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General Observations About Bible Characters

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People often read accounts of the lives of real people and draw inspiration and motivation to carry on with their own daily lives.  I have studied and/or written several articles about Bible characters.  The character studies always proved worthwhile in my own personal life. Whether or not you believe these were real people who actually existed, their stories give us food for thought.  They faced difficulties.  They either solved their problems or they were overcome by the distress.  Some made good decisions.  Some made bad decisions.  In other words?  They were just like all the rest of us. If you study the account of their lives you will either learn lessons to apply to your own life OR you won’t make any connection at all between them and you.  Whatever your reaction or response, you will likely find their stories captivating and memorable.

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Women in the Lineage of Jesus

WOW! What a mix!  Good girls and bad girls of the Bible.  One of them is the embodiment of the words “ruthless” and “scandalous”!  If one were to describe her as a devouring SHE-WOLF, that wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

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Bathsheba was a Shameless Temptress.  Agree or Disagree?

Bathsheba’s story is interesting because although the Bible clearly reveals King David committed the sin, some still want to say Bathsheba started it! However, the prophet who pointed the finger at the king for wrongdoing did not also point the finger at Bathsheba.  Some people want to believe that she deliberately bathed outside so that she could tempt the king.  Others say she was a subjugated woman, summoned to the king’s bedchamber, and she dared not refuse the king’s demands.  What do you think?  I think the 1951 Hollywood version of this Bible story which starred Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward was very misleading.

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Children of Prophets, Priests, and Judges

When children take a wrong turn and make decisions that ruin their lives, parents often question what they did wrong when raising them.  In some instances, the parents could have taken action to at least instruct the child of the harmful consequences of their actions.  If they feel guilty that they did not warn them then they should feel guilty!  In some cases, however, no matter what the parent did to try to prevent the child from making a bad decision, the child did not listen and willfully disobeyed or disregarded the advice.  And yet …in those cases, the parents still ask themselves if there was something they could have done differently that would have changed the outcome.  The stories of Eli and Samuel make you wonder. If men who served faithfully as prophets, priests, and judges of God’s people could not raise their children to be saints, is there hope for any parent?

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The Apostle Paul Knew Who His Friends Were

One cannot study the spread of Christianity without following the missionary travels of Paul the Apostle.  If you read the book of Acts you will note a reference to “Paul and company”.  Paul had reliable companions who accompanied him on many of his mission trips.  You can’t help but note in many of the epistles written by Paul that he mentioned those fellow laborers by name.  Paul knew who his friends were.  In this cold and cruel world, it’s a blessing to know who your friends are.

  • Ever read someone’s life story and it helped you through a difficult period or make a major decision?

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Written by Cmoneyspinner

4 Comments

  2. I love your thoughts especially about parenting, I would like to think that Eli spent so much time as a temple priest that he forgot to be a father.

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