I.
The Importance of the Woman's Role In the World
When we think of
soul winners, we usually think of men; but the greatest soul winner in the
Bible may have been a lady. In John, chapter 4, a lady, who had been
married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband,
after drinking of Living water, went into town and said, "Come, see a man,
which told me all things I ever did." And many believed on Christ. Others
followed her back to where Jesus was. And those who followed her accepted
Christ when they saw Him for themselves.
The unusual th8ing about this story is that twelve preachers had
been in that same town all day, and not one of them had led a single soul
to Christ. Now here was a fallen lady who had never joined the church and
never been baptized who said, "Come, see a man, which told me all things
that I ever did: is not this the Christ?" She exaggerated. He didn't tell
everything she ever did! He only told her that she had been married five
times and was living with a man who was not her husband. This woman led
nearly the whole town to Christ!
The greatest giver in the Bible was probably a woman. Jesus stood
over by the treasury and beheld as they came to cast in their gifts. The
one He told about was a little widow who had only two mites, and she put
them in, and our Lord said, "...but she of her want did cast in all that
she had, even her living." She was probably the greatest giver. At least
Jesus used her as an example of how believers should give.
The most beautiful stories ever written about women are found in
the Bible. I think Jochebed, the mother of Moses, whose very name
signifies her glory is Jehovah.
There are three women in the story of Moses: his mother, Jochebed;
his sister, Miriam; and Pharaoh's daughter.
Then who could ever forget the beautiful story of Hannah who prayed
for a baby boy; and when God gave him to her, she gave him back to the
Lord.
Then there is Deborah holding back the host of Sisera, winning a
great victory, and thus silencing forever the feeling some have had
concerning women's weakness.
Then there is Abigail, kneeling at the foot of the mountain until
400 men halt and turned back.
There is Ruth, queen of the harvest field, who is in the ancestral
line of our Lord.
In the New Testament, there is Mary the mother of Jesus who lived
beautifully before Him in everything. And, humanly speaking, if there were
more mothers like Mary, there would be more children like Christ.
There is the Syrophoencian woman who, without a promise, pleaded
with Jesus for her daughter who was grievously vexed with a devil. No
greater faith was ever demonstrated.
There is Dorcas who made garments for the poor and put her love
into every stitch.
And the stories go on and on and on. Christ was always especially
tender with women. It was for two women (Mary and Martha) that He broke
the seal of death and raised Lazarus from the tomb. It was for a mother
that He stopped a funeral procession in Nain and raised a young boy from
the dead. It was for a woman (Mary Magdalene) that He cast out seven
devils. When Jesus hung on the cross, He uttered seven things. Three
utterances came before the darkness, three after the darkness, and one
during the darkness. One utterance had to do with His mother. He looked at
John and said, "Behold thy mother!" and made provisions for her after His
death.
The Bible is filled with stories about women. I could not begin to
tell them all. No one can read the Bible and not be impressed with the
importance of women.
End of Chapter One
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