A WOMAN'S WORTH

Judges 19:22-30 ...certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him. ....Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly. Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you:but unto this man do not so vile a thing. But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: .... and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold. And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. .....he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces... And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

As I was reading this text one day, the thought dropped in my mind, "A Women's Worth". A women's worth seemingly has always been measured or compared to a man's worth. The bible teaches us in the beginning man and women were created equally and both given dominion. Gen 1:27-28: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.". We see also in the new testament, where there is no difference between male and female in God, Gal 3:28, and we are heirs together, I Pet 3:7. I know minds are going now, thinking this is a "women's lib" or "rebel against husbands" blog, but it's not. It's a liberty blog! Jesus paid the price for all souls to be redeemed, both male and female, and He paid a costly, precious, harsh price, and expensive price, His very blood. So we look at a women's worth, it's not to be compared to a male, it's to be seen equally as it is seen in the eyes of God. Notice in the original text here in Judges, the man was content to send out his own daughters and the man's concubine, as long as they didn't bother the man. Both are abominations and disgraceful, neither were okay, the man to be taken or the women to be sent out. And notice also in this text, the old man says "to humble ye them, and do with them what seemth good unto you"...Women, we belong to God! God has never said let anyone do what they will with one of His. Women we are worth more than that, and we are certainly worth it all to God, He paid it all, with all that He had, His very life! The mindset that a women is a "after thought" to God, or a women is a "second class citizen", or a women doesn't or shouldn't have a mind to think on her own, is bondage and an offense to God, and should be a offense to us, most specially the church! We are so afraid of "women's lib" that we would rather oppress a women and dictate her worth to her...tear her down with words, put our foot on her neck, oppress her so that she doesn't realize how God feels about her, she doesn't love herself, she doesn't say NO to that which is wrong and ungodly. Shame on us for letting anyone dictate our worth, letting anyone control our minds and thoughts. The bible says "let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus", Phil 2:5. We read where Jesus kept women around him...A women came with her alabaxter box and poured it on the Master's head, another women anointed His feet with ointment, we see another women on her face before Him and use her hair to wipe her tears from His feet, you see Mary, Elizabeth, Joanna and so on serving the Master...you see a women was the first one at his tomb to witness His resurrection, Mark 16:1-6.

I said all that to say this...women know who you are in God, and know that He loves you the same as He loves all His creation. And above all know this, He died for your liberty to be complete! Hold on nay sayers, God's order is always "in order"! Yes we respect our husbands and honor them, and we listen to them, but you can't be a help meet with your mouth on mute all the time! There is a time to speak and a time to be silent, and also a time to PRAY!!! God hears you, and when you can't reason together, you ought to let the Lord fight your battles. But you don't stop being who God has made you and being a blessing in your household! You don't stop thinking and having your own thoughts that God has placed in your heart! You are fearfully and wonderfully made and created in His image! There is but ONE Lord and Jesus is His Name. To Him and Him alone I bow my knee in submission and humilty!

Be free women...it's already been paid!

Evangelist Anitra Green