I Don't Need a Man!

          Isaiah’s treatment of women in the narrative can cause conflicting feelings for a modern day female reader. On one hand, the authors of Isaiah do include women into the cultural and cult practices of the community. Women are instrumental in leading the community through the mourning, or lamenting, process of grieving. However, being seen a strong leader for the community in general is not something the text describes for the women in Israel/Judah. Thus, it is slightly humorous to read the account of the “Seven Women” in Isaiah chapter 4. 

According to Isaiah, Jerusalem’s population will be decimated and there will be a severe lack of men in the community. Thus the seven women will do anything they can to secure a husband, even going as far to volunteer to provide their own food and clothing. The desire to be wed is so strong for these women that they are willing to engage and take responsibility for life aspects that would traditionally not be theirs to do. 

The humor is found when thinking about how the story line conjures images of a “Desperate Housewives” sitcom. That a female is in desperate need of a husband to provide her with legitimacy or family within the community system that she is willing to do almost all the work. I wonder if these women ever developed into strong and independent females who then realized that they “didn’t need a man” to be happy. And, if so, would that then have sparked a revolution within the Yahwistic community that created an environment that created space for women to slowly achieve equal status with the men? We’d have a much different looking Christian church today if this had happened!

Good Feminist vs. Good Leader

           A friend said recently that Queen Vashti from the book of Esther could be considered the first feminist in the Biblical narrative. This was based on the idea that she was the first female character to stand up that strongly to a male character. This idea is echoed by feminist theologians who write that Vashti “was the first woman in the Bible…to refuse to be treated as either chattel or a sex object. She…sets for women a fine example of female independence, assertiveness, and a high concept of self-worth” (Meyers, 167). For a female character that does not actually speak or be present for more than a few verses such a title is quite extraordinary. Score one feminist point for Vashti!

            Yet, I cannot help but feel that Vashti is not a good study in leadership. A study of strength of character, being courageous in the face adversity, or how to speak up about your beliefs. Yes, Vashti is that, but a Biblical character that is an example of a good and effective leadership, Vashti is not. Not when compared to Esther and her leadership. 

            Now, Esther is not always held up as a paragon of feminist ideals. She seemingly accepts with little protest going into the King’s Harem and ultimately becoming his new queen. This easy acceptance when compared to Vashti’s refusal does seem to create an image of Vashti as a hero and Esther as a non-hero. 

            However, I would argue that of the two, Esther is the stronger leader and thus the stronger, and smarter, feminist hero than Vashti. Vashti has a slightly larger wiggle room to disobey the king, but Esther as a member of a minority group would potentially have had little to no choice in obeying the King. Thus Esther actions of going before the King, confronting Haman, and securing the future of her people is all the more extraordinary. Esther had to have the leadership ability to craft a plan and then the courage to carry the plan through. Vashti, although courageous, did not craft and carry out a plan that would ultimately achieve such greatness or leadership.

A Wise King is Never Responsible

In the Baptist churches I attended growing up, King Solomon’s name was synonymous with wisdom. Prayers that mentioned his name often were said to invoke a request of “grant me the wisdom of King Solomon” so that difficult situations could negotiated successfully. Other aspects of his character or details about his reign as King that may have been less savory were either neglected or horribly glossed over. Granted, proclaiming to young children or even youth such details about the life of King Solomon may not be age appropriate information – would not want to experience those outraged phone calls from concerned parents!

This idea was not only taught by Sunday School Teachers, but reinforced by other texts and authors within the Biblical narrative. Thus, it was interesting to read an account of the Biblical narrative in Nehemia that the author is publically acknowledging that King Solomon sinned. The author writes that “Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women” (Nehemiah 13:26, NIV). To have the Biblical text acknowledge that even a mighty and wise King like Solomon sinned was initially an intriguing read.

However, after a second glance it was quite disheartening to read that the text did not necessarily hold King Solomon accountable for his sins. Instead the text blames the King’s “foreign wives” as responsible for leading him astray, that King Solomon was merely the victim of such women. He “sinned”, but it wasn’t his fault. Thus, King Solomon’s reputation as a wise and just King is preserved!

This type of excusing the sinful behavior of a male Biblical character by blaming the female characters in the story is not a new rhetorical or literary device. One must wonder at the cause for such blind hero worship that a character’s fault cannot be processed within the greater context of their story. That to “save” the reputation of the character, a scapegoat must be found and more often than not that person a nearby female character. No wonder female characters within the Biblical narrative have not been seen as the “heroes” within their stories – they weren’t just being blamed for their sins but also at times for the sins of the male characters around them. Considering the rhetoric that Solomon was a wise and just King, I wonder how he would have reacted to such an unjust form blame.

Matriarchs of Genesis: Conclusion

The five mentioned matriarchs of Genesis are interesting characters for modern day readers to know and appreciate. However, as it was pointed out several times in class, the Old Testament is not feminist literature. I acknowledge that point and even affirm it to a point. Yes, it is not feminist literature in that it was not written to support women or fully explore the difficulties faced by women in the days of the Old Testament. Yes, it is not feminist literature in that it was most likely written by men, for men, and the stories about women were to support or explain the men around them....

But, I do not truly think that is all there is to the definition of feminist literature. The mere fact that women, specifically in Genesis, are given such prominent roles and storyline is a commentary all on its on. Women did not need to be included. Women did not need to be named. Women did not need to save the day. Women did not need to direct the action of the story. Women did not need to 'trick' the men in their lives. There is a lot that women did not need to do, but they did and the narrative supports that.

Part of feminist literature is not just writing something that is feminist. It is also reading something that is not seen as 'feminist' and trying to understand how it could be applied to our understanding of women yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I read the scriptures as something that lives and breaths within the midst of modern day Christianity, that to state that the stories are to be read one way and only one way is a false statement. A good story is not the story that means only something to the people during the time it was written but mean something to individuals throughout the rest of time. I can connect with Sarah's story whenever I comprise on an assignment because I'm scared that if I don't finish it sooner someone else will take the credit. I can relate to Rebekah's story when I have aunts telling me that certain populations of men are not fit for me to marry. I can relate to Leah's story as an older sister with a much prettier younger sister, and that there is tremendous pressure to be the first to get married. I can relate to Rachel's story because it's difficult to be denied the one thing you want and desire, and there's nothing I can do about it.

No these stories are not "feminist", but they can, do, and will mean many things to me as a woman.

Matriarchs of Genesis: Rachel

Rachel was beautiful, lovely to look upon, and instantly attracted the attention and love of the handsome stranger. Jacob, said stranger, was immediately taken with Rachel and offered her father the only thing he had: hard work. How Rachel felt about him the narrative does not say, but the reader is led to assume that she returned Jacob's love and affection. However, she may have felt an stronger love for her sister Leah...

A Jewish tradition says that Rachel was in on tricking Jacob on what should have been her wedding night. Legend says that Jacob and Rachel had developed secret signs so that Jacob would know without a doubt that he was with Rachel. However, for whatever reason, Rachel taught these signs to Leah so that on the wedding night Jacob would not stop the events until it was too late. Maybe Rachel felt she had no choice when her father Laban approached her and told her what he was planning. It's not hard to imagine Laban using threats or violence to get his way, which was for Leah to be married first. However, as the tradition suggests, Rachel also acted out of love for her sister, and through her actions she secured a placement within a household for her sister.

However, if this tradition is true, then Rachel created a life that may have contained more hurt and frustration than if she had alone married Jacob. Without knowing it, she had entered herself into a womb contest with Leah that she was never able to win. She also was not made the mother to the heir, as that honor went to Leah. Although Joseph did many great things, Jacob did not make him the heir. Instead, Judah, Leah's son was given everything and it his name we read in the genealogy line to David. 

Rachel made a difficult choice in allowing her sister to marry Jacob before her. I wonder if she imagined the consequences of such a decision, that she tried to imagine all the bad that could occur being married to the same man as her sister. But, what if Leah remaining within their father's household was a punishment Rachel was not willing to subject her sister to. That not only would Rachel be escaping Laban's household, but now Leah would be too. Sisterly love may have initially trumped whatever romantic love was between Rachel and Jacob....

Matriarchs of Genesis: Leah

I think Leah gets a lot of flack for her role within the biblical narrative. Her story is not romantic, so there goes half of the female readership. Then, readers like to blame all of Rachel's problems on Leah, so there's another quarter of female readership gone. Next, readers tend to view Leah as unremarkable...

Well, apparently that is what Jacob thought as well, which is why God chose to honor Leah over Rachel. Rachel's son Joseph may have become a powerful leader in Egypt, but Leah's son Judah is a part of the Line of David, ergo the line of Jesus. It is Judah's sons through Tamar that continue to provide the connection between Abraham and David.

Then, since God saw that Leah was originally unloved by Jacob, he gave her many sons to make up for her husband's lack of emotions. Leah conceived and bore five sons before Rachel had even one, giving Leah a placement within the household that would difficult for Rachel, the beloved wife, to win against. Jacob would never set Leah aside because she had given him many sons in which to build up his household.

However, it must have been difficult for Leah to watch how this affected her sister within the household. Yes, Leah wanted the love of her husband, but she also must have loved her sister as well. Balancing her desires and needs to have a solid placement within her husbands household and the pain/suffering Rachel felt at being barren must have been difficult for Leah. Watching her sister try repeatedly to become pregnant and to only fail each time would be difficult for any sister who felt a semblance of love or caring for her sister.

As the older sister myself, it is difficult to not assume that Leah would not look out for her needs or try to make the best of a situation, but she may have also tried to take care of her little sister. Was she perfect at it, no, but I wish I could hear Leah tell her side of the story from her point of view...

Matriarchs of Genesis: Rebekah

Rebekah may be my most favorite matriarch in the Genesis narrative. She is portrayed as a strong character, who makes decisions that are followed through, drives the narrative, pulls the strings... I think she is great! In fact, I think is one of the few female characters within the narrative to truly outshine and out perform the male characters within her story.  She is portrayed as being stronger and smarter than her father, Isaac, Esau, and even Jacob.

Her father asked her opinion about whether she wants to journey to a foreign land to marry Isaac. He allowed her to have the final decision rather than dictating to her what she had to do. An unusual custom when fathers typically made all the decisions for their daughters.

Narrative seems to imply that Isaac was not much of an even match for her. Even when Isaac takes a chapter from his father's book of trying to pass Rebekah off as his sister, it doesn't work out for him at all. King Abimelech sees Isaac and Rebekah together almost immediately and thus Rebekah's chastity within her marriage is never questioned. Later in the narrative, Rebekah receives a direct message from God describing the twin brothers that will be born to her. Special because it is the mother, the woman, Rebekah who receives the message and not the father, the man, Isaac.

Finally, it would be wrong to state that Rebekah did not control her household. It may have been Isaac's household, but it was Rebekah who ultimately exerted the dominant influence over everything. Her quick actions and plans resulted in her favored son, Jacob, receiving the blessing that meant for his older brother. She was instrumental in hoodwinking Isaac, pushing Esau out of the picture, and establishing Jacob as the one to get it all. Interestingly, Esau does not retaliate against Rebekah, but reserves all his anger towards Jacob and his parents as a whole.

In my opinion, Rebekah is one of the strongest female characters within the entire biblical narrative. She was not perfect, but she commanded her family with strength and authority that is unmatched by few others...