Yahweh Had Very Generous Women
Servants
Exodus 36:6-7 reads,
36:6Moses
gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp,
saying, "Let neither man nor woman make anything else for the
offering for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing. 36:7For the stuff they had was sufficient for
all the work to make it, and too much.
Yahweh's people, including women, were very generous with their willing-hearted offerings for Yahweh's tent of meeting. Learning from them Yahweh's people today should likewise be very generous with their willing-hearted offerings for Yahweh's works.
Yahweh Appoints Prophetesses
In His Congregation
Exodus 15:19-21 reads,
15:19For
the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the
sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of
"Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed
gloriously:
The horse and his rider he has thrown into
the sea."
That Miriam was a prophetess in Yahweh's congregation shows that Yahweh appoints prophetesses in his congregation. Those women so appointed should serve in this capacity, doing Yahweh's works as he has allotted to them.
Serve Yahweh By Praising Him
In Song, Dance And Musical Instrument
It should also be noted that the women served Yahweh in praising him by song, dance and musical instrument. It is therefore in order for women to serve Yahweh by praising him in song, dance and musical instrument.
Women Served Yahweh At The
Door Of The Tent Of Meeting
Exodus 38:8 reads,
38:8He
made the basin of brass, and its base of brass, out of the mirrors of the
ministering women who ministered at the door of the tent of meeting.
It should be noted that there were women who ministered at the door of the tent of meeting, performing activities such as were performed therein. In other words, wherever it is that Yahweh appoints a woman to serve him is the place or position that the woman should serve him. Yahweh is the one who gives various gifts for service to him, and those gifts should be used as Yahweh has gifted them.
Women Can Make Nazirite Vows
To Separate Themselves To Yahweh
Numbers 6:1-21 reads,
6:1Yahweh
spoke to Moses, saying, 6:2"Speak
to the children of
6:5"All
the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until
the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be
holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.
6:6"All
the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.
6:7He shall not make himself unclean
for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when
they die; because his separation to God is on his head. 6:8All the days of his separation he is holy to
Yahweh.
6:9"If
any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his
separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the
seventh day he shall shave it. 6:10On
the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the
priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. 6:11The
priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering,
and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall
make his head holy that same day. 6:12He
shall separate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and shall bring a male
lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void,
because his separation was defiled.
6:13"This
is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he
shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, 6:14and he shall offer his offering to Yahweh,
one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb
a year old without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for
peace offerings, 6:15and a basket of
unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers
anointed with oil, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings.
6:16The priest shall present them
before Yahweh, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering. 6:17He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of
peace offerings to Yahweh, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest
shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering. 6:18The Nazirite shall shave the head of his
separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the
head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of
peace offerings. 6:19The priest
shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the
basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the
Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation; 6:20and the priest shall wave them for a wave
offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast
that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink
wine.
6:21"This
is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his
separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he
vows, so he must do after the law of his separation."
It should be noted from 6:2 that the vow of a Nazirite is not confined only to men, but can be partaken of also by women. Service to Yahweh is not the exclusive preserve of men but includes also women.
Validity Of Vows To Yahweh
Made By Women
Numbers 30 reads,
30:1Moses
spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying, This is
the thing which Yahweh has commanded. 30:2When
a man vows a vow to Yahweh, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he
shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his
mouth. 30:3Also when a woman vows
a vow to Yahweh, and binds herself by a bond, being in her father’s house, in
her youth, 30:4and her father hears
her vow, and her bond with which she has bound her soul, and her father holds
his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she
has bound her soul shall stand. 30:5But
if her father disallow her in the day that he hears, none of her vows, or of
her bonds with which she has bound her soul, shall stand: and Yahweh will
forgive her, because her father disallowed her. 30:6If
she be married to a husband, while her vows are on her, or the rash utterance
of her lips, with which she has bound her soul, 30:7and
her husband hear it, and hold his peace at her in the day that he hears it;
then her vows shall stand, and her bonds with which she has bound her soul
shall stand. 30:8But if her husband
disallow her in the day that he hears it, then he shall make void her vow which
is on her, and the rash utterance of her lips, with which she has bound her
soul: and Yahweh will forgive her. 30:9But
the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, even everything with which she
has bound her soul, shall stand against her. 30:10If
she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, 30:11and her husband heard it, and held his
peace at her, and didn’t disallow her; then all her vows shall stand, and every
bond with which she bound her soul shall stand. 30:12But
if her husband made them null and void in the day that he heard them, then
whatever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond
of her soul, shall not stand: her husband has made them void; and Yahweh will
forgive her. 30:13Every vow, and
every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her
husband may make it void. 30:14But
if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day, then he
establishes all her vows, or all her bonds, which are on her: he has
established them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard
them. 30:15But if he shall make them
null and void after that he has heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity. 30:16These are the statutes, which Yahweh
commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between a father and his daughter,
being in her youth, in her father’s house.
Merciful Yahweh Accepts The
Service Of Divorced Women
It should be noted that Yahweh is very forgiving. For he accepts the service of even divorced women - presumably duly divorced on account of their past uncleanness, that is, sexual sin against their former husband. We too should likewise have the merciful heart that Yahweh has, and should acknowledge that even divorced women duly serve him and that he accepts the service of such women. In other words, all human beings, even servants of Yahweh, have sinned against Yahweh. Nevertheless, in his service, he still uses sinful human beings, provided they strive to walk in his way of righteousness, forsaking sin.
Don't Speak Against Yahweh's
Servants Without Cause
Numbers 12 reads,
12:1Miriam
and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had
married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 12:2They
said, Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with
us? Yahweh heard it. 12:3Now
the man Moses was very humble, above all the men who were on the surface of the
earth. 12:4Yahweh spoke suddenly
to Moses, and to Aaron, and to Miriam, Come out you three to the tent of
meeting. They three came out. 12:5Yahweh
came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called
Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. 12:6He
said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Yahweh will make
myself known to him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. 12:7My servant Moses is not so; he is
faithful in all my house: 12:8with
him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and
the form of Yahweh shall he see: why then were you not afraid to speak against
my servant, against Moses? 12:9The
anger of Yahweh was kindled against them; and he departed. 12:10The cloud removed from over the Tent; and,
behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow: and Aaron looked at Miriam,
and, behold, she was leprous. 12:11Aaron
said to Moses, Oh, my lord, please don’t lay sin on us, for that we have
done foolishly, and for that we have sinned. 12:12Let
her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he
comes out of his mother’s womb. 12:13Moses
cried to Yahweh, saying, Heal her, God, I beg you. 12:14Yahweh said to Moses, If her father had but spit in
her face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside of
the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again. 12:15Miriam was shut up outside of the camp
seven days: and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in again.
12:16Afterward the people journeyed
from Hazeroth, and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
Don't Be Conceited On Account
Of Being A Woman Servant Of Yahweh
The lesson Yahweh taught Miriam is one that all servants of Yahweh ought to learn, not just women servants of Yahweh. For Miriam and Aaron thought that as Yahweh had spoken to them they were perfectly entitled to use their opinions in speaking out against another servant of Yahweh on a matter whereby the other servant of Yahweh had not disobeyed Yahweh! For it is not against Yahweh's word for a man, even a servant of his, to marry an additional wife, seeing that Moses married a Cushite woman in addition to his Midianite wife, Zipporah. Women servants of Yahweh should therefore not become conceited on account of Yahweh using them in his service. They are to remain humble and give due respect and honour to other servants of Yahweh, especially those of a higher rank in Yahweh's service, such as Moses was higher in rank to both Miriam and Aaron.
It Is Sin And Folly To Speak
Against Another Servant Of Yahweh Without Cause
It should be noted that it is sin and folly to speak without cause against another servant of Yahweh. And those who so speak are likened to dead humans, as stillborn babies. And Yahweh punishes for such sin and folly, for those who so sin and act foolishly are unclean before him!
Yahweh Shows No Partiality
Between Men And Women Servants Of His
Deuteronomy 17:2-7 reads,
17:2If
there be found in the midst of you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your
God gives you, man or woman, who does that which is evil in the sight of
Yahweh your God, in transgressing his covenant, 17:3and
has gone and served other gods, and worshiped them, or the sun, or the moon, or
any of the host of the sky, which I have not commanded; 17:4and it be told you, and you have heard of
it, then shall you inquire diligently; and, behold, if it be true, and the
thing certain, that such abomination is done in Israel, 17:5then shall you bring forth that man or that
woman, who has done this evil thing, to your gates, even the man or the
woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones. 17:6At the mouth of two witnesses, or three
witnesses, shall he who is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one witness
he shall not be put to death. 17:7The
hand of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward
the hand of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from the midst of
you.
Surely Yahweh shows no partiality. He appoints into his service both men and women. He also reproves his servants when they err, both men and women. And when the sin is one worthy of death, such as idolatry, he doesn't exempt either man or woman, but treats them both alike. Women servants of Yahweh should therefore faithfully serve him and not faithlessly depart into idolatry.
Deborah, The Wife Of
Lappidoth, A Powerful Woman Servant Of Yahweh
Judges 4-5 reads,
4:1The
children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, when
Ehud was dead. 4:2Yahweh sold them
into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the captain of
whose host was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 4:3The children of Israel cried to Yahweh: for
he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed
the children of Israel. 4:4Now Deborah,
a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 4:5She lived under the palm tree of Deborah
between Ramah and Bethel in the hill-country of Ephraim: and the children of
Israel came up to her for judgment.
4:6She
sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said to
him, Hasn’t Yahweh, the God of Israel, commanded, saying, Go and draw to Mount
Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of
the children of Zebulun? 4:7I will
draw to you, to the river Kishon, Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his
chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand. 4:8Barak said to her, If you will go with me,
then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go. 4:9She said, I will surely go with you:
notwithstanding, the journey that you take shall not be for your honor; for Yahweh
will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Deborah arose, and went with
Barak to Kedesh. 4:10Barak called
Zebulun and Naphtali together to Kedesh; and there went up ten thousand men at
his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
4:11Now
Heber the Kenite had separated himself from the Kenites, even from the children
of Hobab the brother-in-law of Moses, and had pitched his tent as far as the
oak in Zaanannim, which is by Kedesh. 4:12They
told Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to Mount Tabor. 4:13Sisera gathered together all his chariots,
even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from
Harosheth of the Gentiles, to the river Kishon.
4:14Deborah
said to Barak, Up; for this is the day in which Yahweh has delivered Sisera
into your hand; hasn’t Yahweh gone out before you? So Barak went down from
Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 4:15Yahweh
confused Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the
sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his
feet. 4:16But Barak pursued after
the chariots, and after the host, to Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the
host of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword; there was not a man left. 4:17However Sisera fled away on his feet to the
tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin
the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 4:18Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to
him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; don’t be afraid. He turned in to her into
the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 4:19He
said to her, Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. She
opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 4:20He said to her, Stand in the door of the
tent, and it shall be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is
there any man here? That you shall say, No. 4:21Then
Jael Heber’s wife took a tent-pin, and took a hammer in her hand, and went
softly to him, and struck the pin into his temples, and it pierced through into
the ground; for he was in a deep sleep; so he swooned and died.
4:22Behold,
as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and
I will show you the man whom you seek. He came to her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead,
and the tent-pin was in his temples. 4:23So
God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.
4:24The hand of the children of
Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had
destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
5:1Then
sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day, saying,
5:2For
that the leaders took the lead in Israel,
For that the people offered themselves
willingly,
Bless you Yahweh.
5:3Hear,
you kings; give ear, you princes;
I, even I, will sing to Yahweh;
I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of
Israel.
5:4Yahweh,
when you went forth out of Seir,
When you marched out of the field of Edom,
The earth trembled, the sky also dropped,
Yes, the clouds dropped water.
5:5The
mountains quaked at the presence of Yahweh,
Even yon Sinai at the presence of Yahweh, the
God of Israel.
5:6In
the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,
In the days of Jael, the highways were
unoccupied,
The travelers walked through byways.
5:7The
rulers ceased in Israel, they ceased,
Until that I Deborah arose,
That I arose a mother in Israel.
5:8They
chose new gods;
Then was war in the gates:
Was there a shield or spear seen
Among forty thousand in Israel?
5:9My
heart is toward the governors of Israel,
Who offered themselves willingly among the
people:
Bless you Yahweh.
5:10Tell
of it, you who ride on white donkeys,
You who sit on rich carpets,
You who walk by the way.
5:11Far
from the noise of archers, in the places of drawing water,
There shall they rehearse the righteous acts
of Yahweh,
Even the righteous acts of his rule in Israel.
Then the people of Yahweh went down to the
gates.
5:12Awake,
awake, Deborah;
Awake, awake, utter a song:
Arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you
son of Abinoam.
5:13Then
came down a remnant of the nobles and the people;
Yahweh came down for me against the mighty.
5:14Out
of Ephraim came down they whose root is in Amalek;
After you, Benjamin, among your peoples;
Out of Machir came down governors,
Out of Zebulun those who handle the marshal’s
staff.
5:15The
princes of Issachar were with Deborah;
As was Issachar, so was Barak;
Into the valley they rushed forth at his feet.
By the watercourses of Reuben
There were great resolves of heart.
5:16Why
sat you among the sheepfolds,
To hear the whistling for the flocks?
At the watercourses of Reuben
There were great searchings of heart.
5:17Gilead
abode beyond the Jordan:
Dan, why did he remain in ships?
Asher sat still at the haven of the sea,
Abode by his creeks.
5:18Zebulun
was a people that jeopardized their lives to the death,
Naphtali, on the high places of the field.
5:19The
kings came and fought;
Then fought the kings of Canaan.
In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo:
They took no gain of money.
5:20From
the sky the stars fought,
From their courses they fought against Sisera.
5:21The
river Kishon swept them away,
That ancient river, the river Kishon.
My soul, march on with strength.
5:22Then
did the horse hoofs stamp
By reason of the prancings, the prancings of
their strong ones.
5:23Curse
you Meroz, said the angel of Yahweh.
Curse you bitterly the inhabitants of it,
Because they didn’t come to the help of
Yahweh,
To the help of Yahweh against the mighty.
5:24Blessed
above women shall Jael be,
The wife of Heber the Kenite;
Blessed shall she be above women in the
tent.
5:25He
asked water, and she gave him milk;
She brought him butter in a lordly dish.
5:26She
put her hand to the tent-pin,
Her right hand to the workmen’s hammer;
With the hammer she struck Sisera, she
struck through his head;
Yes, she pierced and struck through his
temples.
5:27At
her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay;
At her feet he bowed, he fell;
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
5:28Through
the window she looked forth, and cried,
The mother of Sisera cried through the
lattice,
Why is his chariot so long in coming?
Why do the wheels of his chariots wait?
5:29Her
wise ladies answered her,
Yes, she returned answer to herself,
5:30Have
they not found, have they not divided the spoil?
A lady, two ladies to every man;
To Sisera a spoil of dyed garments,
A spoil of dyed garments embroidered,
Of dyed garments embroidered on both sides, on
the necks of the spoil?
5:31So
let all your enemies perish, Yahweh:
But let those who love him be as the sun when
he goes forth in his might.
The land had rest forty years.
When A Vacuum Of Leadership
Arose In Israel Yahweh Appointed Deborah His Prophetess To Fill It
It should be noted that at the time of Deborah and Barak leaders had ceased to exist in Israel. At this time Yahweh made Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, a prophetess, and appointed her ruler or judge of Israel! In other words, Yahweh shows no partiality in the person that he appoints as ruler over his people. When a man is most appropriate for this position he appoints a man. When a woman it is who is most appropriate for this position he appoints a woman. Yahweh appoints the person most appropriate for the task at hand, without making any distinction between man and woman!
It Is Yahweh Who Appoints
Women As Rulers Or Shepherds Over His Congregation!
It should therefore be clear than women can indeed rule or shepherd over Yahweh's congregation. For those who so rule or shepherd are those Yahweh appoints, according to the wisdom that he gives them. Therefore, today, when Yahweh appoints women as rulers or shepherds in his congregation or assembly, all in Yahweh's assembly should accept Yahweh's appointment and rule by these women!
In Service To Yahweh Women And
Men Are EQUAL!
It should also be noted that in the case of the above battle, Yahweh chose to deliver the highest prized scalp into the hands of a woman, rather than that of a man. In other words, Yahweh uses the person most appropriate for performing the task at hand. Sometimes it is a man, sometimes it is a woman. The point is that women should not be excluded from serving Yahweh in whatever manner Yahweh appoints for them, seeing that Yahweh uses them in whatever manner he chooses at any given point in time.
The GREAT Legacy Of Deborah's
Rule Over Israel
It should also be noted that Deborah's legacy in Israel was quite great indeed. For, as a result of her rule in Israel, the land had rest for a period of forty years! In other words, good rulership or shepherding in not the exclusive preserve of men. Even women servants of Yahweh can rule and have ruled very effectively. For provided they rule according to Yahweh's word he ensures that all goes well among his people. Women servants of Yahweh should therefore serve according to Yahweh's word, that Yahweh may do good to his people and even reward these women servants with a great legacy, even as that of Deborah's.
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