Worthy Women In God’s Eyes
[By Caroline Piner]
Women, in the Ancient Near East, were never treated as anything. To most men, they were means of carrying on their lineage or treated as objects to be enjoyed. Not to God, though. God has always viewed women in high regard and their worth in His eyes is “more precious than jewels” (Proverbs 31:10, ESV). There are many worthy women that God in His word talks about as examples to us (men and women alike) today. Two such women are Jehosheba and Priscilla.
Jehosheba is mentioned in only two verses in the Bible: 1 Kings 11:2 and 2 Chronicles 22:11. Though so little is said about her, her example will have a lasting impact on me. Jehosheba was the daughter of King Joram (or Jehoram), she was the half-sister of Amaziah, and she was step-daughter to Athaliah. All three of them were described as being very wicked in Kings and Chronicles. Yet, Jehosheba didn’t follow their example. She married Jehoiada, the priest, and together they had the courage to rescue and hide baby Joash from Athaliah. When her whole family turned away from the Lord, she held fast to the Lord, as her name suggests (her name means: “Jehovah is my oath”).
Skipping forward to the New Testament, we see the example of another woman who worked with her husband in the Lord. Like Jehosheba, only a few verses mention Priscilla, but from those few, we see the most important aspect of her – she followed the Lord and taught about Jesus. In Acts 18:1-4 and Romans 16:3, she and Aquila worked with Paul as tentmakers and to further the gospel of Christ. Priscilla, alongside Aquila, taught Apollos in a gentle and discreet way (Acts 18:25-26). She and Aquila risked their lives for Paul (Romans 16:4) and hosted the church in their home (1 Corinthians 16:19). Priscilla was a strong woman with a strong faith in God who worked with her hands and worked for the kingdom.
Jehosheba and Priscilla are two women I wish I knew more about, but I’m so thankful that God gives us their example of how women can work in God’s kingdom. God has set roles for every person, no matter what situation they may be in, and every one of those roles is important in spreading the gospel.