How Scripture shows women as central characters in stories of God’s people
For Such a Time: Chosen Women of the Bible (Pacific Press, 2017)Ed Dickerson
Women in the Bible were secondary characters, even when they played pivotal roles in biblical stories. Right? After all, they’re “only” intentional mothers or bad girls made good—or not—or are merely in the right place at the right time. Wrong.
Look closer at the parallels between these lesser-known women and better-known Bible heroes. Tamar, Jochebed and the Syrophonecian woman aren’t bit-part players.
For Such a Time: Chosen Women of the Bible features 15 remarkable women and examines how the authors of the Bible intentionally shape their narratives to show how the actions and outcomes of the women parallel those of 15 well-known heroes. Author Ed Dickerson is well researched—and he’s given us an explanation of the significance of women in the Bible.
Of course, these aren’t ordinary women, but neither are they “perfect” women. In fact, they often act against the conventions of their time and culture. They’re women who are prepared to seize the initiative and, in so doing, have found themselves recorded among the stories of God’s faithful people as we have them in the Bible. As urged in For Such a Time, this recognition is no accident.
So, is this a book about women, for women? No. It’s a book for anyone interested in Bible characters. Use it as a personal devotion or for a book club, prayer meeting or Bible-study group. It should be in every church library.
You’ll keep thinking about For Such a Time long after reading the last page. And you’ll want to share it with someone.
For Such a Time: Chosen Women of the Bible is available from Adventist Book Centres.
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