The Power of 'Real' Women
The next chapter on strong women in the Bible
A sandstone sculpture at the Art Institute of Chicago depicts the Indian god Shiva with seven goddesses. These “mother goddesses,” as they are called, represent “the personified powers of the principal male gods, whom they energize.”
In this 10th-century sculpture, “these warrior deities have been invoked for their primary role: to help the goddess Durga destroy demons.”
In Hinduism, a central God, Brahman, “is the universe and everything in it. Brahman has no form and no limits; it is Reality and Truth.” Other gods and goddesses exist to personify Brahman, “allowing individuals an infinite number of ways to worship based on family tradition, community and regional practices, and other considerations.”
Shakti refers to goddess worship in Hinduism. According to one Indian historian, shakti (or sakti) means “power.” It is “the active dimension of the godhead, the divine power that underlies the godhead’s ability to create the world and to display itself. Within the totality of the godhead, sakti is the complementary pole of the divine tendency toward quiescence and stillness. It is quite common, furthermore, to identify sakti with a female being, a goddess, and to identify the other pole with her male consort.”
Nothing like this exists in the Judeo-Christian tradition. We might think this is a pity, another element of a patriarchal religion that refuses to see the importance of women. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.
While Jews and Christians worship only one God and do not have gods and goddesses to personify the one deity, they benefit from real women who personify God’s truth, goodness and beauty. In other words, the Judeo-Christian tradition has had human females (and males) throughout history who listened to what God required and offered examples of how to accomplish it.
The list is long, so we’ll just name a few.
For example, there’s Ruth, who did not convert to her first husband’s religion, Judaism, when she married him. It was after his death, when she refused to leave her mother-in-law, Naomi, saved both of them from starvation and secured their well-being by marrying her second husband, Moab, that she converted to Judaism. Her determination, loyalty and faith were passed down through her family, which included King David, who was her great-grandson.
Then we have Deborah, a multitasking genius who served as a judge, prophetess and military leader. The only female Hebrew leader in the Old Testament, Deborah prayed for wisdom as people sought her out to make important decisions. She helped lead the Israelites in a successful battle against a Cananite army led by Sisera. According to the Book of Judges, Deborah’s prayers were answered by God, who instructed her to bring 10,000 soldiers to Mount Tabor. It was there that another woman, Jael, got revenge against Sisera and killed him.
After the Isreaelites’ victory, Deborah composed a song that captured the battle and victory. Here’s a snippet:
Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, strike up a song!
Arise, Barak!
Take captive your captors, son of Abinoam!
Then down went Israel against the mighty,
the army of the LORD went down for him against the warriors.
Finally, Mary the Mother of God arguably tops the list of women who personify God’s truth, goodness and beauty. Imagine an angel stopping by to tell you you’re going to get pregnant (without the help of a man) and give birth to a child whom many will come to call the Son of Man. Could we have blamed Mary if she had run away from Gabriel upon hearing that? Yet, she recognized an opportunity to bring truth, goodness and beauty into the world. Mary’s uncompromising trust in God allowed her to raise a child who grew up to be a Savior.
Some might say that Mary was overshadowed by men, but did a man give birth to Jesus and care for and stand by Him for 33 years? No, Mary embodies female strength and determination.
These biblical female figures inspired women (and men) throughout the centuries, as we’ll see in future chapters.