Women in the Military

So I've been reading through the TPS topic. I haven't finished reading it all, but I had some thoughts on what I've read so far. I take the view that women should not be in the military.

Direct evidence:

About Deborah:

Judges 4:6
"She sent and summond Barak. . . and said to him, 'Has not the Lord your God of Israel commanded you. . ."

And then she says what the Lord had commanded. Now, to me, this sounds as if the Lord had told him, not Deborah. Of course it could have been Deborah who told Barak in the first place. Either way, the Lord told Barak, not Deborah, what to do.

vs. 8
"And Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me I will not go."

This sounds rather like cowardice to me. Barak is asking Deborah to come to a battle that he's too afraid to go to himself.

vs. 9
"So she said, 'I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will send Sisera into the hands of a woman."

So apparently asking Deborah to join him in battle was enough for God to punish Barak. From this instance it would seem God does not wish women to be in battle.

Another piece of evidence is in Numbers. God tells Moses the process by which to make an army. It seems that this is how he should do so whenever a battle needs to be waged.

Number 1:2-3
"Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above - all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies."

Indirect Evidence:

Being in the military and on the front lines will mean a woman would have to lead. So let's see what God says about women leading.

Timothy 2:9-15
I won't quote the whole thing, most is how women should dress (though you can glean wisdom of how they should act by how they should dress)
I'll pick it up in verse 11

"And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to teach in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. . ."

It seems rather clear there.

But I will continue by quoting Titus 2:3-5
"The older women likewise. . . that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

Now, some may argue this has to do with wives only or with teaching in church.

So let's look at an example of a woman who sought after leadership.

Miriam:

Numbers 12
Alright, so basically Aaron and Miriam are jealous of Moses. They both plan on 'taking over'. In other words, Miriam is wanting leadership. God was not pleased and He punished her. She was struck with leperosy.

Anyway, those were just some thoughts.

*bows out gracefully*