1 Kings 10 - 13

Well, I thought I had found something really interesting in the Bible. I thought it was really interesting in this scripture that it was the Queen of Sheba who came to test Solomon's wisdom. It wasn't the King of Sheba, but the Queen. I have to admit that everytime I see a woman in a leadership role in the bible, I get excited. There has either been so much emphasis, or so much misunderstanding from both insiders and outsiders, on the subservient role of women in the church. My father always said that Christian churches were not very good to the women in the churches -- meaning in regarding them as equals, or even allowing them to "speak". And I think he has a point.

I've been reading the bible for nearly 3 years now, and most of my time has been spent in the Old Testament. The laws were not kind to women in Old Testament times. But there were some women in leadership who are truly inspirational -- Deborah is a great example. One of Israel's judges. Chosen by God. Esther. Queen. Chosen by God. Even the Queen of Sheba. God rules all, so He appears to have allowed her or chosen her to test Solomon's wisdom. These women were leaders -- all with different styles it would appear.

I love what Jesus does for women. He just seemed to accept women. He freed them from bondage just like everyone else. He would have them be so much more than sideliners. And yet, my impression throughout the New Testament is that women are almost viewed with even less regard in the church. I believe it was Paul that provided guidelines for the "new church" that suggested that women should not speak in church. (Much less lead anything.) I've read a commentary that suggests that that should be contextualized as a way of establishing order in the emerging church at that time. I've liked adopting that.

Maybe you think I am male bashing -- far from it. There have been so many great male leaders -- I totally appreciate the front line leadership that men provide. I honestly don't know how they do it. I also think their job is hard -- they have to provide and yet are required now to play a pretty large role at home, too. I just get impatient with the assumption by so many, ingrained it seems, that women should play a certain role -- boxed in. I don't know quite why it gets my goat so much, but it does. I like to think in terms of teams with players all having roles, all roles having importance, interdependence, etc.