What does the Bible say about women's rights?

1893 250 The difficulties of questions concerning "Women's Rights" are not quite of such recent origin as some think. The "movement" never reached any acute stage amongst the Hebrews, it is true; for the position of women there was one of honourable consideration and quite above the position they held in any of the contemporary nations. Amongst the most civilized of them, their condition was one of extreme oppression, Herodotus says that in Assyria they were sold by auction; amongst the Romans they were classed with the chattels, res domestica; and amongst the Greeks, Plato's advice was that the children should be always kept away from the mother. The Hebrew child, on the contrary, was commanded to honour his mother as well as his father; and the subjection of the wife enjoined in the New Testament is illustrated by reference to Abraham's wife, who was certainly his companion and not his serf.

As to the question of “woman's rights,” etc., we have nothing whatever to do with politics. It is our desire to be taught exclusively by Scripture, and most certainly we cannot find anything in the New Testament about women having a place in the legislature. In the history of Israel, it was always a proof of the nation's low condition when the female was thrown into prominence. It was Barak's backwardness that threw Deborah forward. According to the normal, the divine idea, the man is the head. This is seen in perfection in Christ and the Church. Here is the true model on which our thoughts are to be formed. So far as this poor world is concerned, it is all in confusion. The foundations are out of course. God has said, “I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be no more until He come whose right it is; and I will give it Him” (Ezek. 21:27). There can be nothing right until “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.” Till then, the Christian must be content to be a pilgrim and a stranger on this earth, having his citizenship, his home, his portion, in heaven. May it be thus with all who belong to Christ!

There is beautiful choice in the language of the Holy Spirit: and we do well to give careful heed to it. We all ought to know that the New Testament puts the Christian woman in the place of exceeding blessedness, removing every thought that would give her an inferior place in Christ, but it puts her also at the same time in the back ground, wherever it is a case of public action. Here officially, so to speak, the man is called to be uncovered, the woman to be veiled. She is thus as it were put behind the man, whereas, when you speak of our privileges in Christ, there is neither male nor female. It is important to see where there is no difference and where there is. The First Epistle to Corinthians is most plain that the head of the woman is the man, so the man is the glory of the woman. We find there the administrative difference between the man and the woman. When you come to the heavenly privileges we have in Christ, all these distinctions disappear. There is no public action that I know in the world or in the Church allotted to the Christian woman. As to private dealing with souls, the case is different. In their father's house, the four daughters of Philip may have prophesied. They were evidently highly gifted women; for it is not said of them that they laboured in the gospel, but that they prophesied — one of the highest forms of gift from Christ. At the same time the Holy Spirit, who tells us that a woman might and did prophesy as a fact, instructs us that it is forbidden to a woman to speak in the Church where prophesying properly had its course. But there a woman was forbidden to speak, not even allowed to ask a question, much less to give an answer. Yet as to the private scene, at home, even with an Apollos, a woman might fitly act: that is, if she acted with and under her husband. Priscilla might be of more spiritual weight than Aquila; but this very thing would lead her to be most careful to take an unobtrusive lowly place. (Acts 18:24-26).

“It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him,” (lit. a help answering to him) was the first announcement of the Lord Jehovah relative to woman’s creation, and the place she was designed to fill. Brought by God to Adam, she took her place at his side, as the helpmate of God’s providing. The fall came, and she, who was created to be man’s partner, was in consequence to be subject to her husband’s rule. From Eden they went forth, with the original relation between man and woman unchanged, and the subjection to her husband in consequence of her sin unreversed. She was, she is, man’s helpmate, however much the original reason of her creation has been lost sight of.

From the fall to the cross we hear nothing of woman’s right place in creation. The heathen had degraded her into being man’s slave. By the law she was protected from being trampled on under certain circumstances (Ex. 21; Lev. 18:18); yet she never had, under the Mosaic economy, her proper place with man. But after the manifestation of the Second man, and the accomplishment of His work of atonement, the original order of creation is again adverted to, and woman regains her true place with man.

As the glory of man, she has her place by his side, who is the image and glory of God. And, though in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, it must be remembered that the distinction of sexes, and God’s own order of creation respecting them whilst on earth, remains ever the same. “The man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.” Yet she is not to be treated as inferior to man, unfit to be his companion, unsuited for his helpmate; for “as the woman is of the man, so is the man by the woman.” Taken out of man at the first, man ever since has been indebted to her for his existence on earth. How these simple statements of the Word, if duly pondered, would teach both their true place in relation to each other; and, delivering the woman from that misdirected energy we see around us, lead her to fill that place intended for her by God. In personal service she finds her peculiar sphere, as in public ministry and rule the man has his place; for, the head of the woman being the man, she is not to dishonour her head (i.e., the man) by obliterating the distinction between them; her hair given her for a covering being a standing proof, as we learn from scripture (1 Cor. 11), of woman’s due subjection to man. Into what minute points can the Spirit enter, commenting even on woman’s hair, when God’s order is contravened, or the welfare of God’s saints imperilled.

And husbands are certainly not to take advantage of their wives because of their subject place. They are rather to "dwell them (not above them) according to knowledge, in sober recognition of what is right and proper. And because the wife is physically the weaker vessels the husband is to give her honor for the stronger is certainly responsible to support the weaker. Let him show every true consideration for her welfare. In the world today, because! of man's abuse of his authority, women have suffered, and now have turned in resentment of this, demanding equal rights, etc. But neither of these abuses is right and Christians, whether men or women, should properly realize their place, and keep it, also faithfully discharging the responsibilities of that place.

Husband and wife then are to consider themselves "heirs together of the grace of life." This is not heirs in reference to blessing (of which Romans 8:17 speaks), but, in reference to receiving from God present grace to live in devoted obedience to Him. Let us make full use of this precious heritage of "the Grace of life." In this spirit of proper consideration for one another there is a preserving character, so that the prayers of the husband and wife together are not hindered.

It is evident from scripture that women were anciently held in much more honour and esteem in Eastern countries than they are now. Solomon, speaking of women, said that such as his soul sought for he did not find one in a thousand. Ecc. 7:28. This tells of fallen human nature; but the true thought of woman is that she is the glory of the man, his true helpmeet. This is fulfilled in the relationship of the church to Christ.

In the N.T. the true place of the woman in subjection to the man is plainly stated, as indicated in creation; and in the assembly the woman is to be silent, and not to teach. Her bearing and deportment are expressive of what she learns as taught of Christ. 1 Cor. 11:3-15; 1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11. 12. Nevertheless women were greatly honoured in ministering to the Lord, and are accredited as helping on the work of the Lord in the gospel and among the saints. Luke 8:2-3; Luke 23:27, 55, 56; Rom. 16:1, 3, 6; Phil. 4:2-3; 2 John 1, 10.

Though she might "not go out as the menservants do," yet God in His tenderness carefully guarded her rights in the position occupied. The tendency is only too often apparent to treat those who are entirely subject and dependent according to changing moods and caprice. This was not to be. If her master changed his mind, and she became evil in his eyes (see margin), she should have the option of redemption. She must not be degraded in her service, nor could he sell her to a strange nation. By his deceitful dealing he had forfeited rights which otherwise he would have possessed. Whether betrothed to his son, or to himself, her rights were carefully maintained; and if these were neglected, in case he took another wife, then she should be absolutely free. Thus, in His compassionate love, the Lord surrounds His weak and defenceless ones with laws to secure for them equitable and considerate treatment.

Some words concerning these latter would not be inappropriate. They are mentioned five times in the course of biblical history (Num. 26:33; Num. 27:1-11; Num. 36:3-12; Joshua 17:3-6; 1 Chron. 7:15), proof of the important place they occupy in God's thoughts. Not one of their names is forgotten; they are Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah (Num. 26:33). In Numbers 27 we notice several interesting details about them. First, they recognized that their abnormal condition was the result of their father's sin. Although “he was not in the band of them that banded themselves together against Jehovah in the band of Korah,” yet he “died in the wilderness,” and “died in his own sin,” and this was the reason why “he had no sons” (v. 3). Nonetheless his five daughters desire to perpetuate their father's name; as true daughters of Israel they value their genealogy and, consequently, their inheritance. The Lord waits to set their situation in order until they express this need before Him (cf. Num. 26:33 with Num. 27:2). He answers them when they stand “before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and the whole assembly, at the entrance of the tent of meeting” (Num. 27:2), and when Moses “brought their cause before Jehovah” (v. 5). God says: “The daughters of Zelophehad speak right.” Wherever there is zeal to appropriate God's blessings and promises, an answer is sure. But the Lord gives them much more than they were asking. He conveys the inheritance of their father to them and adds a clause containing four articles to His law — these weak women are the occasion for this — which becomes “unto the children of Israel a statute of right.” “And unto the children of Israel shalt thou speak,” says the Lord, “saying: (1) If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. (2) And if he have no daughter, ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. (3) And if he have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. (4) And if his father have no brethren, ye shall give his inheritance to his kinsman that is nearest to him in his family, and he shall possess it” (vv. 8-11). Besides the precepts set down in the law, God thus gives a special revelation in response to the desire expressed by some daughters of Israel. This desire had His approbation, and it was necessary in order for them to be able to enter into the possession of their inheritance.

First, we see men and women seated together. This tells of their equal and common interest in Christ, where there is neither male nor female, as we read here, "For neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord"; for, personally considered, they have the same standing in the church of God.

Hezekiah in his need sent to a man (Isaiah); but Josiah sent to a woman! Huldah had a husband; his name is recorded, but nothing more is said about him. The prophetess Deborah, in an earlier day, also had a husband, but in his case also nothing is stated but his name (Judges 4:4). Neither Lapidoth nor Shallum were used of God in moments of national emergency. Does not this perplex the reader, particularly in viewing the words of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor. 14:34 and 1 Tim. 2:10-11? In these passages of Scripture women are charged to be silent in the assembly of God, and to learn "with all subjection." Such Scriptures need to be carefully considered by all who fear God and tremble at His word. Lawlessness is increasing in the world, and the Church is affected by it in a greater or less degree, due to the unwatchfulness of saints and neglect of the Word of God. Women are becoming less and less disposed to fulfil the duties which properly belong to their sex, and are determined to push into positions of leadership and rule. The nations of the world are yielding to this; "the emancipation of women" has become a popular cry. In the professing Church we hear now of women "ministers" and "elders." Such positions are a degradation to the women and a still deeper degradation to the men who "sit under" them, for the man "is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man" (1 Cor. 11:7). God in His wisdom has placed the woman in the delightful position of nearness to the man as his counsellor and helper; but headship belongs to the man alone. Eve was built up from a rib taken from Adam's side (Gen. 2:22); a simple fact with a great lesson. Several reasons are laid down in Scripture why the woman should be subject to the man, and in no wise intrude into leadership.