Powerful Women
Bible Study Guide
1. Deborah
Deborah was not only a judge and a prophetess, but she lead Israel in battle against the Canaanites and their military commander, Sisera. Her leadership led to the end of twenty years of oppression by the Canaanites. After the battle, the Israelites enjoyed 40 years of peace.
Judges 4
2. Jael
Sisera came to the tent of Jael while fleeing the Israelites. She welcomed him into her tent and served him food. When Sisera fell into a deep sleep, Jael drove a tent peg into his head with such force that the peg entered the ground below. She was the heroine of the Israelite victory.
Judges 4
3. Jochebed
The baby Moses was saved by the ingenuity of his mother, Jochebed, and courage of his sister, Miriam. When Moses was three-months old, his mother could no longer conceal him. She made a waterproof basket for him, which she placed on the Nile River. His sister, Miriam, watched the basket as it floated to the place where Pharaoh's daughter was bathing. Pharaoh's daughter found him and decided to adopt him. Miriam arranged with Pharaoh's daughter for her mother to nurse Moses. Miriam grew up to be a prophetess.
Exodus 2
4. Hannah
The high priest Eli told Hannah that her prayer would be answered. When her son, Samuel, was weaned, she courageously fulfilled her promise and brought him to live at the temple. After that, she only saw him once a year in the annual visit of her family to the temple. She brought him a new coat each year. Samuel grew up to be the great prophet who annointed King Saul and King David.
I Samuel 1
5. Queen Esther
In the days of exile to the Persians, Queen Esther saves all of the Jews. When Esther learned of Haman's plan to exterminate the Jews, she risked her life by approaching the King without being summoned. The king held out his scepter to her, which permitted her visit. Haman had created a large gallows to hang Mordecai and the Jews. When the King learned of the plan from Esther, he was enraged. Haman came to Esther to beg for his life and threw himself at her feet to beg for mercy. Unfortunately for Haman, the king saw him in a prone position on Esther's couch, and assumed the worst. Haman was hanged on his own gallows.
Esther 1-10
6. Ruth
After the death of Ruth's husband and father-in-law, Ruth and Naomi go to Bethlehem. There, Naomi and Ruth were treated kindly by Boaz, Naomi's close relative. There are lot of interesting cultural practices revealed in the story of Ruth. Naomi sent her to Boaz and told her to uncover his feet while he was sleeping. Then Ruth asked him to spread his cloak over her, which was how women asked men to marry them at the time. Boaz then went to their closest relative, who had the first right of marriage, who signified to Boaz that he relinquished the right of marriage by taking off his sandal and handing it to Boaz. Ruth is the great grandmother of King David.
Ruth 1-4
7. Priscilla
Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, is a close friend of Paul. Like Paul, Priscilla and her husband Aquila, were tentmakers. They had been expelled from Rome when Claudius Caesar expelled all of the Jews. In spite of this prior persecution, they steadfastly taught the new Christian faith. In five of the seven times the couple was mentioned, Priscilla's name is recorded first.
Acts 18