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

6d ago

Samuel

1 Samuel 3:1-14 (New Living Translation) 3 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. 2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. 4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!” “Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did. 6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!” Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” “I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.” 7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. 8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. 10 And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel. 12 I am going to carry out all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end. 13 I have warned him that judgment is coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he hasn’t disciplined them. 14 So I have vowed that the sins of Eli and his sons will never be forgiven by sacrifices or offerings.” 1 Samuel 8:1-9 (New Living Translation) 8 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice. 4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” 6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.” Dear God, Samuel is such a complicated figure. Sure, at first glance he looks noble, but this story reveals a pretty critical flaw. He allowed his sons to do exactly what he saw Eli allow his sons to do. Yet, for some reason, you seem to have given Samuel a pass you did not give to Eli. In fact, when Samuel comes to you, you told him that they had rejected you and not Samuel. That is interesting because in my reading of this story it looks like they were rejecting Samuel. Once again, we come across a flawed man in the Bible. Thank you for preserving these stories because it is a reminder that we are all flawed. I am hugely flawed. And now that my children are grown and making their way in the world, my relationships with them have materially changed. The big difference between my life and Samuel’s (and his culture probably dictated many of his actions) is that he chose to bring his two oldest sons in to the family business. I will likely end up avoiding a lot of those pitfalls with my children because I am 99.9% certain that we will never be in business together. We certainly will not be in a position of judging others and settling disputes together. I will not be in a position of having to defend their professional behavior. I can just be a dad who loves them. Even if they were to do something that I disapprove of, I can still love them and give of myself to them. Hmm. Thinking about it in that way, is that not what you do with us? Father, again, thank you for these stories. Thank you for giving us vignettes like this that make Samuel, Eli, Naomi, Jacob, Abraham, and countless other Bible characters relatable. Next, I am going to be looking at kings as fathers. We are going to see Saul and David and see what they were like as dads. True to form, we will see a lot of flaws. What an interesting God you are to build your plan this way. I do not understand you. I do not understand your ways. But I am grateful for your grace and mercy. I am grateful that you love and hold me, even after I have done something that disappoints you. 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
Sep 26

Eli

1 Samuel 2:11-18 (New Living Translation) 11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting. 16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt. 18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 1 Samuel 2:22-36 (New Living Translation) 22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death. 26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people. 27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel! 30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day! 35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’” Dear God, Eli is one of those complicated people we come across in the Bible. He seems to genuinely love you and admonishes others when he thinks they are acting inappropriately (see 1 Samuel 1:12-14 when he rebukes Hannah), but he is weak when it comes to leading his sons as his successors in the temple. I wonder how much of this was the problem of nepotism and how much of it was Eli just not being strong with his sons. He does rebuke them at one point, but he does not do anything about it. And apparently this weakness played out not only in his life and the lives of his two sons, but also throughout his lineage. One of the problems of nepotism is the respect you lose from others around you. How did the people feel about going to the temple when they saw what Eli was allowing his sons to do? I am sure they grumbled and gossiped about it. It was obviously a poor witness to everyone else involved, including young Samuel. I believe that is why, in chapter 3, you showed up to warn Samuel that you saw what Eli and the boys were doing and you were not going to tolerate it. I think you were warning Samuel not to follow their example. Father, give me the strength to stand up for you, to care for those you have put around me for whom you need me to care, and not take the easier path for my own sake. Guide me in shrewdness and wisdom. Help me to be strong and yet as gentle as possible so that I might reflect you and your dealings with 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
Sep 19

Hannah

1 Samuel 1:9-2:11 (New Living Translation) 9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” 12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” 17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. 19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” 21 The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.” 23 “Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned. 24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. 25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. 27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there. 2 Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong.Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.2 No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance!For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.4 The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong.5 Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full.The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.6 The Lord gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.8 He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump.He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor.For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order. 9 “He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness.No one will succeed by strength alone.10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.He thunders against them from heaven; the Lord judges throughout the earth.He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.” 11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest. Dear God, Hannah is a fascinating woman. She really wanted a child, she got her child, she lived up to her end of the bargain with you, and then she prayed a prayer of vindication pretty much directed at Peninnah. We will learn later that you blessed her with more children, but I cannot imagine how much she must have loved Samuel. Life is so different for women than men, and, frankly, I am foolish to even try to put myself in Hannah’s place. She endured a lot of hurt and sorrow. She was childless. I remember the stress my wife and I went through when it took us a few months to get pregnant the first time we started trying. I cannot imagine the strain of years and years. I also cannot even begin to understand the complication of having another woman in the home who is having children with your husband. I know it was the culture, but that is just messed up, although it seems to be a repeated theme for those you use (Isaac, Joseph, Samuel, etc.). I really like the picture that the author paints later in 1 Samuel 2:18-21: 18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord. I love the image of Hannah working on Samuel’s robes. I do not know how ornate they were allowed to be, but I will bet she made them as beautiful as possible. And I will bet Samuel loved getting a new one each year—at least until he was older and was probably embarrassed by it. I picture her running to him and hugging him. I picture his stoic father looking at him with pride. I picture her bringing the five new babies over the years. I wonder if Samuel was a little jealous of the first one or two, but, like all older children, learned to deal with it and love his younger siblings. Father, Hannah was not a perfect person, and she was not a perfect parent. It is obvious she was still bitter towards Peninnah, and I am sure Peninnah did not care much for her either. Their children probably did not get along much better than did Isaac and Ishmael. But that is what you use. You use imperfect people, parents, and children. You work through us all. As we saw with Samson, you sometimes work through us even when we have no relationship or regard for you. So I offer my life to you. It is broken. It can be messy. It is most certainly flawed and even sometimes sinful. But it is what I have to bring to your cross. I give it to you and ask that you use it as you will. I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit, Amen Get full access to Parents of the Bible at parentsofthebible.substack.com/subscribe
Sep 13

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
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
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
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
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

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From Adam & Eve to Mary & Joseph
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2024 - 2026
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111
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Clean
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Parents of the Bible Podcast

Parents of the Bible Podcast

Samuel

Eli

Hannah

Elkanah

Naomi (Part 3 of 3)

Naomi (Part 2 of 3)

Naomi (Part 1 of 3)

Manoah and His Wife (Part 2 of 2)

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Parents of the Bible Podcast

Episodes

Samuel

Eli

Hannah

Elkanah

Naomi (Part 3 of 3)

Naomi (Part 2 of 3)

Naomi (Part 1 of 3)

Manoah and His Wife (Part 2 of 2)

About

Information