God's Providence in the Lives of Women in Scripture
God's providence, understood as His preservation and governance of all things through secondary causes, extends to the affairs of individuals [1]. This divine care is evident in the lives of women throughout Scripture, demonstrating God's active involvement in their circumstances, often in ways that further His broader redemptive plan.
The concept of providence encompasses God's care over His works, including preserving, providing for, prospering, protecting, and delivering His creatures [6]. This is seen in the lives of women such as the Hebrew midwives in Exodus, whom God "dealt well with" for their actions, leading to the multiplication and strengthening of the Israelite people [3, 8]. Their prosperity was a direct result of divine blessing. Similarly, Rebekah's marriage to Isaac is presented as a divinely chosen union, with the servant recounting "all the especial providential circumstances" that marked his journey [13].
Scripture highlights women who were endowed with prophetic gifts, including Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna, and the daughters of Philip the evangelist [7]. While women were generally forbidden from public teaching in the church, their prophetic roles indicate a specific divine calling and empowerment [7, 14]. The New Testament also mentions women engaged in various Christian ministries, such as Phoebe, Priscilla, and Mary, who "worked hard in the Lord" [5].
God's providence is also evident in miraculous interventions, such as angels appearing to women who were unable to conceive, announcing divine intervention through the birth of a child [11]. This pattern is seen in the accounts of Sarah, the mother of Samson, and Elizabeth, underscoring God's direct involvement in overcoming barrenness to fulfill His purposes [11].
Even in suffering, God's providence is at work. Augustine notes that while the captivity of chaste and holy women is calamitous, "their God is not in the power of their captors, nor does He forsake those captives whom He knows indeed to be His own" [9]. This perspective emphasizes that God's care extends even to the most challenging circumstances, providing hope and demonstrating His unwavering commitment to His people [12]. The holy women of the past adorned themselves by putting their hope in God [2].
The overarching theme is that God's hand is "always stretched out to assist his people," not merely with words, but as a "present aid" [10]. This divine assistance is a source of comfort and strength, as expressed in the affirmation, "God is in her midst. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn" [4].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Providence — Literally means foresight, but is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan. 2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4:13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; ”
- I Peter “I Peter 3:5 (BSB) — For this is how the holy women of the past adorned themselves. They put their hope in God and were submissive to their husbands,”
- Exodus “Exodus 1:20 (BBE) — And the blessing of God was on these women: and the people were increased in number and became very strong.”
- Psalms “God is in her midst. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn. -- Psalms 46:5”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Deaconess — Rom. 16:1, 3, 12; Phil. 4:2, 3; 1 Tim. 3:11; 5:9, 10; Titus 2:3, 4). In these passages it is evident that females were then engaged in various Christian ministrations. Pliny makes mention of them also in his letter to Trajan (A.D. 110).”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Providence of God, The — Is his care over his works -- Ps 145:9. Is exercised in Preserving his creatures. -- Ne 9:6; Ps 36:6; Mt 10:29. Providing for his creatures. -- Ps 104:27,28; 136:25; 147:9; Mt 6:26. The special preservation of saints. -- Ps 37:28; 91:11; Mt 10:30. Prospering saints. -- Ge 24:48,56. Protecting saints. -- Ps 91:4; 140:7. Delivering saints. -- Ps 91:3; Isa 31:5. Leading saints. -- De 8:2,15; Isa 31:5. Leading saints. -- De 8:2,15; Isa 63:12. Bringing His words to pass. -- Nu 26:65; Jos 21:45; Lu 21:32,33. Ordering the ways of men. -- Pr 16:9; 19”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Woman — Was "taken out of man" (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. "The head of the woman is the man;" but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, "as unto the weaker vessel" (1 Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Several women are mentioned in Scripture as having been endowed with prophetic gifts, as Miriam (Ex. 15:20), Deborah (Judg. 4:4, 5), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Neh. 6:14), Anna (Luke 2:36, 37), and the daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8, 9). Women are forbidden to teach publicly (1 Cor. 14:34, 35; 1 Tim. 2:11, 12). Among the He”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 1:20: Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty - This shows an especial providence and blessing of God; for though in all cases where females are kept to hard labor they have comparatively easy and safe travail, yet in a state of slavery the increase is generally very small, as the children die for want of proper nursing, the women, through their labor, being obliged to neglect their offspring; so that in the slave countries the stock is obliged to be recruited by foreign imports: yet in the case above it was not so; the”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — TO VICTORIANUS, HIS BELOVED LORD AND MOST LONGED-FOR BROTHER AND FELLOW-PRESBYTER, AUGUSTIN SENDS GREETING IN THE LORD. (part 7): more suffering than a sudden death; and yet we read of this same protracted and dreadful weakness as the lot of that Job to whose righteousness God Himself, who cannot be deceived, bears such testimony. 7. Most calamitous, and much to be bewailed, is the captivity of chaste and holy women; but their God is not in the power of their captors, nor does He forsake those captives whom He knows indeed to be His own. For thos”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 75: the same time have greater pleasure in welcoming the blessings which we perceive to have been obtained by our prayers. Lastly, use and experience confirm the thought of his providence in our minds in a manner adapted to our weakness, when we understand that he not only promises that he will never fail us, and spontaneously gives us access to approach him in every time of need, 2148 but has his hand always stretched out to assist his people, not amusing them with words, but proving himself to be a present aid. For these reasons, tho”
- Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 13:6: 13:6-7 Several times in Scripture, an angel appeared to women who were unable to become pregnant (13:2) to announce divine intervention through the birth of a child (see Luke 1:5-25; cp. Gen 18; 1 Sam 1).”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 1: Augustine — Confessions, Letters — CHAP. XV.--28. There is therefore in us a certain learned ignorance, so to speak--an ignorance which we learn from that Spirit of God who helps our infirmities. For after the apostle said, "If we hope (part 1): CHAP. XVI. -- 29. Considering all these things, and whatever else the Lord shall have made known to you in this matter, which either does not occur to me or would take too much time to state here, strive in prayer to overcome this world: pray in hope, pray in faith, pray in love, pray earnestly and patiently, pray as a widow belonging to C”
- Genesis (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Genesis 24:67: Sarah's tent - Sarah being dead, her tent became now appropriated to the use of Rebekah. And took Rebekah, etc. - After what form this was done we are not told; or whether there was any form used on the occasion, more than solemnly receiving her as the person whom God had chosen to be his wife; for it appears from Gen 24:66 that the servant told him all the especial providential circumstances which had marked his journey. The primitive form of marriage we have already seen, Gen 2:23, Gen 2:24, which, it is likely, as far as form was attended to, was that which was”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of the Gratuitous Grace Consisting in Words, Art. 2: Article: Whether the grace of the word of wisdom and knowledge is becoming to women? I answer that, Speech may be employed in two ways: in one way privately, to one or a few, in familiar conversation, and in this respect the grace of the word may be becoming to women; in another way, publicly, addressing oneself to the whole church, and this is not permitted to women. First and chiefly, on account of the condition attaching to the female sex, whereby woman should b”