Recently, the Marine Corps Gazette published a bold op-ed on a hot topic: women in combat. This essay was not written by a patriarchal jarhead, however. It was authored by Katie Petronio, Marine captain.
Petronio, a former college hockey player, shared that after five months on the frontlines in Afghanistan, "I had muscle atrophy in my thighs that was causing me to constantly trip and my legs to buckle with the slightest grade change. She concluded, "There is no way I could endure the physical demands of the infantrymen whom I worked beside. This experience confirms the fears of evangelicals who have concerns about women in combat. Scripture teaches that woman was made from man, a truth that grounds her dependence on him Gen.
It details how Adam failed to own this responsibility and protect his wife. For this reason, God addressed him first after the forbidden fruit was eaten: "Where are you? Adam was a self-crippled man. This tragic pattern continues in different places in biblical history, leaving courageous godly women like Deborah and Jael to lead in place of men.
When Barak quails at the thought of battle against the Canaanites, Deborah promises that this abdication "will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman" Judges , ESV. We hear her scorn loud and clear, even as we hear the pounding of Jael's tent peg into Sisera's skull David's sacrificial valor anticipates the warrior-savior, Jesus Christ, whose death on behalf of his people was an act of war against Satan Isa.
Jesus was a self-sacrificial man. Men receive their marching orders from this Christlike example. Paul teaches that husbands "ought to love their wives as their own bodies. The Bible teaches textually what common sense tells us naturally—and physiological study confirms scientifically. According to scientists Anne and Bill Moir, authors of Why Men Don't Iron , men are generally larger, stronger, and faster, and have greater lung capacity, a faster metabolism, and roughly 11 times the testosterone of women.
God's design for men and women is good. We ignore it at our own peril. If men will not own this responsibility, then women will be forced to take it on as did biblical women such as Deborah and Jael and the extrabiblical figure Judith.
Many modern men fail to mirror Christ in leading, providing, and protecting. In the cries of fatherless children, the strained voice of working mothers desperately seeking "work-life balance," and the Marine Corps Gazette , we hear echoes of the Bible's first question, addressed to a self-crippled man: "Where are you? Yes, women should be allowed to serve in combat roles. Sacrificial love is a core principle of Christianity—as is compassionate protection for those who are not able to protect themselves.
These are principles that apply to all of us, regardless of gender or the times in which we live. They demand courage and often break with the mores of the culture for a greater good. Esther was willing to sacrifice herself by braving the wrath of the king even unto death, in order to save her people.
In the Bible's patriarchal society, we read of heroines who engaged in combat in desperate times. Judith was not a warrior, yet she beheaded the Assyrian king's general.
Deborah, a prophetess and a judge of Israel, guided her people during peace and war. Russell, Philadelphia: Westminster Press, Gera, Deborah Levine. Open Book Publishers, Kadari, Tamar. Sasson, Jack M. The Anchor Yale Bible. New Haven, Conn. Tamber-Rosenau, Caryn.
Kanarek, Marjorie Lehman, and Simon J. Bronner, Jewish Cultural Studies 5. Piscataway, N. Have an update or correction? Let us know. Episode E. Lockhart's New Jewish Superhero.
Jewish Women's Archive. Learn more. In Brief. Deborah and Jael. The Unnamed Woman of Thebez. Women Warriors Performing Femininity. Post-biblical interpretations of women warriors. More Like This See Also:. See Also:. Encyclopedia : Modesty and Sexuality in Halakhic Literature. Donate Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Listen to Our Podcast. Book Club. Educator's Updates. This Week in History. Enter your email. Shop JWA Get sweet swag. In fact, the Bible is alone among all ancient writings in portraying the exciting and noble role of many women -honestly and in detail.
And we also learn there were a few women who did dishonorable things. There are more female characters- and more strong female characters in the Bible than you will find anywhere else in the ancient world.
Whether they were silent warriors who fought battles of mind and spirit —or engaged in an actual physical fight, these women in the Bible were as strong a force for good as you can see anywhere. Though the best known part of her life is about the fall of man and the original sin, Eve showed strong character through her many later trials.
After being cast out of Eden with her husband Adam for listening to the serpent and eating the forbidden fruit, Eve did not surrender her future to her past. It would have been so easy for her to give up; instead, she persevered.
She dealt with a lot of grief in her life other than just pushing forward after being expelled from paradise. Eve had to learn precisely what loss was by experiencing it, over and over again. Eve had to deal with the loss of her younger son Abel while coming to terms with the fact that the murder of Abel was at the hand of her eldest son Cain.
As the Mother of all the Living, Eve had no mother of her own to learn from. But she and Adam —even after being expelled from the Garden- would have known they could ask God for help in time of need. Eve had to figure out a lot of things, but God was there for her. And He is our help in time of need. Not only did she learn to depend on him, but she also continued with her husband Adam and her third son, Seth.
Eve went on to mother many children and live a long and fruitful life. Deborah is undoubtedly one of the most influential women in the Old Testament and the Bible overall. But she was not the only female to win a military victory by her own hand. In the Old Testament, judges were established by Moses as the Hebrew rulers to help him govern the people and decide disputes and other matters among the Israelites. She consented to go with him — after informing him that a woman would take down Sisera according to the word of the Lord.
Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. It was a declaration that the Lord was not pleased with Barak for his lack of belief in his word. Deborah spoke for the Lord when she directed him into battle, because she was also a prophetess. Instead, a woman would get the credit —something unheard of in that day. Deborah proved herself a courageous warrior by abiding by three lessons all warriors should learn and follow — be obedient, be courageous, and stand steadfast.
She had the courage to speak the word to Barak, and she was steadfast in seeing it through to victory. Jael is the woman Deborah was talking about in her declaration to Barak above. She is the woman who killed General Sisera.
Heber —for some unknown reason- moved his family to a plot of land very near Jabin King of Hazor. As his army was losing to Barak, Sisera fled on foot and came upon Jael in her tent. Sisera was showered with kindness by Jael, and he eventually drifted off to sleep. Jael, however, was no fool and saw the opportunity to help end the reign of the Canaanites over Israel.
Later Barak came by her tent in his pursuit of Sisera. Jael presented the dead Sisera —tent peg and all- to Barak. But the Israelites were held captive in Persia known today as Iran , so she was known as Esther in the Bible book that bears her name. The entire nation of Israel was at risk of losing their lives, because of the evil Haman had plotted against them.
Esther risked everything, including her life, to save the Jewish people from being killed off by King Ahasuerus Xerxes who was ill-advised by Haman. She did this not solely by using her feminine wiles or asking kindly. She —together with her uncle Mordecai- strategized and executed a detailed plan.
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