People of the Bible

"The Seven Women Who Rescued Moses" - By Cameron Piner

"The Seven Women Who Rescued Moses" - By Cameron Piner

In Exodus 1, creation language is used abundantly. Exodus 1:7 - “fruitful”, “multiplied”, “swarming”, & “fill the land” (Gen. 1:28). In Exodus 1:8-11, a serpent figure responds to the abundant life by wanting to act “shrewdly” (Gen. 3:1). But, the oppression and slavery didn’t work, the Hebrews continued to “be fruitful and multiply and to fill the land.” In Exodus 1:15, an unnamed Pharaoh speaks to two named midwives (Shiphrah & Puah). He says to kill the sons, “but if it is a daughter, then she shall live” (Exod. 1:16, NASB95); and verse 22 doubles down on this language. Why not kill the daughters? Pharaoh views the women as having no power. He is not afraid of the women, because he under-estimates them. Why does the text twice record this unnecessary line about the daughters? Because God is about to introduce the entire Exodus story by showing Moses go through his own personal Exodus arc. But, God chooses to save Moses through partnering with 7 women. We are shown those seven women in three sets of two, then the seventh is one of seven daughters (God doesn’t want us to miss what He is doing here - this is like walking around the walls of Jericho once per day for 7 days, then 7 times on the 7th day). So, let’s talk about the seven women who rescued Moses.

"Moses (Part 2)" - By Jared Synan

"Moses (Part 2)" - By Jared Synan

This will be a continuation of our examination of Moses, his life, and how God worked both in and through him with the events recorded in Exodus chapter 2 [read part 1 here]. To refresh his story and experiences up to this point: verse 2 records that he was born to Levite parents, foreshadowing his role as a spiritual leader and prophet to the Hebrew people as well as his brother Aaron later being named as the first high priest of God as stated by the law God would reveal to Moses later. Moses is hidden from the Egyptian Pharaoh for three months by his parents to save him from death, and is then placed in a basket placed in a river to send him away to safety; he was then discovered by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who takes him in to her family, ordering him weaned by his own mother in verse 9 and being named Moses in verse 10. Verse 11 shows that he went to see the Hebrews in captivity and saw an Egyptian beating one of the slaves - and in verse 12 we learn that Moses killed the Egyptian to protect them, with Acts 7:25 adding that Moses did so thinking that he would bring about God’s plan to free the Hebrew people. 

"Moses (Part 1)" - By Jared Synan

"Moses (Part 1)" - By Jared Synan

Moses is one of the most prevalent and quoted people in the Old Testament, and for a myriad of reasons: in addition to writing part of it, he was protected from birth by God, encountered and then grew in obedience with Him, was used by God to free the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt and to demonstrate God’s supreme power through miracles designed to humble the most powerful nation on the face of the earth at the time. Moses led his people in God’s way, through the parting of the Red Sea and on towards the promised land; learning God’s commandments and laws directly from Him on Mount Sinai. Moses then used God’s instructions to oversee the construction of the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle, the establishment of His priesthood, and he also saw the consequences of not holding God’s commandments as holy firsthand. He led God’s people through the wilderness, whom he saw fall into sin with the golden calf, and then saw them repent and saw the mercy and grace of God as well as His wrath in justice. 

"Job's Questions & God's Grace" - By Ben Palmer

"Job's Questions & God's Grace" - By Ben Palmer

The life and experiences of Job are profoundly timeless. He suffered deeply, felt intensely, and wrestled with the justice of God. Though God eventually rebuked him, God also showed mercy. Job’s anguish ran so deep that he questioned his own existence: “Why did I not die at birth, come out from the womb and expire?” (Job 3:11, ESV). His friends blamed him and offered little comfort, prompting Job to call them “miserable comforters” (16:2, ESV). Their conversations reveal what it is like to make sense of the world when we cannot fully see the spiritual realm. Job’s friends spoke truths about God’s character, yet they dangerously misapplied those truths. Their accusations were relentless, and in the midst of them Job felt lonely and abandoned (Job 19:13–15).

"Eight 'Types of Christ' in the Life of Joseph" - By Calvin Allen

"Eight 'Types of Christ' in the Life of Joseph" - By Calvin Allen

The life of Joseph in Genesis 37–50 is, in my opinion, the strongest of all Christ-figures in scripture. Joseph is not the Christ, nor is every detail of his life symbolic. However, there are likely more occasions, though I haven’t specifically counted, throughout his life that have greater fulfillment found in Jesus than any other biblical character. These parallels are often called “types”— divine patterns that point forward to Christ. Below are eight significant ways Joseph serves as a type of Christ.

"The Anguish of Leah and Rachel" - By David Williamson

"The Anguish of Leah and Rachel" - By David Williamson

Imagine a woman in your church says this: “After I have a child, my husband will love me.” Or they say: “Because I suffered, I now get blessings.” Or they say: “If I have enough children I will earn love.”

What would you think when hearing a woman in your church say that? Would you quietly disengage? Would you feel moved to ask why she feels like that? Would you skip straight to gentle encouragement in the face of such distorted anguish?

Now read Genesis 29 and the surrounding chapters and allow yourself to enter in the anguish of Leah and Rachel.

"Isaac - God Has Made Me Laugh" - By Jared Synan

"Isaac - God Has Made Me Laugh" - By Jared Synan

God promised Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age, and, despite their worldly attempts to bring about children on their own (possibly motivated by frustration, desperation or fear), God held true to His promise to them. Genesis chapter 21 shows Sarah giving birth to Isacc, with verse 2 specifying that she bore him "at the set time of which God had spoken to him" (NKJV). After being barren for so long, Sarah and Abraham were overjoyed with the blessing of their new baby, and in response to this they named him Isaac, which means "he laughs." Genesis 21:6 records Sarah saying "God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me" (NKJV). While it must be acknowledged that not all of Abraham and Sarah's actions or decisions were good ones, here we see at the very start of Isaac's life that they are properly responding to this blessing; not only rejoicing personally, but also glorifying God, recognizing His might and power at work, and making it known that He is the author and source of their happiness, as opposed to glorifying themselves or their own efforts.

"A Man Who Was Attacked When He Tried To Protect The Foreigners (Lot)" - By Cameron Piner

"A Man Who Was Attacked When He Tried To Protect The Foreigners (Lot)" - By Cameron Piner

There was once a man who was an immigrant and a foreigner to his current city. He welcomed and cared for other strangers and foreigners whenever they came to town. But, one day, the leaders of the city came to his door and wanted to drag the foreigners out of the house and into the street. The men of the city wanted to harm the foreigners, but this hospitable man protected the foreigners. However, the men of the city were enraged that he wanted to protect the foreigners, so they attacked the man instead, intending to do worse to him than they had originally planned to do to the foreigner. This is a real story, but maybe not the one that you are thinking about. The story that I am talking about was recorded in Genesis 19, and it is a story about Abraham’s nephew, Lot.

"“If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Not all “worship” is the worship of God" - By Carl Ballard

"“If you do well, will you not be accepted?” Not all “worship” is the worship of God" - By Carl Ballard

Life outside the Garden of Eden meant that there was no longer direct contact between the holy God and the people that He had created to bear His image. [cp Gen 1:26-28; 3:8, 24] While we never truly get to witness how Adam and Eve approached God again after their sin, the Bible does register the approach of Cain and Abel with their offerings as they come before Him in worship.