You would be hard-pressed to find a more delightful story than that of Ruth. On the surface it reads like a romantic mini-drama in three scenes. Nice girl falls on hard times; girl meets man; man marries girl. But as with any really good story, just below the surface there are some very important ideas […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Bible Characters
Not Forgotten: A Lesson from the Life of Esther
God’s presence is not as intriguing as His absence. His voice is not as eloquent as His silence. Who of us has not longed for a word from God, searched for a glimpse of His power, or yearned for the reassurance of His presence, only to feel that He seems absent for the moment? Distant. […]
Read MoreLife Is Difficult: A Lesson from the Life of Job
Life is difficult. That blunt, three-word statement is an accurate appraisal of our existence on this earth. When the writer of the biblical book named Job picked up his stylus to write his story, he could have begun with a similar-sounding and equally blunt sentence, “Life is unfair.” No one could argue the point that […]
Read MoreMicah and His Message
Little is known about the prophet Micah. His hometown Moresheth lay in Judah’s fertile foothills near the fortified cities Lachish, Maresha, and Soco. It was about twenty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem and so close to the Philistine city Gath that it was often linked with this larger city and called Moresheth-gath. Most commentators believe Micah […]
Read MoreHow to Study a Bible Character: Discovering the People in the Greatest Story Ever Told
God is the greatest storyteller of all time. Using narratives that begin with such lines as, “In the land of Uz there lived a man . . .” (Job 1:1 NIV), He plucks us out of our world and drops us into another. Suddenly, we’re in a different time and culture, yet the characters we […]
Read MoreReading the Old Testament for All It’s Worth
We never outgrow our love for a good story, do we? There is something compelling, something magnetic, and something altogether unique about the best stories. They engage, both our minds and our hearts. They allow us to empathise with the experiences of other human beings. They also create opportunities to learn from the lives of […]
Read MoreRahab: Demonstrating Courageous Faith
She had a reputation no woman would ever want: she was a harlot, a prostitute. But she was also a woman whose courage and faith in God would transcend her reputation and place her in the lineage of the Messiah. Rahab owned a house, built on the outer walls of Jericho. When two Israelite spies […]
Read MoreStrength and Dignity
Esther exhibited a grace-filled charm and elegance. In Esther 2:9, the literal translation of the original language says, “She lifted up grace before his face.” Isn’t that a beautiful expression? Though she was brought to the harem and participated in these things reluctantly, Esther did not display a sour attitude. I’m convinced she sensed God’s […]
Read MoreHandling Adversity
Step into the time tunnel with me and let’s travel together back to Uz (not like the wizard of, but like the land of). Wherever it was, Uz had a citizen who had the respect of everyone, because he was blameless, upright, God-fearing, and clean living. He had 10 children, lots of livestock, plenty of […]
Read MoreIt Brought Down a King, It’ll Do the Same to You
Sometimes I learn things in strange ways. And I annoy the people around me because I get so excited about the things I learn and the weird ways I learn them that I just have to tell all about it. For example, I had a couple of thoughts the other day while watching an episode […]
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