No one who holds to the truth of scripture will condone disobedience to God’s commandments. However, there are several Biblical examples of people who disobeyed man’s commandments and were biblically praised. Several of them are women. Their stories of defiance give women a blueprint of when disobedience is necessary. These six godly women in the Bible are powerhouses who showed utter bravery while risking their lives, livelihoods, and reputations.
Shiprah and Puah: Two Women Who Defied a Pharaoh
Find in Exodus 1:15-21.
Romans 13:1-14 commands us to subject ourselves to earthly governing authorities, primarily because these authorities are allowed by God to keep the peace. However, there are times, when rulers and governments ask their people to do things contrary to God’s word. Shiprah and Puah are two midwives who found themselves in such a circumstance.
When the Egyptian Pharaoh asked these two women to kill Hebrew baby boys, they disobeyed. Why? The text says that they feared God. By letting the baby boys live they defied Pharaoh, but they obeyed their God. Because of their faithfulness, God rewards them with families (and future generations) of their own.
To Read more on Shiprah and Puah, read my article, “Brave Women Who Defied a Pharaph.”
Rahab: A Prostitute Who Hid Israeli Spies
Like Shiprah and Puah, Rahab found herself in a situation where she had to choose between her city and its ruler and the Hebrew God. Rahab chose God but in doing so she disobeyed the direct orders from the king of Jericho to turn in the Israeli spies.
After the death of Moses, Israel entered the land of Canaan and had Jericho in its sights per God’s instructions. Joshua, Israel’s new leader, sent two men to spy out the land and they lodged in the home of a prostitute known as Rahab. Rahab was put into a position where she had to choose whether to be a traitor to her people or to follow the God of this foreign people. We know from the text that she chose God.
For her obedience to Him, Rahab is highly praised in the Bible and even appears as only one of four women named in the genealogy of Jesus.
Tamar: The Woman Who Tricked Her Father-in-Law
There is another woman who is named in the genealogy of Jesus who is also known for her defiance. Her story is a bit more nuanced as she did not disobey a direct command, but she acted contrary to the wishes of the family patriarch, Judah.
Judah was Tamar’s father-in-law and out of fear, he had denied Tamar her right to marry his younger son. In doing so, Judah left Tamar in a vulnerable economic position. To right this wrong and pursue justice, Tamar tricks her father-in-law into sleeping with her and becomes pregnant with his child. When Judah threatens to have her killed, she then exposes his sin, but in the process also secures her own rights. Judah himself acknowledges that she was more righteous than himself.
This story leaves many scratching their heads, but I encourage you to read my article that dives deeper into her story, “Tamar, an Unintentional Hero.” While God does not outright praise her as he did for Shiprah and Puah, the text paints her in a positive light and she appears among other female heroes in Jesus’ genealogy leaving us with a positive impression of this unintentonal hero.
Jael: A Woman Who Executed a General
The story of Jael is one of my favorites because she brilliantly outmaneuvered a Canaanite general in order to support the Israeli people and their God. In doing so, however, she breaks the alliance between her people and the King of Hazor, defying her people and most likely her husband as well.
When Deborah was Judge, she commanded Barak to defeat the army of the King of Hazor. Israel was successful, but the Canaanite army commander escaped on foot. Sisera ran to his allies, the Keninites. Once there, he ended up near Jael’s tent where she offered him hospitality and then executed him with a large tent peg. Like Rahab, Jael was a traitor to her people defying her people’s alliance with the Canaanites.
This is one of the Bible’s most brutal stories at the hand of a woman, but she is highly praised. In Chapter 5 of Judges, Deborah dedicates a whole section of her song to praising the actions of Jael on behalf of Israel. Jael was disobedient to her people but loyal to the God of Israel.
Abigail: The Wise Woman Who Saved Her Husband and a King
Find in I Samuel 25.
Abigail was a beautiful and wise woman who acted contrary to her husband’s wishes to save all the males in her household, but she also saved the future King David from sinning.
When King David was insulted by the rich man Nabal, in a fury he gathered his men and was intent on killing Nabal and all the other males of his household out of revenge. Abigail got wind of what was about to happen and brought David a large load of food and wine. It was the very thing Nabal had refused to give David and his men, but she went above and beyond what David had requested. By providing such a generous gift behind her husband’s back, she defied her husband’s wishes, but the scriptures praise her wisdom because she saved her household. She also softened David’s heart and kept him from needlessly killing innocent men and her very guilty husband–although God would take care of the husband later.
For a more in-depth analysis of the story of Abigail, read my article, “The Wise and Beautiful Abigail in the Bible.“
What do these godly women in the Bible teach us about godly disobedience?
Generally, Christians are called to a life of obedience to God but also to higher authorities in marriage, in church, and even in government. But there is such a thing as godly disobedience and these women give us a blueprint as to when to disobey righteously.
More specifically, their example gives us context for Ephesians 5:24. When God commands a wife to submit to her husband, He is not asking women to submit themselves to abuse or economic negligence. For that matter, when God asks all his children to submit to higher authorities, whether governmental or religious, He is not asking for blanket obedience to their every whim. God’s commands and God’s intent always trump earthly authorities.
The text reads “wives should submit in everything” and people will therefore get hung up on the word “everything,” but note that this is just a way of speaking. It does not mean literally everything. It means generally, most things whether great or small, that do not run contrary to God’s will. For example, when talking about food, Romans 14:20 says that “everything is indeed clean.” Yes, generally, most foods, but not food that is spoiled or that can make a person sick. The text says “everything” but logic and context show us that the text is talking about foods that are edible and good for human consumption–not everything you can put in your mouth and digest. That is why a mother will tackle her toddler if she finds him putting candy in his mouth that he found on the street.
Similarly, with Ephesians 5:24 contextually we can deduce that it is everything, except those things that would run contrary to God’s commands or to what is godly or just. If your husband asks you to lie, you don’t. If your husband wants to abuse you or your kids, like Abigail or Tamar, you do what is necessary to protect yourself and your kids and seek justice.
These five women give us a blueprint of when disobedience is not only okay but necessary. For far too long, scriptures like Ephesians 5:24 have been used to justify abuse. That is a gross misuse of God’s beautiful scriptures. Thankfully, He gave us great examples of brave women who had to say “no” to higher authorities, and He praised them for choosing Him instead of men.
Check out my downloadable Bible Studies. Spanish studies here.
Other articles that may interest you……
Resources in Spanish
Downloadable Bible Studies in Spanish
Books, Journals and Notebooks in Spanish
If you liked this content, please share on…..
