Bible -- Commentaries; Bible -- Feminist criticism; Women in the Bible
Rahab was supposed to have been a great sinner, her life in many
respects questionable; but seeing that victory was with the Israelites,
she cast her lot with them. From the text and what we know of humanity
in general, it is difficult to decide Rahab's real motive, whether to
serve the Lord by helping Joshua to take the land of Canaan, or to
save her own life and that of her kinsmen. It is interesting to see
mat in all national emergencies, leading men are quite willing to avail
themselves of the craft and cunning of women, qualities uniformly
condemned when used for their own advantage.
There is no more significance, as one of our critics says, in
commentating on the myths of the Bible than on Aesop's fables. The
difference, however, is this: that in the latter case we admit that
they were written by a man; while in the former, they are claimed to
have been inspired by God. Though at variance with all natural laws, it
is claimed that our eternal salvation depends on believing in the
plenary inspiration of the myths of the Scriptures; as the "higher
criticisms," written by learned scholars and scientists, are not
familiar to women, our comments in plain English may rid them of some
of their superstitions.
Though the injustice to woman is the blackest page in sacred history,
the distinguished Biblical writers take no note of it whatever. Even
Hon. Andrew D. White, though he devotes several pages of his work to
the statue of Lot's wife in salt, vouchsafes no criticism on the
position of Lot's wife in the flesh, nor of Lot's outrageous treatment
of his daughters. The wonder is that women themselves should either
believe that such unholy proceedings were inspired by God, or make a
fetich of the very book which is responsible for their civil and social
degradation.
Joshua x.
11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in
the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from
heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died
with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the
sword.
12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up
the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of
Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the
valley of Ajalon.
13 And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed, until the people had
avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book
of Jasher? So the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted
not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord
hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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