The Treatment of Women in the Old Testament - Essay Example

First and First and 20 July The Treatment of Women in the Old Testament Women are a vital component of any society, particularly in those described in the Old Testament. In the beginning there was only a man named Adam. In observing the way that Adam lived, the Lord remarked that “it is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” (The Holy Bible, Gen. 2:18). This statement shows that women have a specific role to play in relation to men. However, because of the culture of the day, women were seen to be inferior to men in a variety of ways. This essay will demonstrate an argument against this point of view in conjunction with numerous examples in order to back it up. Such examples will include the major Old Testament characters of Eve, Rahab, and Ruth. In the first couple of books of Genesis, we read that Eve was created and thus was the first women to exist. The Lord decided that Adam needed a helper because he could not do everything on his own. So, the Lord put Adam into a deep sleep and took one of his ribs, which He used to form the first woman, Eve. After this, we understand how a woman must be connected to a man: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (The Holy Bible, Gen. 2:24). This tells us that women must be treated with respect because they become one with their husbands. In the very next chapter of Genesis, Eve comes across her first challenge—this sets the tone for women throughout the rest of the Old Testament. In Genesis 3:6 (The Holy Bible), after being tempted by the serpent, Eve decided to taste the fruit. Once she had tasted it and found that it was good, she gave some to Adam so he could also eat some. This was the beginning of mankind, but more specifically women in general. Once God had found out what Adam and Eve had done, he cursed them for their disobedience. He said to Eve: “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (The Holy Bible, Gen. 3:16). Even though Adam was also punished, his penalty was not as severe as Eve’s. This begins a theme that is seen all the way through the Old Testament—women are inferior to men because they were the first ones to sin. However, there are examples of women who went against the stereotypes of those times. Further along in the Old Testament, we can see in the book of Joshua how Rahab is treated. This woman is a very interesting case because she lived in Jericho; she was not from the Israelites. Additionally, she was also described being a prostitute. These types of people were the lowest of the low back in those societies. At that time, the Israelites had sent spies to the city of Jericho in order to capture the city. They just happened to stay at an inn where Rahab was also the inn-keeper (Word 7). Instead of turning them over to the authorities, Rahab took them up to the roof and hid them under stalks of flax that were placed on the roof (The Holy Bible, Josh. 2:6). When asked why she risked her life for her enemy, Rahab said that she believed in the God Jehovah because of the miracles that occurred down in Egypt. For her help, Rahab asked that her and her family would be spared once the Israelites took the city. The spies replied, “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land” (The Holy Bible, Josh. 2:14). An agreement was then made to work out how the plan would come to fruition. When the Israelites did take the city of Jericho, Rahab and her family were spared because of Rahab’s obedience. After the Israelites had gained control of Jericho, Rahab and her family were allowed to remain along with the Jews. This story shows us how even though a woman may be considered dirty and unclean, if she displays obedience, then she can be used for good. This example of Rahab is a little contradictory in terms of scripture because not only was she a prostitute, Rahab also betrayed her own people. However, although she was all these things, she placed her trust in the Lord and thus was given favor. Another example of a woman in the Old Testament who rose above the perceived cultural norms was Ruth. Just as in the case of Rahab, Ruth was also not Jewish; she was a Moabite. She married one of Naomi’s sons and lived in Moab for a period of ten years. One day, her husband suddenly died and Ruth was left without a husband. Naomi decided that it would be best that she move back to her home town of Judah with her daughter-in-law. Ruth became like a daughter to Naomi and they lived together. It just so happened that Naomi had a relative named Boaz who was extremely wealthy. One day, Ruth decided to go out and work in the fields of that Boaz owned. Ruth was a hard worker and made enough grain to take care of herself and her mother-in-law. Boaz recognized how hard she worked and gave her favor amongst his workers. Ruth could not believe this because she was not from Judah. “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” (The Holy Bible, Ruth 2:10). Because she was a Moabite, Jewish people naturally looked down on her. However, Boaz was a kind man and showed gentleness towards her. Naomi sensed that an opportunity could be taken and came up with a plan to get Boaz to marry Ruth. Late one night while Boaz was drunk in a barn, Ruth crept in and offered herself in marriage to him (Fletcher). Boaz liked this idea but knew of another man who had first rights to Ruth. So, he had a meeting with this man and they discussed who would marry Ruth. Boaz informed the man that the prospective husband would need to take care of Naomi too. To this, the man replied, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it” (The Holy Bible, Ruth 4:6). So, the two of them married and had a son named Obed, who would turn out to be the grandfather of the great King David of Israel. This example of Ruth is a great story that shows how kindness to others can go along way. God rewarded her for her faithfulness—even thought she was a foreigner. Ruth is famous for being the most well-known female character in the Old Testament. In conclusion, we can say that the culture of the Old Testament influenced the way that women were treated. Eve shaped the way women were viewed because of her sin that she committed in the Garden of Eden. Before she fell into sin, she was treated as an equal of Adam. However, once she had fallen, God cursed her through the punishment of painful childbirth and also having to submit to Adam. Further on in the Old Testament we can see an example of a woman who defies the odds—Rahab. She was a woman who was viewed as being lower class simply because she worked as a prostitute. Unlike many other women in the Old Testament, Rahab was looked upon favorably by the Lord because she was obedient to Him. She believed that God was with the Jews and thus betrayed her own people for the Israelites’ sake. Lastly, Ruth is another example of how a woman can rise above the obstacles that Old Testament culture can place upon women. Ruth was seen as a foreigner in Israel because she was a Moabite. Once her husband had died, her mother-in-law chose to return back to the land of her birth. Ruth could have elected to stay in her own homeland, but respected Naomi enough to follow her anywhere. Once there, Ruth found work in the fields of Boaz, who favored her over the rest of the workers. Naomi and Ruth conjured up a plan to entice Boaz to fall in love with Ruth and then marry her. One night, Ruth got dressed up and went to find a drunken Boaz sleeping in a barn. Boaz agreed to marry her only if the person who had the first right to her gave up his privilege. Through God’s hand, Ruth was able to get married and through her one of her descendants because the King of Israel. All these figures show how women can defy the cultural norms of the Old Testament and become heroines for future generations. Works Cited Fletcher, Elizabeth. “Ruth: Her Story.” Women in the Bible, 2006. Web. 20 Jul. 2011. The Holy Bible. New International Version. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984. Print. Word, Florence. “Character Studies in the Old Testament.” Northwest College of the Bible, 1957. Web. 20 Jul. 2011. Read More