Parents of the Bible Podcast

From Adam & Eve to Mary & Joseph
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Parents of the Bible: From Adam & Eve to Mary & Joseph is a series of prayer journals focused on biblical characters as parents. If you are a parent looking for encouragement, this series might be for you. parentsofthebible.substack.com

  1. 3d ago

    Elkanah

    1 Samuel 1:1-8 (New Living Translation) 1 There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. 3 Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. 6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” Dear God, When it comes to Samuel’s boyhood, it is easy to focus on Hannah and forget that Elkanah was part of his life as well. He was apparently a loving, if not very perceptive, husband to Hannah. He also seems to have been fairly insensitive to Peninnah. It appears his empathy was a bit lacking. Yes, he could tell that Hannah was suffering, so he would do nice things for her (hurting Peninnah in the process), but his last line in 1 Samuel 1:8 illustrates his obtuseness: “You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” Yeah … no, it is not. I think one of the great things about parenthood is how it helps us to grow. It is great that in these stories, no one is painted with a perfect brush. Everyone is flawed. We do not know who wrote this story, but they wanted us to not only know something about Samuel’s origin story—why he grew up in the temple—but also that his parents were real people with real emotions, strength, and flaws. Father, I am still on this journey. You are shaping me every day. You are teaching me where I am insensitive and thoughtless. You humble me through my children, wife, and others. You are slowly filtering out the chaff and bringing me into alignment with your Holy Spirit. Maybe by the time I die I will be halfway there. Wouldn’t that be great? I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Elkanah

  2. Sep 5

    Naomi (Part 3 of 3)

    Ruth 3 (New Living Translation) 3 One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. 2 Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 3 Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” 5 “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law. 7 After Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 Around midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.” 10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. 12 But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. 13 Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.” 14 So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” 15 Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town. 16 When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, 17 and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.” Ruth 4:13-17 (New Living Translation) 13 So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. 17 The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. Dear God, As a widow back then, Naomi was really pushing water uphill. She had so few options for herself, and she knew that if Ruth did not act soon, she would be in the same boat. Did they manipulate Boaz? Yes. Did they use Boaz for his money and position? Sure. But in that system, did she have much choice? Here is something subtle I like about this story. The name “Mara” (Ruth 1:20) did not stick. You did not make her life bitter. In fact, through Ruth, you gave her hope. Through her son Kilion (presumably Kilion is the one who married Ruth), you brought this woman into her life who would look out for her. She did not know it. Had her husband not died and had her sons not died, they might have stayed in Moab forever. But those deaths forced her back to Judah and Bethlehem. They forced her back to what would become the City of David. And why did it become the City of David? Because her daughter-in-law, Ruth, would marry Boaz and have a son. And what did the women of Bethlehem (the future City of David) say to her? “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Not all of us will get to see even the beginnings of what you are doing like Naomi did. We do not know if she ever saw David born, although I am certain she never saw him kill Goliath or be crowned as king. But she got to see Obed. She got to cuddle him and care for him. Nothing about the name “Mara” fit her any longer. Father, my prayer right now is for everyone who feels like their name is Mara because they feel like you have made their life bitter. I saw a man in church this morning who was sitting alone. I noticed some things about him that made me wonder if he was there seeking you from a desperate place. I spoke to him briefly, and he did not indicate anything was wrong, but I at least wanted him to know that someone noticed him this morning and cared. I have some family members who are currently struggling. They might feel like the name Mara fits them. Help them to let go of that label. Help them to embrace your love. Help them to look for ways to extend love to others. Help them to take their eyes off themselves and find ways to serve. And heal their wounds through your Holy Spirit and your presence. And help me to be there for them as well. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Naomi (Part 3 of 3)

  3. Aug 29

    Naomi (Part 2 of 3)

    Ruth 1:3-5 (New Living Translation) Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. Dear God, I have been guilty of something regarding Naomi, and I am sorry. I judged her for feeling so rejected by you and the whole “call me Mara” thing she says a few verses later. But I have not appreciated the mourning of a woman now facing life alone. The intimidation of it—especially in a culture where women had little agency or ability to provide for themselves. One reason men had multiple wives is that the women needed someone to provide for them because they would not be able to provide for themselves. But on a basic level, Naomi experienced tremendous loss. It is one thing to lose your husband. Even today, people get married with the knowledge that one of them will likely die before the other. There is a part of our heart that prepares for that. But to lose both of her sons too. Not only were they her hope for provision and sustaining her in the remainder of her life, but they were also her little boys. Even if they were men, they were her little boys. She lost them. She was a widow and a childless woman. Her pain must have been immense. Then there is the fear of not being able to survive layered on top of that. But it all starts with pain and mourning. I am not familiar with this pain. My wife has lost both parents. Both of my parents are still living and only one of their siblings has died, and, frankly, I did not really know him. I have experienced pain as a parent, but I have not lost a child. Even when there is a broken relationship or concern, there is still hope that things can work out, that you will do something. Father, help me to be more sensitive to the situations of people like Ruth. Love them through me. Love my wife through me. We are approaching the one-year anniversary of her losing her father. Help me to not overlook the significance of that and to be, through me, exactly what you need her to have from her husband. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Naomi (Part 2 of 3)

  4. Aug 23

    Naomi (Part 1 of 3)

    Ruth 1 (New Living Translation) 1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. 3 Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. 6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. 10 “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” 14 And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. 15 “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. 19 So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked. 20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” 22 So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest. Dear God, Naomi is an interesting woman. It is great that we get her story and Ruth’s story. Of course, Ruth’s claim to fame is that she ends up being David’s great grandmother and is part of Jesus’s lineage, but there is no reason that we should have had this story at all except that someone chose to capture it and preserve it for us. And it all starts with a woman named Naomi and her quickly deceased husband, Elimelech. There are a couple of things I notice about Naomi in chapter 1: * Her daughters-in-law love her very much. * She tries to do right by her daughters-in-law, even at her own expense. * She must have been a remarkable woman for Orpah and Ruth to exhibit so much love for her: “Then she kissed them and they wept aloud and said to her, ‘We will go back with you to your people.’” Even Orpah did not want to leave, and I am sure she was conflicted all of the way home and for the rest of her life. There was something about Naomi that had engendered great love and affection from Orpah and Ruth. The fact that she tried to send her daughters-in-law away is also evidence of her love for them. She knew she could not provide for them in the present or in the future. Their attachment to her was likely a death sentence—perhaps not in actual death (although possibly), but certainly in living out the rest of their lives as old widows. But letting go of them meant letting go of two people who might care for her and help her. She would be alone to fend for herself. Her selflessness in this story is remarkable. Father, as I go through this day, help me to be selfless. Help me to be selfless with my wife, my children, and with those I encounter. Open my eyes to where I might be wrong. Show me how to act in any given situation. Help me to know when the Holy Spirit is moving me to action. Help me to pray continuously. Help me to love you with all my heart, mind, and strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Naomi (Part 1 of 3)

  5. Aug 15

    Manoah and His Wife (Part 2 of 2)

    Judges 14 (New Living Translation) 14 One day when Samson was in Timnah, one of the Philistine women caught his eye. 2 When he returned home, he told his father and mother, “A young Philistine woman in Timnah caught my eye. I want to marry her. Get her for me.” 3 His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.” 4 His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time. 5 As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. 6 At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother about it. 7 When Samson arrived in Timnah, he talked with the woman and was very pleased with her. 8 Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass. 9 He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. He also gave some to his father and mother, and they ate it. But he didn’t tell them he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion. 10 As his father was making final arrangements for the marriage, Samson threw a party at Timnah, as was the custom for elite young men. 11 When the bride’s parents saw him, they selected thirty young men from the town to be his companions. 12 Samson said to them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you solve my riddle during these seven days of the celebration, I will give you thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing. 13 But if you can’t solve it, then you must give me thirty fine linen robes and thirty sets of festive clothing.” “All right,” they agreed, “let’s hear your riddle.” 14 So he said: “Out of the one who eats came something to eat; out of the strong came something sweet.” Three days later they were still trying to figure it out. 15 On the fourth day they said to Samson’s wife, “Entice your husband to explain the riddle for us, or we will burn down your father’s house with you in it. Did you invite us to this party just to make us poor?” 16 So Samson’s wife came to him in tears and said, “You don’t love me; you hate me! You have given my people a riddle, but you haven’t told me the answer.” “I haven’t even given the answer to my father or mother,” he replied. “Why should I tell you?” 17 So she cried whenever she was with him and kept it up for the rest of the celebration. At last, on the seventh day he told her the answer because she was tormenting him with her nagging. Then she explained the riddle to the young men. 18 So before sunset of the seventh day, the men of the town came to Samson with their answer: “What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?” Samson replied, “If you hadn’t plowed with my heifer, you wouldn’t have solved my riddle!” 19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to the town of Ashkelon, killed thirty men, took their belongings, and gave their clothing to the men who had solved his riddle. But Samson was furious about what had happened, and he went back home to live with his father and mother. 20 So his wife was given in marriage to the man who had been Samson’s best man at the wedding. Dear God, These poor people. I would not have liked being Samson’s father. What do you do with him? He is another one that you made a judge of Israel that I just do not get. He was terrible. Is that really what you wanted? Did you really want him to do all the awful things he did? And what were his parents to do? This one sentence in Judges 14:4 is what humbles me about my own parenting and what I think is my wisdom and insight: “His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time.” If Samson had been my son, I would have been telling him he was wrong to do what he was doing. If he was the president, I would be wanting to vote him out. If he was the king, I would hope he would be overthrown. That is why, ultimately, I can have my opinions, but I can also not live in fear when things do not go my way. Maybe you are doing exactly what you want done through those who are ungodly. Father, thank you for this faithful couple. This is the last story we get about them. I think it is interesting to see Samson’s love for them in his line to the woman in Judges 14:16: “I haven’t even given the answer to my father or mother. Why should I tell you?” He obviously respected them and revered them as his parents because he said as much to his new wife. They were good people who really tried. I am sure it did not work out at all like they thought it might. It almost never does. But here they are. They get their own chapter in Judges 13 and then we get to see them doing their best in chapter 14. I hope history will look on me as kindly (if not as publicly) as it does these two people who might have died feeling like failures, like they let you down. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Manoah and His Wife (Part 2 of 2)

  6. Aug 8

    Manoah and His Wife (Part 1 of 2)

    Judges 13 (New Living Translation) 13 Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years. 2 In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. 5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” 6 The woman ran and told her husband, “A man of God appeared to me! He looked like one of God’s angels, terrifying to see. I didn’t ask where he was from, and he didn’t tell me his name. 7 But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’” 8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord, saying, “Lord, please let the man of God come back to us again and give us more instructions about this son who is to be born.” 9 God answered Manoah’s prayer, and the angel of God appeared once again to his wife as she was sitting in the field. But her husband, Manoah, was not with her. 10 So she quickly ran and told her husband, “The man who appeared to me the other day is here again!” 11 Manoah ran back with his wife and asked, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife the other day?” “Yes,” he replied, “I am.” 12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work?” 13 The angel of the Lord replied, “Be sure your wife follows the instructions I gave her. 14 She must not eat grapes or raisins, drink wine or any other alcoholic drink, or eat any forbidden food.” 15 Then Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please stay here until we can prepare a young goat for you to eat.” 16 “I will stay,” the angel of the Lord replied, “but I will not eat anything. However, you may prepare a burnt offering as a sacrifice to the Lord.” (Manoah didn’t realize it was the angel of the Lord.) 17 Then Manoah asked the angel of the Lord, “What is your name? For when all this comes true, we want to honor you.” 18 “Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.” 19 Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the Lord. And as Manoah and his wife watched, the Lord did an amazing thing. 20 As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. 21 The angel did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Manoah finally realized it was the angel of the Lord, 22 and he said to his wife, “We will certainly die, for we have seen God!” 23 But his wife said, “If the Lord were going to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He wouldn’t have appeared to us and told us this wonderful thing and done these miracles.” 24 When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he grew up. 25 And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him while he lived in Mahaneh-dan, which is located between the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. Dear God, Parents so often are just desperate to get it right. I remember being at the hospital when our oldest child was born, holding him, and thinking, “Okay, I haven’t screwed up yet.” Of course, I was only about an hour into being a father. There were many screw-ups to come. I also remember being incredulous that they were going to trust us enough to take this new baby home and care for it. What were they thinking? We didn’t know what we were doing! For my wife’s part, she read parenting books and tried to do everything right as a mom. Schedules. Reading to them while she nursed them. Bible time at the breakfast table every morning. Play groups. I see that here in Samson’s parents. One might look at the finished product (which I’ll do tomorrow) and say that they failed, but there is no doubt they wanted to give this their all. Their interactions with the angel were all about getting it right. They were all about sacrificing to you and submitting themselves to the process you had for them. I just love the excitement and obedience represented in this story. This was going to make their lives weird and interesting, but they were so excited to have a child. You put something in us, I suppose, that makes us want to love something the way you love us. Father, thank you for the time this author took to tell us the story of Manoah and his wife (I wish we knew Manoah’s wife’s name). They could have skipped this and gone straight to Samson, man of power, but they took a whole chapter in the middle of Judges to tell us about these two faithful, good-hearted people. Even though my wife and I made many mistakes, I would like to think that you saw us as faithful and good-hearted as well. What can I say except that we will continue to offer ourselves up to you through this process of caring for our adult children, our parents, and those around us. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Manoah and His Wife (Part 1 of 2)

  7. Aug 1

    Jethro

    Exodus 18 (New Living Translation) 18 Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt. 2 Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro, who had taken them in. 3 (Moses’ first son was named Gershom, for Moses had said when the boy was born, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.” 4 His second son was named Eliezer, for Moses had said, “The God of my ancestors was my helper; he rescued me from the sword of Pharaoh.”) 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought Moses’ wife and two sons with him, and they arrived while Moses and the people were camped near the mountain of God. 6 Jethro had sent a message to Moses, saying, “I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to see you with your wife and your two sons.” 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. 8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. 9 Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 “Praise the Lord,” Jethro said, “for he has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh. Yes, he has rescued Israel from the powerful hand of Egypt! 11 I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods, because he rescued his people from the oppression of the proud Egyptians.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came out and joined him in a sacrificial meal in God’s presence. 13 The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?” 15 Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God. 16 When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.” 17 “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed. 18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. 25 He chose capable men from all over Israel and appointed them as leaders over the people. He put them in charge of groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 26 These men were always available to solve the people’s common disputes. They brought the major cases to Moses, but they took care of the smaller matters themselves. 27 Soon after this, Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, who returned to his own land. Dear God, Jethro lived an interesting life. He was a priest, but of which god? Jethro says, “I know now that the Lord is greater than all other gods…” What does that line say about his own theology? In this story we learn that he allowed his daughter and grandchildren to stay with him while Moses dealt with Pharaoh, the Egyptians, and the Israelites. We also know that he brought them back to Moses, and that he legitimately respected Moses. Finally, he played the role of short-term advisor. Moses was so wrapped up in the trees that he could not see the forest. I have a similar problem at my current job as the leader of a nonprofit, and the board of directors is trying to help me and play a similar role to what Jethro played for Moses. I like this image of Jethro as father figure to Moses. I like the role he is playing in his daughter’s life by 1) helping her and her boys directly and 2) helping her husband to keep his sanity which, in turn, will be of benefit to her as well. Basically, Jethro just seems like a good man who is offering himself to be used in whatever role you have for him. On some levels, being a son-in-law to your father-in-law can be easier than being a daughter-in-law to a mother-in-law. The dynamics are different. But one of the hard things for either men or women is to humble themselves to take advice from their elders. Pride can get in the way. On the other hand, it can sometimes be difficult for the elder to know when to remain silent and let the next generation figure things out for themselves. The best lessons are learned through the experience of failure. Finally, there usually comes a day in the life cycle when the younger generation must take over and start caring for the elder generation. That is an especially difficult transition because complete paradigms must shift. My wife and I are moving into that phase now as the younger generation, but I am also trying to steel myself and prepare my ego and heart for the day 25 or so years from now when I will need to make decisions that will make life easier for my children when I am the aging elder and they are the younger generation. Father, that last paragraph was a lot of words to just say that humility and a willingness to serve and step out in courage are important. I am sure that Jethro was at least somewhat nervous about giving Moses his advice, but he gave it well. And Moses was able to receive it. Help me to be both a good receiver and deliverer of your counsel so that I might be who you need me to be in the lives you place around me. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    Jethro

  8. Jul 25

    The Egyptians

    Exodus 12:28-33 (New Living Translation) 28 So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. 29 And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. 31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” 33 All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!” Dear God, It was the mass loss of life and of their children that finally broke the Egyptians and Pharaoh. They were willing to pay any price after that. You even brought Pharaoh to his knees by it. It reminds me of an ‘80s song by Sting called “Russians” in which he has a line about the Russians loving their children too. While the Egyptians might be the bad guys in Exodus, much like we saw the Russians/Soviets as the bad guys when I was a kid, there are some basic things about all of us that are similar. One of them is that we love our children. Sometimes I marvel at how special my two children are to me. When they were small and playing sports or performing on stage, they were all my eyes wanted to follow. Often, I could not have told you what else was happening. I just cared about them. I held one while they projectile vomited on me. I flew across the country to help one (actually, I have done that for each of them now that I think about it). I was there at each of their births. They look a little like me and a little like my wife. If you were to look at a bell curve of the things my wife and I discuss, they would be in the center. They are the center of my wife’s and my daily prayer time. And even with all of that, we can feel so helpless. Kobe Bryant could not save his daughter when they both crashed in that helicopter, and I know he would have given all he had if he could have just saved her. I could not even stop bullies from picking on my children when they were little. I remember holding one in my lap and crying together, but I could not completely shield them. I tried, but I couldn’t. Father, thank you for this rich, joyful, painful experience called parenthood. You have used it to mold me. You are still using it. The Egyptians loved their children. The Israelites who had to watch their children live and die in slavery (and some drowned in the Nile) all loved their children. The Russians and everyone else love their children. I even saw a baby lamb next to its mother for safety when I was on a bike ride last Sunday. She loved her child too. And of course, you love us as well—even more than I can fathom. Thank you. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe

    The Egyptians
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About

Parents of the Bible: From Adam & Eve to Mary & Joseph is a series of prayer journals focused on biblical characters as parents. If you are a parent looking for encouragement, this series might be for you. parentsofthebible.substack.com

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  • Creator
    From Adam & Eve to Mary & Joseph
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
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    © Parents of the Bible
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    Parents of the Bible Podcast