SHOULD A WOMAN BE IN LEADERSHIP!!! PART 2!!!!!

Proverbs chapter 31







Today we are walking in: Should A Woman Be In Leadership










Today we look to the word: RESTORE- H8421- shuwb- to come back; specifically to reply:—answer, restore, return (an answer).







The Torah testifies………….




Leviticus 6:5

Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore H8421 it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.




Deuteronomy 22:2




And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore H8421 it to him again.










The Prophets proclaim………….




Nehemiah 5:11

Restore H8421, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.




Nehemiah 5:12

Then said they, We will restore H8421 them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.







The Writings witness…….




Job 20:18

That which he laboured for shall he restore H8421, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.





Psalm 51:12

Restore H8421 unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.










Yah Wants To Restore Women to Their Full Leadership Role




We need to remember that, even though the woman’s influence power has the potential to harm, it was Yah who originally gave her this leadership gift when He created her. The influence is not the result of the Fall; the corruption of the influence is. It is Yah's desire that the woman be restored to her full leadership role and use this influence for His good purposes. Yah indicated that this was His plan even at the time of the Fall. All of the declarations that Yah gave Eve and Adam in Genesis 3 are Yah's responses to the Fall. He said that, in the end, He was going to restore what He had established in the beginning. How? Through the redemption of Yahusha Hamachiach and the coming of the Ruach Hackodesh.




When the Ruach Hackodesh comes back into a woman’s life, Yah‘s plan for her reverts to what it was originally. This is why Peter said, “husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as... Heirs with you of the gracious gift of life” (1 Peter 3:7, emphasis added).




Women are joint and equal heirs of salvation with men. This means that, when a woman receives salvation in Yahusha Hamachiach, She becomes equal in rulership again. At the time of the fall, Yah cursed HaSatan and promised that He would deal with him decisively at a later time. The seed of the woman would come and crush his head and take away his power. Let us look more closely at how Yah accomplished his plan of restoration for the woman (and the man) through Hamachiach.




Hamachiach Restored the Woman to Partnership




The Bible is an account of Yah’s restoration program.




Yahusha Hamachiach restored humanity to Yah’s purpose and plan. I define the plan of Yah very simply. Genesis 1-2 is a depiction of Yah‘s perfect program for the spirit-man and his manifestation as male and female. Chapter 3 reveals how and why this program fell apart. Genesis 3 to Revelations 21, the last chapter of the Bible, explains what Yah has done and is still doing to restore Humanity to His original program (and even beyond that). The Bible is an account of Yah's restoration program, which He effected through various covenants with his people.




Hamachiach’s life, death, and resurrection accomplished the redemption of man. The sacrifice of the perfect man made atonement for the sins of the fallen man and restored humanity to the fellowship with Yah it had enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. This means that the curse of sin is removed from people’s lives when they receive Hamachiach’s redemptive work and are born again. Hamachiach’s own Spirit comes to dwell within them, they are restored to Yah‘s purposes, and they are able to love and serve Yah again.




Under the redemptive work of Hamachiach, the woman is not only restored to fellowship with Yah but is restored to the position of partner with her male counterpart. Therefore, she is no longer to be dominated or ruled by the male, because, if she were, it would mean that the redemptive work of Hamachiach had not been successful.




The woman was created by Yah to be a helper, not a slave. There is a big difference between the two. The Bible refers to the Ruach Hackodesh as a helper. (See John 15:26; 16:7 NKJV.) Yahusha said that the Ruach Hackodesh not only would help us, but also would lead us. “He will guide you into all truth“ (John 16:13). The Ruach Hackodesh is the Paraclete, meaning the one who can help us as well as be a comforter, counselor, and guide.




Being a helper does not mean being inferior. A helper can be a guide and a teacher. Therefore, although the male is always the responsible head in Yah's design, he is not the “boss.“ He is not the owner of the woman.




Remember that when Yah addresses the human race, he never addresses us as a male and female; he addresses us as “man.“ He deals with the spirit man within both male and female. In order to function on earth as man, however, males and females each exercise an aspect of leadership that was given to man, the spirit.




While the man is ultimately the responsible head, the woman is a coleader. A good illustration of this is the leadership between Yahusha and His Ekklesia. Yahusha is called the head, and the Ekklesia is called the body (Colossians 1:18). They work in unison with one another. Hamachiach’s relationship to the Ekklesia is the perfect model for us of the male-female relationship in Yah‘s purposes for the woman in her dominion leadership role.




Hamachiach’s Influential Bride




Hamachiach’s sacrificial work on the crucifixion stake redeemed the power of influence in a beautiful example of Yah‘s love and purposes. When it was time for Yahusha to die on the crucifixion stake, He knew He was about to begin a journey that would involve something along these lines: “I have to return to my Father, but I want to influence the world for my kingdom. I am the King and I am the Word; therefore, I exercise position power. To influence the world, I need a wife, a partner, who has influence power.”




The experience of the second Adam is parallel with the experience of the first. For example, Yahusha had to be born a male because the male is the source; moreover Hamachiach had to be a male because He came to fulfill what Adam had failed to do. To accomplish this, he experienced something very close to what Adam experienced when Yah created the woman. He who is the second Adam went to sleep (in his death on the crucifixion stake) so that Yah could take out of him a woman name ekklesia, The Ekklesia. When Hamachiach’s side was pierced by the spear, blood and water poured out; symbolically, the Ekklesia was born of blood and water, the blood of Hamachiach and the water of the Word. Therefore, the Ekklesia was brought forth from Hamachiach’s side as the woman was brought forth from the side of the man.




Hamachiach left the earth in the hands of a woman, the Ekklesia.




The Ekklesia is described in the Bible as a “she,“ a bride, a woman. It is given a feminine designation. As Eve was presented to Adam in perfection, Hamachiach says that he will present to himself “a radiant Ekklesia... Holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27). Yahusha told his bride, “I love you.“ Then he said to men, “husbands, love your wives as I love my wife.“ How does Hamachiach show love to the community? He cleanses her with the washing of the water by the Word; he takes away every spot, wrinkle, and blemish (see verses 25-28), just as Adam was supposed to have done for Eve.




Adams job was to protect Eve and to make sure that she was kept continually cleansed by communicating Yah‘s word to her. Adams' failure was that he, in a sense, abandoned Eve, and that is why she was vulnerable to HaSatan‘s enticement. Then, when Eve went to Adam after having disobeyed Yah‘s word, instead of correcting her, he joined with her in disobedience.




Yahusha however, is the perfect man. He told his wife, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” Hebrews 13:5. This is what makes the difference. HaSatan cannot overcome the Ekklesia, because Hamachiach will never leave her. He’s maintaining His perfect vigil over her. He is the perfect Adam.




Before Yah created Eve, he first declared that she was to help Adam in fulfillment of the dominion assignment; she would be his helper. The ekklesia fulfills exactly the same role for Hamachiach. Being a member of the body of Hamachiach not only means receiving salvation but also helping The Most High in His purpose of winning the world to Himself. This is why He gave the Ekklesia the responsibility of going into the world as a witness for Him. It is His plan to draw the world to Himself in salvation, and it is the Ekklesiaes role to help Him to do it.




Yahusha said to His woman, “I am going to leave the entire world in your care because I need someone who can influence the world for me.“ Therefore, Hamachiach left the earth in the hands of a woman, the Ekklesia. All Hebrew women and men or a part of this woman.




The Ekklesia helps Yahusha to accomplish His redemptive assignment. He sees her as a perfect leader, and he shows this by the fact that he has entrusted the word of Yah to her. Now, the implication of this is that the female is a trusted leader, just as the male is. The Ekklesia is not the servant of Yahusha, just as the female is not the servant of the male, but his partner. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).




In Hamachiach, Yah‘s purposes have been restored. Yahusha told the Ekklesia, “You will be seated with me in heavenly places“ (Ephesians 1:20). He did not say, “You will be seated below me.” Since Hamachiach is the King, the Ekklesia is his Queen. We need to see Yah‘s intent for the female in this portrayal of Hamachiach and the Ekklesia. She is not meant to sit below the man, but to be his partner in leadership, in dominion.




This principle is extremely important: when men treat women as inferior, lesser, or weak beings, when they oppress or suppress her, they are damaging themselves; they are undermining their own purpose and potential. Both the male-man and the female-man are made in Yah's image. Any oppression of that image is an oppression of oneself: “He who loves his wife loves himself“ (Ephesians 5:28).




Yah’s Plan Has Already Been Restored




Yah‘s plan for the woman and leadership has already been restored.




What we need to fully realize is that Yah‘s plan for the woman in leadership has already been restored. It is not just for a future time. However, now we need to have our minds renewed in this truth so that we may understand in advance Yahs redeemed purposes for the woman. This is where the challenge currently lies in the world and especially in the community. Most communites are still struggling with the issue of women in leadership or how to translate a woman’s influence power into practice in the community.




What about Paul’s Writings




In the minds of many people in the community, the teachings of Paul regarding women in leadership either outright forbid her to participate in a leadership role or are contradictory, at best. I believe that his writings are very clear if we understand that he wrote them in the context of Yah‘s purpose and design for man (the spirit), and in the context of practical instruction for males and females who are trying to deal with the negative effects of the Fall within their own cultural environments. I believe that Paul wrote from both of these contexts.




In other words, when Paul wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Hamachiach Yahusha“ (Galatians 3:28), he was talking about the spirit man, who Hamachiach redeemed. Therefore, in the body of Hamachiach, in the Spirit, you are dealing with man, where there is no difference in gender. In other letters, Paul was addressing problems people were dealing with in places like Corinth or Ephesus, where people's cultural heritage was making it difficult for them to adjust to their new Hebrew faith. For example, he told the Corinthians, “Women should remain silent in the Ekklesiaes. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says” (1Corinthians 14:34).




This passage has been terribly misunderstood and has been used as a general rule in order to keep women down, to subjugate and oppress them. Many people don’t realize that, in the same letter, Paul gave instructions to women who pray or prophesy in the community (1 Corinthians 11:5). Obviously, they needed to speak in order to do that. Therefore, I believe that Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians had to do with keeping order in the community when the people’s carnality or cultural background was creating confusion and discord. Yah is a Yah of order. Based on Paul’s other writings and on Scriptures and biblical principles from both the Old and New Testaments, these few instructions of Paul’s should not be considered the final or only word in the matter.




Today, however, because of Paul’s desire to bring order to these new congregations, we have people saying that women are to be silent in the communites, wear hats, and basically be seen and not heard. They claim a woman cannot lead or preach. We have become so focused on what amounts to legalism that we are missing Yah‘s revelation of what the woman is: she is the spirit-man within the female.




Let us ask ourselves,





What is more important, culture or Hamachiach?


What is a more valid example of Yah’s purposes, a spirit-filled woman or a carnal woman?


Did Yahusha ever command a woman to be silent?


Did Yahusha ever stop a woman from preaching?




As a matter of fact, the woman at the well went preaching after Yahusha set her free, and then she became an evangelist.




Sometimes we make Paul’s sayings more important than Yahushas’ own revelation of Yah‘s purposes. Please do not misunderstand what I am saying. It’s all Yah's word. Yet Paul in these statements was dealing with specific cultural issues; Hamachiach was dealing with principles. Culture should not be confused with principles. Yahusha elevated, promoted, and restored women to their original dignity. Moreover, Paul himself affirmed the woman’s equality with man in Hamachiach.




Even before Yahusha died on the crucifixion stake, he affirmed women in his earthly ministry in a way that was revolutionary to fallen man, but was right in line with Yah’s purposes for man in creation. This was a striking illustration of his honor for women and their value to him as their Creator and Redeemer.




As I said earlier, if you are a male who has problems with a female teacher, I encourage you to close your eyes and listen to the spirit-man speaking. This approach has helped many men. Listen to what’s being said. If the female house is the problem, then ignore the house and listen to the resident, the spirit-man within, because Yah speaks through the spirit-man. It is the spirit that gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).




Therefore, it’s not only the male, but also the female, who can be a leader. Moreover, their leadership styles do not cancel each other out, it is the combination of position power and influence power that enables man to exercise dominion over the world and which will bring the kingdom of Yah on earth. HaSatan is in trouble when the two types of power come together in unity of purpose.




Strangers In a Strange Land




Trapped in every follower is an undiscovered leader.




Trapped in every follower is an undiscovered leader, and there are many undiscovered leaders in the women of our communities. Yet women are very productive leaders. The saying is true: If you want something done, give it to a woman. Her influence power is highly effective. Even when she is in a role that has traditionally been a position-power role, she brings her influence, her instincts, and her other special gifts to this role. That is why, for example, women make such good negotiators in government and business.




There are communities filled with women, but men don’t allow them to hold responsible positions. I don’t understand this. Women are leaders; they influence positive growth and change. Men in the community will often say that they will do something, and then they won’t show up. Women don’t say anything, but they do show up, and they influence others to come, also.




Abolitionist Harriet Tubman said that when she crossed the line to freedom, “I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land. Many women feel the same way about their leadership abilities. They have been set free by Hamachiach, restored to their place of partnership, but there is no one to welcome them into this land of freedom and service for Yah. They feel like strangers in a strange land, even though they are supposed to be in the promised land of the community.




Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Hamachiach has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.“ It is time men welcome women to the land of freedom.




Principles





Yah endorsed women in leadership when he purposefully sent a woman (Miriam) to be a leader to his people.


Instead of asking if women should be in leadership, we should be asking how they are to exercise it, given their purpose and design.


The spirit man in every male and female is a leader.


The execution of dominion is different from males and females based on their purpose and design. The males exercise position-power and the female exercises influence-power.


Power and influence are equal, but different. A woman and a man are equal in leadership. The difference is in their leadership functions.


Influence-Power may be more subtle than position-power, but it has a potent effect.


When a woman is not under the influence of the Ruach Hackodesh, her influence can become dangerous.


Through redemption, Hamachiach restored the woman to full partnership with the man.


Paul’s writings on women reflect two contexts: a woman’s equality with a man based on their redemption in Hamachiach and a cultural context.


Even before Yahusha died on the crucifixion stake, he affirmed women in his earthly ministry in a way that was revolutionary to fallen man, but was right in line with Yah‘s purposes for humanity in creation.




CONCLUSION: THE PROVERBS 31 WOMEN




No teaching about the purpose and power of women would be complete without discussing the woman who is considered the epitome of both womanhood and power: the woman of Proverbs 31.




Some women don’t even like to read this chapter of the Bible because they are overwhelmed by all the things this woman is supposed to be able to do. “Well, if I had a staff of servants like she had, I could do all of those things, too!“ They exclaim. Yet when we consider our exploration of Yah‘s purposes for the woman from creation to redemption, and when we think about how the woman has been set free to fulfill his purposes, Proverbs 31 gives us tremendous perspective on what a woman is meant to be. Let us not become overwhelmed when reading about what this woman does and miss out on the central message of who she is.




One of the themes that Proverbs 31 is trying to communicate is this: the woman is a doer. She is a multitasker. She is responsible for taking care of her husband, children, home, job, talents, community commitments, charitable work, and sometimes elderly parents. She is a helper and she is a leader. She receives seed into her physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual blooms, incubates it, and then uses it to build and transform the world around her.




However, while she is fulfilling all of these vital purposes in the home and in the world, she must always remember that a woman’s first place is in Yah. Proverbs 31 reminds the woman, “Don’t neglect your relationship with Yah, and don’t forget to develop his character in your inner being as you go about your extremely busy life.”




A woman wants to feel that she is valued for the contributions she is making to her family and community.




It is much too easy to begin to overlook Yah when you are taking care of so many other people and responsibilities. This takes us full circle to what we learned about the woman at the beginning of this series. The woman was created to be loved by Yah and to have fellowship with him as a spirit-being made in his image. She was meant to reflect his character and likeness, to represent his true nature. Yah created the woman to have his moral characteristics within her inner being. She is not only to resemble him as a spirit, but also in these qualities. She was designed to act and function as Yah does, in love and grace. Therefore, Proverbs 31 is saying, “While you are doing what Yah has called and gifted you to do, don’t forget the importance of his character in your life“;




A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. (v.10)




Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears The Most High is to be praised. (v.30)




Women need to realize that their relationship with The Most High in the development of his character in their lives is an essential foundation that will strengthen and sustain them in all their activities and accomplishments. With continual refreshing from The Most High, they can purposefully engage in their many responsibilities and fulfill the exciting purposes Yah has for them.




In some ways, a woman may derive her self-esteem from her activities almost as much as a man derives his self image from his work. She wants to feel that she is valued for the contribution she is making to her family and her community. Yet because she is an emotional feeler, she places this need in the context of her relationships and emotions, and so it is not easily recognized for what it is.




Hamachiach has freed the woman and made her an equal partner with the man so that she can fulfill his purposes for her and develop all the gifts that he has given her. He has freed her from the effects of sin and from the oppression that says she is inferior to men, however, now that she has been set free, she has to guard against suppressing herself. How? By doing at the expense of being.




The world tells us to prove our worth by what we accomplish. The Bible tells us to accept our worth in the one who loves us. You don’t have to justify your worth by how much you are doing for others or how many activities you were engaged in:




For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of Sonship. And by whom we cry, ‘Abba father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are Yah's children. (Romans 8:15)




A woman needs to find her identity in Hamachiach.




A woman first needs to find her identity in who she is in Hamachiach, Yah‘s beloved child. It is only as she does this that she can be fulfilled and carry out his plans for her. When a woman submits to Yah, Hamachiach will work in her and through her by his spirit. In this way, she will be enabled to fulfill all the purposes he has for her, but in his strength, not her own. “We have not received the spirit of the world with the spirit who is from Yah, that we may understand what Yah has really given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12).




The woman of Proverbs 31 is not just a busy woman. She is a woman who knows her purpose in Yah. For example,





She knows that she is to trust Yah and draw her strength from him so that she will not be paralyzed by anxiety; her family and others with whom she is in relationship will be able to put their confidence in her; they will know she has their best interest in mind (vv. 11-15).


She knows that Yah values her abilities and intelligence, and so she is free to pursue opportunities and make plans for expanding her realm of influence (vv. 16-18, 24)


She knows that Yah is her ultimate source and desires to bless her, so she sets about her work with energy and anticipation. She has a good attitude and doesn’t complain (v. 17).


Since Yah has blessed her, she desires to be a blessing to others, and she reaches out to those less fortunate than she (v. 20).


Because she knows that her worth comes from her position in Yah, she treats herself with honor (v. 25).


She has immersed herself in Yah‘s word in order to know his ways, and therefore she is able to give godly wisdom and instruction to others. She honors Yahusha with her life (v. 26).


Because she has come to know the Yah of all encouragement, she is an encouragement to her husband, children, friends, and coworkers and invests herself in their lives (v. 28).




I wholeheartedly encourage you to pursue all of Yah‘s purposes for you. He created your spirit out of his being and out of his love. He designed you perfectly to fulfill your calling in him. Accept the freedom he has given you in Hamachiach. Know that you are esteemed by him. Develop the creative ideas he has given you in your innermost being. Use the many gifts and talents he is placed within you. Be the blessing to yourself, your family, and your community that he has created you to be.




Yet most of all, discover that not only was your spirit created out of Yah, but also that “your life is now hidden with the Hamachiach in Yah“ (Colossians 3:2).




Your place is with and in Him.