Women of the Old Testament

I always thought women are marginalized in the Old Testament. I have always thought women are marginalized everywhere actually (don't get me wrong, I'm not really a feminist). After going through the whole Old Testament, I was baffled by how influential women are in these books. It's sad though that most of these anecdotes are of the "bad wife/wives." Adam ate the forbidden fruit because of Eve. The sons of God married the daughters of men, which led men into wickedness. Unrighteous mothers lead to unrighteous children and perhaps unrighteous husbands. Samson falls because he told the secret of the strength in his hair to Delilah (she was only a girlfriend of his). The kings of Israel married foreign wives. Foreign wives worshiped false gods instead of God. As a result, the kings of Israel influenced their citizens to worship these false gods. Ultimately, this led to Israel's downfall. If only these kings married God-worshiping women, Israel could have been preserved. Every time we went over a story about a "bad girl," I would get so irked about the fact that they caused so much unnecessary trouble. If I could, I would slap them.

I learned that women have had unprecedented influence on the events of the Old Testament. By influencing the decisions and fate of men, women influenced major events of the Old Testament. I have never realized how much power women have through their examples. The course of history in the Old Testament could have been completely different if women were righteous God-followers.

All in all, it makes me realize how vital it is for women to be good examples for the sake of men.