Let's pray together, please. Heavenly Father, thank you again for giving us your holy word. We pray that it's wonderful truths would sink deeply into our hearts, that we would treasure them there, and that we would practice them in our lives. We humbly ask in Jesus's name. Amen. Please take your Bibles and turn to Proverbs chapter 5. Proverbs chapter 5. Verses three through six of Proverbs five is our scripture reading, but I'm gonna have you turning to a lot of different passages this evening because we're gonna look at six examples of women in the Bible, righteous women and wicked women. But this passage we're gonna read here at the start is just kind of a theme to wrap it all together. Proverbs five, three through six. This is God's word. For the lips of an adulteress drip honey and smoother than oil is her speech. But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death. Her steps take hold of Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life. Her ways are unstable. She does not know it. May God bless the reading of this Holy Worm. The plan is to do two sermons in this short series, and the next one will be next month on the third Sunday of the month. The first one I'm calling Righteous Women and Wicked Women of the Bible, and the next one will be Righteous Men and Wicked Men of the Bible. And thankfully, there's a number of good and bad guys and girls in scripture, women and men in scripture. But why do this short message? in this short series of messages. It's not about finding moral examples so much to follow. It's about reading the Old Testament in a specific way that the New Testament tells us that we should. 1 Corinthians 10, 11 says that the narratives of the Old Testament are examples and they're written for our admonition. upon whom the ends of the ages have come. And we're supposed to look at the characters and the people of the Old Testament, the God's people in the past, and the different people that have been part of the story of God's unfolding plan of redemption. And we should imitate the good and not imitate the bad. 1 Corinthians 11.1, Paul said to the church there, imitate me just as I also imitate Christ. And in the book of Hebrews, Hebrews 6.11, we're told, and we desire that each one of you should show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. The Bible encourages us to have examples, encourages us have heroes, read about church history, look at the great characters in the Bible, learn from what they did wrong, learn from what they did right, and take those lessons into your heart. There are men and women throughout the Bible who are rightly held up as people not to imitate. And there are others whose good qualities we ought to imitate, that we should learn from. And there's much we can learn from tendencies and attitudes and we can learn from their decisions and we can learn from the company that they kept, et cetera. And we all know the 10 commandments and what it is that God wills for us to do. And we all know that we fall short of that standard every day. And that's why we need Christ. That's why we need his personal righteousness imputed to our legal account to fulfill the requirements of the law. And we need his cross, his death for our forgiveness of sins. But even true believers can get into a lot of trouble. True believers who are going to go to heaven forever can get into a lot of trouble and can come under the heavy hand of God's discipline. So let's learn what we can from these six women in the Bible. Three wicked women, three godly women, righteous women. What were they like? What did they do? And we're gonna begin with the bad and we'll, so we can end on a good note. So let's look at the wicked women first. Turn in your Bibles please to Judges chapter 16. The first lady, Delilah. Delilah. Judges chapter 16, verses four and following. Judges chapter 16 verses 4 and following about Delilah. As you're turning there, I've labeled her the persistent, lethal, seductress for money. The persistent, lethal, seductress for money. Before we look at Delilah, we need to note that Samson, Samson's a very difficult character to understand. He's mentioned as a man of great faith in Hebrews 11, 32, he's listed there, but he very much squandered his special gifts on the women in his life, and there was more than one. And the worst of the three main love interests that Samson had was the last one, Delilah. She was in the employee on the payroll of the Philistines who detested Samson because he had killed so many of them. She was willing for money to betray Samson or at least to try to, and we all know the narrative, she eventually succeeds. But you need to learn from the way that she does this and notice her tactics here. So look at verse 5 there actually, Judges 16 verse 5. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him. And every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. Okay, stop there. Now notice, as the narrative progresses here, how she pushes and presses Samson to finally give up the secret, to finally give up the goods to her. Let's look at verse 6. So Delilah said to Samson, Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you. Okay, just on a note there, guys, if anyone ever asks you that, don't answer their question. They can't have anything good in mind. It's such a dumb, like you have to wonder, Samson, for all of his incredible gifts that he had, he was not the brightest bulb in the drawer. Okay, now jump down to verse 10. So he lies to her and then she tries this tactic, verse 10. Then Delilah said to Samson, look, you have mocked me and told me lies. Now, please tell me, what you may be bound with. And he lies to her again. Now jump to verse 13. Delilah said to Samson, until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with. And he said to her, if you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom. And they go ahead and give it a shot, but that's not it either. Okay, you would think Samson would have figured out she's actually gonna try to do this. Look at verse 15. Now verse 15 is very critical. Look at verse 15. And she said to him, how can you say I love you when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times and have not told me where your great strength lies. Okay, stop there for a moment. Oh, the folly that has been committed in the name of love. When someone manipulates like this, how can you say I love you when your heart is not with me? Tell me how to kill you, I really wanna know. Look at verse 16. And it came to pass when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him so that his soul was vexed to death. that he told her all his heart and said to her, no razor has ever come upon my head for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me and I shall become weak and be like any other man. Verse 18, when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines saying, come up once more for he has told me all his heart. So the lords of the Philistine came up to her and brought the money in their hand. Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him and his strength left him. And she said, the Philistines are upon you, Samson. So he awoke from his sleep and said, I will go out as other times before and shake myself free. But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Okay, stop there. Several things to notice about Delilah. First, why was she with Samson? Delilah was not Samson's wife. Romantic involvement and interest has no purpose and nothing good will come from it unless potential, lifelong, covenantal, godly marriage is in mind in the hearts of the man and in the heart of the woman. Did Delilah love Samson? Clearly not. She seems to embody perfectly this section of Proverbs. Listen to this, Proverbs 6.23 to 26. Just, if you're a note taker, write the reference down, make note of this. Proverbs 6.23. For the commandment is a lamp and the law a light, reproofs of instruction are the way of life to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your hearts. nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot, a man is reduced to a crust of bread and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. It is clear Delilah was a manipulator and had Samson eating out of the palm of her hand. Over and over again, Samson lies to her about why he's so strong and each time she tries more manipulation, she tries more emotion, she tries more stuff to get him to talk and he finally tells her, Delilah, a woman with romantic interests in men without desiring marriage is someone not to imitate at all. A woman who has romantic interest in many different men, but not interested in marriage, that's something you don't want to imitate. A woman who would destroy a man's life for money is also someone never to imitate. Remember how the godly woman is described when it comes to the one man, the man that she's married to, Proverbs 31, 11, the heart of her husband safely trusts her so he will have no lack of gain. Maybe Samson was hoping that's what she was like. I can trust her with my most vulnerable secret. The heart of her husband safely trusts in her. Delilah was the opposite of this, the opposite of trustworthy. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. And notice verse 21 of Judges 16. You see it? Verse 21. Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. And they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains. And he was a grinder in the prison. By means of a harlot, a man is reduced to a crust of bread. You know, after this scene, I was looking through the Bible there, we never see or hear from Delilah again, ever. She walks away with lots of money, and Samson walks away blind forever, and is a prisoner of his enemies until his death. See what the proverb is talking about? It's no small thing. Young men, stay away from women like this. They'll kill you. So that's Delilah, the first wicked woman in scripture. Second one, Jezebel. Turn to 1 Kings 21, verse 17. 1 Kings 21, verse 17. 1 Kings 21, 17. And as you're turning there, so strong is this woman's sway over her weak-minded and evil husband, Ahab, that Ahab literally becomes this woman's puppet. for promoting Baal and Asherah worship and every other form of evil throughout the nation of Israel. Jezebel establishes idolatry on a massive scale in Ahab's court, maintaining at her table 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah, 950 prophets of Canaanite deities in the Israelite king's court. And when the prophet Elijah has his wonderful showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal, these are Jezebel's darlings. And he has all of them slaughtered after the true God, Yahweh, answers by fire and consumes the offering after the prophets of Baal are jumping up and down and cutting themselves. Oh, Baal, hear us. Remember that scene? And Elijah starts talking trash to him about where's your God? Is he sleepy? Is he on a vacation or something? And eventually Jezebel, when she hears about all these prophets of hers that got killed, 1 Kings 19, 2, she says, through a messenger to Elijah, so let the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as one of the life of them by tomorrow about this time. This woman also incited her husband to murder Naboth and to steal his vineyard, which Ahab did. But I want you to see in one particular passage, this passage here, 1 Kings 21, 17, what really captures what made this woman so wicked. After all this wickedness and evil, listen to this passage when God sends word through Elijah to Ahab. Look at verse 17 there, 1 Kings 21, 17. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. You shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord, Have you murdered and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours. And Ahab said to Elijah, have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free, and Israel. Does anyone here have a King James version of the Bible here? Anyone got the KJV? Nobody has the inspired version? Okay, all right, good. Okay, verse 21, you know what verse 21 actually says in Hebrew? It says, I will cut off every man to the house of Ahab, including everyone that urinates against the wall. Most English Bibles don't translate that. That's what the Hebrew word means. You know what that means? You know what he's actually saying there? You see, when nations would conquer a city at this time, they would kill the intelligentsia, they would kill the high-ranking people, they would kill the high-ranking military. But who tends to go to the bathroom against the walls in the city? The poor people. people that were destitute, people that didn't have anything. And what this is saying, this is God saying, Ahab, I'm going to wipe out every single human being attached to you, including the street dwellers. There's not even going to be a human being left alive anywhere near you, including the ones that go to the bathroom on the wall. I guess it doesn't sell as many English Bibles if you put that in there, but... Every male, everyone that goes to the bathroom against the wall. Verse 22, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger and because you have made Israel sin. Verse 23, listen carefully. "'Of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, "'The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel. "'The one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, "'the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field, "'the birds of the heaven will eat. "'Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself "'to do evil in the sight of the Lord, "'because Jezebel his wife incited him.'" Like it or not, married people deeply influence one another, for good and for evil. Jezebel's presence and influence in her husband's life, in Ahab's life, was as toxic and against God as it could possibly be. She incited him to do evil. She encouraged him to murder. She encouraged him to spit in God's face by worshiping false gods. She did everything in her power to snuff out truth and righteousness from the nation in which she was queen. She did Ahab evil and not good all the days of her life. The law of wickedness was on her tongue. Proverbs 14, one, the wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands. And this woman pulled down not just her house, and by house there is meant the people, your family, your husband. She also pulled down an entire country, an entire nation. If Delilah was a lethal seductress who betrays and then discards for money, Jezebel was a loyal influencer for evil. with a much larger vision for evil than simply trampling one person at a time for some money. Jezebel's name in Hebrew means, where is Baal? She was loyal to idolatry and evil in a way that infected everyone around her, especially her husband. You see, you and I are disciplers. We can't help it. We will impact the people around us. I don't care if you're a sibling, a husband, a child, you have disciples that watch you and are influenced by you. A godly woman will bring out the best in the man she's married to. He will be better because of her presence in his life. She will bring out the best in her siblings, bring out the best in her brothers, her sisters, her parents, the people at church. Godly woman is like that. Jezebel made far more evil and already wicked and weak man. Ahab, she made him much worse than he would have been on his own. Now, both of them, as you heard in that prophecy, both of them would die under the judgment of God Almighty for their sins and crimes. So there's Jezebel, the loyal seducer to evil. Thirdly, Herodias. Let's turn to this one. Look at Mark 6, verse 17. Mark 6, verse 17. Mark 6, verse 17, Herodias. Herodias, the third of the wicked women we're gonna look at this evening. Herodias. Verse 17, Mark 6, 17. For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, it is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so. For Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed, but he used to enjoy listening to him. A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests." Okay, stop there. Herodias' daughter. must have danced provocatively because the term for pleased there refers to the pleasure that husbands and wives give each other in marriage. The same term is used in 1 Corinthians 7, 33. It was almost certainly a sexually charged kind of dancing that she was doing. And that's why Herod was so pleased by it. And the king says to the girl, you see verse 22, the rest of verse 22, And the king said to the girl, ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you. And he swore to her, whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you up to half my kingdom. And she went out and said to her mother, what shall I ask for? And she said, the head of John the Baptist. Now folks, this is a setup. This is a setup. That's why verse 21 there says a strategic day. This was planned. Herodias is a schemer. A plot orchestrated to prey upon her husband's weakness and what she probably perceived to be his lust for her own daughter. Herodias had a grudge against John the Baptist because he had denounced her marriage to her brother-in-law, Herod, and he had done it in public, and she wanted him to die. She was willing even to use the attractiveness of her own daughter to lure Herod into a trap in front of his guests. She knew that he would give in if he had to in order to save face at a party. She was smart. She understood. She knew how to read the room. She knew how to read her husband. The party was a key moment to put Herod on the spot in order to murder a prophet of God. Notice Herodias' daughter, when she gets this offer of up to anything, including up to half the kingdom, where does she go immediately? She runs to her mother, to Herodias. And now is her chance to fulfill the grudge. Verse 25, you see it? Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter. What a disgusting request. Verse 26, and although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. Verse 27, immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison. This is a woman who reacted not just negatively, but with violent hatred against being called out for her sin. This is a terrible quality to have. When you're engaged in a gross sin and someone rebukes you for it, that's an act of love on their part. to react with not only rejecting that rebuke and despising that rebuke, but wanting to murder the person rebuking you, that's a real bad quality to have. Proverbs 21, 11b, when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge. Herodias was privileged with a great gift of light and having access to the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist. But you know, her attitude is described perfectly in the Proverbs. If you're a note taker, please write this down. Proverbs 9, 7-9. Proverbs 9, 7-9. Listen to the word of God. He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself. And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer lest he hate you. Rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be wiser still. Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. You hear that? Don't rebuke a scoffer, lest they hate you. What is Herodias? She's a scoffer. She hated John the Baptist. Now, dear ones, if you're obviously, clearly sinning in some way, and there are friends and there are people in your life with the courage to pull you aside or simply tell you about it, that you need to stop this and repent, you should be thankful for that. If you're a scoffer, that term means one who scorns others, rebuke for your sin will bring hatred from you, like Corodius. But if you're wise, a godly, timely, well-spoken rebuke of obvious sin will be something that will bring forth love and thankfulness from you. She should have been thankful that someone from God, a prophet of God told her, it's sinful, it's wrong for you to be doing this with him. Proverbs 27.6, another great passage, Proverbs 27.6, faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Now, don't misunderstand this passage. This passage is abused quite often. I knew an older man in a church long ago who was constantly prefacing all his rebukes and corrections of others by citing this passage. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, followed by very harsh, judgmental, offensive, self-righteous platitudes. If you are rebuked by someone who loves you, you know when it's the wounds of a friend, right? And just as a tip to kind of tip you off, typically they won't begin by citing this passage. If someone is constantly citing it, it's because they're not actually doing the wounds of a friend, they're doing the flogging of an enemy. Unfortunately, there's some people that you'll know who think their friends can't tell the difference between the wounds of a friend and the scourging of an enemy. What John did for Herodias was rebuke and call for repentance of a very obvious sin. She left her husband and was sleeping with his brother, married to his brother. That's an easy one. That's easy to recognize. But her response to John's loving rebuke was hatred with a desire to kill. This is a woman you don't want to imitate. Delilah is the lethal, persistent, seductress for money. Jezebel's the loyal lover of idols and the promoter of evil in her family and nation, the one who pulls down her house with her hands. Herodias is the scoffer who gives hatred and murder in response to loving rebuke from a godly prophet. All right, let's look at three righteous women now. Let's look at Ruth. Turn to Ruth chapter one, verse 14. Ruth chapter one, verse 14. Ruth 1.14. Now as you're turning there, remember Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi's family lived in Moab because of famine in Israel. But then Naomi's husband dies and then both of her sons die. And she's left with her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. And Orpah decides to stay in Moab with her family of origin. But Ruth, who is a lover of the true God, insists on returning to Israel with Naomi. And it was far riskier and certainly had no prospect for earthly gain for her to do this. But Ruth valued what was most important. She valued knowing God. That was the most important thing to her. So look at Ruth 1.14. They lifted up their voices and wept again, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Then she said, behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods return after your sister-in-law. But Ruth said, do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you. For where you go, I will go. And where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God, my God. You see that there? That's the most important part of this passage. Your God's my God. That's why I'm gonna go with you. Whatever the cost, no matter how we have to live our lives, that's more important to me than the easy life. Verse 17, where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Many commentators think she says that because, well, if Naomi suddenly dies, then she can go back to Moab and have an easier life. It's where you die, I'm staying there. In other words, I'm staying with the people of God. Thus may the Lord do to me and worse, if anything, but death parts you and me. Verse 18, when she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. Okay, what great qualities she is already showing here. Fierce loyalty to God, loyalty to family. And we also see incredible resolve and personal commitment on Ruth's part. Ruth knows what is important to her, and she will not be persuaded to any other path. And I love verse 18. You see verse 18 there? When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. It seems Naomi knew her character well enough to give up the fight pretty quickly. Once this gal decides to do something, there's no calling her off of it. Having no family, Naomi and Ruth are forced to glean in the edges of someone else's field. And Ruth knew that's probably how we're gonna have to live. We're gonna be poor. The law of God made a provision for harvesting crops. Don't take everything, leave some on the corners, leave some in the field for the orphan, for the widow, for those that are in distress. And as she's gleaning in this field, Ruth meets that towering gentle man, a tower of gentle manliness, Boaz, in the field. Remember Boaz, and he lets her have access to the trees that he would give his own harvesters. And he instructs his own guys, leave some extra wheat in the field for her so she can get it. And you know, this woman is special. Make sure you treat her well. As you recall the narrative, eventually Naomi realizes Boaz is a near kinsman. Maybe he could marry Ruth and redeem our family, our land, and we could not live like this anymore. So Naomi gives instructions to Ruth, remember, As they're sleeping out there in the fields during the harvest, they would sleep out with all their bundles of wheat to make sure they wouldn't get stolen. And she tells her, put on your best clothes and anoint yourself. That means splash on a little perfume and go lay at the man's feet and then see what happens. See what happens. Now Ruth knows what this is about. Ruth knows that the hope is that Boaz is gonna propose to her, but Ruth is not a game player. When it comes to matters like marriage, Ruth is not a flirt. Ruth is not a manipulator. Ruth is a straight shooter. And that's one of the most attractive things about her in this narrative. Now look at Ruth chapter three, verse eight. Ruth chapter three, verse eight. I love this. It just shows how rock solid strong this young woman is. Ruth 3, verse 8. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward, and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. He said, who are you? And she said, I am Ruth, your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative. I mean, folks, think about that. Remember when we went through Ruth recently? She basically, he says, who are you? She says, I'm Ruth, let's get married. She doesn't wanna prolong this ordeal. She knows what Naomi's after. As a dutiful daughter, she does what Naomi tells her to do, but she takes matters into her own hands and simply tells him, you're a close relative, will you marry me? Now, Ruth is bold. She's courageous. She's serious minded. She's loyal to God. She's not a flirt. She's not pretentious. And here is one glorious quality of this young lady that all women should aspire to. Listen, she is perfectly secure in her identity, in her Lord and Savior. Totally secure. How do I know this? Because Boaz is a prominent man. He's a wealthy man. He's a man of influence. He's a man of respect. He's a man with great possessions. He's got fields and servants and he is a pillar in his community. Ruth is a dirt poor widow from Moab. The descendant of a drunken lot's incestual relationship with one of his daughters. It would have been so easy for Ruth to despise herself and her background and her status in society, but she doesn't. She is confident because of the greatness of her God. Young ladies, please remember that. You don't have to be a beauty queen. You don't have to be super talented. You don't have to be a standout in the eyes of the world in order to be strong, gutsy, bold, secure, courageous, happy, and gutsy. You just have to know a mighty savior, a mighty God, and be indwelt by his spirit. If God looks on the heart and how he evaluates us, how much more ought we to look on the hearts of people to evaluate them ourselves? At that pastor's preaching conference I went to last week, David Strain, wonderful preacher, got to listen to six lectures on preaching. He said this to us, quote, "'A super talented, outstanding orator, illustrator, "'expositor of God's word, "'who is not a man of deep piety and prayer, "'will be a danger to Christ's church and the sheep. "'But a man with mediocre gifts, "'a man with mediocre speaking abilities from God, "'who is a mighty man of prayer and his prayer closet, "'he'll be a powerful tool in the hands of God.'" When Boaz hears about Ruth and sees the kind of woman that she is, what's in her heart, that pushes her lowly, earthly circumstances out of view. He doesn't care about that. Why? Because Boaz is just as godly as Ruth is. We look at people, look at their hearts. We don't evaluate people from a worldly perspective any longer. We only see, are they godly? Do they know the Lord? Are they confident in Him? Look at Ruth 3, verse 11. Look at verse 11. Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask. For all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. And there he's borrowing word for word from Proverbs 31.10. An excellent woman, an excellent wife, who can find for her worth is far above jewels. Boaz can see this is a special person. I better get her before someone else does. And after the marriage of Boaz to Ruth, they have a child. Naomi becomes the nurse to this child, her grandson. It's a touching and wonderful ending to the story that began with such terrible loss and sorrow and destitution. But the ladies of the town say these words to Naomi, turn to Ruth 4.14. Ruth 4, verse 14, right there at the end, Ruth 4, 14. And listen to the way the women of the city describe the widowed, poor, woman from Moab. Listen to this. Then the women said to Naomi, blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today. And may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you is better to you than seven sons and has given birth to him. No one ever said such things about Delilah, Jezebel, or Herodias. And this is a poor widow from Moab. God looks at a heart. Next one, Hannah, the ones we've been studying most recently. Look at 1 Samuel 2. Just turn to the right there, one or two pages, 1 Samuel chapter 2 as you're turning there. Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah, the father of Samuel. Hannah begins the narrative in 1 Samuel as, just like kind of like Ruth began, heartbroken, severely provoked. She's so distressed she's not eating. because her husband's other wife, Paninna, has children, Hannah doesn't, and Paninna rubs it in Hannah's face because Hannah was the one he loved and he wasn't as into Paninna, so it was just a mess. Just another illustration. Polygamy doesn't work. Hannah leaves the family meal. She goes to the temple to beg God for a son. She makes a solemn vow. I'll dedicate him to the Lord. If you give me a child, give me a son. And her prayer of thanksgiving after God grants Samuel to her is one of the highest watermarks of godly devotion and worship in the whole Bible. Look at her prayer in 1 Samuel 2, 1 through 10. This kind of tells you everything you need to know about her. Then Hannah prayed and said, My heart exalts in the Lord, my horn is exalted, and the Lord my mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is no one holy like the Lord, indeed there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God. Boast no more so very proudly. Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and with him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are shattered, but the feeble gird on strength. "'Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, "'but those who were hungry cease to hunger. "'Even the barren gives birth to seven, "'but she who has many children languishes.'" Verse six. "'The Lord kills and makes alive. "'He brings down to Sheol and raises up. "'The Lord makes poor and rich. "'He brings low. "'He also exalts. "'He raises the poor from the dust. "'He lifts the needy from the ash heap "'to make them sit with the nobles "'and inherit a seat of honor. "'For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, "'and He set the world on them. He keeps the feet of his godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness. For not by might shall a man prevail. Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered. Against them he will thunder in the heavens. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, and he will give strength to his king and will exalt the horn of his anointed. Hannah is a woman of intense prayer. She's a woman of her word, of integrity. And she drops off Samuel at the temple just like she promised God she would as soon as he's weaned. And she is theologically sharp and biblical as is clearly manifested in her prayer of Thanksgiving. She understands that God is totally, completely sovereign over everything. God raises up the humble, God casts down the proud. God is the one who kills and makes alive. He's the sovereign king of the universe. that speaks so well of her character. Can you imagine Delilah praying like this? Can you imagine Jezebel praying like this? Or Herodias praying like this? Thirdly, finally, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Turn to Luke chapter one, verse 26. Luke one, verse 26. Mary. Mary's special. And the Roman Catholic religion's false teachings about Mary are as anti-Mary as they could possibly be. And we can bless the Lord that Mary has no idea that there are millions of people that call upon her and pray to her and have statues of her. She would be grieved to the very depths of her soul if she knew, but she doesn't know, thankfully. Luke 1.26, now on the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph of the descendants of David and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming in he said to her, greetings favored one, the Lord is with you. She was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end. Verse 34, Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I am a virgin? The angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And for that reason, the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing will be impossible with God." Okay, stop there. Truly, this has to be one of the most extraordinary messages ever given to a human being through an angel in all of history. And look at verse 38. And Mary said, behold, the bond slave of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. Now, for my part, I would have had a lot more questions. Well, Gabriel's response is certainly helpful about, I'm not married, how is this gonna happen? There's no doubt Mary's wondering about stuff too. But you know what? She simply submits herself to the will of God. We don't have to have answers to everything. I don't have to know everything. I don't have to understand everything. You just do as God says. When you know something is in his word that you're not supposed to do, don't do it. You know something is there that you're supposed to do, just do it. Here, angel Gabriel comes with a message. You just believe what he says. After the event where Mary sees Elizabeth pregnant, remember they visit one another and John the Baptist is in the womb. And what does he do? He leaps for joy because here comes Mary and Jesus at that time is probably microscopic. He's really small. And you get that whole wonderful narrative. How was it that the mother of my Lord would come to me? And eventually you get this wonderful Magnificat, Mary's Magnificat. Look at verse 46 there in Luke 1. Here again, this is very similar to Hannah, Hannah's prayer. Mary said, my soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior. Stop there. No matter what stress or whatever, whatever all is going on or how whatever's troubling you, you can walk out into a field and pray these very words. My soul exalts in the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God, my Savior. God, you saved me. And that's what marks a believer. She knows this is gonna lead to all kinds of trouble. How am I gonna explain this to Joseph? Is he gonna believe me? And of course we remember he doesn't at first until God sends an angel to go talk to him too. Look at verse 48. For he has regarded the humble state of his bond slave. For behold, from this time on, all generations will count me blessed. For the mighty one has done great things for me, and holy is his name, and his mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear him. He has done mighty deeds with his arms. He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. He has brought down rulers from their thrones and has exalted those who were humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich empty-handed. He has given help to Israel, his servant, in remembrance of his mercy as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever. Mary is a covenant theologian. Par excellence, this godly Jewish woman understands fully that this child in her womb is the fulfillment of what God promised Abraham and Abraham's descendants. She knows this is the fulfillment of God's remembrance of his mercy. She knows the Abrahamic covenant is not primarily about his physical descendants inheriting a strip of land in Canaan. She knows the Abrahamic promise is the gospel itself. And she knows this child embodies that promise. He has fulfilled what he spoke in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to Abraham and our fathers forever. She's a woman of prayer, submission, and thanksgiving to God. Yes, God has put me in a situation nobody's ever gonna believe what actually is going on, but it doesn't matter. God has done great things for me. She's also a theologian with a robust and wonderful and thorough understanding of Old Testament theology. You see that? Hannah is a theologian. Mary is a theologian. She loves the Bible. She knows the Old Testament. She knows what God promised Abraham. And she knows this child that the Holy Spirit has put in my womb embodies the very hope of the world in it. She knows what the gospel is. My soul has rejoiced in God, my Savior. So wicked women, Delilah, Jezebel, Herodias. It was hard to narrow it down to three. There's a lot more. We could have talked about Athaliah. We could have talked about a bunch of other ones. And there's a lot of righteous women too. It was hard to narrow it down to these three. Ruth, Hannah, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Remember what made the wicked ones so wicked. Remember what made the good ones godly. But never forget that no matter how godly the good ones are, they were still sinners saved by grace. Mary, Virgin Mary, was conceived and born in sin, just like you, just like me. She needed a savior, just like we do. She needed Christ's righteousness imputed to her account, just like we do. She needed him to die on the cross for her sins, just like we do. Isn't that amazing? And she carried him in her womb for nine months, her own savior. What an amazing thing. Just don't ever forget, you know, we talk about righteous women and wicked women. We're talking about generally morally upright women who are being sanctified by the Spirit, but they were still great sinners just like the rest of us. They were sinners saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone. but let's imitate the good and let's make sure we shun the evil so that we can walk in a manner that's honoring and glorifying to God. But no matter how well we do or how badly we fail, it's always and only the grace of God by which we're saved. By grace through faith, not by works, lest anyone should boast. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this time to look to your word and we pray you would help us as we read scripture to imitate those who through faith and patience inherited the promises to see what they did well and to see how they failed, that we might not lust after the things that they did and that we might imitate their good decisions and their firm resolve to be holy. Help us to walk in your ways and to know it's always grace and grace alone by which we are saved, but help us learn and to be admonished by these examples that you've given us in scripture. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.