Abigail : The Woman With Beauty and Brains

Scripture References—1 Samuel 25:1-42;2 Samuel 3:3

Name Meaning—Father of Joy, or Cause of Joy

Family Connections—Scripture gives us no clue as to Abigail’s parentage or genealogy. Ellicott suggests that the name given this famous Jewish beauty who became the good angel of Nabal’s household was likely given her by the villagers of her husband’s estate. Meaning “Whose father is joy,” Abigail was “expressive of her sunny, gladness-bringing presence.” Her religious witness and knowledge of Jewish history testify to an early training in a godly home, and acquaintance with the teachings of the prophets in Israel, Her plea before David also reveals her understanding of the events of her own world.

The three conspicuous characters in the story of one of the loveliest females in the Bible are Nabal, Abigail and David. Nabal is described as “the man churlish and evil in his doings” (1 Samuel 25:3), and his record proves him to be all that. Churlish means, a bear of man, harsh, rude and brutal. Destitute of the finer qualities his wife possessed, he was likewise avaricious and selfish. Rich and increased with goods and gold, he thought only of his possessions and could be classed among those of whom it has been written—

Hannah : A Model of Faith

What is diligently seeking God?  Is it coming to God on a daily basis?  Is it coming to worship and praise Him?   Is it believing that He is there?  And believing that He will reward me? Let’s review the concept of diligently seeking God by reviewing the faith and dedication of Hannah, the mother of Samuel.

 What did Hannah do?

1^stSamuel 1:20 “Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple.  In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.  And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

Rachel : The Woman in Whom Romance and Tragedy Were Blended

Scripture References - Genesis 29; 30; 31; 33:1, 2, 7; 35:16-26; 46:19, 22, 25; 48:7; Ruth 4:11; 1 Samuel 10:2; Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18

Name Meaning - Rachel was the first person in the Bible to have a proper name derived from the brute creation. Wilkinson remarks, "that, for the most part, the formation of a human name from that of an animal is traceable to some peculiarity either observed or desired in an individual, which would thus be most intelligently expressed in a rude and simple age." 

Rachel, the name of Jacob's beloved wife means "ewe," employed more or less as a title of endearment, just as the word "lamb" is among ourselves. Laban, accustomed to tenderly nursing the weak ewes as they were born, thought "ewe" to be a fitting name for his second daughter.

Family Connections - Rachel was the daughter of Laban, the son of Bethuel and Rebekah's brother. Rachel became the second wife of her cousin Jacob and the mother of his two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. (Compare material under Leah.)

Joshua : The Man Who Was a Soldier-Saint

1. The son of Nun and successor of Moses and author of the book bearing his name. He is also called Hoshea (Num. 13:8, 16; Deut. 32:44).

Joshua, Jehoshua, Jehoshuah, Jeshua, Jesus

[Jŏsh'uă, Jēhŏsh'u ă, Jĕsh'u ă, Jē'sus] - jehovah is salvation.

The Man Who Was a Soldier-Saint

Joshua has been rightly called, "The first soldier consecrated by sacred history." A profitable way of studying his profile is to think of him in the following roles:

As a Son . Joshua was the son of Nun - a name meaning "prosperity, durable" - and of the tribe of Ephraim. Nothing is known of his mother. One usually finds, however, a good and gracious woman in the background of a man who reaches a position of influence and honor. Without doubt, Joshua's parents feared the God of Israel, and he continued their godly influence.

Alphaeus - transient, chief or a thousand.

Alphaeus [Ălphē'us]—transient, chief or a thousand.

1. The father of Levi or Matthew the Apostle (Mark 2:14).

2. The father of James, one of the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). Sometimes identified as the same person in No. 1 and also as Cleophas.

Jacob : The Man of Two Natures

Jacob [Jā'cob]—he that supplanteth or followeth after.

1. The second son of Isaac and Rebekah, and a twin brother of Esau. Jacob appeared a short time after Esau and is therefore called the younger brother. Isaac was sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born.

The Man of Two Natures

Jacob is an outstanding illustration of the presence and conflict of the two natures within a believer. Similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Robert Louis Stevenson’s story, Jacob is good and bad; he rises and falls, yet in spite of his failures was a chosen instrument.

Naaman's Servant Girl

One of my heroes is a child. I hope she made it to heaven because I want to meet her. I don't even know her name.

"Now [raiding] bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy'"(2 Kings 5:2,3).

If I had been captured by raiders, taken from my family, and now forced to work as an unpaid slave for some foreigner, I would hate it. Worse-Naaman was a high-ranking military officer in the dreaded Aramean army, Israel's bitter foes on their troubled northern frontier.

I would work every day in a cold rage, burying my feelings under a bland mask and plotting either escape or revenge. Instead, this little girl showed kindness to her owner. She felt sorry for him because he had leprosy and urged him to see Elisha, Israel's great man of God.

Ezekiel : The Man Who Was Every Inch a Churchman

Ezekiel [Ĕzēkĭel]—god is strong or the man god strengthens. The son of Buzi, a priest who prophesied to the exiles by the river Chebar, and fourth of “The Greater Prophets” (Ezek. 1:3; 24:24).

The Man Who Was Every Inch a Churchman

Little is known of this man of a priestly family (Ezek. 1:3;30:1). His father’s name, Buzi, was a Gentile one (Gen. 22:21; Job 32:2, 6). Referring to himself as “a priest,” Ezekiel was akin to Jeremiah who was also a prophet and a priest. Because of his priestly lineage, levitical tendencies appear in his book (Ezek. 40-46), as well as foregleams of the high priestly character of the Messiah (Ezek. 21:25; 45:22). Ezekiel is every inch a churchman, and his strong ecclesiastical characteristics pervade and give tone to his prophecies.

WOMAN WHO WAS A SINNER

Luke 7:36-50

The Woman Who Sinned Yet Loved Much

All women since Eve, the world’s first sinner, were born in sin and sinners by birth became more or less sinners by practice. But this woman whom Jesus met in the house of Simon has the distinguishable labels, “Which was a sinner,” “She is a sinner,” “Her sins which were many.” Her doom seemed to be sealed in that word “sinner.” The simple but moving record of this disreputable woman that Luke alone gives us, compells us to say that no human imagination invented it. As Mackintosh Mackay says, “The story bears stamped on its very face the impress of Him who spake as never man spake.”

Absalom : The Man Whose Lovely Hair Meant His Death

Absalom [Ăb’salŏm]—father of peace. The third son of David by his wife Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. He was born of a polygamous marriage (2 Sam. 3:2, 13, 14).

The Man Whose Lovely Hair Meant His Death

What a singular fascination there is in the story of Absalom who, lacking capacity, certainly made up for it in charm! As to the story of his rebellion against David his father, such a heartless deed carries with it one of the most solemn lessons in the whole of the Bible. Let us briefly touch on some aspects of Absalom’s character and conduct.

I. He was of royal descent on both sides, for his mother was a king’s daughter. Undoubtedly he was heir to the throne, and the favorite, the idol of his father.

Achan : The Man Who Brought Trouble to a Nation

Achan, Achar, Achor [Ā'chăn,Ā'chär, Ā'chôr]—trouble. The son of Carmi of the tribe of Judah (Josh. 7; 1 Chron. 2:7).

The Man Who Brought Trouble to a Nation

It did not take Joshua long to discover that his defeat at Ai, after a succession of victories, was due to some transgression of the divine covenant (Josh. 7:8-12). Thus, as the result of an inquiry, Achan was exposed as the transgressor, and confessing his sin in stealing and hiding part of the spoil taken at the destruction of Jericho, was put to death in consequence. In keeping with the custom of those days, Achan was probably stoned with his immediate relatives, and their dead bodies burned—the latter making punishment more terrible in the eyes of the Israelites. Achan was put to death in “the valley of Achor” meaning “the valley of trouble”—the valley being called atter Achan who had been the troubler of Israel (Josh. 7:25,26). Thus in 1 Chronicles 2:7 Achan is spelled as Achar. But “the valley of trouble” became a “door of hope” all of which is spiritually suggestive (Isa. 65:10; Hos. 2:15).

Chloe : Green Herb

Scripture Reference—1 Corinthians 1:10, 11

Name Meaning — Green herb

We are not told anything about the background of this Corinthian matron and head of a Christian household. 

Evidently she was well-known to the Corinthians by her personal name which means “green herb,” and in the Greek represents the first green shoot of plants. 

Chloe is therefore emblematic of fruitful grace and beauty. It was while he was benefiting from the hospitality of her home that Paul received information of strife among leaders in the Early Church and which he sought to deal with in this first chapter of First Corinthians. 

The Church at Corinth gave Paul a good deal of concern and heartache because of its low spirituality.

Zipporah : The Woman Who Wrongly Opposed Her Husband

Scripture References—Exodus 2:21, 22;4:24, 25; 18:1-6

Name Meaning—A Midian name, Zipporah means “a little bird,” “a sparrow.” Wilkinson observes that “the feminine termination ah added to the common word Zippor, which is also the father of Balak, king of Moab.” Such a name like “dove” or “lamb” would originally be a term of endearment, and thus the word passer &--;“a sparrow”—is used by the Roman poets. Passer is also being found as a Roman family name. The root of this word is an Arabic verb, signifying “to chirp.”

Family Connections—Zipporah was one of the seven daughters of Jethro who is also called Reuel and Raguel (Exodus 2:18; 4:24, 25;18:1-6; Numbers 10:29). It was to the home of this shepherd-priest in Midian that Moses came when at forty years of age he fled from Egypt, and meeting the seven girls drawing water Moses assisted them. Arriving home earlier than usual they told how the Egyptian had helped them. Brought up as a son of Pharaoh, Moses must have looked every inch a cultured Egyptian. 

Martha : The Woman Who Was More Practical Than Spiritual

Scripture References—Luke 10:38-41; John 11; 12:1-3

Name Meaning—As a Chaldee or Syriac word, Martha is the feminine of moro or more, meaning “lord,” “master.” We find this in the form maran in the well-known phrase Maran-atha, “The Lord cometh” (1 Corinthians 16:22). There are those who think that Kyria, translated “lady” in 2 John 1, is a proper name, the Greek equivalent of this word. Carpzov supposes that this Kyria was the same person as Martha of Bethany.

Family Connections—Of the history of Martha, the Bible tells us nothing save that she was the sister of Mary and Lazarus, and lived with them at Bethany. Some early writers have made Martha, the daughter, wife, or widow of Simon the Leper, and that on his death the house became hers, hence the reference to the house when the resurrection of Lazarus was celebrated (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3). 

Others think that Martha may have been a near relative of Simon for whom she acted as hostess. But the narrative seems to suggest the home belonged to Martha and being older than Mary and Lazarus, she carried the responsibility of all connected with household affairs in a home where “Jesus found the curse of the sojourner lifted from Him, and, in reversal of His own description of His loneliness and penury, found where to lay His head.” 

Luke : The Man Who Wrote the Most Beautiful Book in the World

Luke, Lucas [Lo̅o̅ke,Lo̅o̅'cas]—light-giving or luminous.

The Man Who Wrote the Most Beautiful Book in the World

Less is known of Luke than any other New Testament writer. This we do know, he was a Gentile and probably the brother of Titus (2 Cor. 8:16; 12:18). Paul speaks of him as a “beloved physician.” Luke must have been a man of some wealth, otherwise he could not have traveled with Paul as his friend and useful companion (Acts 1:1; Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24). Tertullian said of this native of Antioch that he received his illumination from Paul.

Luke was a man of learning and knowledge, an exact observer and faithful recorder. His medical training taught him to be exact. He is in the first rank as a reliable historian, scholarly, skillful and sympathetic (Luke 1:1-3;Acts 1:1-3). His gospel is the most literary of the four. With his Greek mind he had a sense of form, a beautiful style—studied and elaborate. A poet, he was unsurpassed as a word-painter. Luke’s gospel has been described as the most wonderful book ever written, the most beautiful book in the world. Above it and within it we hear the rustle of the angels' wings, the music of angels’songs.

Eliezer : The Man Who Found a Wife for His Master

Eliezer [Ĕli ēzûr]—god is my help.

1. The second son of Moses and Zipporah to whom his father gave this name as a memento of his gratitude to God (Exod. 18:4; 1 Chron. 23:15, 17; 26:25).
2. A son of Becher and grandson of Benjamin (1 Chron. 7:8).
3. A priest who assisted in the return of the Ark to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 15:24).
4. A Reubenite ruler in David’s time (1 Chron. 27:16).
5. The prophet who rebuked Jehoshaphat for his alliance with king Ahaziah in the Ophir expedition (2 Chron. 20:37).
6. A chieftain sent with others to induce many of the Israelites to return with Ezra to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:16).
7. A priest who put away his foreign wife (Ezra 10:18).
8. A Levite who had done the same (Ezra 10:23).
9. One of the sons of Harim who had done likewise (Ezra 10:31).
10. An ancestor of Joseph, husband of Mary (Luke 3:29).
11. Abraham’s chief servant, and “son of his house,” that is, one of his large household. He is named “Eliezer of Damascus” probably to distinguish him from others of the same name (Gen. 15:2; 24).

The Man Who Found a Wife for His Master

Abednego : The Man Who Defied a King

Abednego [Ăbĕd'-negō]—servant of nebo or servant of light. The name given by the prince of the eunuchs of King Nebuchadnezzar to Azariah, one of the four young princes of Judah who were carried away into Babylon. He was one of the three faithful Jews delivered from the fiery furnace (Dan. 1:7; 2:49; 3). How God honored the faith and courage of these Hebrew youths!

The Man Who Defied a King

There are at least four lessons to be learned from the dauntless, defiant witness of Abed-nego and his two companions:

OBADIAH - The Man Who Prophesied Disaster

Obadiah [Ōba dī'ah]—servant or worshiper of Jehovah. Among the Semitic peoples many names, such as the one before us, were common, occurring frequently in the Old Testament. Little or nothing is known about the Obadiahs of the Bible, but the name has also been found on an ancient Hebrew seal.

1. The pious governor of Ahab’s palace who hid one hundred of Jehovah’s prophets (1 Kings 18:3-16).
2. The founder of a family of the lineage of David(1 Chron. 3:21).
3. A man of Issachar of the family of Tola (1 Chron. 7:3).
4. Son of Azel, a descendant of king Saul (1 Chron. 8:38; 9:44).
5. Son of Shemaiah, a Levite of Netophah (1 Chron. 9:16).
6. A Gadite who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chron. 12:9).
7. Father of Ishmaiah, prince of Zebulun in David’s time (1 Chron. 27:19).
8. A prince of Judah, sent by Jehoshaphat to teach the people (2 Chron. 17:7).
9. A Levite, one of the overseers of the workmen who repaired the Temple in Josiah’s time (2 Chron. 34:12).
10. Son of Jehiel, a descendant of Joab who returned from exile with Ezra (Ezra 8:9).
11. A priest who, on behalf of his father’s house, sealed the covenant (Neh. 10:5).
12. A Levite, founder of a family of sanctuary porters (Neh. 12:25).
13. The prophet of Judah who lived over 550 years before Christ (Obad. 1).

Men Of The Bible - Cornelius

Cornelius [Côrnē'lĭ ŭs]—the beam of the sun. A converted Roman centurion at Caesarea, a devout man (Acts 10). He was the first Gentile convert and through his conversion the door of faith was opened unto the Gentiles. 

Disgusted with the Gentile paganism of his day he turned to God but did not have a full understanding of the Gospel of Grace. Through Peter’s ministry, Cornelius became a believer and was received into the fellowship of the Church. 

From this point there is no difference between Jew and Gentile. In Christ they become one (Eph. 2:18). Benevolence, prayerfulness, obedience and spiritual receptivity characterize this godly Roman centurion.

Was the Historical Samson Black?

By Michael Gryboski , Christian Post Reporter

As millions tuned in to the second part of the miniseries "The Bible" on The History Channel on Sunday night, some were intrigued by the casting choice for one of the characters.

Samson, the Ancient Near East judge known for superhuman strength and long hair, was portrayed by a black actor, leading many online to ponder aloud what Samson must have looked like.  On the discussion board for Internet Movie Database entry for "The Bible," someone posted the question and got five pages worth of responses for and against the idea.

On Yahoo Answers, at least three people posted questions pertaining to Samson's race in response to the episode, with a combined amount of over 20 responses.

The Christian Post asked its Facebook fans what they thought of Samson and received over 400 comments, many addressing the question as to whether or not Samson really looked that way.