"She" shall bear a "Son"

"He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son." Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him."


Author: Genesis 18 Verses #: 10

Throughout the Old Testament the stories are replete with women being burdened with producing a "son".  The  importance of birthing a boy was part of the pressure on every jewish maiden so that the messiah could be born, the messiah had to be a manchild.  Women have not only been burdened with the task of birthing and raising children but in that responsibility was the pressure to have a son to carry on the family lineage and name.  In patriarchal cultures such as judaism, islam and christianity a manchild has more worth and importance than a female child.  Of course this is ridiculous and thanks to modern society moving past the mindset of these ancient stories have females been able to be viewed as equal. It has only been in the last generation that a female child has not seen as a lesser human being.  Women can thank science for this as science has proven that it is the male sperm that decides the sex of a fetus and the determination of sex has nothing to do with the female egg.  Women were blamed for 6 millineum for a failure to produce a male offspring until science shed some light on the subject. 
 
The other point I want to make is that ALL the stories center around men.  On occasion a woman like Eve, or Ruth or Esther get a bit part, but the larger story is about what the men are or are not doing.  The bible is a history book that is completely patriarchal.  Women only have value when they produced a male heir.  The story of Ruth and Mary are prime examples.  Baby boys are what makes the Old Testament continue along it's story line and story path.  Once seeing this, a modern women wonders where she fits it to the religion as a whole. The answer is...on the peripherary...and as a servant making babies for Jesus, Yahweh or Allah.  Women no doubt accompanied Jesus and washed clothes and cooked, but  even the New Testament  is a story of men as seen from a man's point of view.  When women wake up we will have a female pope or no pope at all...a female minister on staff or no women cooking church suppers...and a female islamic leader or no female followers of Allah at all.  The only question remains...when will women wake up and reject the patriarchy?