Category Archives: People of the Bible

Celebrating the birth of Jeconiah’s seed, Jesus Christ

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Who is Jeconiah? We find him in the first chapter of Matthew:

And Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.

After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, — Matthew 1:11-12 BSB

So he’s in Jesus’ genealogy, but so are a lot of other people known only by being in genealogical lists. Let’s look further.

“As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Coniah  son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on My right hand, I would pull you off. In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread, who want to take your life—to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Chaldeans.  

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Joab: David’s military commander, man of contradictions

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We’re comfortable with heroes and villains. We can cheer the one, scorn the other, and then get on with our lives. Most of us don’t rise to such heights or sink to such depths, however. Maybe that’s why the Bible says so much about Joab. Maybe that’s why a lot of Bible readers don’t pay much attention to him.

Who was Joab? He was David’s nephew and served as his army commander. He was also a bundle of contradictions: intensely loyal to David but sometimes disobedient, brave but not at the very end of his life, violent yet capable of mercy, utterly self-centered but pious.… Read the rest

God’s grace towards the sins of the patriarchs

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God introduced himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These three names appear together throughout the books of Moses, later in the Old Testament, and nine times in the New Testament. Along with Jacob’s sons, they are the patriarchs who received the Abrahamic covenant. That covenant, more than the other Old Testament covenants, is a covenant of grace.

It is easy to regard major characters in the Bible as either heroes or villains. The patriarchs were neither. They were great men of faith in their own ways, but we see God’s grace most clearly when we look at it against the backdrop of their persistent sin.… Read the rest

God’s activity: how is it hidden in the book of Ruth?

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God is at work in your life. It might not be evident to you, though. Does looking through the Bible to discern God’s activity in us seem frustrating? After all, most of the Bible seems to be about dramatic stories of heroes of the faith. Who can really relate to God speaking to Abraham on Mount Moriah or Moses from the burning bush? So let’s look at the book of Ruth instead for more down-to-earth examples.

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Doubting Thomas: how he missed a great opportunity

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Doubting Thomas.

Simply saying Thomas could mean millions of people, but everyone knows who Doubting Thomas is. Generations of preachers have heaped abuse on him. But maybe Doubting Thomas isn’t the best way to describe him. And it certainly shouldn’t make him seem in any way more doubtful than the other apostles.

Let’s take a closer look to gain a more accurate picture of the man.

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The visitation: Mary visits Elizabeth, John greets Jesus

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After the dramatic stories of Gabriel’s appearances to Zechariah and Mary, Luke 1:39-45 describes Mary’s visit to Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth. The two women were related.

Although artists have painted or otherwise portrayed the visitation for centuries, it’s easy to read right past it. But like many minor characters, Elizabeth has a special message for us.

Mary, probably a girl of about 14, has just become pregnant as a virgin. That’s what Gabriel said. The townspeople would eventually know only that she was pregnant out of wedlock.

Gabriel had also told her that Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age. (That likely means 40, give or take a few years.… Read the rest

Manoah and his wife, Samson’s parents: extraordinary faith

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The book of Judges describes Israel’s downward spiral as they fell into sin and cried out for help multiple times. Each time, God sent a rescuer, and each one was less godly than the one before.

Samson, the last of the series, had superhuman strength and worse judgment than any of the others. His father Manoah and his unnamed mother gave him unparalleled spiritual advantages. He squandered his advantage and disappointed his father and mother. Samson’s parents surely count among the spiritual giants of the Old Testament.

Like many Old Testament stories, Samson’s was passed down orally for generations before anyone wrote it down.… Read the rest

How ungodly men started the world system: how God redeems it

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Have you ever noticed that the Bible attributes all the building blocks of civilization to rebels against God? Ungodly men started the world system.

Cain founded the first city. His descendants invented agriculture, music, and metal work. After the flood, Nimrod invented architecture, government, war, and religion.

We like to talk about the rise of civilization, but it all began as a consequence of the fall. Surely unfallen humans would have eventually invented all the best parts of it. But given its ungodly start, civilization hasn’t needed to rise. It has needed to be redeemed. God’s redemption of civilization started with Abraham. … Read the rest

Ruth and Ezra/Nehemiah: conflict about foreign wives in the Bible?

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The books of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible appear to take a very intolerant attitude toward foreigners. More than a hundred men who married foreign wives caused a great scandal that ended in mass divorce. But in the book of Ruth, Boaz becomes the hero by marrying Ruth, a foreigner.

People who think the Bible is full of contradictions have a field day.  As always, a careful look at everything the Bible has to say resolves the apparent conflict. Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah 13 describe the scandal of foreign wives. We need to understand other passages in the Bible to put these chapters in perspective.… Read the rest

The subversive healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate

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Healings occur frequently in the New Testament. They testify both to the power and compassion of God. Acts 3 describes the first healing after Jesus’ resurrection: Peter and John’s healing of the lame man at the temple and the speech Peter gave immediately afterward.

The same people who hated Jesus hated Peter and John for this deliberate act of subversion.  It’s easy for us to understand its life-changing impact on the beggar. It’s less easy to notice it’s meaning in the life of the church.

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