session 3 life after the fall: patriarchs, kings, priests & prophets

SESSION 3

LIFE AFTER THE FALL: PATRIARCHS, KINGS, PRIESTS

& PROPHETS

Andreas J. Kostenberger

Session 3: Life After the Fall

Male Leadership in the OT1. Patriarchs2. Kings3. Priests4. Prophets

Role & Status of Women in the OT


Male Leadership in the OT: Patriarchs

Patriarchy refers to a household, society, or culture led by males.

The word literally means “rule of the father.”

The concept often has a negative connotation in modern culture.


Male Leadership in the OT: Patriarchs

Better term is patricentrism, which literally means “father-centeredness.”

The father’s role in the household was like that of a hub on a wheel. It was his responsibility to care for everyone under his authority.

He was to be a blessing to his family and his extended household, providing, protecting, and leading them.

Like the father in the household, the king was to be a blessing to the people he governed, providing care, provision, and protection.


Male Leadership in the OT: Kings

Deuteronomy 17:16-20:16“Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’ 17And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.18Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law . . . . 19It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left . . . .”


Male Leadership in the OT: Kings

While kings were in a position of authority, God made it clear that they were not superior to their fellows Israelites.

While a few kings in the history of Israel were God-fearing, many were faithless and abused their authority.

Yet Scripture does not envision the elimination of kingly rule altogether but looks forward to the reign of the righteous king, the Messiah.


Male Leadership in the OT: Priests

Only males from the tribe of Levi were allowed to serve as priests in OT Israel (e.g., Numbers 3:15).

While women served at the entrance to the tent of meeting (Exodus 38:8; 1 Samuel 2:22), they did not serve as priests.

This constitutes another instance of the pattern of male leadership in OT times.


Male Leadership in the OT: Prophets

Prophets were an essential means by which God spoke to his people.

Both men and women served as prophets (though all the writing prophets were male: 4 major, 12 minor).

Unlike kings and priests, prophets did not wield institutional authority.



Judge

Queen

Prophetesses

Notable Women


Role & Status of Women in the OT: Judge

Judges 4:4-5:“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment.”

Deborah’s primary identification is “prophetess.”

Deborah was a woman of faith during a dark time.



Deborah summons Barak to deliver Israel but he is reluctant to do so.

Judges 4:9:“She said, ‘I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.’”

This is fulfilled when another woman named Jael drives a tent peg through Sisera’s temple.



The deliverance of Israel by a woman is to Barak’s shame.

Barak is meant to lead Israel to victory but does not carry out the leadership role to which God has called him.

Remarkably, Hebrews 11:32 nonetheless mentions Barak, not Deborah:

“What more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah . . . .”


Role & Status of Women in the OT: Queen

Athaliah is the only queen mentioned in the Bible who ruled Israel.

Her entire story is tragic.

2 Kings 11:1:“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring.”



One son, Joash, is rescued.

He is anointed king at age 7, at which time Athaliah is killed (2 Kings 11:13-16).

She is not chosen by God or part of the royal line but becomes queen through a bloody coup on her own initiative.



A far more positive example of a queen is Esther.

In his providence, God uses Esther to deliver his people from the threat of ethnic extinction.

Another important role is queen mother. Numerous mothers are named along with their sons who ruled (e.g., Bathsheba).


Role & Status of Women in the OT: Prophetess

3 women are identified as prophetesses in the OT:

Miriam – Moses’ sister who led the people in worship after the exodus (Exodus 15:20-21)

Deborah – Prophetess whom God used to call Barak to bring deliverance (Judges 4-5)

Huldah – Well-known prophetess who spoke the word of the Lord to Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:22-30)


Role & Status of Women in the OT: Prophetess

Huldah does not only speak a prophetic word but is sought out by the king.

2 Chronicles 34:21-22:“Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. . . . So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe . . . and spoke to her to that effect. “

Role & Status of Women in the OT: Notable Women

Name Description

Eve First woman, Adam’s wife, succumbed to temptation by the devil

Sarah Wife of Abraham, obeyed her husband, called him “lord” (1 Peter 3)

Rebekah Wife of Isaac, mother of twins Esau and Jacob

Leah, Rachel Wives of JacobRahab Gentile woman who welcomed

Israel’s spies and had faith in God

Role & Status of Women in the OT: Notable Women

Name DescriptionRuth Wife of Boaz, her kinsman-

redeemer, ancestor of the Messiah

Hannah Godly wife of Elkanah, mother of Samuel, precursor of the mother of Jesus

Abigail Wise and discerning wife of David

Bathsheba Wife of David, mother of Solomon, former wife of Uriah

Esther Jewish queen in Persia who helped save Jewish people from extinction



The primary problem in the OT is not male oppression but human sin.

OT laws don’t always restore women to their status as the man’s partners, but they do seek to protect women from male abuse.

The fact that the Bible was written by men and primarily addressed to men is appropriate given the pattern of male leadership.


Life After the Fall: Summary

(Male) Leadership in the OT is not primarily about power but about responsibility and authority.

Leaders, whether fathers, husbands, or kings, are meant to emulate God’s example of caring for his people.

The OT reflects the pattern of male leadership established at creation.

While many male leaders fail to exercise their authority in a responsible, God-honoring manner in OT times, this is a sin problem, not a problem with God’s design of male leadership.


What’s Ahead

We’ve seen God’s design for man and woman established at creation.

We’ve seen God’s design for man and woman distorted at the fall.

We’ve seen that after the fall God’s design hasn’t changed, but humanity struggles to live it out.

God’s sinful creatures yearn for God’s design for man and woman to be restored by the Messiah.

session 3 life after the fall: patriarchs, kings, priests & prophets

Documents

ot andreas

kostenberger slide

ot israel

prophets prophets

ot times

priests prophets

fall male leadership

pattern of male leadership