Women in Christ's Lineage

In Matthew 1:2-16 there is a long list of Christ's lineage.  These are verses that I usually skip when I'm reading.  However, if you actually read it you notice that there are five women listed in these verses.  As I've studied a little bit more about Christ's lineage I learned that it is unique for these women to be included in lineage.  Luke didn't include them when he listed Christ's lineage in Luke 3:23-38.  In an article I found it explained that, "Matthew wants his readers to understand that Jesus is the King-the Messiah-for whom the Jews were waiting. Luke's concern is more general, showing that Jesus is both king and priest, descending from Adam, the original father of all humanity (5 Unique Women in Jesus' Family Tree)."


The five women listed in Christ's lineage are: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary.  I've only studied the first four so far.  Here they are at a glance:

Tamar (Genesis 38)- married a son of Judah, he died, married another son according to their customs, he also died.  Both were supposed to give her children, specifically sons, to raise.  This didn't happen.  Tamar ended up tricking Judah into sleeping with her so she could have the son she was promised.  When you first read these verses it seems pretty appalling what Tamar did.  But I think she was actually justified in a way.  I don't know much about Old Testament customs, but from what I've read (from that article linked above) Judah and his sons are the ones that are at fault here.  They were pretty wicked and did not treat Tamar justly.  Because of her actions to make her father-in-law do the right thing she was blessed with a son and became an ancestor to Jesus.

Rahab (Joshua 2)- The first thing we learn about Rahab is that she was a prostitute or harlot.  She hid Joshua's spies in Jericho.  She was promised that her household would be preserved because of her kindness to them.  She comes to believe in God.  She is used as an example of faith by both Paul and James.  In this article Rahab, the author discusses how Rahab was not only thinking of herself and her own salvation when she helped the spies but she was also thinking of her family.

Ruth (Ruth 1-4)- Ruth vows to stay with her mother-in-law after her husband dies.  She works to take care of them and is later married to Boaz.  Ruth is a great example of devotion and loyalty.

Bathsheba (2 Sam 11)- Bathsheba is bathing on the roof when King David sees her.  They have an "affair" and she gets pregnant.  I wish more were told about Bathsheba's side of the story and how she really feels.  In the first article I read the author talks about how she probably couldn't have refused to sleep with David since he was the king and she was a nobody.  He also points out the she mourned the death of her husband.  However, even with the evil acts that took place Bathsheba gave birth to Solomon and the Lord in his infinite wisdom used it for good. 

It really is very interesting to me to see how each of these different women with all of their different situations and status's were used to bring to pass God's will and to fulfill his promises.  They were each blessed to bear a son and to be named as a part of Christ's lineage.

Emma Smith

Emma Smith's life was so full and she did so much that I could spend the next month just studying her.  There are so many life lessons that I could apply to myself it's hard to know where to start.  A huge thing that jumps out at me from her life is that she buried a lot of her children, including her first.  That one thing alone breaks my heart for her.  I don't know how she bore it.  On top of that she suffered a lot of persecution with the other saints and with her husband.  I can't imagine how strong she had to be all the time just to keep moving forward, to keep trusting the Lord and having faith, to keep supporting Joseph, etc.  And on top of that she organized the Relief Society and assembled a book of hymns, among so much else.  She was very generous, giving, and kind.

I learned several new things about Emma as I studied. I didn't know that she remarried three years after Joseph was martyred. I have a book called "The Emma Smith We Know".  It was written by her descendants and tells stories and comments on different things from her life.  Her descendants say that she married for protection but that she did love her second husband.  Unfortunately he had an affair which resulted in an illegitimate child. Emma raised this child as her own and when she was near death she instructed her husband to marry the other woman. I think it says a lot about Emma's character that she would take this child in as her own.   One of her descendants talks about a personal experience he had as he struggled with questions of why Emma did not continue traveling with the saints to Salt Lake. He said the answer came to him that she was too tired to continue on.  The book was full of love and admiration for the woman that Emma Smith was. She was a remarkable lady.

Three Women and Gifts of the Spirit

I have fallen a bit behind in my scripture reading and blogging/journaling. However, the three women that I have studied recently have a lot in common. They each have unique spiritual gifts, they each used their gifts to help their partner which ultimately blessed a lot of other people too, they are each women of great faith that acted on the things that they know and believe.

Queen of King Lamoni-
We are introduced to King Lamoni's queen after King Lamoni had laid as if dead for three days. Others around him wanted to bury him but his wife didn't think he was dead because to her he "doth not stink" (Alma 19:5). I always thought that was pretty funny. Others have said they thought it was very romantic. I still think it's funny . . . anyway . . . She had heard her servants talking about Ammon and had heard that he was a prophet and had "power to do many mighty works in his name" (Alma 19:4). Ammon told her that her husband was not dead and would rise the next day. He asked her if she believed him. I love her answer. She said, "I have had no witness save thy word, and the word of our servants; nevertheless I believe that it shall be according as thou hast said." In the Doctrine and Covenants we learn about different spiritual gifts. D&C 46:13-14 says, "13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. 14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful." The queen of King Lamoni had absolutely no proof that what Ammon was saying was true. She had no reason to believe. Yet she did. Her gift was to believe on others words. Because of her gift both she and her husband were able to teach and testify to their people of the things they had learned and were able to lead so many others to Christ.

Eve-
There is a lot that I could say about Eve. She had many spiritual gifts that she used to bless her children and her husband. One gift that I think she had to have was the gift of discernment. Not a lot is known or talked about with Eve. We know she was given to Adam as a help meet. We know she ate the fruit which led to the fall which led to fulfilling the Lord's plan for all of us. Elder Russell M. Nelson gave a really good talk in a women's conference called Lessons From Eve. In talking about the creation of Eve he said, "I presume another bone could have been used, but the rib, coming as it does from the side, seems to denote partnership. The rib signifies neither dominion nor subservience, but a lateral relationship as partners, to work and to live, side by side."  I love that.  Later he talks about how Eve worked and labored side by side with Adam and how they both studied and prayed together, among other things.  Adam and Eve are an excellent example of how a marriage relationship should work.

Deborah-

Deborah's story is in Judges 4-5.  She was a judge and prophetess in Israel.  On the blog Women in the Scriptures she notes that Deborah's title was political not spiritual.  She also speculates that Deborah held this position because there weren't any worthy males to do so at that time.  In the book Daughters of God by S. Michael Wilcox he talks about Deborah using her spiritual gifts to judge the people and how women today do the same thing.  He talks about her using the gift of discernment to determine the people's needs and using gifts of compassion and wisdom to best serve them. 

Deborah and Barak were not married but they worked together to accomplish the Lord's purpose.  Barak trusted and relied on Deborah's guidance as he led his army to battle and Deborah relied on Barak's strength.  Together they were able to get the job done.  Their story is a good example of how men and women should work together and use their different gifts and attributes to work towards a common goal.

I love the stories and examples these three women teach.  They are women of great faith and courage who used their spiritual gifts to accomplish the Lord's work.

Eve

Here are just a couple things I learned/thought about Eve as I read in Genesis and the Gospel Principles manual.

• Eve was created because it is not good that man should be alone. This principle has stuck through the ages, and it's one of the first ones we were ever taught by God. We, as wives, have a specific role- to be THERE for our husbands! So they are not alone.
• Eve was a help meet for Adam. Meet means suited for, worthy of, or corresponding to him. I love that explanation. It wasn't just that she was there to help him- to cook and clean and make sure he took a bath. No, she was specifically meant for him. She was worthy of him. And to me, saying that she was corresponding to him means that she held similar character traits, but also complemented him. like a puzzle piece. Puzzle pieces fit together but aren't exactly the same.
• I wish there were more about Eve specifically in our church doctrine. I know that Eve was a chosen woman, chosen from the beginning. I also know that her role in the Fall was essential... otherwise it might not have ever happened. I just wish that there was more explanation about the fact that Eve didn't make a mistake that ruined things. She got the ball rolling! If Eve had not been so righteous and worthy of Adam, God would not have had her be his wife. He wouldn't have put Eve in the garden if she was going to be a "bad influence," leading Adam further from God. Yes, their choice did temporarily take them farther from God, but it made it possible for them to be closer than ever to Him at the same time. In fact, it was the only way for them to become like God. 

I would really love a look inside Eve's head. All we have are the scriptures and temple portraying what happened, which is fine, but I think she knew a LOT more than the story lets on. I think she understood the ins and outs of the gospel and their role in the garden, she didn't just make some random "mistake." 

So in applying this to me? As a wife and a mother, it's important that I understand my own role in our earthly family and our eternal family. I think that learning as much as I can about the gospel, teaching my kids, and studying my patriarchal blessing will help me understand my identity better. 

catching up...

This might not be a super thoughtf provoking entry, but better than nothing? Sorry I haven't been keeping up as well.

So the three women we have studied over the past two weeks are Puah and Shiphra and King Lamoni's wife, Queen...Lamoni. 

The two midwives remind me a lot of people in the Old Testament whose stories get a lot of attention for the same reasons- following God instead of the King. Daniel in the lions den, Shadrak Meshak and Abednigo, to name a few. But these are women, which unfortunately means no one has really heard their story, at least not as much. Anyways, what impresses me about them is that they had the courage to disobey the kind in order to fulfill the laws of God. That can be one of the scariest things anyone is asked to do, especially because one of our beliefs is that we obey the law of the land. It's kind of like Nephi kililng Laban- he had to break that one commandment - because God told him to - to fulfill another commandment. I doubt I'll ever really be put in a situation like that, we are blessed to live in a relatively religion-friendly nation (though many times it doesn't seem like that), but I guess I could compare it to things we do that go against social norms. Tying in with the story, having more than two children- or even having children at all- is kind of looked down on by our society for so many reasons. It's by no means against the law (which it IS in other countries- I can't imagine...), but people will call you crazy, selfish (uhh cause our kids are taking up their precious space?), sex-crazed, whatever it be, just if you have a large family. And that can be disheartening. So fulfiling God's commandment to multiply and replenish the earth is something that takes courage and selflessness.

Moving on to the Queen of Lamoni. The two things that stand out to me are her exceeding faith- Ammon even tells her that she has more faith than any Nephite in the land- and her devotion to her husband. When even his servants (who I feel respected him and were on good terms with him) and others around him kind of gave up on him, The Queen stood by him. She was in tune enough to know that there was something larger going on, something with meaning, and that he was not dead. She knew that something important was happening and that she wanted to be a part of it. I hope that in times where I need to stand by my husband even when no one else does, I will have the faith and spiritual guidance that King Lamoni's wife had. 

Trust in the Lord

In my scriptures next to Exodus 1:17 I have written, "[Puah and Shiphrah] became a world conscience that takes away the whole argument of 'I was just following orders'." Verse 17 says, " . . . the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them . . ." Because these women trusted God they were able to save a whole nation. I love so much of what Heather from the Women in the Scriptures blog has to say about these two women.

She speculates: 

• Some scholars say that midwives in Israel were always barren women, who in order to find their place in a society where family was valued above all else, were given the responsibility of helping other women bring life into the world. If this is true then it makes the fact that God gave them "houses" or "posterity" as a reward for their faithfulness an even more beautiful blessing. 
• They may have been the midwives who attended the birth of Moses and consequently saved his life. Moses was the one who wrote the book of Exodus and it is probable that the reason we know their names and so much about them is because he was grateful to them for sparing his life as a baby. 

She also gives her thoughts:

• Righteous women of God have always chosen, and always will choose, to conceive, deliver, and protect life above all else. This is because righteous women understand the value of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan. They also know that each life, male and female, is sacred to God and that to bring life is one of the most noble and sacred callings God has given on this earth. Righteous women also understand that without women who are willing to bear, deliver and raise children none of God's plans could come forth. Without their courage and sacrifice there would be no hope for a future and no purpose for the present. 
• It may appear that it is always the men in the scriptures who always do the delivering out of bondage, the saving, and the rescuing, but the truth is that God's plans usually start with women. For example, without the courage and dedication of Puah, Shiphrah, and other midwives like them who chose to ignore the commands of the Pharaoh and do what they knew was right, Moses would not have survived to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. In fact, one could say that these women were the "first delivers" of Israel because they delivered the deliverer. 

I love these women's examples of doing the right thing no matter what, trusting completely that the Lord will take care of you.

Woman at the Well

I really love the Saviors use of symbols and analogies in His teachings. For me, it makes the gospel so easy to understand, AND it helps me to understand why everything is so logical. There are two types of water in this story. There is the water that we need to physically stay alive, and there is the water that we need to spiritually stay alive. We all know and accept the fact that if we go even two days without water we are putting ourselves in serious physical danger. And that's a fact. Well why would we then think we could go days or weeks or months without partaking of the Living Water? Spiritual decline happens so slowly that even if we were to stop doing what we should cold turkey, I don't think it would be instantly awful. That's one thing that makes it so easy to get lazy. But then one day we wake up and realize that our faith isn't where it used to be, and we have to build that spiritual strenght back up. 

I feel like that is what has happened to me over this past year. I stopped personal scripture study a while ago. Probably... more than two years ago. But life was fine and good and great and I didn't really notice a difference. Then this year when I've had some things that have really required a lot more faith on my part, I realized that my faith is not as strong as it used to be. It was really upsetting for me to feel so easily discouraged and mad at the Lord and any other negative feelings, because I knew that wasn't me. It's just so true that no one can stand still in their spiritual growth or decline. We are either moving towards The Lord or away. And I wouldn't say I got too far away, but it was enough that my faith felt extra tested.

One thing that strikes me about the woman at the well, and about all of the other women we have studied so far, is that she was prepared. She had heard about The Messiah. She knew He would come. When she learned who she was, she didn't really need further explanation about why that should be significant to her. She knew! I was not prepared for the trials of this past year. So I needed so much extra reassurance and I had to sometimes rely on the faith of others. Not that it's a bad thing, but I hope that from now on I am always spiritually prepared. It doesn't necessarily make hard things easy, but it makes it easier to make it through.