Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Numbers 4-5: God values women

Numbers 5 is crazy. Basically, if a man thinks his wife is unfaithful, he takes her to the priest, and she has to drink some kind of funky water. And if she has actually been unfaithful, she is cursed and won't have children.

The whole thing sounds so sexist. So misogynist.

And yet, this is a sign of God's love for women. The way he values them.

In those days, men essentially owned their wives. There were no laws against domestic violence.

And here we see this wonderful law, written into the code to protect wives.
A husband suspecting his wife of unfaithfulness doesn't have the right to beat her, put her out, or kill her.

Husband and wife must go to the priest and submit themselves to God.

Jesus came to set women free from the curse that kept them subservient to men. Jesus came to give us life and opportunity.

The promises of God are not limited to men--they are ours as well.

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