International Women's Day

Happy international women’s day to…

The women who, like Eve, are blamed for all the problems of the world but come to be a part of saving it by simply being as they were made to be. (Genesis 3:16) 

 

The women who, like Hagar, were abused by other women but given the same promise and love from their Creator. (Genesis 16) 

The women who, like Sarah, became a part of the impossible and were considered beautiful despite age. (Gensis 21) 

The women who, like Shiphrah and Puah, lied and disobeyed a king in order to save lives. (Exodus 1)

The women who, like Anna, Deborah, Hilduah, and Miriam prophesied even when they might not be believed. (Luke 2, Judges 4 and 5, 2 Kings 22, Exodus 15.) 

The women who, like Naomi, have carried on after great loss. (Book of Ruth) 

The women who, like Hannah, waited a very long time. (1 Samuel 1) 

The women who, like Dinah, the unnamed woman in Judges 19, Tamar, Bathsheba, and countless others have been victims of rape and assault. (Genesis 30, Judges 19, 2 Samuel 13, 2 Samuel 11.) 

The women who, like the woman in Song of Songs, says more about sexuality than anyone else in the Bible. (Book of Song of Song) 

The women who, like the Samaritan woman, was given life and joy despite race and her past. (John 4) 

The women who, like Tamar and Rahab, were considered unworthy because of their sexual occupations but became two of the women in Jesus’ line. (Genesis 38, Joshua 2) 

The women who, like Ruth, did not belong among a chosen people but made it possible for those people to be saved. (Book of Ruth.) 

The women who, like Esther, Abigail,  Rizpah, Jael, and countless others, questioned (or killed, in Jael's case) kings, fathers, and/or leaders to save people and make a better world. (Book of Esther, 1 Samuel 25, 2 Samuel 21, Judges 4) 

The women who are mothers like Mary, Elizabeth, and countless others and whose words are the motivation needed for redemption to begin. (Gospel of Luke) 

The women who, like Mary Magdalene, are called first by Jesus to spread the good news across the world. (Matthew 28) 

The women who, like Lydia, Priscilla, Phoebe, Junia and countless others, were instrumental leaders in the spread of early Christianity. (Acts 16, 1 Corinthians 16, Romans 16) 

And to all the women in between. 

This is just a fraction of women mentioned in the Bible, whose stories we have undermined and buried for too long. Listen to women.