In a world where a king is celebrated and honored, and his wishes and desires are immediately met, we are introduced to a woman who stands up for her own dignity and refuses a request made by the king. Request is a dubious word choice. A request by the king is more than just a … Continue reading Vashti: Deposing a Woman of Dignity
The metaphor of midwife is used of God to help better understand God as a deliverer when the people of Israel are in Babylonian exile (Ps. 22, 71). L. Juliana M. Claassens writes, “The image of the midwife powerfully communicates the commitment to preserve life in life-and-death situations.”[1] Just as the metaphor of God as … Continue reading Shiphrah and Puah: Deliverers and Liberators for God
In the book of Ruth in the bible, we have a story of love, but this is a love story of women who live out true sisterhood. It is a story of the relationship between two widowed women: Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. The book of Ruth is special for many reasons. First, women are … Continue reading Call Me Mara: The Strength & Courage to Admit We are Not ‘Fine’
After her death, Jephthah’s daughter is remembered by the daughters of Israel, but does the biblical narrative of her death attempt to praise her for simply being an obedient daughter? If so, should one be satisfied with celebrating adherence to patriarchal values, especially when it had disastrous results? Is justice served to this daughter of … Continue reading Jephthah’s Daughter: The Dangers of Patriarchy
While we may not remember the heroic woman of Thebez, she was remembered in Israelite history, particularly by those engaged in battle. In the story of David and Bathsheba, David commanded Joab to send Uriah to the front of the battle so that he was sure to be killed. After the battle, Joab sends a … Continue reading The Woman of Thebez and a Stone of Remembrance
How many times a day are we on social media checking to see how much interaction there is on our posts and tweets? Are we becoming obsessed with trying to be an influence in the sphere of social media? In a world where we vie for likes and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and … Continue reading Blessed Are the Nameless
It was the annual festival at Shiloh and as was the custom, the ladies were getting ready to participate in celebratory dance. Little did they know that on this particular day their joyful dance would be interrupted by them being forcefully seized to provide men with child-bearing wombs. Dancing was most often, but not always, … Continue reading The Silencing of the Dancing Women of Shiloh
While walking down the aisle on one’s wedding day, most are envisioning a happy and joyful future. What happens when the wedding processional of the soothing cadence of “Canon in D” instead becomes a prelude to a funeral pyre? The Timnite woman did not experience wedded bliss, instead she was thrust into a situation where … Continue reading The Timnite Woman: A Wedding and a Funeral
What do you think it would have been like to meet Deborah? I would imagine that most people would envision Deborah with stereotypical female traits and personality: a welcoming and hospitable presence, a reserved personality, and a pliant temperament. Yet is that an accurate view of Deborah? Deborah was a judge, a prophetess, and a … Continue reading Deborah, A Fiery Woman
Though draped in a robe that signified her status as a royal daughter, someone with special privilege, someone valued by her family, the robe said she was seen as worthy, but it was only a façade. A young woman who was to be valued, cherished, and protected by her family is left desolate and destroyed. … Continue reading Tamar: A Robe of Royalty but not Loyalty
Michelle Mosier 