Biblical Women Archives - Page 2 of 2

You Don’t Scare Me!

September 14, 2011 by Teri Lynne Underwood 9 Comments

Possibly the most intimidating woman in all of Scripture is Mrs. Proverbs 31. She gets up early and stays up late. She cooks, she sews, she shops. She manages her home, her business, and her family. Her children “rise up and call her blessed” … that alone qualifies her for the “rare” distinction she’s given in verse 10.

However, we don’t think her inclusion in Scripture is merely to create insecurity and hopelessness in the hearts of godly women everywhere. In fact, we have quite the opposite impression:

We believe Mrs. P31 offers us an example of characteristics that please the heart of God … not a “to do” list of daily activities.

As we examine those traits and attitudes, we believe you’ll be joining us in saying, “You don’t scare me!” but will instead be celebrating the example she provides of a heart and life that please the Lord.

Join us for the next three weeks as we dig in to Proverbs 31:10 -31 and we believe you’ll be encouraged and challenged!

Share with us … What is your impression of the Proverbs 31 Woman?

Advice from King Lemuel’s Mom

September 12, 2011 by Sandra Peoples 4 Comments

Pick up your toys. Take your plate to the sink. Don’t talk to your brother like that. Share with your friends. Do not correct adults. Stay in the yard. Flush then wash your hands…..

I’m teaching my boys many lessons right now. At five and four years old, they need constant reminders on how to act and react. King Lemuel’s mom had some lessons for her son too. I’m sure you are familiar with Proverbs chapter 31 as an example to wives. But, let’s look at it in its context–advice from mom to son.

King Lemuel’s mom started off the oracle in Proverbs 31 by asking, “What are you doing my son? Son of my womb? Son of my vows?” Sounds to me like an exasperated momma! Let’s look closer at the areas she addresses in her reproof:

Have self-control. She specifically mentions heavy drinking as destructive behavior. Her point is to stay in control of your words and actions. We must help our children with this at every stage. Already, I have to help my five year old control his emotions, especially his anger. I give him time and space to cool down and then we talk about ways he could have handled the situation differently. I clearly remember times when I was a teenager and did not have self-control. As a result hurt myself and others. We can instruct and guide our children in this area, but above all, we must pray for the Holy Spirit to act in their lives and produce the fruit of self-control.

Care for others, especially those who cannot care for themselves. She mentions the mute, destitute, poor and needy. “Open your mouth,” she instructs her son the king. We can also encourage our children to care for others. Our church does an outreach each year and prepares hundreds of meals for homeless and hungry people in a near-by city. Each year we have more children involved in this outreach. Our youth group is also involved in helping others through local ministry projects and mission trips like World Changers. Children and teens can make a difference in the lives of others, especially when given the opportunities.

Marry well. As we will learn more about in the coming weeks, the rest of chapter thirty-one is King Lemuel’s mother describing the excellent wife. This is the part of the chapter we are most familiar with. She tells her son an excellent wife is hard to find, but worth the search! I know many moms of little ones who are already praying for the future spouses of their children. I know moms of teenagers who are really praying! Help your children know what qualities to look for in a spouse. Help your son know where to find an excellent wife. King Lemuel’s mom goes into great detail describing the ideal wife. We can learn from her as we pray for our children’s future spouses.

King Lemuel’s mom probably taught him many lessons. These three stuck with him and he recorded them for generations to read. As we learn from this mom, we can also prepare our children to have self-control, help others, and marry well.

What lessons are you teaching your children right now that you hope will impact their future?

A Powerful Woman & A Mother Without Children

May 12, 2011 by ScriptureDig 6 Comments

Picture from Google Images

“The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.” Judges 5:7

For the past two weeks we’ve been gleaning from the lives of some of the mothers of the Bible – women who impacted their children, their communities and their generations – some for good, some for bad.

But today, we are going to examine one of my favorite women in Scripture…Deborah.

Deborah was an influential and powerful woman. She was…

The wife of Lappidoth Judges 4:4

A prophetess in Israel (Samuel was the only other judge who was also a prophet) Judges 4:4

A judge in Israel (The only woman judge in Israel) Judges 4:4

A military leader (Deborah led military campaigns defeating Sisera) Judges 4:6-14

The self-proclaimed Mother of Israel (Deborah sang of her role as Mother in Israel) Judges 5:7

Although there’s no way to be sure whether or not Deborah had any children of her own, the Bible’s silence on the subject is an indication that she probably did not.

Yet, Deborah considered herself the mother of Israel because, like almost every other woman on the planet, her mother’s heart was an intrinsic part of being a woman. She may not have had any children’s hearts to mold, but she certainly molded the heart of a nation.

Let’s learn what we can from the Mother of Israel – the mother without children…

“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment.” Judges 4:4-5

♥ Deborah broke the mold – Not hampered by traditional roles, she walked in the calling God had placed upon her life. She was willing to be different for the glory of God.

♥ Deborah spoke truth – She proclaimed God’s truth and God’s will to the nation.

♥ Deborah was wise – Wisdom was necessary for the proper verdict and clear counsel.

“She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, “Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, ‘Go…” Judges 4:6

♥ Deborah called Barak out– Deborah reminded Barak, the military commander, that it was time to trust God, obey His command and go.

♥ Deborah believed God – When Barak was floundering in his faith and in his role as a leader, Deborah stepped up to the plate and challenged him to trust God.

“Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” And she said, “I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Judges 4:8-9

♥ She was inspiring– She may have called Barak out on his lack of faith and motivation, but she also inspired him to believe God and fulfill the calling God had placed upon his life.

♥ She was bold, brave and strong – She was willing to stand up to a man of great power and then go head-long into battle with him. Her faith was contagious and she was willing to risk or own life to demonstrate that God was who He said He was and that He would do what He said He would do. She demonstrated strength and courage in the midst of adversity.

Ultimately, God used another woman by the name of Jael to end the battle with a tent peg through Sisera’s head. Not a very feminine thing to do, but she ended an era of oppression with one stroke of the hammer and Sisera fell at the hands of a woman, just as Deborah had said.

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon,Barak, Samson,Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophet – who through faith conquered kingdoms” Hebrews 11:32-34 (emphasis mine)

♥ Deborah motivated Barak to become more than he ever thought he could be – Her leadership, courage, inspiration and trust in God was the nudge Barak needed to help him become who he was created to be – a man of faith.

As we examine the legacy Deborah left behind, we find that whether we have children or not, God still wants to use us to make a difference in the lives of those around us, as well as those who will come behind us.

Deborah was a powerful woman who wielded her influence well. She is evidence that we can be strong, powerful, bold and brave, and still be godly and feminine.

♥ How does Deborah’s life challenge your own?