Strong Women of Biblical Times: The Nice, the Naughty and the Nameless

By Kathryn Charles

When recording the stories of daring human exploits, the authors of the Bible seemed to have concentrated on the heroic men of ancient times, such as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John, to name just a few. The stories of those courageous men are thrilling to hear and to read about; however, this narrative will consider the strong, brave, and valiant women in the Bible whose lives were not as embellished as their famous counterparts, but still were influential in shaping the history of biblical times. According to Dr. Lockyer in All the
Women of the Bible, there are approximately two hundred named women in the Bible and an equal number of unnamed women.

Out of the sixty-six books contained in the Holy Bible, there are only two of them named for women—Ruth and Esther; nevertheless, women can be seen throughout the Old and the New Testaments being used by God in mighty ways. Despite the patriarchal society of biblical days, there were strong women who played significant roles in leadership, courage, humility, and compassion in ancient times. The purpose of this writing is to highlight a few of these women and to give the reader insight into the character of each individual. It will also tell of the motivation for the strength of each one and the consequences of her actions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 16, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465374462

Kathryn Charles

Kathryn Charles has been in education for thirty-four years—twenty years in music education and fourteen years in the elementary classroom. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she was the coordinator of elementary music for Marion County for several years, during which time she co-authored the Elementary Music Curriculum Guide. She also enjoyed co-ownership of a “Bridal Boutique” for fifteen years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music education at Florida State University, her master’s degree in elementary education from Barry University, her certification in administration and supervision from the University of Florida, and her Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at Louisiana Baptist University. She was born in Miami, Florida, and later moved with her husband and three small children to Ocala, Florida, where she currently resides. She now has nine grandchildren and enjoys taking an active part in their lives. Kathryn has been involved in several ministries at Bible Baptist Church in Ocala: the Prayer Ministry, the Angel Food Ministry, Vacation Bible School, and the Music Ministry as the pianist and choir director. Traveling is one of her passions. She has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her most thrilling experiences were following in the footsteps of Jesus, reliving the journeys of Paul, and retracing the trek by Moses across the desert to the Promised Land.

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Copyright © 2011 by Kathryn Charles Ph.D.

Library of Congress Control Number:          2011917557

ISBN:                      Hardcover                      978-1-4653-7445-5

                                 Softcover                      978-1-4653-7444-8

                                 Ebook                            978-1-4653-7446-2

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART I

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

PART II

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

PART III

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

CONCLUSION

INDEX

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ILLUSTRATION REFERENCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book is dedicated to my children:

Kelly, Karen, and Kimberly,

and to my grandchildren.

Thank you for your love and support

throughout the writing of this manuscript.

A special thank-you to my dear friend Stephanie,

for her suggestions, her technical assistance,

and her encouragement on this project.

INTRODUCTION

W HEN RECORDING THE STORIES OF daring human exploits, the authors of the Bible seemed to have concentrated on the heroic men of ancient times, such as Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John, to name just a few. The stories of those courageous men are thrilling to hear and to read about; however, this narrative will consider the strong, brave, and valiant women in the Bible whose lives were not as embellished as their famous counterparts, but still were influential in shaping the history of biblical times. According to Dr. Lockyer in All the Women of the Bible , there are approximately two hundred named women in the Bible and an equal number of unnamed women.

Out of the sixty-six books contained in the Holy Bible, there are only two of them named for women—Ruth and Esther; nevertheless, women can be seen throughout the Old and the New Testaments being used by God in mighty ways. Despite the patriarchal society of biblical days, there were strong women who played significant roles in leadership, courage, humility, and compassion in ancient times. The purpose of this writing is to highlight a few of these women and to give the reader insight into the character of each individual. It will also tell of the motivation for the strength of each one and the consequences of her actions.

In the following chapters, each featuring a different woman of the Bible, God’s providence can clearly be seen working in and through her life. His sovereign design for the earth and its inhabitants can be compared to a beautiful tapestry woven by a great artist, with every strand of thread having a distinct purpose. God is the creator of the wondrous tapestry of life, in which He uses each person as a single thread, interwoven with others to create His perfect plan for all.

Among some of the women presented are courageous individuals, such as Deborah and Rahab, who took stands against armies; wicked women like Jezebel and Athaliah, who stood for evil and for their own personal gains; and the unnamed women such as the one who met Jesus at the well and the sinful woman who anointed the feet of the Lord, who were both brave enough to stand against political pressures and the condemnation of men. These women—nice, naughty, and nameless—were a part of Bible history with God’s hand being seen in every circumstance. They were ordinary women, making critical decisions, leading to extraordinary consequences. Through them, God was able to bring about positive results in every situation, whether it began by good works or evil. He was always in control by using these strong women to accomplish His purposes so that His name would be forever glorified.

PART I

Nice Women of Biblical Times

God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. —2 Samuel 22:33

T HE BIBLE TELLS OF MANY outstanding and courageous women who, on the pages of Scripture, showed their strength of character; however, only a few of them will be profiled here. The strong women in this section are from various backgrounds, time periods, and geographical regions. They were all different, some coming out of the dark world of demon possession and others rising to the heights of royalty as queens, yet they were alike in their faithfulness and their courage. Each woman was a real person who encountered trials and struggles in her life, and this manuscript will show how each (with God’s help) overcame her seemingly insurmountable problems. A few risked their lives for their convictions, standing firm in the face of adversity. Some occupied prominent places in their societies, while others were just ordinary women making godly decisions; but they all possessed strength and determination of spirit. Some of their situations were indeed desperate; however, God in His providence was in control, using these women to cause positive results to come from negative beginnings.

The women presented in the next few chapters have shown great faith, strength, courage, wisdom, and compassion. They could never have realized that the stories of their faithfulness, and their fortitude would have endured for centuries and are still providing inspiration for women today. Some of these women lived in the Old Testament days, and others were followers of Christ and of Paul the apostle.

These strong, moral women will be brought before the reader, focusing attention on the heroic feats of each. The nice group will include the following women:

Abigail—intervening between David and her husband, averting a mass slaughter

Esther—a queen willing to sacrifice her life for her people

Mary and Martha—sisters devoted to Jesus

Ruth—loyal to her mother-in-law, and a part of the lineage of Jesus

The Marys—six women in the New Testament having the same name who were followers of Christ

Lois and Eunice—grandmother and mother of Timothy (Paul’s son in the faith)

Lydia—a wealthy business woman who supported Paul’s ministry

Deborah—a prophetess, judge, military leader, and wife

ONE

Abigail

The name of his wife was Abigail; and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance. (1 Samuel 25:3)

Art01.jpg

Figure 1.1. Abigail

B EFORE TELLING THE STORY OF Abigail, a brief historical background is in order. The time was in the eleventh century BC when the people of Israel were demanding a king. Led by God, the Prophet Samuel anointed the first king in 1020 BC, whose name was Saul. Because of the king’s disobedience, the Lord removed His almighty hand from Saul and took away his kingship; however, he was not deposed immediately.

The Lord led Samuel to a humble shepherd boy named David and anointed him as Saul’s successor to the throne. David came to live at the royal residence and, with his music, provided a calming influence on Saul when the king’s mind became troubled and his soul was vexed. Saul loved David at times, yet when his mind was unstable, he hated him and wanted to kill the boy. Saul was jealous of David’s many acts of courage and valor in battles, and he began to contrive ways to murder the young man. One of Saul’s evil plots to get rid of David was to send him into battle against the Philistines, promising to give him his daughter, Michal, to be his wife if he returned victorious. However, there was a vicious scheme behind the deal, And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. (1 Samuel 18:21) As God would have it, the plan backfired. David fulfilled his obligation in battle, came home victorious, and married Michal, the king’s daughter. Saul could see that the Lord’s hand was now with David as it once was with him. He became more afraid of his adversary and began to plot other ways to kill him.

When David became more aware that Saul was planning ways to destroy him, he was forced to flee into the wilderness of Paran with six hundred of his men. He spent several years of his life as a fugitive, fleeing from the murderous pursuit of Saul and his army. It is interesting to note that even though King Saul was out to kill David, the young man still admired and respected his king. When David heard of Saul’s death, he was very sad and mourned deeply for the man.

After Saul’s death, one of his sons, Ishbosheth, was proclaimed king of Israel, and David was anointed king of Judah in 1004 BC. Then there was a period of civil war between the House of Saul and the House of David that eventually ended with the fall of Saul’s house and David becoming king over all of Israel in 998 BC.

Having a basic knowledge of the events that took place in the life of a shepherd boy who later became king should give the reader a better understanding of how the story of Abigail was woven into the tapestry of the trials and tribulations of one of the greatest kings of biblical times—a man after God’s own heart—David. The story of Abigail begins during the time that Saul was chasing David through the wilderness, bent on killing him.

The Bible mentions nothing of Abigail’s background; however, she must have come from a godly home, judging from her knowledge of Jewish history and her kind, understanding manner. She was an intelligent, sensitive woman who was married to a mean-spirited man named Nabal. As was the custom of the day, their marriage was probably arranged by her family. Nabal was a wealthy rancher who owned three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. It seemed as if Abigail’s people looked at his wealth as more outstanding than his character. His name—Nabal—was the Hebrew word for fool. Knowing that, it makes one wonder why a family would allow their daughter to marry such a man; nevertheless, the name seemed to be a perfect fit for Nabal who was an arrogant, harsh, rude man that quite often drank to the point of drunkenness. On the other hand, Abigail was beautiful, intelligent, and a peacemaker who was well versed in the Scriptures. The two of them were spiritually incompatible, for she believed in God and he apparently did not. They lived in Moan, just over a mile away from his business in Carmel.

During the time that David and his six hundred men were in the wilderness hiding from Saul, the season came for sheepshearing. The majority of Nabal’s men were helping to shear his sheep, while a few shepherds remained in the field with the herd. While the sheep were being shorn, David’s men provided protection for Nabal’s animals, as well as the animals of other ranchers. As long as David’s men were camped outside the field where the sheep and goats were grazing, Nabal’s shepherds had no fear of thieves, nor of predators trying to get to the flock. There was no formal agreement between David and Nabal for protection, but it was a custom of the day that a rancher would, in some way, pay the man who protected his herd. No payment was actually required, but it was customary for the rancher to offer a gratuity for services rendered. Even though today it sounds like protection money, in those days a tip was expected and accepted by both parties—the protected and the protector. The rancher quite often prospered by having protection because he did not fear losing any of his flock.

After the sheepshearing, David sent ten of his soldiers to respectfully ask Nabal to provide his men with food in payment for the protection they gave his animals. They did not ask for anything lavish, just food for the nourishment of the men. Nabal arrogantly refused, saying, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? (2 Samuel 25:10, 11) What a selfish, greedy man. Dr. McGee states, Nabal is saying that David has betrayed Saul and that he is disloyal.¹ Nabal knew that David and his men had protected his flock during sheepshearing time and, most likely, saved him a great deal of money, but he refused to give them anything. (Just wait, Nabal.)

When the men returned to David and told him that Nabal refused their request, it infuriated David. He told four hundred of his men to strap on their swords because they were going to Nabal’s to exact revenge on him and his entire household for such despicable treatment.

Meanwhile, back at Nabal’s ranch, the sheep had been shorn and the party was beginning. After the work had been done, it was the custom of the day to celebrate with food and drink for all the employees involved in the sheepshearing. A servant of Nabal’s somehow learned of David’s intention of destroying everyone in the compound. Instead of going to his master Nabal with the news, he went to Abigail, knowing that she would be capable of handling such a volatile situation. The servant’s actions showed his respect for her judgment, but not for Nabal’s. He emphasized how kind David’s men had been to Nabal’s shepherds and how they had acted as shields of protection for the shepherds and the flock.

It probably was not the first time that Abigail had to step into a potentially dangerous situation by apologizing for her husband’s rudeness. She did not want to experience the violence that most likely would take place when David and his men arrived, so she immediately began to make plans. Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. (1 Samuel 25:18) She did not inform Nabal of her intended actions, for he may not have let her leave the premises. Without his knowledge, she set out to intervene in the warfare that was destined to take place. She was on a mission to save not only herself but her unruly, drunken husband and their entire household.

It took courage and boldness to embark upon such a dangerous venture, but she had to undo the damage caused by Nabal’s arrogant behavior and bring about peace in her little corner of the land. When Abigail met David (as he rode toward her home), she dismounted from her donkey, approached him, and fell on her face in honest humility before him. Her actions demonstrated that she was a godly and humble woman. She began apologizing to David for her husband’s crude behavior, and she asked him to please pay no heed to her worthless husband. She further emphasized that it would not be worth David’s good reputation to lower himself to Nabal’s level of conduct. She suggested that if David were to consummate his plan of murder, he would have the burden of that crime on his conscience forever. She did not argue with David, nor did she try to support the vulgarity of her husband; she simply

Art02.jpg

Figure 1.2. Abigail apologizes to David

begged forgiveness at his feet. She then presented to him the food and drink she had brought as