Moral Characteristics of Women in the Bible
During the bible times, women had very little rights and opportunities. Specifically, being a Jewish woman during the time of Jesus was no easy task: “By the time of Jesus … Jewish society had become very much male-dominated. Women were considered to be inferior beings and were assigned almost the same status as slaves. They were not educated, not allowed to take any leadership roles, and confined to mostly domestic duties.” (What Does the Bible Say About Women's Rights?)
As you can see, there were many challenges that came with being a woman in those times. Despite this, there are women in the bible who show us how despite circumstances, you can still be impactful and good.
Elizabeth the “Trusting”
“The Scriptures describe Elizabeth as a woman who is "righteous in the eyes of God, careful to obey all of the Lord's commands and regulations" (Luke 1:6).” (“Meet Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist”) Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and a relative of the Virgin Mary, was incredibly faithful to God and trusted his plan.
Elizabeth was a barren woman, meaning she couldn’t have children. At this time, it was infinitely important for a woman to have a son in case her husband died. This was likely heartbreaking for Elizabeth.
Despite this heartbreak, “Elizabeth was a righteous woman, harboring no intentional sin, and yet, she lived into her years “past childbearing” without receiving the blessing for which she asked God. God’s timing was the opposite of condemnation. It was, in fact, an indication that she’d been chosen for a greater blessing..." (Why Elizabeth Is Such an Important Woman of the Bible).
Because of Elizabeth’s faithfulness, God blessed her with a child. When Elizabeth was pregnant, her cousin Mary came to share the news of her pregnancy with the son of God. It would’ve been easy for Elizabeth to be jealous that Mary was blessed by God in such an important way, “but, instead of being jealous over Mary’s own news – pregnant with the Son of God – Elizabeth rejoiced for her cousin and that each was a part of God’s plan.” (“Lessons from the Life of Elizabeth in The Bible)”
In addition to this, Elizabeth wasn’t afraid to speak up for herself: “[Elizabeth] also stands up to her neighbors and relatives when they want to name her son “Zechariah” instead of the name “John” provided by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:59-61; cf. Luke 1:13).” (“Elizabeth”)
Elizabeth was extremely faithful to God, despite the difficulty of the times she was living in. She never let her lack of blessings negatively affect her relationship with God and those around her, and she never compared her blessings to the blessings of others. Elizabeth also stood up for what she knew was God’s plan. Elizabeth was trusting even when it seemed easier not to be.
Esther the “Courageous”
“Many centuries after her death, Esther remains an example of bravery. She faced fear and did what was right and God was faithful.” (“Esther offers a lesson courage”) The biblical book of Esther tells the story of Esther, “a young Jewish woman living in the Persian diaspora who finds favor with the king, becomes queen, and risks her life to save the Jewish people from destruction when the court official Haman persuades the king to authorize a pogrom against all the Jews of the empire.” (“Esther: Bible”)
In Esther 4:14, Mordecai, Esther’s father, urges Esther to approach the king and tell him not to put all of the Jews to death: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther knew that she needed to be courageous for her people, and that’s exactly what she did. In this time, there was a law against approaching the king if you had not been summoned, and this law even applied to Esther, the Queen. Esther knew that she could get killed by breaking this law, but she knew it was worth doing in order to save the Jewish people.
When Esther approached the King, he immediately accepted her and listened to what she had to say. Esther invited the King and Haman to a banquet she prepared in order to delay Haman’s plan. Then Esther prepared a second banquet, and at this banquet, she revealed her true Jewish identity to the King and asked him to retract the order against the Jews. The King retracted the order and Haman was killed.
Esther teaches us the importance of seizing the moment and having courage. Because of her courage, she was able to save her people.
Leah the “Faithful”
“The text tells us little about Leah's physical beauty but a great deal about her inner strength, her loyalty to her husband Jacob and her humility. She is the first woman to give thanks to God for allowing her safely to bear children.” (“Leah and Rachel: A Tale of Two Sisters”) Leah and her sister Rachel were co-wives to Jacob (grandson of Abraham). Jacob openly preferred Rachel to Leah, so Leah likely experienced deep insecurity and heartbreak.
In the midst of this struggle, Leah remained faithful to God: “Leah loved Jacob and prayed about her situation, and God had compassion for Leah. Genesis 29:31 says, “When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.” God rewarded Leah with the first-born son of Jacob, which was a significant honor for a wife in those days.” (“Heroic Women of the Bible: Leah - Finding True Love in God”)
Leah’s value didn’t come from her relationship with Jacob, but from her love and faithfulness to the Lord. Because of her faithfulness, she was blessed: “Ultimately, Jesus would come from the ancestral line of Judah, one of [Leah’s] sons. Despite the overwhelming pain of rejection, Leah found herself blessed beyond measure.” (“Heroic Women of the Bible: Leah - Finding True Love in God”)
Leah faced constant rejection from her husband, and this was very hard, especially for a woman during this time whose primary role was to be a wife and mother. Insecurity and rejection are some of the worst feelings, but Leah shows us that these feelings don’t have to define you and that the value of a woman doesn’t come from her husband. Leah remained faithful and loving to God and to her family and Jesus ended up descending from her.
Ruth the “Loyal”
“The story of Ruth and Naomi shows what true loyalty is like. In addition to loyalty, Ruth exhibited respect, love, friendship, and humility.” (“What can we learn from Ruth's loyalty to Naomi?”) In the book of Ruth, “Ruth was the Moabite daughter-in-law of a Jewess named Naomi. They were living in Moab when both of their husbands died. Naomi planned to return to Israel and encouraged Ruth to stay in Moab and return to her mother’s family.” (“What can we learn from Ruth's loyalty to Naomi?”)
It was very difficult to be a widow during this time, and it would’ve been easier for Ruth to return to her mother’s family instead of staying with Naomi. Ruth chose to stay loyal to her mother-in-law: “Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16-17)
Ruth went with Naomi to Bethlehem. Ruth went to work in the fields of a man named Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz saw Ruth there and heard about who she was and what she did for Naomi. Boaz offered his protection to Ruth and “...she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” ” (Ruth 2:10-12)
Ruth and Boaz ended up marrying and had a son named Omed. Omed had a son named Jesse, who was the father of King David.
Ruth knew that staying loyal to Naomi was the right thing to do, and she was able to carry on Naomi’s important family line because of it. Ruth shows us the importance of choosing loyalty, especially to family, even if it would be easier not to.
To sum up…
In all of these examples, the women were lacking something significant or experiencing a difficult trial, and yet they were able to portray moral characteristics in ways so important and inspiring that we are still reading about them today.
In the US today, women are educated, have leadership roles, and are less confined to domestic duties. “Over the past 70 years, women in the U.S. have made major strides at work and beyond. Women are now earning college degrees at a faster rate than men are and make up nearly half of the labor force.” (“Research finds women in the US are now viewed as equally or more competent than men”)
Even though women in the US and many other places in the world have an abundance of rights and opportunities, it is still easy to experience a feeling of lacking similar to the one women experienced during the bible times.
Women at every age experience this. As a 16-year-old girl myself, I often feel like I’m not good enough, smart enough, or pretty enough. I’m not alone in this: “7 in 10 girls believe that they are not good enough or don’t measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.” (“11 Facts About Teens and Self Esteem”)
Even though women like Elizabeth, Esther, Leah, and Ruth were living very different lives than women living and girls living in 2022, we all experience the same inner feelings and insecurities. Looking at these women from the bible times can show us that we don’t have to be perfect or have massive opportunities in order to do something moral and important. You always have the opportunity to be trusting, courageous, faithful, and loyal, just like women from the Bible.
