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Women & Wisdom

Posted by by Mary Schnoebelen on 5/4/2016 to Biblical Teachings
Women and Wisdom
(Taken from NOTES FROM MARY - the May 2016 edition of THE LIBERATOR, the Newsletter of With One Accord Ministries)
 
“And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time." - Judges 4:4
 
Numerous women of the Bible have bestowed upon us examples of faith, courage and leadership…Deborah, Rachael, Hannah, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Anna and Mary Magdalene…the list is longer than one might suspect...but the point is that YAHUWAH seeks pure, willing vessels after His Own Heart. We, as His Beloved, are betrothed to His Word and what it says about how we should seek – and serve - Him.
 
When discussing women, most of Westernized Christianity today still adheres to what has come down to us through the dictates of Rome – promoting the belief that women fall into one of three categories: Mother, Wife, or Harlot. These Roman ideals teach us that women are pure and innocent, strong and virtuous or simply whorish. Obviously this ideology comes straight from the enemy’s pit! This mindset is a shadowy stronghold on a Believer’s life, and sadly, a powerful way that ha satan has debilitated the Body of Messiah, excluded called-out prayer warriors from the army of Yahuwah and stunting the Body’s growth, holding us in the lap of Roman perversion.
 
All this from a culture where homosexuality was celebrated as the norm
and in most instances, women were either slaves or used as noble ‘brood mares’.

BUT YAHUWAH sees beyond the trappings of this mortal shell. HE looks upon the spirit. Even in ancient days Hebrew women (unlike all their contemporaries) were considered equals in every way to men, and often held positions of authority both in social and religious settings. As shocking as it may seem, remember in Hebrew the word for sons and most oftentimes men includes BOTH men AND women...it can also mean clan or inheritance. And note - women inherited land, position and authority in ancient Israel (no other culture allowed this) and also served in the temple (Micah 6:4, Judges 13:23, 1 Sam. 1: 24-25). Quoting from an excellent article titled, ‘The Status and Role of Women in the First Century Messianic Community’ by Mark Ensign (JD, CPA, Teaching Elder of Adot Adonai, Attorney and Counselor at Law, Amarillo, Texas):
 
In the Herodian Temple, standing at the time of Y’shua (Yahushua, my note), there was a segregated area called Ezrat Nashim (Women’s Court). The Torah does not make any distinction of this court and it was given no special status in Jewish practice. There were no prohibitions regarding the women moving from this court or restricting them only to this court.  Only later rabbinic literature imposes such restrictions.
 
But no references have been found to a Women’s Court in the First Temple or the pre- Herodian Second Temple. Coupled with the fact that the Torah does not mention such a court, it seems this court may have been imposed by King Herod when he remodeled the Second Temple beginning in about 20 B.C.E. Perhaps under the Greco-Roman influence, King Herod intended for women to have a second-class status, something they did not have in Biblical practice.
 
Like men, women offered their sacrifices at the altar in the Priests’ Court, passing through the Israelites’ Court (the men’s court) to reach the altar. A baraita says: “A woman was not seen in the [Priests’] Court unless she was bringing a sacrifice.” From this it is evident that when women offered their sacrifices in the Temple, they did enter the Priests’ Court. If, for instance, a woman offered a wave offering such as first fruits, she went up to the altar, waved the offering, and placed it beside the altar... The Nazirite’s sacrifice was also waved in the Priests’ Court (Bamidar (Num) 6:1-21), and rabbinic literature discusses theoretical and actual cases of women who were Nazirites.
 

I pray every day that I might be pleasing to Yahuwah – a Set Apart Woman of Power (or as Bill teaches, an “Aisheet Chayil) and also pray for other women seeking a Set Apart life. Whether single or married, we are temples of the Ruach ha Qodesh (Set Apart Spirit of Yahuwah) and MUST seek Him humbly, purely and boldly in a Spirit of Truth.
 
Being somewhat of a ‘spiritual mother’ I have endured heartache, faced opposition and rejoiced in triumph for our spiritual ‘young ones’ – just as any mother would. There are countless mothers who are also spiritual leaders, laboring today to equip, gird up and teach the Body of Messiah as well as their own children. This is as it should be, how it once was and how YAHUWAH wants it to be as shown us in His Word!
 
As daughters of the Most High we have IMMENSE influence and spiritual power IF we are first and foremost living a Biblical, prayerful, Set Apart life (and what that means has been a constant point of brutal spiritual warfare for generations, and Bill and I are praying about doing an in-depth teaching). But breaking free from the ruinous Roman beliefs we grew up with is only the first step…we must ALL prayerfully seek liberation! Too many Believers still function within (although they may not realize it) the confines and limitations of false religious beliefs and ignorance. ONLY A THOUGHTFUL STUDY OF THE BIBLE combined with PRAYER LIBERATION can free us – both men and women – from the debilitating Babylonian rhetoric and misguided interpretations once accepted without question. Just remember: Marriage, motherhood, and being a Woman of Power are NOT mutually exclusive. IN FACT, they are symbiotic, necessary and vital for both the Set Apart family and for the Body of Messiah to flourish!
 
WISDOM: FOUNDATIONS OF BALANCE
 
More than anything we pray for wisdom. All spiritual gifts are a huge blessing, but Wisdom balances and refines Biblical Truth and strength. Without Wisdom we become brittle and hard, like old pottery, easily shattered. Wisdom is a profound spiritual gift given by Ruach that helps us resist self-righteousness by keeping us humble. Helps us resist pride by focusing our spirits on YAHUWAH’s vast greatness and leads us instead to seek understanding. Helps us resist making false judgments that open huge cracks into our armor by instead, putting the fear of YAHUWAH into us! I strongly suggest praying Proverbs Chapter 8 at least once a week.
 
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth,
do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; 
I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.
By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. - Proverbs 8:13-17 
 
There is so much to be said about the special blessings and love a mother (or any anointed Woman of Valor) can bring into our lives! We will have much more to share in the future. I know for certain that without my mother’s prayers I would never have recognized the Light of Yahushua, and so much more…But in writing this article, Ruach led me to focus on our Biblical heritage and the Set Apart woman (whether single or not), and how we – especially women – need to engage ourselves in YAHUWAH’s plan for us as His Bride. Pressing into the calling, which is without repentance, for His highest praise! I was going to write about love…but Ruach had other ideas. Wisdom refines faith, hope and love!

Bill and I pray you have a blessed, safe, Set Apart summer! Thank You all who pray for us and support us financially – we are so very grateful. Summer can be a an especially difficult time and your dedicated support helps keep us going strong for the KING of kings! We deeply covet your prayers and ask you to pray for us - we both need Yahushua's Wisdom on this journey! Thank You! Our prayers continue going up for all our Friends and Partners – many times every day! 

THANK YOU for standing with us! May Yahushua give you an ever-growing capacity for His Set Apart Spirit - PRAISE YAHUWAH!
 
Because He lives!
Mary