March 28 - Women Leaders

 Read today’s texts first: Judges 4,5; Psalms 39,41; 1 Corinthians 13

MAXIMize YOUR DAY

I don’t defend women in spiritual leadership because
of political correctness or feminist pressure.
I defend it because the Bible does!

This journal entry may tick off some people but, I’m sorry - we shouldn’t make the Bible say what we want it to. In every new school year at PLBC, some of our first-year male students questioned our female students, asking them why they were there. PLBC is committed to “training leaders to make a world of difference” – you’re a woman (they would say), and God says you can’t be a leader!

One of the passages they use to proof-text that view is coming up tomorrow, which was specific instruction to women who were interrupting a church service (1 Cor. 14:33-35). But fortunately our reading today gives us some wider context. That’s why we should study the entire Bible and always remember that God doesn’t contradict Himself!  I don’t defend women in spiritual leadership because of political correctness or feminist pressure. I defend it because the Bible does, in a day when those liberal views were not prevalent. In fact, the Bible was written in a time and place when women were generally diminished and devalued by everyone but God.

Deborah was a woman, a submissive Jewish wife even, yet she was also an anointed prophet and a God-appointed leader of Israel (4:4,5). As Judge, Deborah led Israel to victory over Jabin, King of the Canaanites, bringing peace to Israel for 40 years (5:31). Some say she was only a co-leader with Barak, but that’s not what the Bible says. Barak took orders from Deborah (4:6-9).

“Lord, what I’ve told my students I vow to you: I will never tell someone - male, female, or child - they can’t lead when You may have clearly called them to do just that!”