Biblical WomanHood

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,Biblical Womanhood Does Not Mean Perfection

As women we have a biblical standard we can look to in the Word of God to show us how to become a biblical woman.  We are not attaining to be perfect that is not what the bible is teaching.  There was only one perfect person that walked the earth so relax. 

We can see from the female characters in the bible that these women were not all virtuous but become virtuous after God perfected them.  So as single women it is important to discover what it means to be a virtuous biblical woman and the lessons we can learn from biblical womanhood.

Biblical Womanhood in the Bible

Abigail    1 Sam 25

Abigail is a lesson for the divorced single woman, she had two husbands who had two very different interests in her.  Nabal who seemed only to be attracted to her beauty and David who saw her for her wisdom, good judgment and good advice to him. 

Do you want to be known solely for your beauty or for your integrity, wisdom and ability to keep the peace?  Abigail showed she was worthy to become the wife of a king by helping save her household.  It was God who struck down Nabal her husband and not David whose intention was to kill him.

Elizabeth      Luke 1:5-20

Elizabeth was a biblical woman who was barren until her older years but a woman of great faith.  Mary entrusted Elizabeth as she was the first person she told about the coming Saviour she was carrying. 

Many single women feel barren, forgotten and disappointed but Elizabeth reminds us that there is always hope.

Leah               Gen 29          Ruth 4:11

Leah was the older sister of Racheal and as such should have already married.

Her younger sister was more beautiful than Leah as Leah was unloved and had no sparkle in her eyes.  But God saw her pain and blessed her with seven children including Judah who was the direct descendant to King David and to the coming Messiah.

How often we as singles can feel unloved and unattractive.  God had a plan for Leah and he has a plan for us who feel unaccepted, unwanted, forgotten and left at the side of life.  God sees your pain.

Midwives at that time were more likely to be single or barren so could not have children of their own.

But God blessed them because of their obedience and gave them families i.e. husbands and children of their own.

Single women can walk and follow Jesus for many years, unmarried without children but we see from these women’s lives God can change our situation at any time once we fear him and walk in obedience to him.

Martha         Luke 10:38-42

Martha was a single biblical woman living with her sister Mary.  Martha’s love language was the act of service whilst Mary’s love language was quality time.  Martha wanted to serve Jesus and Mary wanted quality time with him. 

As single biblical women we can be encouraged to serve for our church, our family and the community, but Jesus tells us that the time we spend with him is good, is for our advantage and is what is best for us.  What is your love language towards Jesus?

Biblical Womanhood in Mary Mother of Jesus

The ultimate picture of virtuous biblical womanhood in the bible.  Humble, obedient, pure, most chosen woman of God.  In the time Mary lived she would have had the most difficult time with being pregnant and not yet married to Joseph.  She spent a number of months with Elizabeth before maybe marrying him so would have begun to show.   She would have had to deal with unloving and mean comments from her village, but she trusted and kept her faith in God even when others would have shunned her. 

Sometimes we can be embedded with the shame of our circumstances, maybe you have slipped up and had sex out of marriage or become pregnant.  Mary encourages us to continue to hold on to God and his faithfulness, his love and trust him even in our darkest days.

Mary of Magdala    Matt 27-28   Mark 15-16   Luke 23-24

Follower of Jesus, previously a prostitute who encourages us to stand at the feet of Jesus.  Jesus appeared to Mary in his risen state and was one of his closest friends.

Single women are to recognize the risen Christ in our lives no matter how dark and sinful our lives may have been.  God can change our hearts and bring us to a place of repentance and worship as we follow him because we love him.

Biblical Womanhood Queen Esther     Book of Esther

God placed Esther in a place of influence in the King’s palace.  She had to decide whether to stand up for her people even if it meant putting her life at risk.

Being in a position that can influence our home, work or government with our vote can influence our society.

Ruth & Naomi     Book of Ruth

These two biblical women streamed of love and devotion for each other and for Naomi’s God.  Here we see roles of discipleship, the older discipling the younger. 

As a single women pray and look to be discipled.  It could be a mature married woman, one that could grow in friendship, love and devotion.  If you are an older single woman you could also disciple a younger single woman.

Sarah      Gen 11-24

Wife of Abraham and barren until her 90s.  God made them a promise of a child but when it took a long time Sarah took things into her own hands and arranged for her husband to have a child through her maid servant instead of waiting on God. 

As a biblical single woman of God are we trusting God for our life decisions or are we creating unnecessary heartache for ourselves by running ahead of God.

So we see not all these biblical women were perfect godly women.  But God honoured them, favoured them, accepted them and loved them.  At one point in their lives they made mistakes but God was bigger than all their mistakes even when it affected future generations.

What we can do as biblical women is learn from these women by having a heart for God and following after him.

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