Women in the Heart of God (4a)

The Data From the Divided Monarchy Literature

The literature of this period come from two types of sources--historical and prophetic. The historical material is given in I Kings 12 through the end of 2nd Kings, and II Chronicles. The prophetic literature that falls into this period occurs in the books of Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. Of these, Jonah, Amos, Hosea dealt with the Northern Kingdom (generally), and Micah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah focused on the Southern Kingdom.

This period is a period of high turmoil, so there is little or no 'leisure literature' of the period. (Lamentations was produced AFTER the Fall of Jerusalem, and will be covered in THAT time period.)

So, in this period, we have TWO sources of primary data: the historical data in the narratives/literature between the division of the Kingdom (in I Kings 11-12) and the Fall of the Jerusalem, and the data in the prophetic writings within that period. In this section, we will focus on the HISTORICAL data.

One: The Historical Data from the Divided Kingdom-period narratives.

We can arrange this material under the following categories:

1. The importance of the Queen-mother (and the Queen)
   

2. Specific ways God used women in His plan
   

3. Interactions between God and women in the text
   

4. Aspects of the literary portrayal of women in the lit
   

5. Indications of their relative "equality" within the culture
   

6. Passages illustrating their legal status
   

7. Indications of their roles in the cult and other public life
   

8. The outstanding women heroes and role-models of the period.
   

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1. The importance of the Queen-mother (and the Queen)
   

   It is commonly assumed that, since all the kings of Israel were men, that women had no access to governmental power. We will see that this is very wrong, esp. in this period. Not only will we see an official 'court prophetess' (i.e. Huldah), but we will see a continuation of the queen-mother position instituted by Solomon in I Kings 2.
   

   Some might object that their power was only derived from their relationship with a male (which is actually excepted at least once in the biblical record with Athaliah--2 Kgs 11). But strangely enough, this makes access to power MORE AVAILABLE to women than men. Think about this: ANY women could marry a king and so become a queen, and possibly a queen-mother if any of her sons came to the throne (a study of the backgrounds of the queen-mothers of Israel would show an incredible diversity of backgrounds of the wives). But a male could only become a king if he were born of the reigning king! Bloodlines are so much more restrictive than are marriages--for accession to power.
   

   In the U.S.A, there was a popular saying when I was a kid--"any boy could become president." But in Israel, this was NOT the case--"NO boy can become king--except one of the handful born in the court!". But, "any woman could marry the king--and become a queen" would have been true in Israel of this period (and was actually demonstrated in actual practice.)
   

   Let's look at some of the passages that illustrate aspects of the status, power, and influence of the queen.
   

   • I Kings 14.1: At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam.. [Notice: the wife of the king apparently either was (1) well known by sight as a public figure; or (2) especially attired in regal clothes (more likely). Either of these would indicate special status in the public eye.]
     

   • The whole story in I Kings 14 is interesting:

     6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back. 10 " `Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel -- slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The LORD has spoken!' 12 "As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the LORD, the God of Israel, has found anything good.

     Notice that (1) Jeroboam trusted his wife with this important task--instead of his other possible agents; (2) God delivers a prophecy to the wife, and entrusts it to her care and delivery; (3) no criticism of the queen-wife is made; (4) her son is actually complimented in the message from God!!; and (5) she faithfully performs all the tasks she is asked to do--in spite of the possible reprisals of her husband due to the 'strong' message.
     

   • I Kings 14.31: And Rehoboam rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother's name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.. [This passage illustrates that the king's lineage is given from the mother--the father is assumed to be the previous monarch. Notice also that the point about 'any girl could become queen' extended even to foreigners who were forbidden to participate in the cult!--cf. Dt 23.3: No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation..]
     

   • I Kings 15.9ff: In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley..
     

     Notice carefully that the queen mother was a 'position' that was NOT automatic! The fact that the good king Asa 'deposed' his grandmother indicates that 'queen mother' was a position with definite authority and power. This would have involved public announcements as well. [see also 2 Chrn 15.16]
     

   • 2 Chrn 22.2f: Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother's name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. 3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong. [Notice simply that the queen mother had considerable influence over the king.]
     

   • 2 Kings 10.12: Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, "Who are you?" They said, "We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother."
     

     Here was a diplomatic party from the Southern kingdom to the North. The relatives of the king of Judah were paying a 'political' visit to the relatives of the king of Israel. Notice that the dignitaries mentioned included the king and the queen mother BOTH, and the families of BOTH. The queen mother is apparently a very important personage.
     

   • 2 Kings 11.1: When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
     

     Notice that this queen mother had sufficient power and influence to rule "without a male" for SIX years! She must have had adequate support from the large majority of court "males". The significance of this for our study here is that the populace didn't apparently think it too odd. In other words, the queen mother was apparently involved enough in the day-to-day ruling of the kingdom to not be 'out of character' in ruling alone. This indicates that the range of power and responsibility of the queen mother, although not delineated in the bible, was considerably larger than is commonly imagined.
     

   The queen-mother figure (and to a lesser extent the queen) exerted considerable influence in governmental affairs. She was a recognized leader, had an official position, and was the subject of diplomatic visits. She was involved in the active ruling of the country to the extent that it was not incomprehensible for one to reign by herself for years.
   

   
   

2. Specific ways God used women in His plan.
   

   There were a number of situations where God used women to further His plan in history--with the instruments of His work spanning the entire spectrum of social status--from queen mother to captive slave girl in Syria. Let's look at some of these.
   

   • I Kings 17.9: Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."
     

     Notice: God had specifically instructed a foreign woman to take care of his 'lead' prophet of the time! This person gets a direct command from God (non-mediated) and is the single means of support for the prophet Elijah.
     

   • 2 Kings 5: 1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
     

     Compare with the end of the story (verse 17): "If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.
     

     This "conversion" of a gentile military commander, from the worship of the foreign god Rimmon, to the true God YHWH, started with a captive Israelite slave girl speaking up! She somehow knew about Elijah and had faith in his prophetic ministry. She apparently also cared enough for her master and mistress to speak up.
     

   • 2 Kings 11.1: When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
     

     Here we have a future queen mother keeping the future good king Joash alive. Joash will be a positive influence on the nation, but he would have been killed by Alhaliah had his mother not been used of God to save his life.
     

   • 2 Kings 22.14:

     Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. 15 She said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 `This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.' 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.'" So they took her answer back to the king. 1 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2 He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets -- all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD. 3 The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD -- to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

     In this event, the good king Josiah had discovered what was apparently the core of the book of Deuteronomy. He sends his royal 'cabinet' to the prophetess Huldah, who delivers a message to the king from the LORD. This message is so used by God to stir the king to action, that massive reforms sweep the nation, staving off disaster for a while. God used His faithful daughter Huldah to get a message of judgment (and implicit hope) to the person who could make a difference.
     

     "It is possible that Huldah's career involved some sort of official position in the temple, since the Mishnah--a compilation of Jewish commentary and traditions completed in about 200CE--states that the two southern gates to the Temple Mount were called the Huldah Gates (Middoth 1.3). But she seems especially to have merited renown as a scholar, for it is on that basis that the king and high priest seek her opinion on the authenticity of the newly discovered scroll...The nature of her reputation seems all the more extraordinary when one realizes that Hilkiah immediately seeks her counsel, apparently never considering an approach to a male member of any school of priests, prophets, or sages." (WS:TSOS:144).
     

   • A special category of usage of women agents was that of patronage.
     

     Patronage is a system that generally occurs in most developed societies. There are people of means who basically support (financially) individuals with specialized functions in the culture. We are most familiar in Western culture with things like 'patron of the arts'--meaning someone who donates resources/money to art institutions and artists. But there have also been patrons of the sciences and patrons of the church. [Patronage was highly developed in the Greco-Roman world, as we shall see in the NT section of this course.]
     

     Of relevance to our study here, is that God assigned 'patrons' to support his prophets, while they carried on full-time ministries to His people. These patrons were NOT men--they were women. The two most famous prophets to the Northern Kingdom--Elijah and Elisha--had patronage relations of this sort.
     

     • I Kings 17.9ff: Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food."
       

       We have already seen how God had apparently spoken to this woman, but here we note that the subject of that command was patronage of the famous prophet Elijah. She keeps him alive for quite some time (although she was actually funded by a miracle from YHWH--vv.13-16: Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. ). Notice that this woman was a poor widow, with a son.
       

     • 2 Kings 4.8: One day Elisha (note: Elijah's successor) went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, "I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us."
       

       Although this was apparently not a full-time deal (although Elisha probably took food from the couple for his journeys), it was significant enough for Elisha to consider how to 'repay' the woman (no mention of the husband) in vvs. 13-14. [This relationship continued for quite some time.] Notice that this woman was a rich wife, without a son.
       

     We do not have indications of how widespread this patronage "system" was, with respect to the prophets, but given that the first prophets were so supported, and that Jesus--the Prophet like unto Moses--was so supported (cf. Luke 8.3: Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.), we certainly would be on safe ground to assume that the tradition of female patronage of at least SOME prophets continued throughout the OT and inter-testamental periods.
     

   
   

3. Interactions between God and women in the text
   

   There are several passages in which God's direct interaction and/or relationship with women per se can be seen.
   

   1. I Kings 17.9: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." [Notice: We have already noted that God gave a direct command to this foreign widow.]
      

   2. I Kings 17.13ff: Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" [Notice: as the story continued, God delivered a special prophecy of hope and assurance to this woman, from the leading national prophet!]
      

   3. 2 Kings 4:

      The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."

      Notice that God provided for this widow of a prophet--through the ministry of Elisha.
      

   4. The only two resurrections of the dead in the OT are both to the women patrons of Elisha and Eli jah (above). The fact that one of these women was destitute, while the other was wealthy, indicates that it was NOT simply 'compassion' on the widow--the only thing common to them was their sex.
      

   5. 2 Kings 8.1: Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
      

      Notice that God delivered a very practical prophecy to this woman--and apparently not to anyone else!
      

   6. The case of the prophetess Huldah in 2 Kings 22.14ff, clearly shows that He interacted with women prophets in the same basic fashion as men prophets. The process of prophetic inspiration in generally considered one of the most intimate of relationships with God.
      

   
   

4. Aspects of the literary portrayal of women in the lit.
   

   The historical material falls into the same pattern we have seen before--women are used to show the 'better qualities' we are to have. They are also represented in the narratives as having a wide range of important function in this generally difficult time.
   

   • All of the patronage sections have extensive quotations from the women--the dialogue is preserved in some detail.
     

   • The women are seen to witness to the reality of the One God, the authority of His servants, and the reality of His worldview:
     
     1. The widow patron of Elijah (I Kgs 17) is quoted in detail, and demonstrates a knowledge of sin (vs.17)
     2. Her confession (vs 24:Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.")
     3. The widow of the prophet in 2 Kgs 4 had faith enough to approach Elisha and to get 'enough jars'!
     4. The witness of the captive Israelite slave girl in 2 Kgs 5.2 was exemplary.
     5. The tenacious faith of the rich patron of Elisha was incredible in its strength (2 Kgs 4), resulting in the raising of her son from the dead.
     
     

   • The obedience of the rich patron to the prediction of famine was perfect. (2 Kgs 8.1ff: Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
     

   • And obviously, the prophecy of Huldah is recorded in all its detail (2 Kgs 22). From a historical standpoint, it may be significant that there were at least two well-known male prophets in Jerusalem at this time--Zephaniah and Jeremiah. But God chose to use Huldah to deliver His critical message to the King.
     

   • As opposed to the vast number of evil men of the period, we only have record of two 'evil' women--Jezebel (a foreigner) and Athaliah (a descendent of Omri, an evil king of the North). The rest of the women are models of faith and action for the Lord's purposes.
     

   • It is in this period that the Lord begins to address the nations and cities as "daughters". At first, we see only references to local concepts like "daughters of Jerusalem" or "daughter of Babylon" or "Virgin daughter of Zion". So, 2 Kings 19.20ff: Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 21 This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: "`The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you. The Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee . This prophecy of Isaiah, embedded in the historical narrative foreshadows what we will find in the written prophets, and will be developed into images in which Israel is portrayed as the daughter of YHWH and/or the wife of YHWH. Far from demeaning these terms, this usage will demonstrate the high value of these terms--esp. for the Lord.
     

   • The 'tone' of the women's exchanges with men are anything but 'submissive and cowering'!
     
     • The widow's bitter statement to Elijah is strong: (I Kgs 17.17ff: Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?"
       

     • The rich patron's words to Elisha are strong, as are her independent actions: (2 Kgs 4.16,27ff: "No, my lord," she objected. "Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!" and When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, "Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress, but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why." 28 "Did I ask you for a son, my lord?" she said. "Didn't I tell you, `Don't raise my hopes'?" 29 Elisha said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy's face." 30 But the child's mother said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So he got up and followed her.)
       

     • Huldah pulled no punches in delivering God's message of judgment to Josiah.
     
     

   
   

5. Indications of their relative "equality" within the culture.
   

   There are many general indications of female 'equality' before God in the narratives. They are held equally guilty, are equally punished, have a high degree of influence, and are valued highly (and coordinately).
   

   • As bad as the king Ahab was, his wife--the infamous Jezebel--was a considerable influence in this (1 Kgs 21.25): (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
     

   • Consistently, God confronted the Israelites with their horrible practice of child sacrifice, but in each case he was careful to point out that daughters were JUST AS IMPORTANT as sons. So, 2 Kgs 17.17: They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. (See also 2 Kgs 23.10).
     

   • In the same way, "sons and daughters" occur a number of times in contexts of 'equal value'--compare:
     
     1. 2 Chrn 13.21: But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
     2. 2 Chrn 24.2-3: Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest. 3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him, and he had sons and daughters.
     3. 2 Chrn 28.8: 8 The Israelites took captive from their kinsmen two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters.
     4. 2 Chrn 29.9: "This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity."
     
     

   • 2 Chrn 15.12-13: They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. [Notice--the covenant was equally binding on men and women, with equal penalty for both.]
     

   
   

6. Passages illustrating their legal status
   

   There are two very interesting pieces of data in this period--the story of Elisha's patron, and the occurrence of women's names in genealogies.
   

   First, in the story of Elisha's patron, she is forewarned by God of a coming famine and flees to a foreign country (2 Kings 8):

   Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." 2 The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. 3 At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. 4 The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, "Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done." 5 Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." 6 The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."

   Notice that this woman has access to the King of Israel (v5), has a public official assigned to her case by the king (v6), is given her home and land back(v6), and even is given the income from the property accrued during her absence!
   

   Now, EITHER this woman is doing all this WITHOUT her husband (who was alive, but old, in 4.14) or, more likely, she is doing this as a widow (although with a son). In either case, this is remarkable access to legal structures.
   

   Second, in 2 Chrn 31.17-18: And they distributed to the priests enrolled by their families in the genealogical records and likewise to the Levites twenty years old or more, according to their responsibilities and their divisions. 18 They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community listed in these genealogical records.
   

   The important thing to notice here is that the wives and children were listed in the genealogical records--one of the cornerstones of their legal system.
   

   
   

7. Indications of their roles in the cult and other public life.
   

   There are a couple of "public" scenes in the narrative and a few indications of cultic roles by women.
   

   1. The case of Huldah the prophetess is obviously related to the central core of Israel's covenant with God.
      

   2. 2 Chrn 20.5,13: Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and 13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.
      

      Notice that this public fast/assembly/covenant action was attended by ALL the relevant parties--including the wives.
      

   3. 2 Chrn 35.25: Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.
      

      Jeremiah PROBABLY wrote these laments before the Exile (on the occasion of Josiah's death), and the Chronicler's remark about the men and women singers probably points back to the period immediately after the death of Josiah. Thus, women were involved in the public lamenting of kings and transmission of tradition in the nation.
      

      
      

   4. The outstanding women heroes and role-models of the period.
      

      Several major heroes emerge from the historical data in these narratives:
      

      1. The patron of Elijah (directly interacting with God)
      2. The patron of Elisha (a model of support and tenacity)
      3. The widow of the prophet (with such great expectations of God)
      4. Huldah, the prophetess (spoke the word of God fearlessly to the king)
      5. Joash's mother (who saved the good king's life)
      
      

There are several major points that arise in this set of data:

1. We saw the emergence or development of THREE powerful female roles: patron, queen-mother, prophetess--with seemingly NO restrictions on women's access to these.
2. Key figures of the period were supported or saved by women (Elijah, Elisha, Joash).
3. In this period we saw the only OT resurrections--ALL done for women.
4. We saw women as models of faith in, and obedience to, the revelation of God.
5. They are seen to have had access to the 'normal' legal systems of the day.
6. They are shown to be strong personages, esp. in dealing with God's messengers.
7. They are seen to be active in public life and in cultic and/or informational ministries.

Interestingly, in spite of some claims that women's roles were REDUCING during this period, we have seen the opposite--their influence and power in the society was increased substantially, through the growth of several important social roles: patron, queen-mother, prophetess. The portraits painted of them are real, vibrant, strong, influential--and loyal to their Father.
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