‘These are the days of Rebekah’
My friend Natalie Collins was on Twitter tonight bemoaning a youth resource that claimed to cover the whole Biblical story in 32 sessions (!…) but that managed to mention only one woman who appears in the Bible in that survey, that woman being Eve. I don’t know the resource, and Natalie didn’t elaborate, but I’m guessing that Eve was not given a positive write-up.
I have three daughters who are in youth and children’s programmes at church; it would be nice to think that the people who write the material they will access were actually working to make sure they are aware of the many positive female role-models there are in Scripture, rather than erasing all women except Eve from the story of God.
In this spirit, I offer a parody I started to write a couple of years ago, but never did anything with. If you know modern evangelical songbooks, you may be able to find a tune that this fits quite well…
These are the days of Rebekah,
Who trusted the word of the Lord.
And these are the days of your servant Deborah,
Who led forth your people in war.
These are the days of Queen Esther,
Who rescued God’s people through faith.
And these are the days of your prophet Huldah,
Who renewed the temple of praise.
Behold God comes, in tongues of rushing flame
Opening daughters’ mouths to prophesy in God’s name
So lift your voice, sisters of the Christ
Out of Mary’s womb salvation comes.
These are the days of the women
Who funded the ministry of Christ.
And these are the days of the Magdalene,
Who first preached of resurrected Life.
These are the days of Priscilla,
Who taught male church leaders the truth,
And these are the days of your apostle, Junia,
Before whom Paul was just a youth.
Behold God comes, in tongues of rushing flame
Opening daughters’ mouths to prophesy in God’s name
So lift your voice, sisters of the Christ
Out of Mary’s womb salvation comes.
Natalie tells me I misunderstood the resource, which was not so extensive as I had thought – more a 32 point timeline. And Delilah got a mention as well as Eve. So if I was unfair to somebody I apologise, but I think the general point probably stands.
Doubt Delilah’s write up is much better. Prefer your song to the original.
I think two is hardly overdoing it. I love this not to mention the great first line!
Thank you for this, Steve. It is amazing to see these women all together in this context. Incredible moving!
Oh oh!! TEARS!! Can I borrow it forever??
Great words, and I know the tune. Now we would like a YouTube rendition, please! 🙂
I’m afraid you wouldn’t recognise the tune in a YouTube rendition from me!
Brilliant.
I love the poem. I am pinning this to my Women and God board on Pinterest.
Thank you for this fantastic text! I just shared it with a group of women in ministry. They are going to love it!
Great. I’m sharing this with my daughter.
Beautiful. Now we need a gospel singer to record it.
Pure dead brilliant! I would gladly sing this version 🙂
Awesome – as my niece would say. Appreciate it.
Steve, will you allow me to use this as I teach please? It is glorious – reduced me to tears and is really powerful. thankyou
Of course! Thanks.
I don’t know if you’d be interested, but my husband recorded me singing my version of this (to send to an internet friend)– would you find it useful to have a copy here? It’s 3 minutes long.
I can be reached at the email above.