Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, are three of only five women included in the lineage of Jesus Christ found in Matthew 1.

If you were asked to give a short description of Tamar, Rahab, or Ruth, what words would you chose? The list might include, foreigner, prostitute, sneaky, or brazen. So, why do biblical writers hold these flouters of convention up as women of faith and outstanding examples of godliness? Even though they (eventually) embraced traditional beliefs and tried to live inside those parameters, events trampled their hopes and expectations. In response they were daring, took matters into their own hands, and often played a leadership role in their interactions with men.

Many of us are wives and mothers, some are single parents, and some are simply single. We may have careers, provide supplemental income, struggle to make ends meet, or survive on the welfare of others. Our churches may give us one set of rules while contemporary culture suggests another.Our circumstances can throw everything out of whack.

How can the term “biblical women” fit all the sizes and shapes of women today?

I believe the Bible shows us that a woman’s identity and purpose are based on her relationship with God. Married or single, rich or poor, unable to conceive or a mother of six—God has a vision for each woman that encompasses all of our diversity.

My book Less Than a Widow (historical fiction based on the Book of Ruth) came out of my desire to know Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth; to see what brought them to faith; and to hear what God has to tell me through their stories.