We all know about Paul Revere. But have you ever heard of Sybil Ludington? She was born on April 5, 1761, and on the same night as Paul Revere, April 26, 1777, sixteen year old Sybil rode 40 miles—over half again the length of his ride—to rouse her father's militia unit to delay the British army in its march toward Danbury, Connecticut. In driving rain and darkness, over unfamiliar terrain, she sounded the alarm with the same results as that more famous gentleman. She did the same job and received no recognition for it until early in the twentieth century.
That is what I like about Sybil. She did not need to go out and march on a courthouse or a congress hall or anywhere else in order to do her job. She just did what needed to be done. If I remember correctly, she wasn't even asked to do it—she volunteered. Then, after the Revolution, she lived a perfectly ordinary life, marrying and raising a son. She died at the age of 77 in Unadilla, New York.
Many people try to paint the Bible—and God--as misogynistic. They are showing their ignorance of what they revile when they do so. The laws that to an uninformed person who is virtually ignorant of ancient cultures seem "anti-woman" were actually placed there to protect women from any man who would misuse his place in the hierarchy God set about in Eden. As Jesus eventually said about divorce under the Old Covenant, there will always be hard-hearted men and God did His best to protect His women from such. The other things women fuss about are simple common sense. We have adages that state the same thing, some made up by those same hard-hearted and biased men: "Too many chiefs and not enough Indians," for example. Someone has to be in charge if you want to get anything done. But God's women all over the Bible, under both covenants, have not let those hard-hearted men who abuse God's system keep them from doing what needs doing when it needs doing. You will find the toughest women you can imagine in the pages of the scriptures, all of them honored by God when He memorialized their deeds in His Word.
Jael, left alone to face an enemy army general, fought him the only way an unarmed woman could have. Inspired Deborah said of her, Blessed among women shall Jael be Jud 5:24.
Abigail, who heard the foolishness of her wicked husband, immediately set about trying to undo the harm, carrying gifts through the hills and throwing herself on the mercy of a warrior who had sworn to kill them all. Not in subjection you say? She did [her husband] good and not evil all the days of his life (Pro 31:12), which included saving his.
Rizpah, in her torment and grief for her dead and hanging son, sat in the open for as long as 6 months, warding off scavenging birds and beasts until David finally noticed and buried his and the others' bones.
I could go on. None of these women were prima donnas, divas, or hot house flowers. They were women who understood that when something needs doing, you do it; no matter how difficult or uncomfortable or disgusting it is, no matter how tired you are, no matter your grief or hurt; you just get up and do it. And none of them looked for praise or recognition. As true servants of God they simply did the work set before them and served others. And as true servants of the Suffering Servant who gave His all, let us do the same.
In fact, all of us should be this way, not just women. But if we will lead the way in anything, ladies, let's show the men how this is done.
A worthy (also translated strong, valiant, able, powerful, mighty) woman, who can find? Her price is far above rubies Prov 31:10.
Dene Ward
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