Creative Women Series

CREATIVE WOMEN

(2 Kings 4:8-37, Exodus 20:12)

by Saumiman Saud *)

When we commemorate Mother's Day, we often hear the greeting "Happy Mother's Day", may God always bless you to be a good mother, who becomes a blessing for family, church and society. In America, the history of Mother's Day observance was initiated by a mother named Anna M Jarvis (1864-1948) from Philadelphia1. This idea came from a Sunday School teacher in Virginia. Remembering a mother's love - carrying a child, nursing, raising, educating, schooling, until the child grows up, marries, and then caring for grandchildren and so on. Anna J Jarvis then popularized Mother's Day on May 8, 1908, during a Memorial Service commemorating her mother. On May 8, 1914, in a congressional session, US President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May to be celebrated nationally as Mother's Day14.

An expression in Indonesian we have heard is "Heaven is under a mother's feet", showing that a mother's role is not just giving birth, but also raising the child to become a "person" - which in Christian understanding means raising the child to fear God. It's not easy to be such a successful mother, though being just a "good" mother may be easier. A "good" mother will give everything for her children so they say their mother is very good. But a "successful" mother not only gives good things to her children, but also educates them especially in fearing God.

The Bible often depicts successful female figures. One we will look at further is the Shunammite woman. She is called the Shunammite woman because she lived in Shunem, a city north of Jezreel near Nain, which became famous 900 years later when Jesus raised a widow's dead son back to life there. This woman is also described as prominent and wealthy, married to an older husband, but sadly still childless. The Bible teaches that the husband is the head of the household, but this doesn't mean the woman must be forced to obey everything the husband decides without having her own creative initiative. If a wife is passive, it becomes very weak if the husband is also passive, so balance is needed for new ideas in the household.

A creative woman, with her husband's knowledge, can propose positive things. Why do I say we need positive ideas? Because there are indeed negative ideas that do not build up faith but rather lead us into sin. We will briefly see that in the Bible itself there are some women who frankly put forward negative ideas. For example:

1. Sarah (Genesis 16:1-18, 21:8-21)

One of her ideas in married life with Abraham was to suggest Abraham marry again (polygamy), because she felt unable to give Abraham offspring anymore, especially now that they were elderly. Sarah said to Abraham: "You see that the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." (Genesis 16:2) This was Sarah's idea for her husband. Actually this idea is very contrary in today's context, but I see it's not free from the negative consequences experienced by Sarah. Because when Abraham remarried and had Ishmael, problems arose. Sarah began to be looked down upon by Hagar (16:4). This was Sarah's creative idea with an originally good purpose, but the wrong method so the result was negative. Hagar eventually had to be "forced" out of Abraham's extended family (see Genesis 21:8-21). This enmity continues to this day.

2. Jezebel (1 Kings 21)

When Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell his vineyard to King Ahab, an evil intention was proposed by his wife Jezebel to forcibly seize it. Jezebel said to Ahab, "Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name and sent them to the elders and nobles in Jezreel. The letters said: "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, 'You have cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death." (1 Kings 21:7-9). So indirectly King Ahab ended up killing Naboth just to get his vineyard, which was truly shameful. As a king who could be said to have and rule over everything, a vineyard should have been a trivial matter. But due to his wife's instigation, this small issue became big and caused Ahab to commit murder.

3. Herodias (Matthew 14:1-13, Luke 3:19,20)

Herodias was the former wife of Philip who had an affair with Herod and became his wife. Everyone was silent about this issue, except John the Baptist who boldly rebuked them. Matthew 14:4 states, "It is not lawful for you to have her," which was John's rebuke to Herod. This rebuke made Herodias hate John and seek revenge, leading to John the Baptist's imprisonment (Luke 3:19,20). When her daughter Salome danced, King Herod joyfully offered to give her a gift. Herodias used this opportunity to fulfill her long-held vendetta by having John the Baptist killed, albeit indirectly (Matthew 14:1-12). She whispered to her daughter to ask for John's head on a platter as a gift.