It has been long indoctrinated that it is God’s divine plan that women generally have no voice or authority in their homes, churches, or society. The United States of America was even founded on that discriminatory premise. Initially, no woman of any race was allowed to vote, own land, or have her own bank account.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that women could even have a credit card in their name. She couldn’t even get married, unless her father gave her away, like a commodity. Their edict was that a woman’s sole purpose was to birth a man’s children, clean his house, cook, iron his clothes, and act dumb. In other words, even if he abused her, she had to be submissive.

Many ministers and pastors base this misguided belief on what they have been taught what the Bible says regarding the matter. Others are well aware of the truth, but perceive that the old narrative benefits them and they refuse to go against the status quo. I’d like to share what the Bible actually says, for those who are open to receiving another perspective.

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Once he fell asleep, she took a tent nail and a hammer, pierced his temple, and staked it through the floor. When Barak finally arrived she told him that the man he was hunting was already dead! (Judges 4:17-22)

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First, allow me to introduce you to the Israelite prophetess and judge, Deborah (Devorah in Hebrew), and a Kenite woman name Jael. Judges 4-5 is the story of God using two assumedly inferior women to do what the supposedly superior man was too afraid to do.

God gave Deborah a message to give to an Israelite man name Barak. The message was that Barak was to form an army and go up against the commander of a Canaanite army Sisera. Knowing Sisera was the most prolific military commander going, Barak’s exact cowardly response was, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”

Deborah agreed to go with him, but admonished, “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” (Judges 4:8-9)

So, they rallied the troupes and went to war. Unfortunately, the big bad commander Sisera was able to escape. He made his way to the Kenite woman, Jael’s, house, begged her to hide him, and give him a little water.

Instead of water, Jael gave him milk, which was considered a king’s beverage. After he drank the milk, he laid down to sleep. Once he fell asleep, she took a tent nail and a hammer, pierced his temple, and staked it through the floor. When Barak finally arrived she told him that the man he was hunting was already dead! (Judges 4:17-22)

Second, this is by far my most favorite story about women in history, but there are more that go against the misogynistic norms of the Bible. The book of Numbers chapter 27 tells the story of five Israelite sisters whose names were Machlah, Noa, Choglah, Milkah, and Tirtzah. They were the only children of a man name Zelophehad, from the tribe of Manessah, son of Joseph. Because their father died without a male heir, the Israelites decided that they, as women, were not entitled to any swath of the promise land. Those girls marched to the door of the tabernacle, in front of Moses, Aaron, and the entire congregation and said (in my words), “The Devil is a leprous, pale faced, snaggletooth liar! Y’all better ask somebody!”

Anyway, according to Numbers 27:5, Moses presented the issue directly to God. In the next two verses God said, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.” Then, in Numbers 36:6, God goes one further and says, “This is what the LORD commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan.” That meant that their marriages would not be arranged by some man, in exchange for whatever.