Women of the Word

by

Marilyn Hickey

2nd Printing 20,000 in Print

HARRISON HOUSE Tulsa, Oklahoma

Contents

Foreword

Women of the Word

Foreword

When Marilyn and I began our work in evangelism in 1958, she taught a personal soulwinning seminar during our crusades. She didn't sense a special call to this, but did it as a good thing for the Lord's work and a "plus" for our ministry.

Down through the years she would occasionally remind the Lord that she was not "called" by Him, but was simply aiding her husband in his call. She did this especially when she was "strung out" and tired.

She got away with this for quite a number of years until one day in the early 1970's when the Lord suddenly jerked her up on a "short string." He spoke directly to her in her heart and said she was called by Him, that He had called her for herself, not just as her husband's assistant. This was no surprise to me, but it was a wonderful and encouraging bit of news to her. At last it assured her that she had a definite calling!

It's never been hard for me to see Marilyn being called of the Lord. We were both raised as Methodists and we know a very special woman, Charlotte Dillon, in Nebraska, who was ordained into the ministry in the 1950's. Charlotte was called of the Lord to full-time ministry as a young person. She thought at the time that God had made a mistake, or that she had read Him wrong, for in those days women were just not accepted as ministerial candidates.

Charlotte married a Methodist minister, and as much as said, "That settles that!" But the Lord didn't think so! He continued to deal with her; and the call became increasingly stronger, even after the birth of six children.

When Reverend Dillon passed away suddenly, Charlotte was forced to raise the children alone. Then when her children were grown, she finally responded to God's call. For a number of years she pastored a Methodist church in Ponca, Nebraska, and later became the Dean of Women at a school in Kentucky.

As Marilyn's teaching ministry has continued to grow under the blessing of the Lord, I've had an influx of questions asked of me regarding the scripture: I suffer not a woman to teach (1 Tim. 2:12).

I react in varied ways to this question, sometimes going into long scriptural defenses and explanations. But my shortest treatment has been: "You know, when I look around and see the world dying and going to hell, I really don't believe God cares very much who brings the saving message!"

I am also asked how it feels to have a traveling, part-time wife and how it feels to be the husband of Marilyn Hickey. I have no problem with it for I am super-proud of her. Marilyn's wide acceptance in the Body of Christ is a delight to me. Really, she's some lady!

The first time I heard, "Oh, you're Marilyn Hickey's husband," I found it amusing because for years people had asked her, "Are you Wally's wife?"

Having been one of the vocal soloists in our home church. Calvary Temple in Denver, I was recognized by more people than Marilyn.

Ten years ago when the Lord began opening the door for us to begin televising "Life for Laymen" on commercial television, Marilyn and I made an agreement between us.

I said, "I feel the Lord has called me to pastoral work, so I want to continue in His call. If you want to go ahead with TV, fine. I'll do whatever I can to help, but I don't feel I can take the full burden."

She responded, "That's fine with me; but promise me one thing: that you will take your hands off and let me do it!" That was putting it rather bluntly, I thought, but I understood what she was really saying. She was perfectly willing to do it all, but she wanted my blessing to do so!

I knew the Lord was leading her. He had revealed His hand in so many ways. How could I say no? I had consecrated my life to Him and had prayed for Marilyn when she was somewhat rebellious (which is certainly an amusing thought when one sees how she is used of God today!). I love her dearly!

Marilyn has definitely been called and is being used mightily of God as a unique and precious woman of the Word!

—Wallace R. Hickey

Women of the Word

Many times women have said to me, "Marilyn, I have the feeling God thinks women are second-class citizens." The more I dig into the Word of God, the more I want to respond with a shout, "Untrue! God loves women!"

The "bad guy" in the Bible is not God, but the devil! Satan began his devious methods on Eve in the Garden and he has never stopped chewing her ancestors.

Let's look at God's real feelings and His abundant provisions for women by going back to the "seed plot" of the Bible —the Book of Genesis.

In Genesis 2:7 God formed man from the dust of the earth, and the Hebrew word for "formed" is yatsar, which means "to mold like a potter or squeeze into shape."

An entirely different word is used when it comes to Eve's construction in Genesis 2:22. When God made Eve, the Hebrew word banah is used and means "skillfully formed." Eve was not squeezed out, but skillfully formed and carefully molded. God's treatment of Eve from the beginning was super special, with care and gentleness.

When God gave His blessing in the Garden, He blessed both Adam and Eve with five blessings. He directed them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion ... (Gen. 1:28).

Both male and female were made in His image, and both were given power and dominion. God did not take woman from man's foot for man to trample upon her; she was to be his equal and near his heart. That is why she was taken from the very rib of man.

God's tender, loving care is shown in His command in Genesis 2:24: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Men were to leave their immediate families; women were not. This is shown very clearly in Genesis 24 and the account of the servant's search for Isaac's bride.

Abraham asked his faithful and wise steward to go back to his ancient homeland in Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor, to find a bride for Isaac. He was given specific instructions to bring back a bride for Isaac. Isaac was not to join his bride in Mesopotamia, even though it was customary for the new husband to leave his family and to join his wife's family.

The command was to be changed as Isaac's new bride joined him in God's Promised Land. If she refused (which she had the right to do), the servant would then be free from Abraham's charge to him.

Rebekah, the bride he chose, could have refused because of God's marriage law, but she did not; she went willingly to meet her new husband, Isaac.

It is also interesting to note that Jacob did not require Rachel and Leah to return with him to his homeland. He "requested" they go with him for he knew he was to leave his parents, but they were not to leave theirs.

In Judges 15 we find that Samson's wife stayed with her family; and in Matthew 25 the virgins waited at the home of the bride. Why did God call men to leave their homes? Why didn't He call women to leave their parents? Because He wanted the bride's parents to watch over her in order to add protection should her husband become abusive.

Eve's sin in the Garden was no greater than Adam's. In Genesis 2:15 Adam was commanded to dress and keep the Garden. In verse 18 God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

From this context we can see that Adam was not only to dress the Garden, he was also to protect it; but Adam did not protect the tree on that infamous day when Eve ate of it.

From that dreadful moment on, there has been a burning enmity between Satan and the woman. God commanded in Genesis 3:15: I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Satan knew his days were numbered. A Seed was to come through woman to give him an eternal bruising. Through the virgin birth, God was to send a Savior— Jesus Christ—and through faith in Him, salvation would be open to all who believed. Satan persecuted woman in child-bearing for she was his enemy, but her Seed-to-come would be his greatest enemy.

It is interesting to note here that God intervened in woman's behalf. First Timothy 2:15 declares she would be saved in child-bearing.

The words of God struck deep into the heart of Eve. They also brought hope out of trouble to the defeated Adam, for he knew there would come redemption through the woman's Seed.

Genesis 3:20 tells us that Adam called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all living. Her name means "the mother of the living one." When Eve gave birth to her first son, Cain, she boldly confessed her faith: I have gotten a man from the Lord (Gen. 4:1). I believe that at that moment the Spirit of prophecy rested upon her.

God also looked down the ages of time and gently touched a frustrated, barren wife—Hannah. (1 Sam. 1.) Through her barrenness she cried out to God and received a son, Samuel. She then prophesied a prayer and spoke another title of the coming Son of God. She called her Lord the Anointed One which is another word for Messiah. (1 Sam. 2:35.) Hannah was the first to use it, the first ever to utter the revelation of the Messiah; and her revelation would rock the world throughout the eons of time.

Centuries passed. Then God sent His special angel on a mission to a young virgin girl named Mary, revealing to her the Name above every name. (Luke 1:2633.) Things in heaven, on earth, and even under the earth, would bow to that Name. Again, a woman would speak that Name of all Power—Jesus!

Three women had received the major revelation of His Name. A fallen Eve knew there was a Lord God; a faith-filled Hannah saw a coming Messiah; and a young virgin would give birth to Jesus, the Savior of the world!

God called Abram to become a "Father of Altitude." The word Abram comes from the Hebrew word abar which means "altitude." Because of his living in the altitude of God's Word, he would become Abraham, which means the "Father of Multitudes." His wife Sarai, meaning "contentious," would become Sarah, meaning "princess or beautiful." She would become the mother of kings and nations. (Gen. 17.)

First Peter 3:6 tells us she obeyed Abraham and called him "lord." Yet God told Abraham in Genesis 21:12 he would profit from his wife's counsel, so they became a team of faith. Abraham received faith to expect and receive a child; Sarah received faith to expect and conceive a child.

Years later when Isaac received his lovely virgin bride, Rebekah, he took her into Sarah's tent. Perhaps he wanted her to experience the faith of his beautiful mother, Sarah.

So Rebekah became the matriarch, appearing in the Messianic lineage along with Leah, Rahab, Ruth, and others. God had a special relationship with these women, for He placed them in the lineage of Jesus Christ, His very own Son, even though they were of foreign blood.

No male could be found in the lineage of Jesus Christ unless he met two very important conditions: He had to be a descendant of Abraham, and he had to be circumcised.

Yet God took women of other nations and circumstances and wrote their names for eternity in the lineage of His first-begotten Son.

God brought His revelation to Rebekah concerning her turbulent pregnancy, revealing to her the plan of two nations in her womb. He also saw fit to bring revelations to Hagar and Hannah during their pregnancies, revealing His purpose to the wife, rather than the husband.

Rachel was a gorgeous young wife with a problem. Her sister Leah bore their mutual husband one child after another, but Rachel was barren. Her problem stimulated her prayer life, for Genesis 30:22 declares: God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her (prayers), and opened her womb.

Rachel conceived and bore a son, calling him Joseph, which means "adding," for later she declared, "I know God will add another son to me." Joseph drew on the treasure of her faith; and through his position in the wealthy nation of Egypt, he was able to save the nation of Israel from starvation.

Jacob prophesied on his deathbed that Joseph's seed would multiply and be fruitful. Rachel's two grandchildren.

Ephraim and Manasseh, did become famous, for each would receive a tribal heritage of the two largest tribes of Israel. In later years ten tribes of the North would adopt the name of Ephraim as their national name. Truly, Rachel's seed was a "fruitful bough" for instead of adding, God multiplied her seed many times!

Next we see God's women used as prophetesses. We see their ministries varied and flexible, combining unique personality traits.

Miriam was the prophetess sister of Moses and Aaron. In Exodus 15:20 her prophecy was sung, and she joined the other women of Israel to dance in joyous abandonment before the Lord after He had parted, then closed, the Red Sea. God declared in Micah 6:4 that He sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before Israel as leaders of the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land.

Judges 4 and 5 gives the account of another singing prophetess, Deborah, who saved her nation. Her name means "buzzing bee," and her words carried a sting to Barak urging him to fulfill his duty as the military leader of Israel. (Judges 4:6.) She was happily married to Lapidoth and did her judging in an unusual environment—by sitting under a palm tree!

Isaiah, the prince of prophets, married a prophetess who bore him a son with one of the longest names in the Bible: "Maher-shalal-hash-baz." (Is. 8:3.)

Huldah was another prophetess of the Old Testament, who was not a singer, but a teacher. Second Chronicles 34:22 describes her as the scholarly type, who dwelt in a college in Jerusalem, and was held in high esteem for her knowledge of the Word.

There were also false prophetesses, even as there were false prophets. Ezekiel 13:17 states: Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them. Nehemiah 6:14 declares: My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

Jeremiah spoke concerning the women prophetesses of his day: ... send for cunning (wise) women, that they may come (Jer. 9:17). In Jeremiah 9:20 he said:

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.

In the New Testament, Philip the evangelist had a house full of prophetesses. He had four daughters called into this special ministry of God.

There is beautiful tenderness in both Testaments in relation to God's concern for the physical needs and feelings of women. After all, He had carefully constructed them, and they would need special care.

In Leviticus 20:18 is a warning against unhygienic conduct which is forbidden in marriage relationships: If a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

Also, in Leviticus 15:19 God saw that special care was taken during a woman's menstrual time. Rachel is seen taking special care during her menstrual time in Genesis 31:35.

In God's eyes, women were of equal value as men. The law of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" was applied to women as well as men in Exodus 21:2225.

God was even concerned about provisions made for captive women. (Deut. 21:10-14.) He also made special provisions concerning a woman's inheritance and possessions (Num. 27:1-11), and special laws were set aside to protect women from jealous husbands. (Num. 5.)

Jesus loved women in a very special way and spoke of their importance to God. He was greatly concerned about the pregnant women during the end-time disaster that is to come, for He said in Luke 21:23, Woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! He speaks of this concern in three of the Gospels.

In John 8:3 when a woman was taken in the very act of adultery and thrown before a mixed jeering crowd, Jesus stood with her and would not allow the angry mob to cast stones at her.

During His agony on the cross, Jesus was still concerned enough for women to ask His disciples to care for His mother Mary in her later years.

Both the Old and New Testaments directed women to submit to their husbands, but never to be a slave to them. The word subjection does not mean "to obey," but "to arrange in order."

In 1 Samuel 25, Abigail does not obey her husband, but instead brings food to the enemy of her husband and her household. The Bible tells us to feed our enemies. Because of Abigail's obedience to the Word, she saved her entire household and later became queen as the wife of David.

God pointed to a special anointing for His "carefully constructed creation." A certain number of feast days were required for all men to attend, but there was also one special festival for women— the Feast of Pentecost—which was to have much bearing on their future. Deuteronomy 16:11 reads:

And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

Isaiah prophesied that women would be Spirit-filled; and Joel—the mighty prophet of Pentecost—spoke concerning the details and manifestations of these Spirit-filled women. (Is. 32:9-15; Joel 2:28,29.)

Chapter 2 of Acts describes the day of Pentecost when a group of 120 men and women were assembled—including Mary, the mother of Jesus. Suddenly, God poured out His Spirit as was promised by Moses, Isaiah, and Joel; and Peter stood in boldness before the world to declare this as the "outpouring" prophesied by Joel. From then on, the world could not attack God's "chosen" men or women and be guiltless.

The church that silences women silences the Holy Spirit, for both men and women are God's anointed. Psalm 105:15 declares: Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

Women have been used of God to speak His oracles down through the centuries. The Apostle Paul stated that women were to keep silence in the church because the Law commanded it; however, it must have been a law of Paul's day for there is not one place in the Old Testament where God commands women to keep silent in His house.

Paul admonished women not to ask questions of their husbands during a church service, but total silence was commanded neither in the Old Testament, nor by Jesus and Paul in the New Testament.

Women were spiritually active from the very beginning in God's worship center—the tabernacle. The Bible tells us that women assembled there for prayer and fasting and were active in the spiritual life of the Jews. It was while in the tabernacle that Hannah prophesied of God's Anointed, the coming Messiah.

Nehemiah 7:67 also describes many women singers in the temple, which would seem to rule out women's "silence" in the church!

Jesus never told women not to speak; He encouraged them to do so.

Luke 8:47 describes the declaration of joy from the woman who was healed of an issue of blood: And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

On another occasion we read in Luke 11:27: ... a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee. Jesus answered, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

Psalm 68:11 tells us: The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. The word company here means "women." God is saying a great company of women shall publish His Word! The women who witnessed about Jesus were many, including Pilate's wife, who was divinely directed to do so.

Jesus had a very special entourage of women who testified of His Resurrection. In fact, women were the first ones present at the tomb to bear record after His resurrection. Luke 24:1,2 reads: Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they (the women) came unto the sepulchre ... And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

It was the witness of these women that brought the good news of the Resurrection to the world. If these women had kept their silence, we would not have read their glorious account in all four of the Gospels!

Women continued to witness after His resurrection, and they were thrown in prison for doing so. In Acts 8:3 we read of Saul who made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, taking men and women, and committing them to prison.

Special commands and ministries were given to women in the home, for women were to be builders of the home. Proverbs 14:1 declares: Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Judges 13 gave the account of God's angel appearing to Manoah's wife with special instructions on how to raise the son she would soon bear. Not only was her son to be a Nazarite, he was also to take a Nazarite vow during her pregnancy. She boldly named her newborn son, Samson, which means "like the sun."

Being true to his name, Samson brought rays of light to the hopeless situation facing the Hebrews, for God used his life to deliver Israel from their dreaded enemy, the Philistines.

Samson was one of the most eminent of the Hebrew judges. (Judges 14-16.) The Spirit of the Lord had moved early upon him in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol; but almost from the outset, he showed a weakness of character—a passion for women. Even though he had godly parents who carefully watched their son grow and be blessed, they also questioned certain areas of Samson's life, especially his choice of a wife.

The life of Samson was like a roller coaster, rising and falling with gladness and sadness, until finally his life ended tragically, but victoriously "like the sun."

In regard to the institution of marriage, God's Word makes it clear that there is to be one wife to a household. Exodus 20:17 states: Thou shalt not covet... thy neighbour's wife (not wives). Deuteronomy 28:54 speaks of the wife of his bosom (not wives). Psalm 128:3 declares: Thy wife (not wives) shall be as a fruitful vine. Then in Ephesians 5:22 Paul exhorts the woman to submit, not to every man, but to one man—her very own husband.

God's Word points out that divorce could harm a home, so why did Moses allow divorce? He permitted it, not because it was right to do so, but because there was "wrong" in men. Jesus answered this question also in Matthew 19:8: Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

The Old Testament did not sanction polygamy, but there were laws to protect "lesser" wives who were victims of death or divorce. Deuteronomy 21:15-18 refers to the birthright law: If a man hated his first wife, he could not transfer the birthright from the first wife's eldest son to the favored wife's son.

Many times in the Old Testament, circumstances showed closer ties between a child and its mother than with the father. Samuel's mother, Hannah, had more to do with him than his father, perhaps because of the two wives in the household. Because of the love of a godly mother, Samuel was raised in godly fashion and became the "Seer of Israel." He anointed the first king and was instrumental in establishing a school for prophets, which would produce some of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. Hannah had built her house well!

God has allowed me to find many scriptures which have been applicable in my own life. Sometimes when my husband and I would be spending a quiet evening together in our home, I might be studying and preparing for my Sunday school lesson. As I would dig into God's Word, I would find many precious treasures and become very excited about some new nugget of truth God had just revealed to me.

When I would eagerly try to share these with my husband, thinking he would be as excited as I, many times he would react with a "ho-hum" attitude, totally disconnected with the truth I was sharing. Yet, if he happened to slip into my Sunday school class and hear me explain the same truth, he would be ecstatic after the class: "Marilyn, where did you get that revelation? It was outstanding!"

What was the explanation for his former attitude? The Holy Spirit gently revealed the truth of this unusual circumstance to me; and I learned when and how to share revelations with my loving husband. I want to share this truth with you. Maybe it can help you, too!

In our home, I am Wally's wife. I am called to love him, not teach him. However, when I stand behind the pulpit, I am neither male nor female—I am God's messenger with God's message.

Christian women have a very special birthright. They are divine citizens with a divine heritage and birthright. Esau treated his birthright lightly and finally sold it for a bowl of stew. Women can sell their spiritual birthrights also by feeling that their only place is in a kitchen, cooking stew! We can be good cooks, and should be, but we also have a divine heritage to minister in our own unique situation.

Allow me to challenge the faith of every woman who reads this book. Don't despise the birthright God has given you for you, too, can be a woman of the Word!

WOMEN

OF THE

WORD

Both the man and the woman were made in His image, and both were given power and dominion.

Christian women have a very special birthright. They are divine citizens with a divine heritage and birthright.

Allow me to challenge the faith of every woman who reads this book. Don't despise the birthright God has given you for you, too, can be a woman of the Word!

Marilyn Hickey

Table of Contents

Foreword

Women of the Word