SESSION 3 - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

SESSION 3

Life after the fall: Patriarchs, Kings, priests & ProphetsSlide2

Session 3: Life After the FallMale Leadership in the OT1. Patriarchs2. Kings

3. Priests

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. ProphetsRole & Status of Women in the OT

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide3

Male Leadership in the OT: PatriarchsPatriarchy refers to a household, society, or culture led by males.The word literally means “rule of the father.”

The concept often has a negative connotation in modern culture.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide4

Male Leadership in the OT: PatriarchsBetter term is patricentrism, which literally

means “father-centeredness.”

The father’s role in the household was like that of a hub on a wheel. It was his responsibility to care for everyone under his authority.He was to be a blessing to his family and his extended household, providing, protecting, and leading them.

Like the father in the household, the king was to be a blessing to the people he governed, providing care, provision, and protection.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide5

Male Leadership in the OT: KingsDeuteronomy 17:16-20:16“

Only

he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the 

Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 

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And

he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold

.

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Now

it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this

law . . . .

19It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left . . . .”

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide6

Male Leadership in the OT: KingsWhile kings were in a position of authority, God made it clear that they were not superior to their fellows Israelites.

W

hile a few kings in the history of Israel were God-fearing, many were faithless and abused their authority.

Yet Scripture does not envision the elimination of kingly rule altogether but looks forward to the reign of the righteous king, the Messiah.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide7

Male Leadership in the OT: PriestsOnly males from the tribe of Levi were allowed to serve as priests in OT Israel (e.g., Numbers 3:15).

While

women served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (Exodus 38:8; 1 Samuel 2:22), they did not serve as priests

.This constitutes another instance of the pattern of male leadership in OT times.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide8

Male Leadership in the OT: ProphetsProphets were an essential means by which God spoke to his people.

Both men and women served as prophets (though all the writing prophets were male: 4 major, 12 minor).

Unlike kings and priests, prophets did not wield institutional authority.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide9

Role & Status of Women in the OTJudgeQueen

Prophetesses

Notable Women

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide10

Role & Status of Women in the OT: JudgeJudges 4:4-5:“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was

judging

Israel at that

time. She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.”Deborah’s primary identification i

s “prophetess.”

Deborah was a woman of faith during a dark time.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide11

Role & Status of Women in the OT: JudgeDeborah summons Barak to deliver Israel but he is reluctant to do so.

Judges 4:9:

“She

said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.’”

This is fulfilled when another woman named Jael drives a tent peg through Sisera’s temple.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide12

Role & Status of Women in the OT: JudgeThe deliverance of Israel by a woman is to Barak’s shame.Barak i

s meant to lead Israel to victory but does not carry out the leadership role to which God has called him.

Remarkably, Hebrews 11:32 nonetheless mentions Barak, not Deborah:

“What more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah . . . .”

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide13

Role & Status of Women in the OT: QueenAthaliah is the only queen mentioned in the Bible who ruled Israel.Her entire story is tragic.

2 Kings 11:1:

“When

Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring.”

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide14

Role & Status of Women in the OT: QueenOne son, Joash, is rescued.He is anointed king at age 7, at which time Athaliah is killed (2 Kings 11:13-16).

She

i

s not chosen by God or part of the royal line but becomes queen through a bloody coup on her own initiative.Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide15

Role & Status of Women in the OT: QueenA far more positive example of a queen is Esther.In his providence, God uses Esther to deliver his people from the threat of ethnic extinction.

Another important role

i

s queen mother. Numerous mothers are named along with their sons who ruled (e.g., Bathsheba).Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide16

Role & Status of Women in the OT: Prophetess3 women are identified as prophetesses in the OT:

Miriam – Moses’ sister who led the people in worship after the exodus (Exodus 15:20-21)

Deborah –

Prophetess whom God used to call Barak to bring deliverance (Judges 4-5)Huldah – W

ell-known prophetess who spoke the word of the Lord to Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:22-30)

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide17

Role & Status of Women in the OT: ProphetessHuldah does not only speak a prophetic word but is sought out by the king.

2 Chronicles 34:21-22:

“

Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. . . . So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the

prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe . . . and

spoke to her to that effect.

“

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide18

Role & Status of Women in the OT: Notable Women

Name

Description

Eve

First woman, Adam’s wife, succumbed to temptation by the devil

Sarah

Wife of Abraham, obeyed her husband, called him “lord” (1 Peter 3)

Rebekah

Wife of Isaac, mother of twins Esau and Jacob

Leah, Rachel

Wives of Jacob

Rahab

Gentile woman who welcomed Israel’s spies and had faith in GodSlide19

Role & Status of Women in the OT: Notable Women

Name

Description

Ruth

Wife of Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer, ancestor of the Messiah

Hannah

Godly wife of

Elkanah

, mother of Samuel, precursor of the mother

of Jesus

Abigail

Wise

and discerning wife of DavidBathsheba

Wife of David, mother of Solomon, former wife of Uriah

Esther

Jewish

queen in Persia who helped save Jewish people from extinctionSlide20

Role & Status of Women in the OTThe primary problem in the OT is not male oppression but human sin.OT laws don’t always restore women to their status as the man’s partners, but they do seek to protect women from male abuse.

The fact that the Bible was written by men and primarily addressed to men is appropriate given the pattern of male leadership.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide21

Life After the Fall: Summary(Male) Leadership in the OT is not primarily about power but about responsibility and authority.

Leaders, whether fathers, husbands, or kings,

a

re meant to emulate God’s example of caring for his people.The OT reflects the pattern of male leadership established at creation.

While many male leaders fail to exercise their authority in a responsible, God-honoring manner in OT times, this is a sin problem, not a problem with God’s design of male leadership.

Andreas J. KostenbergerSlide22

What’s AheadWe’ve seen God’s design for man and woman established at creation.

We’ve seen God’s design for man and woman

distorted

at the fall.We’ve seen that after the fall God’s design hasn’t changed, but humanity struggles to live it out.God’s sinful creatures yearn for God’s design for man and woman to be

restored

by the Messiah.

Andreas J. Kostenberger