this way
we will be part of the bride of Christ, the Church.

8 Jocabed, mother of leaders

There is little that the Bible narrates about this woman. We find it in Genesis chapters 2 and 6,
in Numbers 26:59 and in Hebrews 11:23. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that each of his sons-
Mary, Aaron and Moses-was great as far as God was concerned. Her honor is that she raised
that family in the midst of great persecution by the Egyptians.

Moses was born when Pharaoh was feared by the multitude of the Israelites and commanded
that every male child born to their wives should be put to death. But this mother saw that her
son was beautiful and pleasing to God. Jocabed hid him for three months. In Exodus 2 we read
of what she did; in Acts 7:20 it says that the nene was "in her father's house;" and, Hebrews 11
says that the faith was of "the fathers of Moses." It is beautiful to observe, then, that Amram
and his mistress Jochebed had a mutual exercise in the upbringing of their children.

She then made a waterproofed chest so that she could hide her creature in the Nile River.
Maria, in hiding, took care of her little brother. When the princess saw him weeping she took
pity on him and sent Mary to find a wet nurse from the Hebrew women. It was in this way that
his mother was able to raise him for the princess.

Jochebed and her husband are listed as heroes of faith in Hebrews because their faith saved
Moses. They are the only couple listed as having performed together in a spiritual exercise.
Amram ("an exalted nation") and Jochebed ("the glory of God") lived in the worst of times but
their faith enabled them to raise children for the glory of God and the exaltation of his people,
Numbers 25.9. Moses' faith came into play when he was "grown up". His fathers had not
feared the king's decree, and he did not fear the king's wrath; Hebrews 11:23,27. In this God
honored the faith of Amram and Jochebed.

We often read, especially in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, about the kings of Israel that "their
mother's name was ..." Could it be to imply that they had formed the character of their
respective sons who "did that which was right" or "walked not in the ways of Jehovah?" That
Timothy's grandmother and mother formed his character, we have no doubt. So Moses, so
Samuel.

9 Mary the sister of Moses

This is the first of the Mary's we find in the Bible; her name would be used extensively in
Israel in later generations. We read about it in Exodus chapters 2 and 15 and Numbers
chapters 12 and 20.

She was a responsible young woman for the way she cared for Moses when his parents put
him in the ark and hid him in the Nile River. She showed serenity before the Egyptian
princess, asking her if she did not want a wet nurse to take care of the child. The next mention
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of Mary is when she led the women of Israel in the chorus of Moses' hymn of praise when
their Egyptian enemies were covered by the waters of the Red Sea. Maria would have been in
her nineties by now and we marveled that at that age she still had such a good voice. "Sing
unto the LORD for he hath magnified himself exceedingly..." On this occasion the Bible calls
her a prophetess and it is the first time this title is given to a lady. Mary not only led the
singing but God, speaking through the prophet Micah centuries later, puts her almost on a par
with her brothers: "...and I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Mary."

Unfortunately, Maria felt jealous of her brother when he married. Supposedly one of the
reasons was that the woman was of a different race, although it is not entirely certain what she
was. Together with Aaron, Miriam murmured against Moses. This sin was so grave in the eyes
of God that He Himself rebuked them both, and Mary left God's presence white as snow and
leprous.

This punishment lasted seven days. It was a week's delay in the march of the people (some
three and a half million people, or more) marching toward the promised land. Aaron
confessed, "madly we have sinned." Moses prayed for Mary and after seven days she rejoined
the people. This sin had its serious consequences. When we sin it is always against God that
we sin, but sometimes our loved ones and the Lord's people suffer as well. See David's
language in Psalm 51:4 regarding his fall with Bathsheba.

Mary did not reach the promised land but died at Kadesh and was buried there.

10 Rahab as a pagan woman

Before he crossed the Jordan to take possession of the land of Canaan, Joshua sent two spies
to secretly reconnoiter the land. The miracles that Jehovah had done for the people of Israel
when they came out of Egypt forty years before, and in their wilderness wanderings, had
spread throughout the land of Canaan, so that all were terrified at the advance of this people of
God. The spies came to Jericho to the house of a woman named Rahab, whom the Bible says
was a harlot. When the king of that city sent for the spies she hid them on her roof where she
dried bunches of linen.

Before these men arrived, Rahab was already sincerely convinced of the true God, as she
testifies upon receiving them: "I know that the Lord has given you this land; for the fear of
you has fallen upon us, and all the inhabitants of the land have already fainted because of
you.... Now therefore, I beseech you, swear to me by the LORD, that as I have shown mercy
to you, so shall ye show mercy to my father's house, whereof ye shall give me a sure token ..."

The spies answered, "When the LORD has given us the land, we will show you kindness and
truth................................... you shall tie this scarlet cord to the window through which you let
us down".

11 Ana, Samuel's mother

The story that interests us here is found in the first two chapters of 1 Samuel. To understand
the full meaning and result of his action, we must remember the condition of things described
in Judges and also know the story of Samuel as presented in 1 Samuel 3 onwards. The last
verses of the book of Ruth prepare us for an improvement in Israel's declining condition that
we find in Judges. Ana and her son Samuel were to play important roles in that restoration.

The books of Samuel begin by telling us that Hannah was one of Elkanah's two wives and that
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she had no children. But Elkanah "loved Hannah, though Jehovah had not granted her to have
children." Penina, Elkanah's other wife, took advantage of this circumstance to mock Ana, so
that the barren woman cried and did not eat. Once a year the whole family of Elkanah went up
to tabernacle, and it was on one of these visits to Shiloh that she with bitterness of soul prayed
to Jehovah, and wept abundantly, saying: "If thou wilt deign to look upon the affliction of
thine handmaid, and wilt remember me, and wilt not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto
thine handmaid a man child, then will I dedicate him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and
no razor shall pass over his head."

The women in Israel were grieved at not having children. In the law of Moses, a man who had
taken two wives had to be just to the children of both; Deuteronomy 21:15 to 17. However, it
is not God's will for a man to have two wives or to send one away to marry another. The law
of Moses permitted these things in some cases, but from the beginning God did not plan it this
way, Matthew 19:8. In the church a man with two wives cannot serve as an elder or leader, 1
Timothy 3.2,12.

Let us keep in mind that Eli was very old, 2:22; his sons were ungodly men, 2:12; the word of
God was scarce in those days, 3:1. Hannah conceived and consecrated one who, out of her
control, "grew, and the Lord was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground ... and
all Israel knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet", 3.19,20.

This lady's problems were threefold: barrenness, the mockery of another woman in the home,
and then the lack of understanding on the part of the high priest. "In bitterness of soul he
prayed to the Lord, and wept abundantly," 1.10. His sacrifice was basically one: to give his
firstborn to God. Key passages about three stages in his experience are: "I asked the Lord for
it," 1:20, 27; "...I brought it and let it be presented before the Lord, and let it remain there [in
the tabernacle at Shiloh] forever," 1:22; "His mother made him a little robe and brought it to
him every year," 2:19.

The tabernacle is here called the house of Jehovah and the temple, but it was not the temple
that Solomon built many years later. Eli the priest feared the Lord but did not control his own
sons, 2.22. Evil women often approached the tabernacle and Eli did nothing to drive them
away.

Eli saw Ana moving her lips without saying anything out loud. I thought I had had too much
wine, like so many other women who went there. She explained that she was praying to
Jehovah. "No, my lord; I am a woman troubled in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong
drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Do not regard your handmaid as an
ungodly woman; for out of the greatness of my distress and my affliction I have spoken thus
far." Hearing this, the priest asked God to grant his request.

Hannah's prayer fulfilled the requirements of Isaiah 66:2: poor, humble in spirit and trembling
at the word of God. The faith with which she prayed is evident when the account says that she
went her way, and ate, and was no more sad. When the time was fulfilled Hannah bore a son,
and she called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the Lord for him."

Hannah returned home to her family and after a while God answered her prayer. When the
baby was born, she named him Samuel, which means, God's request. Ana took care of the
child until he was able to eat regular food. It seems that the family had some financial means,
since Hannah "when she had weaned him, she took him with her, with three calves ... and
brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh; and the child was small." This contrasts with
the offering of the doves that Mary brought when she appeared in the temple with Jesus. Then
he brought him to the tabernacle and gave him to the LORD. He told Eli that God had

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answered his prayer. Samuel would live in the temple and serve the Lord Jehovah throughout
his life.

Thus, Hannah's life was characterized by prayer and worship. No wonder he dedicated his
firstborn to the service of God in the tabernacle.

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Samuel's piety is, without a doubt, a reflection of the example his mother gave him and the
spiritual teachings she instilled in him in the short time she had him with her. About ten times
the Bible comments on the prayer or attitude before God of mother and son respectively.
To show that the boy Hannah asked for belonged to God, she would let his hair grow long.
This was the law for any man who wanted to serve God for a short period as a Nazarite,
Numbers 6:5. (Samson was set apart to God as a Nazirite from the day of his birth, Judges
13:5. What happened to him when he failed as a Nazarite? Judges 16.17 to 21. Ana's son
would do better).

We come, then, to the chant, or prayer, in chapter 2.

"The reality is that in no case did it please the Spirit of God to use a woman to write the Holy
Scriptures. Nor did the Lord include a lady in the apostolic nucleus, even though he was
surrounded by women who were in no way inferior to the twelve in their devotion to him. But
it is also a reality that some of the noblest poems found in the Word of God were spoken by
women. Of infinite value are the pronouncements of Mary in Israel, Deborah, Hannah mother
of Samuel, and Mary of Nazareth". (W.W. Fereday)

Ana sang and prayed. (We rightly speak of his singing, although 2.1 says he prayed and 1.28
says he worshiped. Worship generally consists of some of the forms of singing and prayer).
She was the firstborn of Samuel who called on the name of God, Psalm 99.6, and of "the
singer Heman", 1 Chronicles 6.33.

There is a marked parallel between the worship of Anna and that of the virgin Mary in Luke
1:46 to 45. It makes you wonder where Mary read in her Bible! At a minimum:
My heart rejoices in the LORD. My soul magnifies the Lord
My power is exalted in Jehovah My spirit rejoices in God my Savior He has
The arches of the forts were broken done mighty deeds with His arm He has
The weak girded themselves with power scattered the proud ...
Jehovah kills, and He gives life Removed the mighty from their thrones
He brings down to Sheol, and raises up Exalted the humble
The satiated rented for bread To the rich sent empty
The hungry are no longer hungry The hungry he filled with good things
Anne thought of a king, but her son would not be that king who would rule with great power
and might. His son would rather be the first of a long line of prophets, and precisely the one
whom God would employ in the introduction of a royal lineage. Samuel was to anoint Saul,
but he would have more pleasure as advisor to the coming king, David. But Hannah's
prophecy goes beyond David. Reach Christ, the true, eternal King. Hence the inspiration that
Mary would find in Hannah's song, although she would not know that her Son would not enter
at once into her reign.

12 Deborah, a mother in Israel

When the people of Israel had occupied the land of Canaan, and after Joshua died, they went
through dark days. When they did not maintain their separation from the neighboring and
pagan peoples, God punished them, letting them fall under the yoke of servitude. In times like
those, God raised up Deborah as a ruler and deliverer, to the shame of the men of her time.

Who was this Deborah? The Bible tells us that "there was a woman, Deborah, a prophetess,
who ruled Israel at that time, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment". We
deduce that she was of humble character, and this impression is strengthened by the way in

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which she refers to herself in her song once the victory is achieved. She did not give herself
great titles but spoke of herself as a mother in Israel.

God raised up "judges" who apparently were not much according to the flesh. The first was
Othniel, Caleb's younger brother; the second, Ehud, of whom it is simply said that he was left-
handed; then, Shamgar who with only an ox goad delivered his people. Now Barak emerges, a
man fearful to such an extreme that he refuses to go into battle without Deborah's support. But
king Jabin "had cruelly oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years".

In the thirty verses of Deborah's song, she praises the sons of five of the tribes for having
offered themselves willingly. Instead, he censures one, Ruben's, for settling for only great
resolutions and heartfelt resolutions, without doing anything. "You stayed among the
sheepfolds to hear the bleating of the flocks." He also accuses Asher of keeping to the
seashore. As it should be, the God of Israel received the highest praise, especially for having
sent such a great storm: "From the heavens the stars fought; from their orbits they fought
against Sisera. They were swept away by the torrent of Kishon, the ancient torrent ..." This
storm disabled the nine hundred armored chariots that King Jabin had. Their captain, Sisera,
had to flee on foot.

It was not Deborah, but another woman, who managed to kill him. Thus was fulfilled the
prophecy of the first when he said to Barak: "I will go with you; but the glory of the journey
which you undertake shall not be yours, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a
woman". Deborah ends her song by praying that all the enemies of Jehovah may perish as well
as Sisera, and adds, "But let those who love you be as the sun when it rises in its strength."

Many centuries later, John would use this language on the island of Patmos. In describing his
vision of the Son of Man in the midst of the lampstands, he says that his face was like the sun
when it rises in its strength. John himself says in his Epistle that believers "know that when he
[Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is".

13 Jael, with unique blessing

This wife of Heber was Moses' sister-in-law. When Moses invited this family to go with the
people of Israel, Hobab his father-in-law replied, "I will not go, but will depart to my own
land." It seems that they changed their minds because we see them in the land of Canaan. Its
history is in Judges 4:17 to 22; 5:6, 24 to 27.

A feature of the stories in the book of Judges is the unusual activity on the part of women. It
was undoubtedly a product of the poor spiritual condition of the men of the time. The women
were out of their sphere, but the men were not doing their duty. For example: There was a
woman ruling Israel at that time, Judges 4:4. If thou wilt not go with me (Deborah with
Barak), I will not go, 4.8. The glory shall not be thine (Barak's) ... for Jehovah will sell Sisera
into the hand of a woman (Jael), 4.9. Jael Heber's wife took a stake, 4.21. On that day Deborah
sang with Barak, 5.1. A woman dropped a piece of a millstone on Abimelech's head, 9.53. Oh,
my daughter! you have truly cast me down, 11.35. She (Delilah) began to afflict him
(Samson), 16.19.

Israel found itself under the cruel oppression of Jabin, king of Canaan, and Deborah arose
with Barak to meet the enemy. God intervened, employing the forces of nature to put the
oppressive army in disarray. The story is found in Judges 5 and with further explanation of the
phenomenon in Psalm 68:9 to 19.

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As Sisera, captain of King Jabin's army, was fleeing, Jael went out to the door of the tent and
invited him to come forward. She covered him with a blanket, gave him milk and assured him
of protection. Captain Sisera fell asleep. The Bible says: "Jael took a stake out of the tent, and
putting a mallet in his hand, he went up to him quietly and drove the stake through his
temples, and nailed him to the ground, for he was heavy with sleep and weary; and so he
died." In her song Deborah gives us more details.

One opinion expressed by some commentators is: "Jael did not trust God. It is true that he felt
the impulse to kill the enemy of God's people, but he had no faith that He would help him.
This is why he did not attack him head-on." From what Deborah says about her, this way of
looking at things is questionable.

Although Mary was called blessed among women, Deborah says that Jael is blessed above
them. She is the only woman in the Bible of whom this is said.

14 Noemí, outstanding in restoration

Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons went to the land of Moab fleeing from the famine that
God had sent as a punishment for the Israelites. But like Jonah centuries later, they realized
that one cannot escape God's hand. The sons married Moabites but together with their father
died soon after.

Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem and gives her daughters-in-law three arguments for not
returning to her. First, he says they should stay in their own country. He then says to stay with
her but without the hope of remarrying. This argument convinces Orpah, who stays in Moab.
Again, the older one tries to convince the younger one that it is not in her best interest to
continue to Israel. The arrival in Bethlehem brings back many memories for the mother-in-
law. She expresses her bitterness by asking to be called Mara ("bitterness") instead of Naomi
("pleasantness"). As far as we know, no one did. But she thought more of Ruth than of herself,
and with great love and care directed her to the kinsman Boaz who could redeem her.

The sadness of the beginning of the book of Ruth changes to joy in the last part. When Ruth
had her first son, the women proclaimed to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who hath caused
you to lack no kinsman this day, whose name shall be celebrated in Israel; who shall be the
restorer of your soul, and sustain your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, hath
borne him; and she is of more value to you than seven sons."

Disobedience had demanded punishment from God. Repentance brought restoration and
blessing. "The Lord, whom he loves, disciplines ... If you endure discipline, God treats you as
sons ... No discipline at present seems to be a cause of joy, but of sorrow; but afterwards it
yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised in it".

15 Ruth, a very virtuous woman

Our heroine enters history as a poor Moabite widow, but becomes the great-grandmother of
the great King David and ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ruth was a decisive woman. When her mother-in-law, Naomi, was returning to Israel, finding
herself unable to provide for them or get them husbands, she tried to get her two daughters-in-
law to return. Orpha, weeping, turned back. Ruth's decision was:

Wherever you go, I will go.

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 Wherever you live, I will live.
Your people shall be my people.
Your God [will be] my God.
Where you die, I will die.
Only death will separate the two of us.

Ruth was a humble woman. Recognizing herself as poor and a foreigner, she availed herself of
the standard for Israel in Leviticus 19: "When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not
reap to the uttermost corner of it, nor glean your reaped land.... For the poor and for the
stranger thou shalt leave it". The rich Boaz allowed him to gather ears of corn in his field. At
this kindness, she lowered her face and bowed herself to the ground, saying, "Why have I
found grace in your eyes that you should recognize me, being a stranger?"

Ruth considered and loved her mother-in-law. At her first meeting with Boaz, he tells her, "I
have learned all about what you have done with your mother-in-law after your husband's
death." Later, having gathered ears of corn on the first day: "Her mother-in-law saw what she
had gathered. Then she took out what was left over after she had had her fill, and gave it to
him."

Ruth communicated with her mother-in-law. He told her who he had worked with. "He said to
me, 'Join with my maids, until they have finished all my harvest.'" She also told Naomi about
another encounter with Boaz: "...all that had befallen her with that man". By the time her son
Obed was born, all the women of Bethlehem knew of Ruth's love for Naomi: "Your daughter-
in-law, who loves you, has given him to you."

Rut was a hard worker. Boaz's servants told him that she "went in, then, and has been from
morning until now without resting even for a moment." Also when eating it says that he arose
to glean, and again it says: "So he gleaned in the field until evening, and threshed out what he
had gathered, and it was about an ephah [twelve liters] of barley." Another day Boaz gave him
forty kilos "lest you go to your mother-in-law empty-handed". She carried the heavy load all
the way to the city.

Ruth was an obedient woman. Naomi presented the possibilities of gleaning in Boaz's field,
advising Ruth: "It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his servants and not be found in
another field. So she stayed with the maids of Boaz, gleaning, until the barley and wheat
harvest was over; and she lived with her mother-in-law." We read also that "he went down ...
to the threshing floor, and did all that his mother-in-law had commanded him". Ruth was
redeemed by Boaz. When she had nothing and was a newcomer to the village, he said, "I will
redeem you, as the LORD lives". Long before Job had said, "I know that my Redeemer lives."
For all eternity we will sing to the Lamb: "You were slain and by your blood you have
redeemed us for God".

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Ruth was very virtuous. Her future husband said regarding her that all people knew this.
Today we would say that she was a spiritual woman. Solomon was Ruth's great-great-
grandson, and at the end of the book of Proverbs he described the virtuous woman and the
great complacency that a husband (like Boaz) and children should feel before her; Proverbs
31.

16 The Books of Ruth and Esther (copied)

There are only two women in the Old Testament who have books named after them and
dealing with their history. They are Ruth and Esther. These books, along with the Song of
Songs, are largely feminine in character and contain beautiful illustrations of a singular
devotion to the Lord.

The men in the Old Testament, when used as illustrations, present the objective side of things
and the work of Christ on our behalf. Women, on the other hand, present the subjective side,
that is, Christ's desire to be formed in us.

However, Satan is opposed, and it is interesting to note that women are also employed to
represent ungodly things, especially false religious systems. Jezebel is the outstanding
example; 1 Kings 16 to 2 Kings 9; Matthew 13:33; Revelation 17 and 18.

Both the book of Ruth and the book of Esther begin with emphasis on the lady. But, in both
cases the spotlight shifts to focus more on the male: Boaz is the redeemer and Mordecai gains
access to the throne. (The Song of Songs is among other things an illustration of the
relationship of Christ the Beloved and his Bride the Church. It is noted in this book that the
beloved is strong, constant, fulfilled; the wife is projected as exposed to unhealthy influences,
fluctuating and sometimes unfulfilled, although in happy communion at the end of the story).

If one wishes to consider the two books in their broad and prophetic context, in the book of
Ruth we have a figure of the relationship between Christ and the Church; it is a heavenly
scene. In contrast, in the book of Esther the idea is more that of Israel in relation to the
Messiah to come; it is an earthly and millennial scene.

Let's look at some contrasts between the two stories:

A foreigner married to an Israelite.
An unrest among the people (Obed) that
affected the government.
Ruth's behavior influences Boaz
A still life in the family sphere Events
conclude with a birth. Ruth's love and
devotion were spontaneous; they required
little outside encouragement.
Many references to God.
There was no major opposition.
An Israelite married to a foreigner.
A malaise in the government that affected the
people.
Mordecai's advice influenced Esther.
A public life in the palace.
There is no conclusion as to the couple.
Ester's performance was the product of
energetic advice from another.
No reference to God.
There was fierce opposition.

17 Bathsheba, forgiven and favored

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From an article in All the women of the Bible, by Herbert Lockyer

The scriptures that interest us are 2 Samuel 11.2,3, 12.24, 1 Kings 1.1 to 31, 2.13 to 19, 1
Chronicles 3.5. Bathsheba was of good family, being the daughter of Eliam, an honorable
officer in David's army. She married Uriah, the most faithful of the men of that same king.
When he died, she was taken as David's wife and bore him five sons. One of them died in
infancy; the others were Solomon, Shimea, Shobub and Nathan. It is noteworthy that she
appears in the genealogy of Matthew 1, and described as "she who had been the wife of
Uriah".

The divine record hints that David's association with Bathsheba was the only blemish in this
man's conduct: "David had done that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and from
nothing that he commanded him had he turned aside all the days of his life, save in the matter
of Uriah the Hittite," 1 Kings 15:5. If it was the only stain, it was a pervasive one and one that
could not be erased as far as its effect on Uriah was concerned. Although God amply forgives
the sinner, not infrequently the consequences of the sin committed remain. The tragic lapse in
the man's life according to the heart of God is traced with great skill, starting from when he
first saw this woman, and arriving at the time when he threw himself into the divine lap in
great remorse.

"David stayed in Jerusalem," 2 Samuel 11:1. The Israelites were at war with the Ammonites,
and there must have been with their army the king who had previously shown himself to be
valiant and successful in battle. But as a mature man, a veteran of many wars and for twelve
years king over all Israel, David had become complacent with himself. He felt it was time to
leave the challenges to his officers. But, by ceasing to fight the battle for God, he left himself
exposed to Satan's attacks, in this case lewdness, intrigue and murder.

Relaxing on the roof of his house, David saw a woman bathing on the roof of a neighboring
house. His passions were aroused. The naked woman, Bathsheba, "was very beautiful," and
this man liked women.

Even if David was going to confess the fault as his own, one has to wonder to what extent she
was an accomplice, and even a promoter, in this shameful event. Having been a modest and
careful woman, she would have first found out who could observe her from nearby terraces,
and in any case bathe in a more cautious manner. Moreover, having been a faithful wife and a
woman of conviction, she would have refused the king's summons. Realizing that he was
reveling in her body, didn't she sense what was about to happen? Even if not, he should have
rejected adultery outright.

Some time later, a pagan queen named Vashti had the courage to refuse to expose herself to a
group of men stimulated by liquor, and it cost her to be expelled from the royal palace. Had
Bathsheba been equally determined to preserve her dignity, David, the anointed of Israel,
would not have committed the sin of which he was guilty. Once the act of adultery was
consummated, she showed no sense of guilt, but returned to the king's chamber to be one of
his many wives, once the murder of her lawful husband was consummated.

Bathsheba only added insult to her lewdness by indulging in relations with another man when
her own husband was risking his life in the service of the seducer. Upon learning that she was
pregnant, David hurried to bring Uriah back to his home, hoping to avoid suspicion as to who
the father of the child would be. However, this devoted soldier, a man of principle, refused to
have intimate relations with his wife. The nefarious plan failed, and the conjuration was
complicated. Uriah had to be eliminated, and he was sent back to the battlefield; Joab was

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instructed to place Uriah where he was most likely to be killed. The pious Uriah did not know
that he was carrying with him the letter that sealed his own death. Thus for David, lewdness,
adultery, deceit, perfidy and homicide were incorporated into his record in rapid sequence.

After the customary period of mourning, Bathsheba was recognized as David's wife. His son
was born without being labeled illegitimate, but died within a week. "Jehovah smote the child
whom Uriah's wife had given to David."

David's deep grief at the creature's illness and death, while not removing his guilt, gives us a
fleeting glimpse of the positive side of his character and also of his faith in an encounter
beyond the grave. Perhaps no other passage in the Bible has been used as much to comfort sad
hearts at the hour of death as that in which David assures us of immortality. Mourning over
his dead creature, he said, "Will I be able to bring him back?" No, I could not. Then the
balsam: "I go to him, but he will not return to me". Both David and Bathsheba must have
suffered agony as they recognized that the death of their son, conceived out of wedlock, was a
divine judgment for what the two of them had done.

Divinely instructed, the prophet Nathan leads David to the recognition of his wickedness and
a sincere confession of his iniquity. And the same pronounces: "Jehovah has remitted your
sin". Much has been written about the repentance evident in Psalm 51-a psalm saturated with
tears-and Psalm 32, where David expresses gratitude to God for forgiving him in grace and
mercy. But, even though he was forgiven, even God could not exonerate him from the natural
consequences of transgression. Wickedness penetrated into his own home, 2 Samuel 12.11.
One of the sons brought shame to his father; 13.4. Another was dismissed from the home,
15.19. Another rose up in rebellion, 1 Kings 2. David would have experiences of being
betrayed by his friends, abandoned by his people and mourned by his own family.

What about Bathsheba? Along with David, was she made aware of her part in the iniquitous
transaction? Responsible as he was, did her tears of regret mingle with those of her husband?
It seems so, because God blessed them with another son whom they named Solomon, which
means, "beloved of the Lord". Why was it not given to another of David's wives? Given thus
to David and Bathsheba, it seems that Solomon was evidence of God's forgiving love for the
two of them. Isn't the inclusion of Bathsheba in the genealogy of Jesus - Matthew chapter 1 -
another evidence that God had cast that sin behind her back?

Restored to divine favor, virtuous now as well as beautiful, Bathsheba raised her child with all
spiritual diligence. Solomon was to write in Proverbs 22:6, probably with reference to his own
upbringing: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart
from it". One tradition states that it was Bathsheba who wrote Proverbs chapter 31, as an
admonition to Solomon when he married Pharaoh's daughter. If this is the case, we can well
understand the many warnings in the book of Proverbs against the strange woman.

Once born, the rest of this lady's life is shrouded in silence. We can imagine how she must
have behaved with the dignity of a queen. That he kept his influence over David is seen by the
way he reminded the king of his promise to appoint his son, Solomon, his successor. The veil
of silence is drawn once again when Solomon was made king; Bathsheba, whom Solomon
greatly respected, requested that Abishag-who cared for David in his last days-be given as a
wife to Adonijah, son of another wife of David.

One lesson we can learn from Bathsheba is that she, assured of God's forgiveness, did not let
her great sin, committed once, spoil the rest of her life. Repentant, she used her mistake as a
lesson for better behavior going forward. By brooding or bitterly dealing with sins that God

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has said He will not hold against us, what we actually do is question His mercy and rob
ourselves of spiritual power and progress. Read again Psalm 51 and then Psalm 32.

18 The Shulamite, the beloved

According to the book of Kings, the great King Solomon composed 1005 songs, or canticles.
The most important is the Song of Songs. It is a selection of selected incidents from the story
of King Solomon's love for a young woman, the wife, who is a vinedresser, a shepherdess and
a foreigner in Jerusalem. The king is presented in the verses or songs in her beauty, as a
faithful beloved, but she is fluctuating and of weak character in contrast to him. The
relationship between them goes through multiple vicissitudes but the story ends with the
young woman in fervent devotion to the king, longing for his arrival: "Hurry, my beloved".

The story represents for us a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ as the faithful lover before the
love of one (the Church, or a particular believer) whose feelings fluctuate greatly. Throughout
the book he is faithful to her, but she is at times eager to be with him and at other times
unfulfilled.

To the worldly mind, it is a tale of extremely sensual relations and even illicit behavior on the
part of a powerful man towards an innocent and defenseless girl. But in this book of the Bible,
as much or more than in any other, wisdom is spoken of among those who have reached
maturity. It is not the wisdom of this age, but the unseen wisdom of God. Definitely, the
natural man does not perceive the things that are of the Spirit of God. They are to be
spiritually discerned in the Song, because the mind of Christ is there.

As the Song begins with the bride estranged from her beloved, but ends with the two in happy
communion, so Jehovah speaks of his earthly people: "Thy Maker is thy Maker, the Lord of
hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel .... As a woman forsaken and
sorrowful in spirit hath the LORD called thee, and as the wife of youth that is cast away, saith
thy God. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but I will gather you with great mercies. In a
little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting mercy I will have
compassion on you," Isaiah 54.

The Song speaks of a wife forgiven, accepted and loved by her husband with a love that the
many waters cannot quench, and she is waiting for him. He is absent and she finds herself in
the gloom of this bad night, surrounded by many adversaries and dangers. He lives in the
valley and occupies himself in the vineyard, the orchard or the field, far from the streets and
palaces of the city of men. Neither the glory nor the rest of the city of human greatness is hers;
she wants to be "outside the real" where she can occupy herself with her beloved.

But there are times when he wanders disobediently in the city and seeks amusement in the
palace. Far from finding his beloved, he loses her. When she finds him - or rather, when he
finds her - it is in the valley among lilies or among the flock of her people. The wife is not
unfaithful in the sense of seeking illicit partners, but her faith is weak. She seeks solitude in
the holes of the rock and the hiddenness of steep places, where she neither receives for herself
nor witnesses to others nor enjoys communion with her beloved. He calls her because he
wants her to be with him. Sweet is his wife's voice, and beautiful is her appearance, but she
sometimes denies him this enjoyment of love. All this is a figure of the believer in Christ
today. He is the faithful Beloved; His own are in the world and in the flesh still, but the eternal
day is coming when, as the hymn expresses, "common pleasure we shall have in glory there; I
in being in His presence, and He in seeing me."

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19 Esther, from orphan to queen

In the book of Esther (as in the prophecy of Malachi) we have the account of an episode in the
history of those Jews who were left behind when others returned from exile in Babylon in the
time of Ezra and Nehemiah. It is an episode that shows, on the one hand, how far away from
God those people were and, on the other hand, how much care God had for them, in spite of
their non-compliance.

The Ahasuerus of the book of Esther seems to have been the Darius of the book of Daniel; he
seems to have been the son of the king. He was a Median dictator of the Medo-Persian
empire. (It was Nebuchadnezzar who took the remnant of the Jews into captivity and Cyrus, a
Persian, who allowed some to return to Jerusalem seventy years later. The Bible does not
reveal why Mordecai, Daniel and others did not return with the restored group).

God causes all the plans Haman had hatched to destroy the Jews to fail. At the same time He
keeps Himself hidden from them to such an extent that not once does His name appear in the
whole story, nor do we read of prayer on their behalf or praise once they are freed from their
enemies. Perhaps they did pray on the occasion of the lamentations of 4:1 to 6, and perhaps
they did offer thanksgiving with the rejoicing of 9:18,19. But God recognized neither one
thing nor the other from a people who were content to remain in the Babylonian environment.

Our main interest is concentrated on two individuals, Esther and Mordecai, and in fact the
latter is the major protagonist. His persistent refusal to bow to Haman resulted in the enmity
of the Agagite against Israel being kindled into a flame that would have devoured the entire
nation of Israel. It was in Susa, the great capital of ancient Persia (Iran today), that this man
chose to disobey the order of the great king. To make matters worse, he was an insignificant
man who belonged to a captive people. Little wonder that the emperor's servants whispered
among themselves about this audacity, questioning the Jew about his attitude as well.

It was Mordecai's influence over Esther that prompted her to appeal to Ahasuerus, with the
result that the vile plot was defeated.

****

Let us now turn to the story of Esther. The key verse regarding her is Esther 5.14: "Who
knows whether by this time you have come to the kingdom?" To understand the very
abnormal situation in which she found herself at the beginning of chapter 2, subject to an
ungodly king, one has to keep in mind Psalm 22:28: "The kingdom is the Lord's, and he shall
rule the nations."

She was raised by her uncle Mordecai when the people of Israel were in captivity in Babylon.
The Bible tells us that she was of beautiful figure and good looks. Esther's behavior has many
lessons for us.

Esther was obedient. She had learned obedience in Mordecai's house, and this obedience later
served to save her own life and that of all the people, as she obeyed Mordecai even though she
was queen. Obedience to parents is the first commandment with promise. Ephesians 6:1 to 3
says: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for it is right. Honor thy father and thy mother,
which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and that thou
mayest live long upon the earth."

Grace was characteristic of Esther. First, he found favor with Hegai, the keeper of the women.
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Second, "Esther won the favor of all who saw her." Third, "she found favor and favor in the
sight of King Ahasuerus." James tells us that the Lord gives greater grace. Therefore he says
that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.

Esther was extremely brave. He was able to resist Satan in the form of Haman, who wanted to
destroy all the Jews and thus destroy the seed of the woman who would wound him in the
head. Haman was an Agagite, that is, a descendant of Agag, who centuries earlier was king of
the Amalekites. His hatred for Mordecai was due to the fact that the man was a Jew and a
Benjamite to boot, as King Saul had been. In standing up to Haman and then calling for him to
be hanged, this young woman was doing the work that her ancient kinsman, King Saul (also
of the tribe of Benjamin) had failed to do and for which he was cast off; 1 Samuel 15. Paul
exhorts the Christians in Ephesus to "stand firm against the wiles of the devil".

Esther prayed. Only having spent three days in prayer and fasting, as all the Jews were doing,
did she feel able to appear before the king to plead for her life and that of her people. Isaiah
tells us to whom it is that God hears: "... I will look upon him who is poor and humble in spirit
and who trembles at my word". Esther's mission was to "make it known to the king," 5.14.
She fulfilled this duty, which may seem a small thing but in reality was extremely difficult,
and of enormous importance. It is a lesson for us, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

Esther was honored throughout her life and is honored to this day. The Jews had peace from
their enemies; their sorrow was changed into joy; and mourning into a good day. These are
days of feasting and rejoicing, and to send portions every man to his neighbor, and gifts to the
poor. "Blessed from henceforth are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, says the Spirit, they
will rest from their labors, for their works follow Him."

20 The Shunammite hostess

The Shunammite enters the pages of the Holy Scriptures as a widely favored woman. Then he
suffers. She is blessed again. Then he suffers. She is blessed once again and more than
deservedly so. 2 Kings 4.18 to 37, 8.1 to 6.

The first thing we notice is the contrast with the one at the beginning of chapter 4, a widowed
and poor woman. The challenge: Tell me what you have in your house, 4.2 was launched.

"Thy handmaid hath nothing." What little he had, he placed at the disposal of Elisha the
prophet. God multiplied that according to their faith, 4.3,6 and of their present and future
need, 4.7. There was enough for her and hers, with whom she had shared the responsibility of
receiving what God gave her, 4.5.

The Shunammite, on the other hand, was an important ("principal") woman, married to an
older, well-to-do but somewhat unsympathetic man, 4.23. She honors God with what she does
have; 2 Corinthians 9.6. It is noted that she was not only observant but enterprising, "she
passes by our house", but the servant of God ate in "her house". (Compare Martha's house).
She fulfilled in advance Romans 12:7,8, 13 and Hebrews 13:2, where Lot is used as an
example who was favored for practicing hospitality.

Yet, this lady was careful to consult with her husband before giving to God of her goods. His
motives were sound, "I dwell in the midst of my people," and it is not clear whether Elisha
knew this and proved it with his question in 4.14, or whether he lacked perception at this
point, as in the case of Eli with Hannah. The truth is that Elisha had a servant who was a man
lacking in discernment and even scruples, Gehazi.
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We do not read that she asked for a child. It seems that she failed in faith, even when she was
told she was going to give birth. The thing is that God gave and then took away a son. Job
1.21. He rewarded him for his exercise, but used this blessing as a means of testing. The Lord
whom he loves, he chastises, and scourges every son (or daughter!) Psalm 94.12, Hebrews
12.6. See also James 1.12.

The father showed little interest in the boy's calamity, but the mother immediately put him to
bed in the chamber of the man of God and immediately sought him out. Not that the woman
was bitter, 4.27, but troubled, like Hannah in 1 Samuel 1.10. Gehazi turned out to be a
nuisance and Eliseo was not suitable in the first instance either. He entrusted the problem to
his subordinate, a figure of the flesh, without seeking divine direction. We cannot delegate
God's power to others; the dead rod accomplished nothing. Later, it would change behavior
100%; note the multiple steps in 4.33 to 35. They begin with prayer and end with signs of new
life. They are figures of the exercise and personalized attention that the evangelist or Bible
school teacher should give to a person still dead in his sins.

There is a parallel between 1 Kings 17:8 to 24 and 2 Kings 4. In Elijah's time, the story tells of
only one (the widow of Zarephath), but beginning with her poverty, faith and sustenance from
God, and proceeding to how she lost her son and received him back. In Elisha's time, there
were two women, one poor and the other well-to-do. Had Elisha or someone else told the
Shunammite what had happened some twenty years earlier?

But there is more. It is at the beginning of chapter 8. Notwithstanding all that has happened,
she suffers for the condition of God's people. He has to leave his land and live among enemies
for seven years. Compare with the people of Israel in bondage in Egypt, or even Joseph and
Mary with the Child in Egypt. Again she loses, but again it is to win, and by far. As he had
received his son from the dead, he now receives his land and other property with retroactive
effect. 1 Samuel 2.30. Proverbs 3.9. We read nothing about the husband in all this. No doubt
he had died, but anyway it is seen that the wife is the heroine in chapter 4 as in chapter 8.

21 Naaman's maid

The Syrian bands had taken captive to their country a Jewish girl, who worked as a servant in
the house of the general of the Syrian army, a man of prestige but at the same time a
pretentious idolater; 2 Kings chapter 5. She said to her mistress, "If my lord would pray to the
prophet who is in Samaria [Elisha], he would heal him of his leprosy". This is the very brief
story of a heroine: she was a believer, a prisoner, a domestic, a heroine. Being a Hebrew,
accustomed to the leper being excluded from the congregation, it would be difficult for her to
work in the home of one who walked freely and enjoyed prestige in the nation.

He spoke with great faith and in a concise manner. His testimony would bring at least eight
people into action: the wife, the sick man, two kings, two or more servants of the general, the
prophet and the corrupt servant of the prophet. It was misrepresented by the general and the
king of Syria; also, the needy wanted to avoid the prescribed remedy and seek his own. But,
once the work of the Holy Spirit was done, the girl's testimony would result in the healing of
her master.

(Let us be careful in saying that Naaman was saved. Of course, saved is a term that we can
understand anyway only in the light of the Gospel in the New Testament. But in this particular
case, 5.18 raises special doubt as to what was the condition of this gentleman in the end.
However, the washing in the river according to the word of the prophet is an excellent
illustration of certain truths of the Gospel).
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It would be interesting to consider the stories throughout the Bible where the testimony of one
person, apparently not of much prestige in the eyes of others, played a key role in the events.
(Examples: Exodus 2.4, John 18.17)

1 Peter 1.18 et seq., Ephesians 6.5 to 8 and even Romans 13.1 to 7 apply. In these passages (in
Ephesians, from 5:21) it is noted that obedience to parents, rulers, etc. is not a function of the
reason, wisdom, piety or righteousness they have. It is because of the position they hold and
the responsibility they assume. The believer serves "the Lord and not men," says Ephesians.

Handmaids figure in other interesting and instructive accounts: in the book of Ruth and in
Exodus 2:5, 2 Samuel 17:17, Matthew 26:69. Among other things, they are observant! as we
see also in 2 Samuel 6:20, Job 19:15.

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