Finally, God has begun a new phase of this metanarrative, opening up the Israel chapter. In doing this, He sets up the rules by which He wants His people to live their lives by. The most basic of these rules are the Ten Commandments, which were given directly to Moses from God, twice. But in Leviticus, God elaborates, telling the Israelites exactly how He wants everything to be done, from burnt offerings to the kinds of food one can eat. Many of these laws and ceremonies pertain to women and their social and political roles in the society that was to be a blessing of God's to all other nations.
In the Ten Commandments, the first commandment that came with a promise showed the importance of women, equal in God's eyes. God told the Israelites to honor their fathers and mothers so that the entire community might live long and prosper in the land that God was about to give them (Ex. 20:12). In this commandment, God does not simply mention fathers as the only ones to be respected, but also puts women in a higher social status because of the necessity of respecting them. For the first time in human history, God records the very specific rule of remaining faithful to one's spouse (Ex 20:14). God leaves this gender neutral, and in doing so shows that it is not only the women who need to faithful, but the men equally so. Unfortunately, this is ignored in multiple later cultures where it was frowned upon for a man to commit such a sin, but women bore the brunt of the punishment. Communities in Puritan New England sometimes fell into this trap, harshly punishing the women, but barely raising a finger to find the male offender. The last commandment that speaks of God's view of the relationship between man and woman is the last, warning the Israelites against coveting anything that a neighbor owns (Ex. 20:17). In the list of things that might be coveted, God includes a neighbor's wife, setting up the patriarchal society of Israel. There is no doubt, therefore, that men were meant to be the heads of the household, although hardly superior. The married couple was meant to be a team, but like any team, there must be a definite leader. The man must, in God's view, be this leader, though he should realize that neither gender is meant to be dominant or superior.
In Leviticus, God goes into great depth in describing the different rituals expected of the Israelites and the different, specific rules all must follow. There is a certain list of "don'ts" that has made Leviticus famous, and they all apply to man-woman relations. By regulating these relations, God shows how much He loves women and puts these laws in place for the protection of the blameless. It's as if God knows how oppressed women will end up being (which He does), with no power of their own. These rules make men accountable for their actions, but they do not exempt women. In fact, God is as clear as possible that anyone, and that means ANYONE who commits adultery will be put to death. Side by side and equal the adulterers will be in death. How does it feel to be fairly included ladies? But remember, God does not condemn the blameless and does not punish the innocent, so this wrath can be avoided by keeping our eyes on Him and Him alone.
God's rules for Israel, His chosen people declare His very Heart for women, more specifically their role in the new society. Women were meant to be men's partners, although men were to be the leaders of the relationship. The many, intricate rules God presents in Leviticus protect women in Israel by making the men accountable to God. But, at the same time, God promises that the punishment for committing adultery will be equal, not sparing either woman or man. God loves His people, not only Israel, but the entire world that was to be blessed by Israel, and wishes only to have them love Him with the same abandon that He does them. But to be near to God, we must follow all His commands, regardless of being emancipated females, working mothers, or girls of the twenty first century.
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