Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:2-3

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

I cannot imagine being Bathsheba’s friend, hearing her confide in me about her troubles. How could she say no to King David when he sent for her? He was the king. Her husband, Uriah, was at war. She had no one to stand up for her or protect her. She submitted to the king, and then she told him later that she had become pregnant. After the king had her husband placed in the most dangerous place so he would surely die in battle, Bathsheba grieved her husband’s death. After her mourning, David sent for her to be his wife.

Her life changed because David had seen her bathing at night. If David hadn’t gotten out of bed that night, would her life have changed? If David went to the kitchen to get a glass of milk instead of to the roof for a midnight stroll, would her life have changed?

Bathsheba’s life changed because she was born beautiful. If she had been ugly, nothing would have happened. But she was a beautiful woman who caught the eye of the king.

Sarah

Genesis 20:2

And there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her.

What would you feel like if you were a guy dating a beautiful girl introduced to you by a friend, but your friend didn’t tell you she was married? This happened (sort of) in the book of Genesis where Abraham told a king that Sarah was his sister. Genesis 20:3 explains what happened. “But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, ‘You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.’”

Abimelek wasn’t used to having God appear to him in dreams, so he took the message very seriously. He called Abraham in for a meeting and asked him why he would do such a thing.

Why would Abraham lie to the king? Did Abraham really lie? No. Sarah really was his sister because his dad was Sarah’s father with another mother.

The reason he told the king Sarah was his sister was because he was afraid they would find her irresistibly attractive and kill Abraham in order to have her. But instead of killing Abraham, the king listened to God in his dream and asked Abraham to pray for healing for his household. Sarah ended up with her husband, and the king's household was healed.

Come back next week for more about beautiful women. And find out about men who made mistakes because they didn't seek God first.

Jesus is a Church Worker

 Hebrews 4:14-15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

If you’ve read your Bible, you know that Jesus was the Son of God. He was also the son of Mary. He is God who became flesh, born of a woman. He is described in Hebrews 4 as our High Priest. And by my definition (those who love and serve God by obeying him), Jesus was also a church worker.

Giving him that description doesn’t demote him at all. He came to show us how to be what God wants us to be. He had to become human in order to get his point across. His sacrifice on the cross was something we couldn’t do. But his love shown to others was something he expected us to do – and continually get better at.

Because we have a merciful God, we know we can go to him and ask for help. God gave us many tools in the Bible. He tells us in Hebrews 4 that “the word of God is alive and active.” We’re supposed to use God’s word to help us in our obedience to God. We’re not supposed to judge others, but allow God’s word to judge our thoughts and the attitudes of our hearts.

In Matthew 19, Jesus had just spoken to a group about others whose hearts were hard. Verse 13 tells more. “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.” Had the disciples not listened? Were they being distracted by crowd control duties?

Having just spoken about those whose hearts were hard, Jesus had to deal with his hard-hearted disciples who wouldn’t allow children to come close to him. The disciples had to learn that day that their job as church workers included allowing people of all ages to come to God. God isn’t just for adults. 

Jesus is our High Priest. He’s also our Teacher. He gave us words to use so we could judge our thoughts and attitudes. With God’s word as our tool, we can chip away at our ice-cold, hard-hearted attitudes and allow God’s warm love to penetrate our thoughts and change our ways.

Melchizedek is a Church Worker

Genesis 14:19-20

Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And praise be to God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.

In Genesis 14, we find that five kings (including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah) marched out against four kings. However, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, leaving their cities open to trouble. The four kings seized the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and some people, including Abram’s nephew Lot.

When Abram found out that his nephew had been taken captive, he rounded up a posse from the 318 born in his household. The men strategized and pursued until they recovered the people and goods that were stolen by the four kings.

The grateful king of Sodom came out to meet Abram to receive the people who belonged to him. He wanted to pay Abram for his help, but Abram would only accept food for his men and a share of the goods for the men who fought with him. Abram wouldn’t accept payment for himself.

So where was Melchizedek in all this?

As soon as Abram returned from the victorious battle, he brought a tenth of the goods to Melchizedek, who served Abram bread and wine. He was described as Melchizedek king of Salem, priest of God Most High. Abram received this priest’s blessing (above) in Genesis 14:19-20.  

From Hebrews 7, we know that Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”, and king of Salem means “king of peace.” This priest was on hand to represent God in celebration of the victory. God had helped Abram get back what was stolen, and Abram knew it. Abram didn’t suffer from greediness because he knew that no man could make him as rich as God could. He didn’t depend on man for his wealth because he knew God.

Melchizedek was aware of Abram’s heart. He was available to Abram for the blessing from God’s priest, the king of righteousness.

Have you prayed for God’s blessing to be on the church workers in your area? I know they’re praying for God’s blessing over the Abrams of your town.

Jethro is a Church Worker

Exodus 18:23

If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.

The church is sometimes defined as a building, the whole body of Christians, or a group within Christianity. Therefore, the term “church workers” can only be interpreted by understanding its context. This month, I’m using the term to mean those who love and serve God by obeying him.

You and I cannot know if someone else is obeying God because God doesn’t check with us first before telling someone else what to do. We aren’t supposed to judge others, but we are supposed to help them.

Today, I am sharing the story of Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses. I don’t call everyone a church worker just because others call them a priest. Some who call themselves priest are not serving God. In the same way, not all who call themselves Christian are God-lovers.

We know Jethro was a church worker because he was willing to help, rather than judge someone. He was a man who gave good leadership advice to someone who was trying to do too much on his own. In Exodus 18, Jethro’s example helps us see how to be helpful without being bossy and judgmental.

Moses probably took Jethro’s advice to God and asked him about it. Or at least he judged the advice according to all that God had taught him in the past. Moses knew God’s ways by that time. That was why the people took their disputes to him. As long as Moses was passing the teaching along to the others, there would always be someone to delegate those responsibilities to.

Some of us think we’re irreplaceable. We’re not. That’s a good thing. We show our wisdom when we learn from those who are wiser. We can learn to delegate responsibilities, which makes everyone happier.

I know God wants us all to be wise church workers. We have to realize that we can’t do everything ourselves. We’re only responsible for our small part.

Are you seeking God with me so we all can be wise church workers?

Joshua

Ex 33:11

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

If you had been a trainee under the leadership of Moses, you would’ve learned about humility before God. You would’ve learned how to drop everything and act promptly in obedience to God. You would’ve learned that there is one thing that has to come before everything else you value. That one thing is time spent alone with God.

Joshua knew about a serious relationship with God when Moses spoke to Pharaoh and plagues came over the land. He knew enough to step away from the crowd so he could be a leader and not a follower. In Exodus 32:17 we read that Joshua wasn’t with the golden calf worshippers, but he thought the people sounded like war. In chapter fourteen of the book of Numbers, we read that all but two of the explorers of the land flowing with milk and honey treated God with contempt. The only explorers who gave a good report about the land and the only explorers who would return to that land were Joshua and Caleb. Joshua knew to make up his own mind and follow God.

After Moses died, Joshua was called upon to take the lead in his place.  In the first chapter of the book of Joshua, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous for there would be battles ahead. Joshua knew from his years coming out of Egypt that God would be responsible for their victories. God would supply them with everything they needed, whether food or battle strategies. All Joshua had to do was obey God.

In Joshua 24:29, we read that Joshua died at age 110 after charging his people with (24:14), “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, …But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” He wasn’t content to die knowing his life had been spent serving God. He wanted to share his one thing, the one thing he valued most, with his family and friends.

Joshua urged his community to always treasure that special time with God because without it they would be lost. A life of serving and honoring God was what Joshua wanted to pass down, not just to his kids or his community, but to future generations.

What will your kids inherit from you? What’s your one thing?

Daniel

Daniel 6:20

When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

I’m sure Daniel was expected to be like the other boys when he was told to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. He used wisdom when he asked to be allowed to be on a veggie diet instead of the rich food the others were eating. God saw that Daniel set himself apart from the rest and continued to devote himself to God, so he gave him special knowledge and understanding. When God helped Daniel solve the puzzle of Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, Daniel didn’t take all the credit for himself. Daniel (2:28) explained, “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” After Daniel solved the mystery of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and told the interpretation, the king was in awe, not just because of Daniel, but because of Daniel’s God. In Daniel 2:47, he said, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.”

For years, Daniel’s co-workers had to listen to words of praise for Daniel’s wisdom and integrity. After a while, they became so tired of it that they looked for a way to get him charged with a crime. They searched, but they couldn’t find any corruption nor any negligence. So they set him up. While Darius was king, they suggested that anyone who prayed to any god or human except King Darius would be thrown to the lions. Darius liked Daniel and realized that he’d been set up, so he told him (Daniel 6:16), “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

How nice it would be to have people think of us as people who continually serve God. That’s what the king said a few times about Daniel. Of course, Daniel was rescued. And then Darius made sure that the men who had set up Daniel’s capture were thrown to the lions.

It takes a strong man to stand up for what he believes when all around him are cowering and submitting to whatever new law is announced. All through Daniel’s life, he showed that his strength came from his relationship with the God in heaven who reveals mysteries.

You and I may never be thrown into the lions’ den, but we have a different challenge. Will we be as faithful to God in our comfortable circumstances as Daniel was in his life-threatening circumstances?

Won’t you seek God with me?

David

Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

When I think of strong men, I think of Moses who led millions out of slavery. I think of Caleb and Joshua who were the only two who brought back a good report from the land flowing with milk and honey. I think of Daniel who refused to worship anyone but the one true God, even if that meant being thrown to the lions. I think of John who identified himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved, even at the cross. In the home of Lazarus, Jesus explained (in Luke 10:42) that “few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What was the “one thing” that both Mary and David knew was important? Being with God.

If you are someone who gets quiet before God and really listens, you are developing your “one thing”. Your relationship with God is such a precious thing. It must be nurtured and protected and valued.

David knew as a boy that his strength in protecting the sheep wasn’t his own ability. He knew his victory over Goliath wasn’t a man-made victory. He knew his time with God was the energy behind all of his triumphs.

David sang songs of praise to God in the sheep pastures. He wasn’t working on a singer-songrwriter career. He just wanted to praise his God. I don’t know if he realized he was building his strength in those moments.

It wasn’t a surprise to those who knew him that he danced before God like a wild man. In 2 Samuel 6:5, we find that David and 30,000 men were “celebrating with all their might”. Picture a procession of 30,000 energetic men playing castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals and guiding a cart with the ark of God on it. David wasn’t dancing to put on a show, but to honor and praise God.

A strong man can ignore the stares of people who don’t understand the joy of a relationship with God. A strong man can ignore jealous nay-sayers who are skeptical when he explains his celebration. A strong man can stay faithful to God even when his life is threatened by a giant.

How are you becoming a strong man or woman?

Abigail

1 Samuel 25:17  

Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.

David and his men had been a protective force around Nabal’s men who were keeping sheep near them. Some time after that, David sent men to Nabal’s area and asked for similar kindness, but Nabal didn’t have the same attitude with David’s men. When David heard the report that Nabal had insulted him, he took four hundred armed men with him to straighten things out. David was sure that Nabal and his men would all be dead by morning.

But Nabal’s wife, Abigail, heard about the situation from one of their servants. She was a quick-thinker. Knowing that her husband had probably enraged David, she put together a generous gift of food that would be plenty for David’s men and sent the food on donkeys. When Abigail came to meet David, she got off her donkey and bowed before him. Her respectful body language and word choices let David know that she and her husband were not in agreement about how to treat people.

Most of the time, married couples should display a united front and let others know that they agree on most basic issues. However, this was a good time for Abigail to stand up for herself.

Because Abigail showed enough wisdom and strength of character to bow before David (and sent his men loads of food), she saved the lives of her husband’s male servants.

David saw such strength in Abigail that, waiting until after he heard her husband was dead, he sent for Abigail with the request that she become his wife.

Esther

Esther 5:4

“If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

During the time of King Xerxes, Haman and Mordecai were enemies. They were opposites in their character and in their goals. When all the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down before Haman because the king was honoring him, Mordecai, a Jew, wouldn’t kneel. Haman decided not to make Mordecai pay for his refusal to honor him. Instead, he’d make all of the Jews pay with their lives because of Mordecai.

Queen Esther sent a servant to find out about the rumor that Mordecai was in mourning, and she sent him clothes to wear instead of sackcloth. Mordecai refused the clothes and sent a message back to her. The only one who could save the Jews was the king. Esther would have to plead with him to save her life and the lives of all the Jews because she, being a Jew, would also die if the destruction of the Jews wasn’t stopped.

Mordecai advised her to speak to the king about this. Esther knew she would be risking her life by going to the king without being summoned, but she did it anyway. However, she didn’t explain the terror her people were facing. She simply invited the king and his right hand man, Haman, to a banquet to honor the king. She was able to show strength in a life and death situation.

If Esther had emailed or texted her request to the King, she might have put a winky-smile emoticon in there for good measure. But that would’ve given away the fact that she had something up her sleeve. At the first banquet, she invited them to a second banquet, where she would reveal her connection to the destruction of the Jews. Can you imagine having the patience to set up two banquets and rehearsing what to say to the king so that he could understand exactly what the problem was?

She wasn’t arrogant or vengeful. Esther knew the king would be able to stop the impending disaster, but she had to bring up the issue the right way.  It was clear to the king that she wasn’t just trying to save herself, but her people and the people of Mordecai, the man who had already proven himself a huge asset to the king when he exposed an assassination attempt by two of the king’s officers.

Esther’s patience paid off. When she told the king of Haman’s plot to destroy her and her people, the king left the room in anger. Haman ran to where Esther was reclining to beg her to change the king’s mind. The king came back into the room to find Haman falling on the couch beside Esther, and he remembered that Haman had set up a pole on which to impale Mordecai and display his dead body. The king ordered that Haman be impaled on the pole he set up for Mordecai.

The king saved Esther’s life, but also allowed Mordecai to write an edict in the king’s name that would override the edict to kill all the Jews.

I love this story because of the example Esther gives to all women. Being beautiful is nice, but it’s not enough to stop a massacre. If a woman wants to change the world, she has to be strong, patient, and wise enough to listen to the good advice of others.

 

Jael

Judges 4:22

Just then Barak came by in pursuit of Sisera, and Jael went out to meet him. “Come,” she said, “I will show you the man you’re looking for.” So he went in with her, and there lay Sisera with the tent peg through his temple – dead.

Jael was a strong woman who accepted the opportunity that came right to her door. She’s famous because she killed a runaway who was an enemy of the Israelites.

Last week, I highlighted the efforts of Deborah, who encouraged Barak to lead 10,000 men into battle against Sisera as the Lord had commanded. Barak was able to succeed in battle. He and his men killed all of Sisera’s men. But Sisera fled on foot.

Where did Sisera go? He thought he was safe at the door of Jael’s tent. She greeted him with kindness, covered him with a blanket, and let him go to sleep in her tent. What a nice woman. Right?

Not so much. She knew who he was and who would be looking for him. She let him fall asleep and then found a tent peg and a hammer. According to Judges 4:21, “She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.”

This is not a woman you want to mess with.

The woman was mentally and emotionally strong enough to plan it out and decide to do it. Then she was physically strong enough to pull it off. She didn’t worry about the what ifs that plague many people. “What if I miss his temple and he wakes up and kills me? What if I can only get the tent peg to wound him instead of going all the way into the ground?”

She went for it. Her boldness and resolve to get the job done gave her the honor that would’ve gone to a man if Sisera hadn’t escaped from Barak.

When Barak came looking for Sisera and asked Jael if she’d seen him, she was proud to show him her work. He walked into the tent and saw Sisera dead on the ground. Immediately, he knew that this was the one of whom Deborah had spoken when she said the honor Barak had forfeited would go to a woman.

When God drops an opportunity into your lap, go for it. He knows who can accomplish the task. He knows your strength. Our job is to be aware of God’s opportunities and obey quickly.

Deborah

Judges 4: 9   

“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.”

The Lord spoke through Deborah to Barak and commanded him to lead 10,000 men to a specific place where God would give his enemy into his hands. Deborah was willing to go with Barak to be a source of encouragement for him when Barak told her he wouldn’t do it without her. When Barak obeyed God, all of the enemy had been killed except their leader, Sisera, who fled on foot.

Barak had been warned of the consequences of not accepting God’s command as it was without asking a woman to go with him. He was told that the honor would go, not to a man, but to a woman.

Deborah was not that woman. She had to deal with Barak, so running after a fugitive was not on her To Do List. I’ll share in next week’s blog post about which woman received the honor that Barak didn’t get.

Last year, I wrote about Deborah because she was a standout woman in the Bible. The verses about her showed she was available, obedient, and caring. Today, I want to focus on the boldness it took to do what she did.

Her goal was peace. She wanted to bring the disputes of the Israelites under control. They came to her at the Palm of Deborah where she held court. Can you imagine a shingle with her name on it nailed to the palm tree that gave her its shade? Maybe she had a gavel. Maybe there was a bailiff.

This woman knew about their enemy who had 900 chariots fitted with iron and who had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. She had heard her people crying out to the Lord for help. So when the Lord answered their cries by commanding Barak to go into battle against their enemy, Deborah was sure there was a victory ahead of them. Whenever the Lord tells you he’ll give your enemy into your hands, there is certain victory ahead.

But Barak somehow was uneasy about going into battle without Deborah.

It made Deborah dig deep into her reserves of patience with the man, but she went with him to the place God had commanded. She had to remind him on the day of battle, “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?”

This was an important win for Barak and his men. When he led his 10,000 men into battle, I’m sure Deborah watched him go and then let out a sigh of relief. She knew as long as Barak did what God commanded, her people would be spared. I can imagine that she was slightly annoyed that she had to go with him to make him do what he could’ve easily done without her.

Deborah was not some mousy little people pleaser. She was bold enough to stand up for what God said. How many in our day would stand up for God’s commands? How many of us would rather not stand out like that?

It took her guts and boldness to bring about the victory God had planned for her people. Can God use us like he used Deborah?

We’re not all judges, but we can all stand up for what we know God wants.