Proverbs 31, In All Fairness

  “She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.” Proverbs 31:16

  I find it rather interesting to realize women, in Christ’s day, had their own money and were able to make decisions about it, to own property. It came up in my writings about Lazarus as well. Martha and Mary were wealthy. They didn’t live off of Lazarus. Scriptures are clear, he lived with them.

  So where did the idea, the practice of removing all a woman’s income and autonomy in financial matters come from? When did the idea evolve that women were incapable of being trusted with such things as financial decisions? When did men begin to think that “the little woman” needed taking care of because she was incapable of doing for herself? How did a woman’s submission give tacit permission to be subjugated and oppressed?

  Year 1716. A wealthy woman’s education consisted of embroidery, some sort of musicianship, learning how to conduct herself, how to sit, how to eat, how to entertain. Perhaps there would have been basic math so she could tend to the financial end of keeping house having been given an allowance to do so. 

  Year 1916. The year women got the right to vote in Canada.

  Year 2016. Even though a husband and wife own property jointly, he can apply for a mortgage against it without the wife being notified by the bank. Her permission isn’t required.  Should a wife try to do the same, the husband always has to give his permission. Yet, the debt is equally shared by both and both are equally responsible to pay it back.

  Year 2019. We still have a long way to go.

 

  This part of the Bible, the oldest, demonstrates an equal status between the genders that was lost somewhere along the line. I hesitate to use the term equality because I firmly believe men and women will never be truly equal because each gender has unique talents and abilities that the other is lacking.  

  Can child bearing and lifting heavy objects ever be considered equal? Oh, dear men, if you only knew! I believe each gender should be celebrated with the deepest gratitude for how differently God created us to be.  But yes, yes, yes, women should have equal status and equal rights.

  Then there’s the passage in 1 Corinthians 14:34. “Women should remain silent in churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.”

  So let’s back up a minute. If this is the New Testament, how come the law is being touted? How did this idea overflow into life in general with such an impact on the lives of women? Perhaps it has been reinforced by Christ’s command that wives submit to their husbands in the part about marriage. (Yes, definitely going to explore that section once this investigation of Proverbs 31 is over. Misunderstanding may be colouring my attitude.)

  Then there is Mary, whom Jesus praised for doing the right thing by sitting at His feet and learning right alongside the men. Jesus liberated women right there, right then. Boy, we’ve made a mess of things.

  May God have mercy on us all.