Good Girls vs. Bad Girls

God's Good Girls;

Deborah and Jael(Judges 4)

• Deborah(meaning Bee) was the first and only female Judge( a prophet, leader) of Israel, who settled disputes and helped the citizens of Israel who were oppressed by the Canaanites.
• In order to stop the oppression by the Canaanites she called Barak(meaning lightening) and told him to summon 10 000 troops from the tribes of Israel. She prophesied that Sisera( the leader of Canaan) would come and attack and would be defeated by the Israelites. This in theory wouldn't be realistic as Sisera's army was extremely strong and was well equipped. However Barak's army went up to Mount Tabor and Deborah said, 'The Lord is indeed going out before you'. Sisera's army was defeated however Sisera fled by foot from the battle.
• Deborah promised that 'the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.' (Judges 4:9)
• Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite as there was peace between the clan of the Kenites and King Jabin of Hazor. So Jael said  ‘Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear.’
• Jael let him sleep in the tent and gave him some milk in order for him to fall into a deep sleep. Once he was asleep she took a tent peg and drove it into his temple until it reached the ground and he died. 
• God then subdued King Jabin and the Israelites bore harder and harder until King Jabin was defeated

Esther

• Esther was summoned to be King Ahasuerus's wife, after his previous one refused to entertain him and his company and was banished as punishments. 
• King Ahasuerus did not not know that Esther is a Jew but after Haman orders to kill all the Jews she pleads to the King to stop Haman.
• King Ahasuerus said ‘See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he plotted to lay hands on the Jews' (Esther 8:7)  and so Esther saved the Jews from assassination.

Mary( Luke 1:26-56)

• Mary was engaged to Joseph and when the Holy Spirit came to her, God's presence and power led to the virginal birth of Jesus Christ
• Magnificat 
• Mary was a woman of virtue and of faith who sought God's will (set out to confirm God's message)
• She knew of Jesus' powers and called on him to help on various occasions (John 2:1-12) 
• 

God's Bad Girls 

Eve (Genesis 1-3)

• In Genesis 1 Eve was created 'in the image of God' and was created as an equal to Adam; ' God created humankind..male and female' 
• However in Genesis 2 man was formed from the dust of the ground and woman was created as a 'helper and a partner' from one of Adam's ribs and was named woman 'for out of man this one was taken'. However being called a helper doesnt necessarily have to create negative connotations- God was also referred to as 'helper'
• After eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge and of good and evil God punished Eve with pain of childbirth and that all her desire to be for her husband who 'shall rule over you'. And because Adam listened to the voice of his wife he was also punished.
• It also mentions in Genesis 3:20 that man named his wife Eve showing his dominion of man and his ability to name all creatures.
• Eve is very often blamed for the original sin and the fall of humanity

Adam and Eve by Giovanni della Robbia- depicting Eve also as the face of the snake depicting women as untrustworthy, sinful and manipulative. Adam and the snake's faces suggest their blame of Eve.

BatSheva(2Samuel 11)

• BatSheva was the wife of Urriah who was part of King David's army. While the troops were away Kind David saw BatSheva bathing on her roof and sent messengers to fetch her and he slept with her and consequently impregnated her.
• In order to cover up his mistake he called Urriah back from the battle for a night thinking he would sleep with his wife however Urriah refused to while his men were sleeping out in the open as it would be unfair. David intoxicated him however Urriah still slept outside the next night. So Kind David sent a messenger to Joav and told him to send Urriah to the forefront to confirm his death in battle. BatSheva then became one of many of King David's wives
• Some people suggest that BatSheva lived in a time where modesty was extremely important and the fact that she bathed naked was actually in order to seduce Kind David and he was just a slave to his masculinity 

Salome (Matthew 14:1-11)

• Salome was the step-daughter of King Herod and for his birthday she entertained King Herod and his company and he enjoyed it so much he vowed he would give her whatever she pleased. She, instructed by her mother, asked for the head of John the Baptist and in turn, with great sadness the King commanded the beheadedment of John the Baptist. Salome was presented with his head on a silver platter
• The erotic dance was later known to be iconized as the dance of the seven veils and that she was depicted as an icon of dangerous female seductiveness. Again creating a power over the men