Jehovah Loves a Spiritual Woman

[Guest Kurt]

 You know, when the first man awoke to meet his mate for the very first time, he was so overwhelmed with God’s gift that he spontaneously broke into poetry. Isn’t that romantic? As Jehovah guided Eve to her husband, the man said, in Genesis, “This is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Isha”, that’s pretty isn’t it. “This one will be called women, because from man this one was taken”. Isha means literally, female man. It was to show how closely related man and woman were to be.

Well it’s been about six thousand years since that very tender romantic moment. What has happened to woman since then? Well, I think we would agree that we find woman in the 20th century with an identity crisis. There was a pole taken in this country and it said: “the underlying mood of women in America is one of conflict, frustration, deep division, and change.” Is that the way, sometimes, you sisters feel?

How does God view a woman? How does Jehovah want us to view you as brothers? How does Jehovah view you, as sisters? And how does Jehovah want you sisters to view yourself?

The bottom line that weÂ’ll probably emphasize a few times in our discussion is that there is only one kind of woman Jehovah can love. And thereÂ’s only one kind of woman that Jehovah can get close to. And that is a spiritual woman. ThatÂ’s the only kind of woman Jehovah can deeply be involved with.

Now the world would be happy to take your mind and mould your opinion of what you should be in a spiritual, emotional, physical or a mental status. Because as a matter of fact, in the late 60s and 70s, most of us are aware that women all over the world united and they had a women’s liberation movement. Why did women feel a need to be liberated? Well, in Denmark women wrote a manifesto and this is what they expressed. They said: “we’re considered breeders. We’re oppressed. We’re abused. We’re exploited as cheap labor. Our only purpose is to enhance another man’s life.” Have you ever given a woman a reason to feel that way?

Tens of thousands marched with a banner around a mockup statue of liberty and marched down New York City streets. And one of the reporters came over to this woman and said: “How come you have a statue of liberty with the banner around it ‘women of the world unite’? Why are you using the statue of liberty?” And she said: “Because of the irony.” She said: “The woman is used to represent liberty, and here we are, as women, not free or liberated at all.”

Well some of the arguments that women had put forth in that movement are valid arguments. One of the things that women really object to is being used or viewed as sexual objects. And you canÂ’t deny that thatÂ’s the case. When you look at the advertising on TV a womanÂ’s body can sell anything even if it has nothingÂ… you know, thatÂ’s the old joke, that they use it to sell any product from cars to whatever it is, they will use a womanÂ’s appearance to make the sale.

Even modest commercials sometimes exploit women. You know; commercials that would rarely cause maybe an offence in our conscience? But, you know,  I think of that one commercial that’s been on for years, and the hook line is: “Gentlemen prefer Hanes”, right? They’ve said it so many times you would think that men were the ones that wore the nylons. But what’s the message that they try to get across in that particular advertisement? Well they’re telling you that if you want to be acceptable you must be physically desirable. That’s the bottom line. You better look good if you want to be accepted, and a lot of women have really been put through the ringer. They say that certain, even mental problems that women have had just trying to look good, have caused them great emotional stress because of the pressure society has put on them to look just so.

Some feel the bible puts women down. If you ask some women whether God is dead, they will emphatically answer: No, SHE’S not! And that’s the way they feel. I guess a lot of anger comes from exploitation and oppression and prejudice and lack of respect. But was this God’s fault? What was God’s purpose in creating woman? Well let’s turn to Geneses chapter 2 verse 18 and notice what this account says: “Jehovah God went on to say, it is not good for the man to continue by himself. I am going to make a helper for him, as a compliment for him.” Do you see the two roles a woman was to play in being created? What were they? Just real briefly please. ---- Yes. To be a helper and a compliment. She wasn’t simply to be a child breeder or a child bearer.  She was to be a partner.

In Genesis 1:28 there’s a very interesting word used there. It says: “God blessed them and God said to, THEM, be fruitful, fill the earth, subdue it, and have in subjection” all the animals of the sea. Making this earth a paradise was not a one-man project. Adam and Eve were to do it together. He needed her and she needed him. Not just to fill the earth, but to make it a beautiful paradise, and to have all the animals in subjection.

We know that Eve was created from Adams rib. Of course a lot has been said about that. There was a poem that said that woman wasnÂ’t created from his head or from his feet, but from his side, so as to be his companion. But we donÂ’t know what significance there was for Adam to have lost a rib and to create eve from that. But I can tell you that the highest quality blood is produced in the marrow of the ribs. Maybe Jehovah was telling us that this is a high quality creation.

Of course when we look back at that account I think it’s obvious to all of us that the first man and woman wanted something that could never be theirs. They wanted to supersede Jehovah’s power of determining what was right and wrong, and when they went that far to decide for themselves, they lost their spirituality. And do you get the point? They lost the only reason that Jehovah had for loving them, because the only kind of person Jehovah can love is a spiritual person.  Of course the woman rebelled first didn’t she? And some conclude that if it wasn’t for women we’d never be in this mess. We’d be in the garden. 

But that’s not really accurate, after all man was the head. He should have steered in the right course. He had the greater responsibility. He has to share the greater guilt.  Romans 5:12 confirms that.  It says: “through one, MAN, sin entered into the world.”

Well as a result, both of them were cursed. In Genesis chapter 3 verse 16 it tells us the curse upon one woman.  Some women; do you know what they think the curse is that they have to live with?  They think its subjection, because it’s one of the hardest things for them to do.

But I want you to notice what it says in verse 16: “To the woman he said “I shall greatly increase the pain for your pregnancy.  In birth pangs you will bring forth children, your craving will be for your husband and he will dominate you.”  See subjection wasn’t the curse. If she remained in subjection she’d never get into trouble. The curse was domination; and some do suffer under that today.  

Of course the curse on Adam was no less harmful to him. The bible says that he’d have to scrape the dirt of ground to make a living.  He had to work so hard to eke out a living that that’s all he did all day long.  The ground was cursed and he could only get a little bit of food at a time for him and his children.

The bible says God cursed the ground to stall wickedness. He was so busy just trying to eat, to live; that they had no time to do anything that was bad. It was only after the flood that the ground’s curse was lifted.  They had a miserable life, both of them, due to being unfaithful and lacking spirituality.

Well I think we can be very happy that there are women that have exceeded their original mother, Eve.  We have excellent examples of women who are truly spiritual women.  We can think of the women who survived the flood. How many were there? How many women survived the flood? Pam ---[Pam from the audience answers:] “Four” --- That’s right. Can you picture them carrying signs lobbying to try and get on that ark? No, they were allowed on that ark because they were faithful.  Some complain that we don’t know the names of those women, but we know the names of the men. How come men are given better priority than women are?

Well, we didn’t know the name of the son of God for 4,000 years.  He didn’t complain about that. When it was time for us to know who he was, we did. Well naturally, when those women come back in the resurrection, we’ll know their names too, and what a privilege it well be to meet them.

The point that is important to establish here is that these women were not preserved simply to be breeders, to continue the human race. They were preserved because they were spiritual women, and Jehovah will never forget them, and he will bring them back.  Maybe one day, if we’re spiritual, we will have the privilege of being with them. 

When we talk about spiritual women we can’t leave out Sarah, because she is really a celebrated woman in the bible.  She was strikingly beautiful.  You haven’t seen beauty as what Sarah had. I don’t think you ever will until the new system.  You know, Sarah, when men would see her, they would just long for her companionship.  They craved her.  They just couldn’t get their eyes off of her.  And these were prominent men. 

When Abraham and Sarah left Ur they were going through Egypt. Pharaoh wanted her, and entertained her, courted her.  Now here’s the man that had tens maybe millions of women at his disposal, and yet it was Sarah that he wanted.  He just couldn’t get her out of his mind until Jehovah struck him with the plague, and then he lost everything that he felt for her and told them to please get out because he didn’t want to suffer anymore. 

Do you know how old Sarah was at that time?  66.  There’s not many woman that age that really would pull that kind of attraction would they.  And sometime later Abimelech, who was a king of an area, he too wanted her.  He was very aggressive.  Jehovah had to interfere again with the plague. You see Sarah, though she was very beautiful, never allowed men to make her an object of their sexual fantasies. And he just longed for her until Jehovah struck him with the plague.  But do you know how old Sarah was at that time? About 89.  So when I say you haven’t seen beauty like Sarah, now you know why.

And even though Sarah was so beautiful, and obviously very strict in her discipline and the way she carried herself, what did she call her husband? Mary --- [Mary from the audience answers:] “Lord” --- That’s right. It doesn’t mean that she used that verbally. We don’t know if she called him lord verbally, but she did deeply respect him in her heart.

Does that mean that Sarah and Abraham always got along and she was like a little cocker spaniel always panting at his every breath?  Well, we know that they had their ups and downs in their marriage just like anyone else does.  It’s an interesting account recorded for us in the book of Genesis chapter 21, where Abraham and Sarah came into a deep conflict in their marriage.

Sarah kept noticing something that Abraham didnÂ’t notice. She noticed that HagarÂ’s son, (and Hagar was AbrahamÂ’s concubine, maid servant, or secondary wife,) was poking fun at Isaac, and this wasnÂ’t simply teasing because Paul, in Galatians, equates it with persecution. That means that IsaacÂ’s life may have been threatened, you see, by Ishmael.

So it was a very serious thing, and Sarah wanted Ishmael and Hagar dismissed from the house and to be sent off.  Well, Abraham was a loving man, and he just couldn’t see doing this.  Well in verse 12 of that chapter it says God said to Abraham, “Don’t let anything that Sarah keeps saying to you be displeasing to you about the boy and about your slave girl.  Listen to her voice, because it is by means of Isaac that what will be called your seed, will be.”  

Well Jehovah told Abraham that he had to listen to Sarah, that she was right, that her perception was beyond Abraham’s at that point to appreciate that.  You see, Sarah’s wasn’t acting like a jealous woman who was in competition with this other woman and wanted her out of the house at this point.  We have to remember that Sarah was a spiritual woman.  She was especially concerned about the seed because the seed of promise was the means of deliverance for mankind, and it was extremely important that that seed be protected and guarded. 

Sarah had the utmost concern for that seed.  She was the one that suggested that Abraham have relations with Hagar.  She was the one that suggested that with Hagar.  It wasn’t Hagar’s idea, it wasn’t even Abraham’s idea, but when she was barren for so long, she said: “Abraham, the seed comes through you, so please make sure that you find a woman who can bear a son, that will eventually make this line possible. “ So she was a spiritual person. Was not jealous. Was not a catty woman. But when she saw the seed was endangered, well she took action, and Jehovah told Abraham to listen to her.

Well I think it’s obvious by this account that you can see that Sarah was not simply a child bearer, a housekeeper. She was a vital link in the outworking of Gods purpose.  This woman, Sarah, is used to represent Jehovah’s entire heavenly organization. Now that’s an honor given to one solitary sister in the bible.  Jehovah used her, and He loves her, and will forever remember her, because she was spiritual.  A spiritual woman is the only kind of woman Jehovah can deeply love.

There’s another interesting example in 2nd Kings, maybe you’ll remember this. This too is an unnamed woman, though I think we’re gonna really delight if we have the privilege to meet her. In 2nd Kings chapter 4. She lived in Shunem, and I want you to notice where her spirituality was reflected. 

In verse 8 of chapter 4, it says: “It came about one day that Elisha, when passing along to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she began to constrain him to eat bread. It came about that as often as he would pass by he would turn aside there to eat bread. At length she said to her husband: “Here now I well know that it is a holy man of God that is passing by us constantly.  Please, let us make a little roof chamber on the wall and put there for him a couch and a table and a chair and lamp stand, and it must occur that whenever he comes into us, he can turn aside there.” 

That’s interesting isn’t it?  What’d you learn from that account?  Elisha was a profit who traveled in a circuit.  Maybe any woman would be satisfied if she simply entertained this profit each time he passed by, but you see, she was really a spiritual woman, and she told her husband that she would appreciate it very much if they could build an addition on to their house and furnish that addition, so that when he came by he would have a place to stay.

Why did she suggest that?  Because she recognized that this was a holy man of God.  Now how many people, how many women, would be willing to sacrifice some good clothes, perhaps a little vacation, maybe a better car, just to build an addition onto their house for one solitary profit who was a man of God?  

It took sacrifice. She was a spiritual woman, see, and her husband recognized that, so he built the addition onto his home.  A lesson for our husbands is; do we listen to our wives, when we examine this woman of Shunem or Sarah, do we recognize that we’re working for the same goals? Do we feel our wives aren’t as mentally keen as we are?  Or do we really recognize they’re God’s given gifts, just like Abraham did, and just like this husband of this woman of Shunem did? 

When women were submissive to Jehovah’s arrangements, when they were submissive to them, and weren’t running ahead of Jehovah’s arrangements, Jehovah used them gloriously.  It’s so obvious in the bible. Women were used as prophets in the bible. Can you remember one prophetess in the bible? --- Yes, that was in the Christian Greek scriptures, thank you. --- Yes that’s true too, we’re gonna talk about her. And another famous one in the Hebrew scriptures, Deborah, that comes to my mind too.  In Judges 5:7 she is spoken of as mother of Israel. How do you like that? A very prominent position. But do you know why?  Because she was submissive to Jehovah’s arrangements.  She didn’t run ahead. She cooperated, and as a result of that, Jehovah really was able to use her, and exult her, and not humble her and bring her down to size. It’s good for us to reflect on these spiritual women in the bible.

You know what else is important? Is for sisters to know how they should view themselves.  And you know who can help us with that? It’s Jesus Christ.  His view of you sisters can help any sister to know how to view herself. And believe me, when Jesus came to the earth he had a real hard time dealing with this because in the first century, woman, according to the bible, it was just a terrible thing to happen to be born a woman.

A woman, according to Talmud, was lower than a pig.  Imagine that. And you weren’t even allowed to have a pig in your yard. As a matter of fact there’s a prayer in the Talmud, it says: “Thank you God, that you didn’t create me a slave, an animal, a pig, or a woman.” Imagine that.

 Well how did Jesus treat women?  There’s an interesting point mentioned. Let’s reflect on it in the book of Luke chapter 11, see what we can learn from this together. In Luke Chapter 11 and verses 27 and 28 it says: “Now as he was saying these things a certain woman out of the crowd raised her voice and said to him “Happy is the womb that carried you and the breasts that you sucked.”  But he said “No, rather, happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it.” 

Those are pretty strong words aren’t they? Jesus was trying to get across a point to all women, including all Christian women today.  Because this woman was just saying that because she felt that Mary must have been really proud that she had the privilege of giving birth to the second most important person in the universe, who happens to turn out to be the Messiah.  Whose breasts he sucked and who she raised. [She] says: ‘Your mother must be so proud of you, must be so happy’ and Jesus could have said ‘yeah mom is kind of happy with the way things turned out’, but he didn’t. He wouldn’t give room for that thought.  He said “Happy are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” 

So the most important thing for women is not their children. It is not the most important thing to either have children, or to raise them. It’s your spirituality that’s the most important thing.  It’s your relationship with God. 

In Luke chapter 10 verse 39, Jesus gives another perspective to women to think about.  You remember the story about Martha and Mary?  And Martha was really running around. If Jesus was coming to your home I think you would make a fuss too.  Don’t tell me you’d cook the same thing you would cook for your husband, because I wouldn’t believe it.  If the son of God was visiting your home, you would really be up in an uproar.  Everyone would know what you were doing and where you were and you would be just flying around the kingdom hall, you know, just trying to figure out what you were going to prepare for the son of God, and you know it.  So, you can be sympathetic with Martha at this point.

In verse 40 it says: “Martha, on the other hand, was distracted attending to many duties, so she came near and said: ‘Lord does it not matter to you that my sister has left me alone to attend to things?  Tell her therefore to join in helping me.’”  Martha was positive that Jesus would support her in her effort to illicit some help from her sister.  In answer the lord said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and disturbed about many things. A few things though are needed, or just one, for her part Mary chose the good portion and it will not be taken away from her. 

Now Jesus wasn’t belittling housework any more than he was belittling having children, but it’s not the most important thing. And some sisters, they love their homes, and they love their children, and they center their lives around them, to the sacrifice of their spirituality, and it shows.  And that’s what Jesus was telling us.  That housework, our homes, the beauty of our homes, our children…, it’s important, but it’s not [more] important than our relationship with God. Again, its’ what you are as a spiritual person. Please don’t neglect that.  Don’t put yourself down by putting things ahead of your spirituality.

Jesus elevated women. He helped them to appreciate that they weren’t simply breeders or housekeepers, or they’re simply to enhance another man’s life.  And we know that Jesus got this elevated view from Jehovah.  We can be very thankful that in the Christian congregation we have sisters that really appreciate the role of a woman, as a sister and as a wife.  In 1st Peter 3:5, it refers to women as being holy, and that expression is not to be taken lightly. Jehovah sees both men and women as dedicated, thinking individuals. 

Now it’s’ true that men were given heavier responsibilities, but both were endowed with the four powerful attributes of love, justice, wisdom and power.  In those qualities, women are in no way inferior to men, at least in their potential to develop those qualities, and I wanna prove that to you. 

Turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 18.  And I want you to notice the second word in that verse. It says: “and all of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, exactly as done by Jehovah the Spirit.”

Did you notice that second word? “ALL”. Men and women reflect, or can reflect, the glory of Jehovah.  And what proves that they can do it to his satisfaction is that Jehovah chooses women just as he chooses men to be part of the 144,000, which is the highest honor in the universe.

So never feel that you are just a housecleaner or child bearer, or that you are here simply to enhance another man’s life.  God has a high loving regard for a spiritual woman. That’s the only kind of woman he can really draw close to. The aid book made an interesting comment, it said: “your relationship to Jehovah as a woman is just as important as any man’s relationship is with him.”

Well I think thatÂ’s really encouraging to review some of those thoughts, and it helps us to appreciate the high position and the honor that Jehovah gives to our sisters, and that should make a sister really feel good, recognizing she has a long lineage of faithful sisters to copy in their spirituality and their example. When a sister recognizes how much credit Jehovah gives to her, donÂ’t you think that enables her to also absorb the counsel that Jehovah gives to sisters that he does.

As we mentioned, one of the most difficult challenges of the 20th century Christian woman is to be in subjection; to be in subjection to her husband, whether he is a believer or a un-believer. And most importantly, to show subjection right here to the congregation and to its arrangement. 

Now do we do that, and what encouragement does Jehovah give to us?  Lets’ talk about being in subjection to a husband. I’d like you to turn to 1st Peter chapter 3.  See what you think about this. 1st Peter chapter 3 and verse 5. I’ve read it so many times but I think I only noticed this point after the 100th reading. It says, “For so, too, formerly the holy women who were hoping in God, used to adorn themselves,” now notice how, “subjecting themselves to their own husbands.” 

Now subjection isn’t easy, but what does the bible call it? It said it’s your adornment. That’s what makes you feminine.  That’s what makes a women look beautiful in Jehovah’s eyes  is her subjection, so when she loses her submissiveness she’s losing the garment that makes her look pretty in Jehovah’s eyes.  

Now naturally it’s gonna be a lot harder for a woman to be in subjection where the man does not take the lead. There’s no question that a man who takes his responsibilities seriously, really draws out of a woman her most feminine qualities, doesn’t he.  But if a man is not masculine, does that give an excuse for a woman not to be feminine? 

In 1st Corinthians 11 verse 3, it set out very clearly the order that God felt we would be the happiest.  We use this scripture to disprove the trinity but that’s not why it was written. It says: “I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ, in turn the head of the woman is the man, and in turn the head of the Christ is God.”

Now we know some women in the world feel it’s disparaging for a women to be in subjection to her husband.  But if it’s disparaging for a women to be in subjection to her husband, then that means it would also be disparaging for a man to be in subjection to the Christ, and it would have to be disparaging for Christ to be in subjection to God. 

Well we say that’s ridiculous. It only makes sense that Christ be in subjection to God.  And it certainly makes sense to most women that men should be in subjection to Christ.  Well if those two points make sense then doesn’t it make sense that a woman really is going to be happiest when she’s in subjection to her husband?

In 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 4, Jehovah specifically defines the attitude of subjection. See what you think of it. It’s not easy, but Jehovah is painting a picture of what he would really like to see in a woman.  In verse 4 it says: “let it be the secret person of the heart in the incorruptible apparel of the quiet and mild spirit, which is of great value in the eyes of God.” 

Quiet and mild. That’s hard sometimes isn’t it?  But you can see that that’s the feminine quality that some women are afraid to show, because they feel they are going to get hurt if they are.  Well sometimes we do get hurt, and Jesus was hurt too.  Jehovah’s been hurt too.  And He has a very quiet and mild spirit also. If he was a real angry, nasty personality we know we’d all be dead a long time ago. Probably wouldn’t even be here.  Quiet and mild. It doesn’t prevent us from expressing ourselves, it just tells us how to do it in a feminine way and that’s our adornment. That’s what makes a woman look beautiful in Jehovah’s eyes. It’s of great value in Jehovah’s eyes, even if it may not be in the eyes of your own mate.

You know sometimes we have single sisters that are looking for brothers in the truth, and you know that if you are looking for a spiritual brother, do you know what kind of sister he is looking for? A spiritual sister. And you know, generally, a brother who’s looking for a sister to marry in the truth, do you know what they ask themselves?  They wonder if she’s a happy person. If she’s openhearted and generous. If she’s friendly, mild tempered, sympathetic, humble, grateful, kind and maybe most important: self forgetful. Very rarely does a brother ask what can she do. They just want to know, what can she BE.

Of course, to please does not mean an unconditional surrender of one’s self.  That’s not the definition of it. It means giving the good of ourselves to others. It means creating an atmosphere of cheerfulness in the home, which is, in part, the responsibility of a woman.  And that’s not simply a talent, and it’s not simply with those who have a lot of energy. It’s for any woman who wants to be a spiritual woman; a spiritual sister.  And that’s the only kind of woman that Jehovah can deeply love and be close to. 

Of course, some sisters are married to unbelieving mates, and that sure doesn’t make it any easier. If there’s opposition to the truth, discouragement, even non support, if Jehovah loves a spiritual woman, how can she maintain her spirituality?  Well in the AID book under woman, I don’t know if you sisters have ever read that, but it might be a good idea.  It applies to you and I think you’d find the subject fascinating.  I only read it recently and maybe you’d enjoy reading it too. 

It’s in the AID book under woman. So you can write that down along with all your scriptures.  And they gave a very interesting example of a woman who was married to an unbelieving mate.  And I never thought of it, it was Abigail.  She was married to Nabal. The bible says he was a good for nothing man.  If the bible says that, that means it was Gods opinion of him. That means he must have been really no good. He was a disgusting despicable character. Few people are spoken of with more contempt than Nabal was.  

And the account that they reflect on is when David was asking Nabal for some provisions, and David was the anointed of Jehovah. The woman of Shunem recognized that she should build an apartment on her house to house a holy man of God. Nabal wouldnÂ’t even give him anything to eat. Believe me, David was angry. He deserved it.

Abigail was a spiritual woman. She recognized that he was the anointed of God. She would not follow her husband in this course. Sure it was his decision, but he was wrong. And so she took a stand on this spiritual course and she gave David lots of provisions, secretly, without her husband knowing.

The next day she did tell him, and when she told him, the bible says that his heart became as hard as stone.  It seems that he was affected by some paralysis, and the bible goes on later to say that Jehovah killed him within the week, so you know he wasn’t a very good person. But she remained in subjection to him until it came to Jehovah’s law, and then she took her stand.  And she was rewarded wasn’t she?  She fell in love with a real spiritual person. 

Let me read this to you. It was in the Aid book under woman, it says: “the primary duty in Israel of all women was to have children.” Does that make sense?  It shouldn’t.  “The primary duty in Israel of all women was to clean house? …to work? …to please her husband?”  No.  “The primary duty in Israel for all women was to please Jehovah in true worship.”  That’s what came first.

If that comes first in your life, whether you have a husband in the truth or out of the truth, that certainly will help each sister to remain spiritual so that she can remain in Jehovah’s love.  Of course whether a sister is married to a believing or an unbelieving mate, she must show subjection to the congregation and to its arrangements.  

Some of the strongest words in the bible directed to our sisters are in 1st Corinthians 14.  I think it would be good for us to examine it.  I tried to find the strongest expressions that were used and I thought it’d be good for us to analyze it, just so we can understand it, because these words offend the ears of those who are not very spiritual.  

1st Corinthians 14.  Notice what it says in verse 34. “As in all the congregations of the holy ones, let the women keep silent in the congregations, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but let them be in subjection, even as the law says.  If then, they want to learn something, let them question their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in a congregation.” 

Now that’s strong isn’t it?  What does it mean?  Does it mean that women can’t say anything in the congregation?  It couldn’t mean that.  In the first century women spoke in tongues, women prophesied, and they gave fine comments just like you sisters do here in the congregation.  Let me read to you what it says about this verse in the Qualified to be Ministers book.  It says: “Sisters should not try to give counsel to dedicated brothers. On this matter they have to be in silence.  They must not argue or contradict brothers in the congregation or give instruction.  If they want to learn something they may ask their husband at home. If unmarried ask a mature brother. But they should not be asking merely to bring out a point of correction to get the brothers or their husbands to correct the servant. No. Paul says, they may ask if they themselves want to learn something.” See, that’s what is said there. 

Does that help to set the spirit of things in our mind right?  Or does it rule out asking questions.  It certainly doesn’t rule out trying to get a better understanding of a situation.  The thing that’s ruled out is the asking of questions in an argumentative way, challenging, or debating. That shows a lack of submission to Jehovah’s arrangements, and sometimes the way we say something, is where Jehovah feels we’ve lost our adornment, not the fact that we say something.  And then if we say something and we don’t get an answer that we like, what’s going to be our attitude after that?  Are we still gonna  complain about something, or murmur about it, or wonder when it’s going to be changed or fixed?  You see, if we go too far, then the bible says we’re acting disgracefully.

Now, it doesn’t rule out commenting at meetings. Believe me; you sisters add depth, perception, warmth, and feeling to the truth, and we need you for that.  And while a sister is not permitted to exercise that kind of authority in the congregation from the platform, a sister can teach. She can teach younger sisters. She can teach her own children. And our sisters do a tremendous job of teaching hundreds of people out in the field service. 

You know, even Priscilla, with Aquila, helped Apollos out spiritually in Acts 18:26.  If you ever feel a little frustrated about the way things are going in the congregation, you can talk to a brother about it, and just try to understand as best you can what’s happening, and then leave it alone not to badger the point, belabor it, or make it an issue.  And if you feel sometimes that you have to make it an issue, ‘there has to be something done about this…’, ‘we’ve gotta get this straightened out…’.  A good example to think about, that might help to temper our approach, is the one of Miriam. 

If you turn to the book of Numbers, this is an interesting account, Miriam was a prophetess.  I was impressed to read in Micah 6:4 that when Jehovah says he delivered the nation of Israel he says; “I used Moses, Aaron and Miriam.”  Imagine that, she got mentioned with the two men.  That she was used to deliver the nation of Israel. 

Evidently she conveyed inspired messages to Israel. Jehovah spoke to her, as he spoke to Moses. She was older than Moses too you know.  She was his older sister. She was the one that diapered him after she got him back from Pharaoh’s daughter, so she really, in many ways, even suffered more than Moses did, because Moses was out in Median for 40 years, while she was trying to make bricks without straw.  She had a harder life and she felt since she was a prophetess, inspired by God, her words are written in the bible, that she should have more of a say about how things are run in Israel.  You see, she reasons in Numbers verse 2 of chapter 12: “They kept saying: “Is it by Moses alone that Jehovah has spoken?  Is it not by us also that he has spoken?”  And Jehovah was listening.”

What was Jehovah’s response to this? Well notice in verse 10, it says: “the cloud turned away from over the tent, and, look!  Miriam was struck with leprosy as white as snow.  Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and, look! She was struck with leprosy.”  Terrible. Her skin was falling off her body.  Do you know why Jehovah struck her with leprosy?  It was to show her how unattractive she looked out of place.  

Moses and Aaron, they wanted Miriam to be made well. Jehovah said: “No. She’s offended me.”  Now some sisters sometime feel, “Oh I would never do what Miriam did. Boy. That was terrible. I would have recognized that Moses was the head. Oh I would have never run ahead of Moses, he was a good man.  I’m not that kind of person. I wouldn’t be caught in that situation.  Look brother, what I see is real. It needs to be said. Miriam was wrong. What she saw was inaccurate. What I see is accurate.”

What if you do see something that you feel is not right and you feel something needs to be done.  What position should a sister take in the congregation?  Let’s reflect on one more spiritual sister that can help us.  It’s in the book of Luke chapter 2.  This is Anna, and you know something, like Miriam she too was a prophetess.  In Luke chapter 2 verse 36, we read about Anna. It tells us that she was a widow. She was only married for 7 years, so she was a widow for most of her life because at this point she was 84 years old, but notice in verse 37, it says she was never missing from the temple, she rendering sacred service night and day, with fastings and supplications. And in that very hour she came near and began returning thanks to God and speaking about the child to all those waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance.

Why was Anna supplicating and fasting?  You know why? Because she was a smart sister.  She was a spiritual woman, and she knew that temple was so corrupt, and so disgusting, and so far away from Jehovah’s worship, that she was at that temple every day praying that one day Jehovah would straighten out this mess.

It doesn’t say she went around bad mouthing the elders or bad mouthing the religious leaders. It doesn’t say that she stayed away from that temple, because it was obviously corrupt and no good. She was there, she supported Jehovah’s arrangement, and she prayed [and] supplicated to Jehovah that someday it would be right.  And you know what? She had the privilege of seeing the messiah, and when she saw that babe she said, “Now I know things will be right” 

She had faith, and as we spoke about previously, faith helped her to be modest because she was no longer frustrated, she knew that Jehovah would straighten everything out in his own due time.  She never lived to see it. She died before the messiah died himself.  She was a spiritual woman though. Jehovah will never forget her. He deeply loved her.  Maybe we will have a chance to meet her, and to really get to know her.

Jehovah loves a spiritual woman. Do you know what question we need to ask after that, is how lovable are you? How spiritual are you? Are you in subjection to the congregation and to its arrangements, and to your husband?  Are you really putting spiritual things first in your life? It’s got top priority.

If you are, you’re truly working toward being a good spiritual woman, and certainly a fine example for all of us as brothers.  If your husband isn’t in the truth. If your husband doesn’t pray with you. If you are a spiritual woman; that will never stop you from praying fervently.  If your husband doesn’t go out in service that often; that won’t prevent you from being whole souled in service.  If your husband doesn’t go to meetings; that will never keep you home.  If your husband doesn’t study with you; that won’t keep you from being good students of the bible.

You see, that’s a spiritual woman. And you know something? We need spiritual women.  Really, the truth is, we need each other.  And to close our discussion I’d like you to turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 11. Paul wraps up our feelings and our thoughts so beautifully. All of us, let’s turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 11 and 12. Notice the wording.: ‘Besides, in connection with the Lord, neither is woman without man nor man without woman.  For just as the woman is out of the man, so also the man is through the woman: but all things are out of God.”

Well it was nice to be able to share that information with you and I hope that you really found it encouraging and helpful.

 

Milovsky Robert - Jehovah Loves a Spiritual Woman - excellent talk.mp3