Carolyn Custis James, Lost Women of the Bible: The Women We Thought We Knew, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005.
A Forgotten Legacy, Eve - Eve’s forgotten legacy resides in explicit statements God made when he created her. First, God created Eve to be his image bearer – “in his image and likeness” – and second, to be the ezer, or the strong helper. Furthermore, she shared with Adam what theologians call the “Cultural Mandate” … the call to reproduce spiritually by multiplying worshipers of the living God and extend God’s gracious rule over every inch of this planet… God’s creation design for Eve applies to every woman all the time, from the cradle to the grave. (31-32) Genesis 1:27. This is the Bible’s starting point for any definition of what it means to be a woman… The call to bear God;s image is an invitation to get to know God deeply… The call to bear God’s image was intended to whet Eve’s hunger to learn all she could about him. It wasn’t good enough for Adam to know God and tell her what he was like. Eve needed to know God for herself. (32, 34) God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper [ezer] suitable for him” (Genesis 2:18). …the word ezer is used most often (sixteen of twenty-one occurrences) in the Old Testament to refer to God as Israel’s helper in times of trouble… The ezer is a warrior, and this has far-reaching implications for women, not only in marriage, but in every relationship, season, and walk of life… Further evidence of the strength and significance of the word ezer appeared when men in the Old Testament used ezer in naming their sons… Eve and all her daughters are ezers – strong warriors who stand alongside their brothers in the battle for God’s kingdom… God calls the ezer to join the man in every sphere of life. (35-37)
Mrs. Noah got lost in Noah’s shadow, but in God’s eyes, she was never lost. Whether a woman is out in front or the unknown soldier hidden in the shadows, whether she’s facing a crisis or having an ordinary day, she has a vital role in God’s purposes. (62)
Sarah struggled to secure her place in God’s purposes, as life passed her by and her hopes of bearing the child of promise expired. We will learn through Sarah’s story that even when it looks like we’re missing out on the big things God is doing, we have a high calling and a vital mission to carry out every day of our lives. (83) Genesis 11:26-31; 18:1-15. Describe a time when you felt God’s silence in your life. How did you interpret God’s silence? What did you think about God? About yourself? How did God’s silence impact Sarah? What did she believe she needed to do to have a place in God’s purposes? How did that belief affect her as well as her relationships with God and with others? How did the fact that God created Sarah to be his image bearer and an ezer mean that her place in his purposes was already secure? How did Sarah’s focus on bearing a son distract her from her mission to be Abraham’s spiritual ally and to reflect God’s image in her relationship with Hagar? How did Sarah and Abraham fail as a Blessed Alliance? How did they succeed? When we’re living in God’s silence, how do we get sidetracked from our true mission? (83)
The slave girl Hagar had a whole list of reasons for thinking she was invisible. It was easy to conclude from the way her life was going that she didn’t matter to anyone. Her encounter with El Roi – “the God who sees me” – turned her around. Hagar teaches us a powerful lesson of just how profoundly important we are to God. (100)
Tamar shatters the traditional definition of what it means to be a woman by standing up to the most powerful man in her life – her father-in-law and the tribal patriarch… she pointed Judah back to the God of the covenant, the only true authority over both of their lives. (118)
For years Hannah was obsessed with her longings for a child. Through her struggle, she awakened to a deeper longing inside – the longing for God’s glory. She was a true kingdom builder. (139)
Like a lot of women today, Esther was lulled to sleep by the culture’s anesthetizing message that a woman’s value depends on how she looks and on her ability to please others. Esther’s story awakens us to the bold biblical message that God values and counts on his daughters as kingdom builders. (160)
In the epilogue of Mary’s story we find her right where she belongs – with Jon and the other disciples of the resurrected Jesus, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Like her son, she was focused on her Father’s business. Her marriage was over, and her son was gone too. But she still knew who she was. (180) How did the sword of Simeon’s prophecy threaten Mary’s blessedness? How would the world view her and how would she view herself after her son’s crucifixion? (181)
Those who knew Mary, the deranged demoniac, would never have imagined her becoming one of Jesus’ strongest followers. Her life demonstrates how much Jesus makes of broken lives. (202)
Paul’s partnership with women
The lost women of the Bible were never lost to God. (231)
The Lost Women of the Bible .docx
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