Pushback....

"Sure, women could be prophets, but they couldn't participate in government."

[Note: This is a simple summary of the detailed data in the syllabus. Refer there for sources/discussion. Updated: 01/02/97]
This objection is normally levied because the monarchs in the OT were always male. ..

But women played obvious roles in ALL levels of government:

  1. Deborah was actually a national 'judge' (like Samuel)
  2. One woman built three cities (and named one after herself)
  3. The Sage-women were local city elder-types.
  4. Each king had a dominant queen--for good or ill! (cf. Jezebel)
  5. Queen mothers functioned as vice-Kings, to the point that one could rule the land for 7 years without a king on the throne--and no one had a problem with it...
  6. Even some of the prophetesses were attached to the court--Huldah was probably a court-prophet (and was married to a court official).
  7. There were female scribes (originally a court position) that returned under Ezra.
  8. They had access to the king and to legal courts.
  9. There were female singers (and male singers) that had court assignments.
  10. They assisted in rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem.

I would say that that is a pretty robust line-up of known female participation in government.

The Christian ThinkTank...[https://www.Christianthinktank.com] (Reference Abbreviations)