Mother’s Day ‘05

1. In our day and time, religion is often based upon two things: God’s word and tradition.

2. Many mix these two sources together and believe this is a good combination.

3. The problem with mixing tradition and the Scriptures is found in the lives of women.

IN OUR NATION’S NOT SO DISTANT PAST AND CERTAINLY IN BIBLE TIMES, THERE WERE TRADITIONS ABOUT WOMEN. LEST WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THEM, LET’S REVIEW A FEW OF THEM.

a) It was not traditional for women to do much outside the home 80 years ago so women didn’t vote.

b) This practice was so well established there was an addition to the constitution to let women vote.

c) Prior to America coming along, there were other traditions about women among the Hebrews.

d) Tradition said women should not receive instruction in spiritual matters; it was a waste of time.

e) Religious tradition said women were basically worthless creatures.

f) They could do some domestic things pretty well, but slaves could also do these duties.

g) A common and traditional view among many was that women were like a piece of property.

h) Buy them, sell, trade them, and divorce them at will.

i) When the Jewish temple existed, women had their own “court” (place) in an outer area.

j) They were not allowed to enter into the area where men assembled.

k) Being in an outer would have limited or completely obscured their view of the sacrifices.

2) Many times people’s traditions (whether religious or not) clash with the Word of God.

3) Many ancient and modern beliefs about women certainly do not harmonize with the Scriptures.

4) Today’s material is divided into two parts; we will start with the Old Testament and then turn to the NT.

a) Under the Old Testament we find that women had spiritual equality.

b) We can demonstrate this in many, many ways.

c) For example, we find it in the Ten Commandments.

d) Where in the Bible do we find the Ten Commandments only being given only to males?

e) Such a statement is not made.

f) Ex. 19 has Moses coming down to the “people” (Ex. 19:25), both men and women.

g) God gave the Ten Commandments to males and females and it applied equally to both.

5) Maybe the spiritual equality stopped here; women got the law but they could not use it.

6) This viewpoint was a tradition with some, but it was not the way God designed the OT system.

7) For our Scripture reading we heard the opening words in Deut. 6.

a) Some famous quotations are found in this chapter.

b) Virtually all Hebrews know Deut. 6:4 – “The LORD our God is one LORD.”

c) Let’s pick up with two verses that were not read – 6 & 7 – READ.

8) Who was to have the “words of God” upon the heart? Men and women.

9) What was to be done with this divine information? Reading 7a one more time – READ.

10) Who was to do the teaching? The same ones who received the information.

11) Men and women shared the responsibility of offering spiritual instruction under the Old Testament.

a) Well, maybe this is all that women were entitled to under the Old Testament era.

b) They could learn and teach children, but perhaps this was the limit of their spiritual rights.

12) All Hebrews who lived under the Old Testament system were familiar with certain feasts.

13) One of these great feasts was the Passover, a celebration commemorating deliverance from Egypt.

14) Instructions about this feast are found in Ex. 12.

15) If you read through this chapter, it becomes clear this feast involved the whole family.

16) Women were not excluded from participating in this festival.

17) Many might agree with all that has been said but still insist men had special privileges.

a) There were certainly different roles for men and women under the OT just as there are today.

b) Not every man under the OT did the same thing (some were priests and some were not).

c) Moses was a lawgiver, but not every man had that role.

d) Noah was an ark builder but not every other male got to make a giant boat.

e) Time and time again, there was equality for men and women under the Old Testament system.

f) Many who are present today have heard of the Nazarite vow.

g) If we know about this promise, we probably remember some of the conditions from Num. 6.

h) A person under this vow had to avoid certain foods and beverages.

i) No razor could come upon the head (no haircuts if we put it into today’s language).

j) Here is something we may have forgotten – verse 2 – READ.

18) It would be interesting to ask people if a women was entitled to take a Nazarite vow.

19) Many might say “no.” God said “yes.”

20) Religious tradition put women down; God said they could serve Him in this special way.

21) Coupled with this are examples of direct contact between heaven and women.

a) If women were as tradition taught, we would expect all the contact to be between males and God.

b) This is not what we find.

c) In Gen. 16:8-13 a heavenly being appeared to Hagar. Hagar was a woman.

d) Samson’s mother (Judg. 13:2-5) also had a very special visitor. She was honored.

e) Again and again the Old Testament shows women were not like traditions said.

f) In fact, women were even given the same protection as men.

22) Not long ago some information was passed along about the police.

23) If a police officer has someone pulled over on the roadside, passing motorists are to change lanes.

24) If this is not done, an offending driver can be a fined a considerable amount of money.

25) What if you or I have pulled over on the side of the road and a driver does not change lanes?

26) There is no policeman there with us; it is just you or me with our head under the car hood.

27) The law, at least as I understand it, does not apply.

28) There is one standard for the police and there is another standard for the average citizen.

29) Is this what we find regarding men and women in the Old Testament?

30) Listen to Ex. 21:28, 31-32 – READ.

a) God had an “equal protection clause” in the Old Testament law.

b) Men and women had equal rights.

c) Another instance of this is found in Neh. 7:67.

d) Many things existed under the Old Testament that God has not taught us to have in the NT.

e) One of these things was a choir. Choirs are not new; they are thousands of years old.

f) God could have asked us to have choirs, but He has directed us to sing to one another & heaven.

g) In the Old Testament choir of Neh. 7, both men and women sang.

31) Under the Old Testament women had many rights.

32) They did not, however, serve as leaders.

33) We have no example of an on-going female prophet in the Old Testament.

34) Miriam is called a prophetess (Ex. 15:20), but that could be based upon the info she gave in verse 21.

35) A similar thing is apparently true for Deborah (Judg. 4:4); she gave a little information to Barak.

36) Huldah also falls into this category (2 Kgs. 22:14-20; 2 Chron. 34:22-28).

37) Noadiah was a false prophetess (Neh. 6:14) so we cannot count her.

38) Isaiah’s wife is also referred to in this manner (Isa. 8:3) because she gave birth a special child.

39) This child’s name had a prophetic meaning.

THESE BASIC POINTS ABOUT WOMEN WE FIND FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT ARE FOUND ONCE AGAIN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT INSTITUTED BY JESUS.

a) One of the primary authors of the New Testament was Paul.

b) In Gal. 3:28 he spoke about being “in Christ.”

c) This is where salvation is, and he said people are “baptized into Christ.”

d) Being in Christ means there is equality.

e) Gal. 3:28 – READ.

f) There are some differences in the roles of people just as there were different roles under the OT.

g) A Christian slave and a master did not have the same function but they were equal in Christ.

h) Men and women do not always do the same things.

i) A difference in tasks has no bearing upon people being equal.

2) When we look at the New Testament and find commands, these apply to both men and women.

3) Men are told to life faithful Christian lives and women have this same responsibility.

4) Both sexes have a job when it comes to teaching and evangelism.

5) Parental responsibility applies to both.

6) Males and females both have an obligation when it comes to worship.

7) Giving applies to both.

8) The promises we find being made to men equally apply to ladies.

a) Jesus certainly indicated all these things as He lived upon the earth.

b) According to the gospels, Jesus first revealed His Messiahship to a woman.

c) This was the lady at the well in Jn. 4.

d) According to Mt. 8:14-15, Jesus healed women.

e) Had they not been of value, they would have surely been left in bad physical health.

f) Jesus also taught women (Lk. 10:38-42).

g) Lk. 10 is the text where we read about Mary and Martha.

h) That story has been used in all kinds of ways, but here is another application of it.

i) Mary and Mary demonstrate that women are important to God and worthy of instruction.

j) Religious tradition said teaching them was a waste of time; God said this idea is false.

k) Tradition is often a lot different than divine truth.

9) A woman was allowed to see Jesus shortly before the resurrection (Mk. 16:9).

a) God’s word honors and elevates women.

b) Unfortunately, that honor is not always what some want.

c) We live in a time when some women want to assume many of the same roles as men.

d) A prime example of this showed up about a week ago in the news.

e) There was a story about women and combat.

f) We now have female veterans who have lost body parts due to serving in a combat environment.

g) Society may keep hollering that women should have the right to do everything men do.

10) Being about to shout the loudest does not make something true.

11) One extreme in the world regarding ladies comes from rigid religious traditions.

12) This is a good reminder that religious traditions have no authority.

13) Another is the leftist and liberal position that says what men do women should do.

a) Ladies have a certain function in the church and this role is not leadership.

b) We do not read of woman preachers in the New Testament or women elders.

c) The office of an elder involves being married to a female (1 Tim. 3:2).

d) Jesus did not pick a female apostle during the original selection or at a later time.

e) When special helpers were needed in Acts 6, only males were picked.

f) 1 Tim. 2:8 talks about leading prayer in a public assembly and a word meaning “males” is used.

14) We do not hesitate to point out that in the first century women had spiritual gifts.

15) Philip’s daughter had the gift of prophecy (Acts 21:9).

16) Acts 2 contains a prophecy from Joel that involved ladies. God gave women miraculous gifts.

17) We have no evidence, however, of these gifts being used in a mixed assembly.

18) It certainly would not have been odd for Christian ladies to have a meeting on their own.

19) At the present time we have a class for adult ladies on Wednesday evenings.

20) Only women are members of class and it is not being taught by a man.

21) Women can teach now just as they taught in the first century.

22) There were and there still are some guidelines on the instruction they offer.

23) Today is a day many have set aside mothers.

24) If we look at the Scripture, we find that God honors women.

25) He honors the young ones, the old ones, the married, single, and everyone else.

26) To have God’s favor means we are obedient. This is the choice we hope each one here has made.