The Chapter-A-Day thread. (3)

Joseph.
Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, and the husband of Mary, is hardly mentioned in the Bible, however every thing written about him indicates that he was a kind, and a compassionate and just and merciful man of God. He was a good husband to Mary. When they were betrothed, he was told that his betrothed, Mary was "with child", which was a quandry for him. He planned to put her away, quietly, rather than make her a public spectacle, and to be stoned to death, whch was called for in such a case. The bottom line, is that he BELIEVED God, and under these very dire circumstances, chose mercy for his betrothed.

He was, although mentioned little, one of the Godliest men in Biblical history.

Esther: Born For Such A Time As This.

Esther, a descendant of Benjamin, was minding her own business, under the care of her uncle, who was raising her. Out of nowhere, she was chosen to be a potential candidate for the king's harem. Sooooo she's put under the care and mentoring of a eunuch , and is "prepared" through an extended beautification regiment.

When Esther finally is introduced to the king, he is very taken with her, and she is granted favor, for he has especially taken notice of her, and she is "memorable" against all odds.

Now there came a time when an evil man, Haman, speaks evil to the king. He wants to eradicate all the Jewish people, especially Mordecai, Esther's uncle.

Now the king did not know that Esther herself was Jewish. To come forth, especially without being summoned, and to tell certainly meant death and condemnation. However, Esther did something that was the most death-defying and courageous and daring of feats.

She went before the king without being summoned, knowing it could be the death of her, telling her uncle Mordecai "If I die, I die". However, because the king cared about Esther, he chose mecy and allowed her to, and granted her what she requested.

During a dinner that Esther had invited the king and Haman to, Esther revealed to the king Haman's dastardly plans, and that she herself was Jewish.

Therefore, the king had Haman hung on the very gallows that Haman had built for Mordecai.

Esther, the memorable and courageous woman that defied death and the fear of it, had saved her uncle, and her people from genocide.

She had agreed with her Uncle, Mordecai, that she was indeed "born for such a time as this".

Job's Wife.

Job was a man, described by God Himself, as a righteous man, in the beginning of the book of Job, and several times later throughout this book. He was, in essence, the "priest" of his household and family, and faithfully prayed for them, even continuing to do so after his children grew up and moved out of the household.

Not much mention is given of his wife, except that she was his wife, and the mother of their ten children, until later, when, after Job faces a season of vicious and brutal attacks by Satan, as he sits on a dung heap, with sores with worms in them from head to foot and she chooses THIS particular time to come to the dung heap where Job is suffering inexplicably, and tell him essentally to stop with his integrity already, and to just go ahead and curse God and die???!!!!!

Seriously????!!!!!

Job's wife, kicking Job when he's downer than down, in more ways than imaginable, and telling him to just go ahead and curse God and die. (Isn't this the very same thing that Satan was counting on Job doing?) Whose side was she ON, anyway?

When all is said and done, in the end, Job's wife was never mentioned by name. She remained nameless and in obscurity.

Tragic, foolish woman. Even Lot's wife was not totally obscure. She was turned into a pillar of salt, which is quite memorable.

Elisha.

Soooooooo Elijah has been taken to heaven, compliments of God, Who sent fiery horses and a chariot for him. Before making his exit, Elijah had passed on the ministry to Elisha.

Now Elisha was minding his own business, making his way on a road to his next destination, when a rather large and taunting mob of youths (now the Bible says "children" ----they WEREN'T "children"-------but that's another study). Sooooooo Elisha turns and pronounces a curse on them. And thdn, two she bears come from nowhere, and tear thdm to pieces.

There is much "controversy" abouf this, and even "shock" in some cases. However my question is:

Did Elisha "sin"? And the second question is:

Did God, Who granted Elisha's request "sin"?

Another question is, was Elisha or God "evil"?

Let's "chomp" a bit on these questions, amen?

(i reeeeeally miss my desktop computer, keyboard, and mouse - ugh!!!!! )

Samson.

Samson was an interesting and somewhat puzzling guy, wasn't he? So there he is, having been dedicated to God by his parents, and strictly following what a Nazarene was required to follow. God instructed that his hair snould never be cut, and it wasn't, at least for a time.

Soooooo Samson's hair wasn't cut and he lived out the first chapters of his life as a Nazarene. And just as God promised, he was super-strong.

But wait, this is only the beginning of the chapters of his life. There came a time when he wanted something (or some one) and THAT is where the heart of not only Samson, but his parents' hearts were revealed as well. It's whenhe came to them and TOLD them to get a woman for him, cuz he "fancied" her.

Now Samson wasn't the "problem" here, cuz know what his parents did? They "obeyed" him. This right here reveals "who" they "feared". And it was NOT God. They had allowed Samson to be willful and spoiled and thus shameful to not only them, but bottom line, to God. Soooooooo Samson, in essence, had a "temper tantrum" and ordered his parents to go geg this woman.

SHAME on them. Their son was not only shaming THEM, but also shaming GOD. THIS is where they should've "drawn the line". But they didn't. Theyhad no regard for God. Consequently, neither did Samson.

So here we are.....Samson is with Delilah, and he, in essence, "worshiped" her. He would do anything she asked or said to him. Consequently, she would be the "death of him", literally. She was, in essence, his worst enemy, who betrayed him after he foolishly told her the secret of his strength.

We all know what happened to Samson, right?

What a tragic ending it was.

Amen?

*bump*