Last week I studied a few women of whom I could say are an example of faithfulness (either to God or to man). This week I’m looking into women in leadership.
For centuries there have been controversies about women as leaders, both in religion and in the secular world. This made me want to study these specific women who were great leaders in the work of God and also in the secular world. How were they able to achieve their positions and what impact were they able to make?
Miriam
Miriam, the elder sister of Moses makes her first appearance by the river Nile where she watched over Moses who was placed in a basket. Thanks to her, Moses was brought up by his birth mother before he entered the palace as a prince (Exodus 2).
The next time we hear of Miriam is in Exodus 15:20-21
20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
In this passage Miriam, the first ever female prophetess, led the crowd in praise and worship after they successfully crossed the Red Sea. Contrary to what many may believe she didn’t only lead the women, she led both the men and the women along with her brothers Moses and Aaron;
Micah 6:4
4 For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
Although Miriam was a prophetess recognized by God, she wasn’t perfect. In a moment of jealousy and irritation, she and her brother Aaron spoke against Moses and this angered God.
Numbers 12: 2
2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.
God was greatly displeased when He heard this and so He made it clear unto them that even amongst His chosen ones, there is still a hierarchy.
Numbers 12:6-9
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
After this she became leprous as a punishment.
Lessons to learn:
- We all have a God given task: Miriam had an important role as a supporter in the ministry of Moses from the very beginning. She was his guide to safety as a child and later as a woman she supported him in leading the Israelites out of captivity.
- Never insult an anointed one: The bible warns us about the words of our mouths (Psalm 105:15 Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm). Miriam and Aaron insulted the anointing upon Moses insinuating that he wasn’t the only one one hearing from God so why is he acting like the boss. Anointed priests are human too and we can have our differences with them but we should NEVER look down on someone who was chosen by God or belittle their anointing for there are consequences in doing so.
- Comparisons will only lead to failure: Even though she was a leader in her own right, Miriam wasn’t content with her position. She believed she was equal to Moses and wanted to step into the role given unto Moses. She cared more about the title and respect than about doing the will of God at that point. She wanted more than was given to her and was blasphemous in private (which is a sin). But by doing so God disgraced her publicly as a warning to others.
Deborah
Deborah was a judge, a prophet and a leader of Israel. She is very similar to the modern day independent woman and feminist. Even from the way the bible talks about her, we have an idea of who she is as a person.
She was a wise woman whose counsel was held in high regard and she wasn’t idle
Judges 4:5
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
She was the mother of Israel and a warrior
Judges 5:7
Villagers in Israel would not fight; they held back until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose, a mother in Israel.
One of her biggest feat recorded in the bible was victory of the Israelites against the Canaanites. She called Barak, a commander of the Israelites and told him to prepare for battle (a command from the Lord). He refused to go unless she accompanied them.
Judges 4:8
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go
This shows her importance and the level of respect the Israelites had for her. She also foretold the end of the battle and how it would go.
Judges 4:9
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
One of the reasons why I love her is because she is unapologetically true to herself and her calling.
- She was trustworthy enough for people to come to her for advice
- She was a spiritual leader and an encourager, helping others follow the path that God had designed for them
- She was a courageous woman who followed the men into the battlefield
- She was a woman of great faith who believed the word of God would come to pass
- She was a confident woman who knew her own worth without succumbing to pride
- She knew what her God given role was and did what was expected of her position without overstepping (she let the soldiers do their part while she did hers).
Esther
Queen Esther is the second woman in the bible to have a book named after her. To quickly summarize she was a young jew who found favor in the eyes of the King and became Queen. She then used her position to save her people.
The King was looking for a woman to replace the current queen who was rebellious against him and Esther who was pleasant in every aspect was chosen.
Esther 2:17
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Through her uncle she was also able to find out about the plan of Hamman, a royal vizier, to wipe out the Jews and although she was scared of the King (afraid that she had fallen out of favor) she still managed to gather up her courage
Esther 4:16
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
She was patient with her plan and waited for the right time to ask the king for his favor in a way that would be hard for him to deny.
Esther 7:3-4
3 Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:
4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.
The king listened to Esther and granted every request she made until she was able to save her people.
Esther 9:12
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done
Lessons to learn:
- God can place us anywhere: Esther was an orphan and a jew and yet she was able to rule as Queen. Because of her position she was able to save countless lives (Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?)
- Stay true to yourself: Esther wasn’t bothered with the newest jewelries in the palace nor the fancy food. She remained humble, ate kosher food and allowed her character and virtues to speak for her. This was enough for the King to be interested in her.
- Patience and wisdom go a long way: She didn’t panic when she heard about the plot against her people even though she was terrified. She thought of a plan and took her time to execute it instead of rushing in halfway.
- Always ask God for help: Esther didn’t save her people by her own might. Together with the Jews, she fasted and prayed to God before she took any action.
Huldah
After the reign of King David and King Solomon an era of unfaithful kings came upon Israel. During the reign of King Josiah, the High priest Hilkiah found a copy of the Book of Law (laws given by God through Moses unto the Israelites). When the King heard the contents of the book, he was greatly grieved
2 Kings 22:10-11
10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.
This made him send his men to look for Huldah who then conveyed God’s word unto them.
2 Kings 22:15-20
15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:
17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.
20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.
In this verse we can see how courageous Huldah was; she didn’t filter her words when she prophesied. As a prophet and more importantly a woman, speaking bluntly could have cost her but she told them what the Lord asked her to exactly as she was supposed to.
More importantly, her prophecies came to pass, proving her anointing.
Although her story is short, there are still some important notes to make;
- People will seek you out: Huldah was not the only prophet in Israel and yet she was the only one they sought after. She was known for her good reputation and they went to meet her where she was to ask her for help
- Speak the word of God as it is: Huldah spoke exactly as she had heard and didn’t sugarcoat the message of the Lord. By telling them exactly as it is, the people of Israel were able to change their ways and avoid destruction.
- Humility is the way to go: In her prophecies she kept making reference to the Lord so man would know that what she was saying weren’t her own words. She never showed pride or felt better than other prophets after being recognized by the King.
These 4 women (prophets recognized by God and man) are a great source of inspiration for women in leadership. It is very important that we know our place and understand our roles in the body of Christ. Only then will we be able to reach our full potential.
Another important lesson is ‘having a good character’. This goes a long way in our ministry and in our daily lives (God loves the meek and humble).
No matter who we are, where we are from or what age we are…God can use us as long as we allow Him.
May His glory be seen in our lives.
Stay Blessed x
