Special Sunday Edition
Ethan Barton, Pastoral Resident, Tallowood Baptist Church
It’s a shame that the church, for most of its history, has minimized the role of women in the Bible. Some women, like Deborah or Esther, have some of the coolest stories; others, like Hagar or Ruth, God shows extra kindness and care; and others, like Mary or some of Paul’s coworkers, have a role of honor we might not expect. And then there’s this unnamed “wise woman” from Abel!
Joab, King David’s mighty general, had besieged the town to capture and kill Sheba for his treasonous rebellion against the king. A grizzled soldier, Joab was in the process of barging the city gate down and was probably planning to kill anyone in his path. Lucky for everyone there, this woman—probably a respected counselor who advised all of Israel according to God’s will—put a stop to it. Joab had no idea that the city was full of wisdom and a stranger to war. We’re not told how she did it, but somehow, this woman convinced the city people to take care of the matter themselves and avoid further bloodshed.
The contrast between these two characters is striking. Joab is a man of brute force; the wise woman is called faithful and peaceful. He conquers enemies; she preserves what is good. In a kingdom and a world where men were consistently dominant, she’s a wonderful example of how the other (and probably smarter) half of mankind can have a much-needed positive impact. In his sovereignty and goodness, God created women with certain great and unique attributes that, candidly, are harder for us men. But there is a side of God’s glorious character that shines forth particularly in these female attributes. A lot of good had been accomplished for Israel through Joab’s military prowess, but this was an instance where womanly wisdom and care was needed instead.
When we fully appreciate the beauty and complexity of God’s creation, we worship. God’s design of women, like the counselor at Abel, is among his greatest accomplishments in creation. You don’t have to throw an enemy’s head over a wall to serve faithfully (as cool as that would be), but we should at least all recognize the unique opportunities for faithfulness that God designed each of us with. Praise God that he created us beautifully unique, and praise God for those opportunities!
