What about Women in the OT?
The Bible does say "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law... for it is a shame for women to speak in the church" (1 Cor. 14:34,35)
Therefore, to rightly understand this, we have to honestly study what the Old Testament says about women being heard in the assembly.
First off, let's list the women who actually WERE heard in the assembly!
Miriam
Exodus 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Now, did the women separate from the men, to worship vocally? Scripture does not indicate they did.
Doesn't God know how to say what's important? Do we need to fill in gaps for something He fails to say?
If it were important for the women to not sing around the menfolk, Scripture would have said so.
Deborah
Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Notice, Deborah was first a prophetess, then a wife. And God established her as a judge of Israel.
Many would say this was not God's first choice, but since no man would step forward, He had to settle for a woman.
Seriously, that's a case of "filling in the gaps for God's inability to say what's important" if there ever was one! The Scripture doesn't even HINT that God was settling for a second-best, when He chose Deborah. God never said He would rather not have used Deborah! Can He speak what He means, or can't He? Does He need our help to say what He means?
Barak begged Deborah to go with him to the battle. In reply, she agreed. And she spoke a prophecy to him: he would not receive honor from this battle, because the Lord would deliver the enemy into the hands of a woman.
Many add to the Word at this point also: "God allowed a woman to take Sisera's life, because Barak depended on a woman going into battle."
That simple nonsense. God didn't SAY that was the reason. He simply didn't give a reason.
It's adding to the Word to give OUR reasoning. Human imaginations added to the Word do not improve on it.
The simple Biblical facts are that Deborah was gifted and called by God. And all of Israel recognized it, seeking her wisdom under the palm tree by her door.
It was God who set Deborah up.
It's nothing but offended human ego that tries to tear her down.
Huldah
2 Kings 22:12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, 13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. 15 And she said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place..."
What a curious passage of Scripture!
This is a time of tremendous import in Judah's history.
The King, the High Priest, the scribe, and other men of honor... were desperate for a word from God. The Book of the Law had been found, and read to the King, who was so upset that he tore his clothes. He desperately needed to hear from God! Was God about to judge the nation? What were they to do?
Notice, all these godly men... and not one of them got a word from God.
The King gave an order: find someone who hears from God!
The fate of the nation hung on this!
They found a woman. This woman dwelt "in the college" with her husband, who was "keeper of the wardrobe." A man of position.
How strange to our modern-southern-conservative ears this sounds, that not the husband was asked for the word from the Lord, but his wife!
Why? Because God had given her the gift of prophecy! He didn't have it. She did.
(By the way, there's an architectural landmark known by Huldah's name in Jerusalem: https://www.bible-history.com/jerusalem/firstcenturyjerusalem_huldah_gates.html )
These (and other) women were given their prophetic gift by God Himself... and then given a place to exercise that gift.
Prophecy is a gift that involves public speaking!
Prophets and prophetesses do not find a corner to sit silently.
Instead, prophets are required to stand up and say things no one else will say.
Prophets, and prophetesses, are given words from God, to deliver to others who might not like it.
It requires a holy, humble boldness. A lack of fear. A serious backbone.
All of which are good character qualities... even in women.
Women, we are to have a meek and quiet spirit... but think of it.
Moses was the meekest man that ever lived, the Word says. He truly had a meek and quiet spirit.
But he was also very bold and fearless. He strode boldly right into Pharaoh's throne room and gave him the bottom line!
Meekness of spirit does not mean you're a doormat. It doesn't mean you aren't a leader. Meekness is humility before God and others. Allowing God to judge.
Quietness of spirit doesn't mean a duct-taped mouth. It means you are quiet inside, toward God. Allowing God to speak, while you listen, silent inside.
You aren't running your own thoughts constantly, loudly, in your brain.
A quiet spirit has learned how to shut that switch off, and listen to the Lord.
A meek and quiet spirit is simply being like Jesus. Both men and women need it.
..................
I have often heard that women were not supposed to enter the Tabernacle court of the congregation.
(Nor the Temple court, later.)
But that is simply not true.
Men were commanded to come. But women were not refused entrance. There is simply no command from God denying women entrance to His presence.
In fact, I Samuel 1 proves women were allowed among the men in the outer court.
Samuel's mother was praying there, when Eli assured her that her prayer was heard.
And in the New Testament, Anna the prophetess was continually in the Temple. Obviously, her prophecy gift was exercised there, and was allowed by the priesthood. And she also prophesied to both Mary and Joseph, so she didn't avoid prophesying to men!
But did women perform any spiritual duties in the Temple court?
The priests were men. But think about what priesthood required: it was very demanding physically.
As a priest, you were slaughtering large animals, and carrying them to the altar, carrying heavy metal basins full of blood... it's not really a place most women would be comfortable! It was a mercy that God assigned men to that heavy job!
However, the Old Testament tells us that women DID have an important position in the Temple court, right alongside the men... as paid Levitical singers!
In the First Temple:
1 Chronicles 25:5 ...And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order...
In the Second Temple:
Ezra 2:64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
(And these singers were paid: Nehemiah 13:10)
.....................
Obviously, godly women under the Law were not always silent in the congregation.
And God even gave prophetic utterance through women, to men in leadership, to help the men lead.
So... what was Paul talking about, when he said, "Let your women keep silence...as also saith the Law"?
What in the world did he mean?
Stay tuned!
Therefore, to rightly understand this, we have to honestly study what the Old Testament says about women being heard in the assembly.
First off, let's list the women who actually WERE heard in the assembly!
Miriam
Exodus 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Now, did the women separate from the men, to worship vocally? Scripture does not indicate they did.
Doesn't God know how to say what's important? Do we need to fill in gaps for something He fails to say?
If it were important for the women to not sing around the menfolk, Scripture would have said so.
Deborah
Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
Notice, Deborah was first a prophetess, then a wife. And God established her as a judge of Israel.
Many would say this was not God's first choice, but since no man would step forward, He had to settle for a woman.
Seriously, that's a case of "filling in the gaps for God's inability to say what's important" if there ever was one! The Scripture doesn't even HINT that God was settling for a second-best, when He chose Deborah. God never said He would rather not have used Deborah! Can He speak what He means, or can't He? Does He need our help to say what He means?
Barak begged Deborah to go with him to the battle. In reply, she agreed. And she spoke a prophecy to him: he would not receive honor from this battle, because the Lord would deliver the enemy into the hands of a woman.
Many add to the Word at this point also: "God allowed a woman to take Sisera's life, because Barak depended on a woman going into battle."
That simple nonsense. God didn't SAY that was the reason. He simply didn't give a reason.
It's adding to the Word to give OUR reasoning. Human imaginations added to the Word do not improve on it.
The simple Biblical facts are that Deborah was gifted and called by God. And all of Israel recognized it, seeking her wisdom under the palm tree by her door.
It was God who set Deborah up.
It's nothing but offended human ego that tries to tear her down.
Huldah
2 Kings 22:12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, 13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. 14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. 15 And she said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place..."
What a curious passage of Scripture!
This is a time of tremendous import in Judah's history.
The King, the High Priest, the scribe, and other men of honor... were desperate for a word from God. The Book of the Law had been found, and read to the King, who was so upset that he tore his clothes. He desperately needed to hear from God! Was God about to judge the nation? What were they to do?
Notice, all these godly men... and not one of them got a word from God.
The King gave an order: find someone who hears from God!
The fate of the nation hung on this!
They found a woman. This woman dwelt "in the college" with her husband, who was "keeper of the wardrobe." A man of position.
How strange to our modern-southern-conservative ears this sounds, that not the husband was asked for the word from the Lord, but his wife!
Why? Because God had given her the gift of prophecy! He didn't have it. She did.
(By the way, there's an architectural landmark known by Huldah's name in Jerusalem: https://www.bible-history.com/jerusalem/firstcenturyjerusalem_huldah_gates.html )
These (and other) women were given their prophetic gift by God Himself... and then given a place to exercise that gift.
Prophecy is a gift that involves public speaking!
Prophets and prophetesses do not find a corner to sit silently.
Instead, prophets are required to stand up and say things no one else will say.
Prophets, and prophetesses, are given words from God, to deliver to others who might not like it.
It requires a holy, humble boldness. A lack of fear. A serious backbone.
All of which are good character qualities... even in women.
Women, we are to have a meek and quiet spirit... but think of it.
Moses was the meekest man that ever lived, the Word says. He truly had a meek and quiet spirit.
But he was also very bold and fearless. He strode boldly right into Pharaoh's throne room and gave him the bottom line!
Meekness of spirit does not mean you're a doormat. It doesn't mean you aren't a leader. Meekness is humility before God and others. Allowing God to judge.
Quietness of spirit doesn't mean a duct-taped mouth. It means you are quiet inside, toward God. Allowing God to speak, while you listen, silent inside.
You aren't running your own thoughts constantly, loudly, in your brain.
A quiet spirit has learned how to shut that switch off, and listen to the Lord.
A meek and quiet spirit is simply being like Jesus. Both men and women need it.
..................
I have often heard that women were not supposed to enter the Tabernacle court of the congregation.
(Nor the Temple court, later.)
But that is simply not true.
Men were commanded to come. But women were not refused entrance. There is simply no command from God denying women entrance to His presence.
In fact, I Samuel 1 proves women were allowed among the men in the outer court.
Samuel's mother was praying there, when Eli assured her that her prayer was heard.
And in the New Testament, Anna the prophetess was continually in the Temple. Obviously, her prophecy gift was exercised there, and was allowed by the priesthood. And she also prophesied to both Mary and Joseph, so she didn't avoid prophesying to men!
But did women perform any spiritual duties in the Temple court?
The priests were men. But think about what priesthood required: it was very demanding physically.
As a priest, you were slaughtering large animals, and carrying them to the altar, carrying heavy metal basins full of blood... it's not really a place most women would be comfortable! It was a mercy that God assigned men to that heavy job!
However, the Old Testament tells us that women DID have an important position in the Temple court, right alongside the men... as paid Levitical singers!
In the First Temple:
1 Chronicles 25:5 ...And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. 6 All these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order...
In the Second Temple:
Ezra 2:64 The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore, 65 Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women.
(And these singers were paid: Nehemiah 13:10)
.....................
Obviously, godly women under the Law were not always silent in the congregation.
And God even gave prophetic utterance through women, to men in leadership, to help the men lead.
So... what was Paul talking about, when he said, "Let your women keep silence...as also saith the Law"?
What in the world did he mean?
Stay tuned!
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