Learning from Gentile women in scriptureLearning from Gentile women in scripture

Laindon – 7th & 14th January 2009

The shape of our studyThe shape of our study

• What did it mean to be a Gentile woman?– Instruments of God’s purpose– Source of temptation– Supporting God’s work– Bringing corruption through marriage– Examples of great faith– Enemies of God– Example of worldly thinking– Whose life is an allegory– Spiritual Israelites

2Gentile women in Scripture

A Gentile womanA Gentile woman

• Being a woman (Numbers 30; 1 Corinthians 11 & 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 2:11-12)

• Being a Gentile (Exodus 12:43-45; Leviticus 19:34 & 22:10; Ephesians 2:11-12)

• Gentiles naturally excluded until Apostles preached (Matthew 15:24; Mark 7:27)

• Gentiles mostly lawless, idolatrous and corrupt (Deuteronomy 18:9; Psalm 135:15; Matthew 6:31-32)

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Natural Israel – so small!Natural Israel – so small!

Gentile women in Scripture 4

Instruments of God’s purposeInstruments of God’s purpose

• Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:1-10)

• Queen Vashti (Esther 1:9-22)

• Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 & Luke 11:31)

• Rahab the harlot (Joshua 2 & 6:15-25; Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25-26)

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• Unpromising background

• Impact of God’s hand at work amongst the Children of Israel

• Her readiness to give up her present life for a future life with Israel

• Her faith produced works

• Rachel’s Gospel message to her family and friends

• Rahab marries Salmon, a prince of Israel

Cameo of Rahab the harlotCameo of Rahab the harlot

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Source of temptationSource of temptation

• The daughters of Moab – Zimri and Cozbi (Numbers 25)

• Esau and Judith & Bashemath (Genesis 26:34-35)

• Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39)

• God’s law for the Children of Israel concerning the Gentile nations (Exodus 34:11-16)

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Supporting God’s workSupporting God’s work

• The Jewish women who supported Jesus (Luke 8:1-3)

• Lydia the seller of purple of Thyatira (Acts 16:12-15 & 40; also see Philippians 4:1-4)

• Chief and honourable women at Thessalonica, Berea & Athens (Acts 17:4,11-12 & 34)

• Phebe of Cenchrea (Romans 16:1-2)

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Paul’s 1st & 2nd missionary journeysPaul’s 1st & 2nd missionary journeys

Gentile women in Scripture 9

Bringing corruption through marriage

Bringing corruption through marriage

• God’s law concerning their king multiplying wives (Deuteronomy 17: 14-20)

• Solomon’s ‘strange’ wives (1 Kings 11:4-13)

• The return of the exiles and the putting away of ‘strange wives’ (Ezra 10:1-5)

• Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Gentile women in Scripture 10

Learning from Gentile women in scriptureLearning from Gentile women in scripture

Laindon – 7th & 14th January 2009

Learning from Gentile women in scripture – Part twoLearning from Gentile women in scripture – Part two

Laindon – 7th & 14th January 2009

The shape of our studyThe shape of our study

• What did it mean to be a Gentile woman?– Instruments of God’s purpose– Source of temptation– Supporting God’s work– Bringing corruption through marriage– Examples of great faith– Enemies of God– Example of worldly thinking– Whose life is an allegory– Spiritual Israelites

13Gentile women in Scripture

Examples of great faithExamples of great faith

• Rahab the harlot (Hebrews 11:31)

• Zipporah, wife of Moses (Exodus 4:21-31)

• Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite (Judges 4:17-22 & 5:24-31)

• The Samaritan woman (John 4:6-30)

• The Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28)

• Ruth the Moabitess (The Book of Ruth & Matthew 1:5)

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• The great example of faithful love:– Love’s resolve, Ruth cleaves to Naomi and

her God (chapter 1)

– Love’s response, Ruth’s faithful service (chapter 2)

– Love’s petition, Ruth’s supplication for redemption (chapter 3)

– Love’s reward, union with the bridegroom (chapter 4)

• Faith, hope & love (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Cameo of Ruth the MoabitessCameo of Ruth the Moabitess

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Enemies of God – fleshly thinkingEnemies of God – fleshly thinking

• Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, wife of Ahab (1 Kings 16; 18-19; 21 & 2 Kings 9)

• Herodias the Idumean, granddaughter of Herod the Great (Matthew 14:1-12 & Mark 6:16-29)

• The latter day Jezebel of Thyatira (Revelation 2:20-25)

• The woman of Babylon arrayed in purple and scarlet (Revelation 17)

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Example of worldly thinkingExample of worldly thinking

• Lot’s wife looks back towards Sodom & Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-26):

– The pull of our natural heritage

– The attraction of the things of this world

– The need for separation

– The requirement for obedience

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Whose life is an allegoryWhose life is an allegory

• Hagar the Egyptian:

– The first covenant, the Law of Moses, which leads to bondage

– The second, new covenant, which sets us free through Christ

• Abraham takes Hagar to wife but she is cast out (Genesis 16 & 21)

• Paul gives us an exposition of this allegory (Galatians 4:22-31)

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Spiritual IsraelSpiritual Israel

• Neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:27-29)

• The position of Jew and Gentile (Romans 11)

• He is a Jew which is one inwardly (Romans 2:28-29)

• One body, transformed in Christ (Colossians 3:4-15)

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Let us be like Rahab...Let us be like Rahab...

Gentile women in Scripture 20

Let us also be as Ruth...Let us also be as Ruth...

Gentile women in Scripture 21