Zilpah Says #MeToo

Hello, I'd like to add my voice to the #MeToo movement. My name is Zilpah. You can read my story in Genesis 29, and 30.  

Jacob was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. He married two sisters, Rachel and Leah.  I was given to Leah to be her handmaid or slave by Leah's father, Laban.

I did not chose to be a slave, to be treated as property passed from Laban to Leah.

When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, Leah gave me to Jacob to have more children for her.

I had no choice or voice when it came to sex.

With your modern ethical standards, I wonder if you would view having sex with a slave girl consensual or not?

So two of my sons,Gad and Asher become the ancestors of two of the 12 tribes of Israel.

But I'd like to say #MeToo with the other women who have been treated like property, and have had no choice or voice when it comes to sex.

Read more on this blog:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here

Bilhah Says #MeToo

Hello, I'd like to add my voice to the #MeToo movement. My name is Bilhah. You can read my story in Genesis 29, and 30.  

Jacob was the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. He married two sisters, Rachel and Leah.  I was given to Rachel to be her handmaid or slave by Rachel's father, Laban.

I did not chose to be a slave, to be treated as property passed from Laban to Rachel.

Rachel was upset that she was not getting pregnant, and was jealous that her sister Leah was having children. So Rachel gave me to Jacob to have some children for her.

I had no choice or voice when it came to sex.

With your modern ethical standards, I wonder if you would view having sex with a slave girl consensual or not?

So two of my sons, Dan and Naphtali become the ancestors of two of the 12 tribes of Israel.

But I'd like to say #MeToo with the other women who have been treated like property, and have had no choice or voice when it comes to sex.


Read more on this blog:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here

Sarah Says #MeToo

Hello, I'd like to add my voice to the #MeToo movement. My name is Sarah. I'm the wife of Abraham.  My husband is known for being the father of the nation Israel.  Many people view Abraham as a good godly man, one of the heros of their faith.  They have their reasons for viewing him this way.

But please allow me to say #MeToo with all the women who have been treated like property traded between men.

There were times where I had no choice or voice when it came to sex.

So I guess it started with my brother Abraham deciding with our dad that we would get married. Decisions about marriage were made between father of the bride and the groom.  And yes, Abraham and I had the same father, but different mothers - so it started with a decision between my father and my brother that I should marry my brother Abraham.

The next time I felt like property to be traded and used by men is recorded in Genesis 12. There was a famine so we went to Egypt for awhile. Abraham feared that the Egyptians would kill him and take me. Abraham decided he would rather share me with Pharaoh than be honest about our marriage. We told them that I was just Abraham's sister (which was half true).  Pharaoh took me and used me. Abraham was treated well for giving me to Pharaoh until Pharaoh discovered the full truth. 

Years later Abraham tried to pull the same stunt with Abimelech, king of Gerar (recorded in Genesis 20). King Abimelech took me to his place, but this time God speaks to Abimelech before anything happened.

I pray a day will come when women do not get treated like property to be traded back and forth between men. 

With any women who feels they have been treated like property I want to say #MeToo!



Read more on this blog:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here

Hagar voices #MeToo

Hello, I'd like to add my voice to the #MeToo movement. My name is Hagar. You can read my story in Genisis 16, and 21.  I was Sarah's handmaid, or slave girl. 

I know the #MeToo movement is about sexual harassment and assault, and I my story isn't exactly along those lines. However want to share my voice as a woman who was treated as property. I had no choice or voice when it came to sex, and after I was used I was discarded.

Many people view Abraham as a good godly man. He is considered on of the hero of their faith.  They may have their reasons for viewing him this way, but my memories are different.  

Abraham and Sarah could not get pregnant. Abraham wanted a son, and he believed God had promised that he would have a son. My master Sarah decided to offer me to Abraham. Neither of them asked me what I thought of the plan. 

I had no choice or voice in the matter.  

With your modern ethical standards, I wonder if you would you consider this consensual sex or not?


It actually gets worse for me. After Sarah has a child of her own, she is upset that I also have a child of Abraham's.  She convinces Abraham to send me off into the desert with my son.  My life, or the life of my son no longer had any value to them. 

So yes, I feel I was sexually mistreated by Abraham and Sarah. I was forced to have sex, and then discarded afterwards.  #MeToo


Read more on this blog:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here

Biblical Marriage

Today you may hear the term "Biblical Marriage" to refer to the type of marriage that Christians today think is appropriate.

On the following pages we will look at some things that were common in marriages found in the Bible.  We will look at polygamy, concubines, virginity for females, bride price, Leverite marriage, sex with slaves, marriage of a rapist and victim, sex with prisoners of war, and age of consent (without the consent part).

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Start from the top:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here

Ruth

The story of Ruth is one of a handful of female heros in the Bible.

Stop and think for a moment about the advice that mother-in-law Naomi gave to Ruth.

“ Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.  Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.  When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his “feet” and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” (Ruth 3:2-7 NET)

There is great debate that "feet" in the Bible can sometimes be a euphemism for other body parts they didn't want to speak about.

2 Kings 18:27 and Isaiah 36:12 "the water of their feet" gets translated "their own piss"  http://biblehub.com/2_kings/18-27.htm

Ezekiel 16:25 "opened your feet" gets translated "spread your legs"

Isaiah 7:20 "the hair of the feet" gets translated "the pubic hair"

2 Samuel 11:1-11 David tells Uriah to go home and "wash his feet". He likely already washed his feet before coming into the kings palace.  Uriah replies that he doesn't want to lie with his wife.

It is debatable what "uncovering his feet" could mean here, and what directions Boaz was expected to give after she uncovered his "feet".

Even if the feet were just feet, I'm not sure what Naomi was thinking giving this advice to a young girl. Go sneak into the tent of an older married man who had just finished having a few drinks, and see what happens.  Do whatever the drunk old man says to do.

Why didn't Naomi tell Ruth to approach him in the daylight in a public place with some fresh baking instead?

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Start from the top:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here

Moses

Continuing to look at the sex lives of some of the Biblical heros.  Trying to create a biblical list of things considered sexually immoral.   Was Paul considering Moses when he said that the sexually immoral (pornoi πόρνοι) will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Chor 6:9) Or did pornoi mean something else?

Moses is considered to be the greatest prophet of our Old Testament.  He is regarded as a man who spoke for God.

"No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses, who knew the LORD face to face." (Deut 34:10 NET)

It seems Moses married two women.  It is believed Moses married an Ethiopian Princess "Tharbis" and the Midianite Princess "Zipporah".   There is no record of the prophet Moses speaking out against having multiple partners, and no record that he ever repented of this.

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Start from the top:

• Recently Discovered Chapter of Deuteronomy
• Sexuality of: Heros of The Faith
• Biblical Marriage
• Porneia (Sexual Immorality???)
• Take a survey here