Tag: Biblical Characters

Biblical People: Gomer

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 15, 2021

Gomer is a prostitute, likely working the temple of Baal. She uses her only marketable skill to put food in her stomach and clothes on her back. She is certainly not marriage material, especially not for a man of God. Yet, in a shocking move, God tells his young prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute.

Hosea picks Gomer. They marry, but they don’t have a happy union.

They have a son together. Then she has two more children, but Hosea doubts he’s their father. The first, a girl, Hosea names Lo-Ruhamah, which means no pity or not loved. The second, a boy, he names Lo-Ammi, which means not mine.

God then prompts Hosea to use his relationship with Gomer and her illegitimate kids as sermon illustrations in his scathing rebuke against the nations of Israel and Judah for their unfaithfulness to God.

Then Gomer runs off and takes up with another lover. At God’s direction, Hosea goes after her. He must buy her freedom. He tells her to stop running around, to be faithful to him. He offers her undeserved love and even accepts her two kids who another man fathered.

Hosea married Gomer even though she was undeserving. And he offered her unconditional love when she ran away.

So it is with God and us.

How far are we willing to go to show love to others when they hurt us badly?

[Discover more about Gomer in Hosea 1–3 and Hosea 14:4.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.

Tags Biblical Characters, Gomer

Biblical People

Biblical People: Jehosheba

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 15, 2021

At great personal risk, probably execution, Jehosheba takes bold action to keep her nephew Joash from being killed by his evil grandmother, who has seized power and is wiping out the royal family.

Jehosheba likely has little time to consider her actions when she rescues Joash from among the royal princes who are about to be killed.

Jehosheba hides Joash and his nurse in the temple for six years. When Joash is seven, he’s crowned king and his power-hungry grandmother is slain. The people rejoice and peace returns, all because of the boy-king and his aunt who made it possible.

Jehosheba plays a decisive role in protecting the rightful heir to the throne, keeping him alive so that he could one day rule and restore peace to the land.

Sometimes we must react quickly, with little time to analyze the situation. May we all be like Jehosheba, who acted decisively to do the right thing without concern for her own wellbeing.

What do we need to do regardless of the personal risk?

[Discover more about Jehosheba in 2 Kings 11:2 and 2 Chronicles 22:11.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Athaliah

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 15, 2021

Athaliah is an evil woman. She encourages her son, the king, to make some ill-advised decisions. He does and is soon assassinated. Then Athaliah seizes control and asserts herself as queen. Her lust for power is so great that she kills all the members of the royal family, including her own grandchildren.

One baby, however, is rescued by his aunt, Jehosheba. His name is Joash. Six years later, he, the rightful heir to the throne, is crowned king by the priest with the support of the Levites and heads of the leading families.

Athaliah accuses them of treason and tears her clothes to express outrage. But she can’t change what happened. At the direction of the priest, the army kills her.

The country celebrates her death and calm returns.

Athaliah could have positively influenced her son and helped him rule wisely. She could have protected and groomed his successor. Had she done so, the people might have celebrated her life. Instead, they celebrated her death.

How do we want people to remember us?

[Discover more about Athaliah in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 22–23.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Two Starving Women

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

In perhaps the most gut-wrenching story in the Bible, two women conspire to do the unthinkable. The city of Samaria is under siege. Supplies are scarce and food is running out. To survive, the people resort to eating whatever they can find, such as the head of a donkey or dove droppings.

In their deep hunger, two women agree to a most depraved scheme: to eat their children. They cook and eat one woman’s son, but when it comes time to eat the other boy, his mom hides him. The first woman appeals to the king for justice. He can do nothing but lament their barbarism.

If only the women had waited. The next day the siege ends when the enemy abandons their blockade in a panic, leaving all their supplies behind.

There is plenty of food for everyone.

How often do we grow tired of waiting for God and do something rash?

[Discover more about these two women in 2 Kings 6:24–31 and 2 Kings 7:1–16.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: The Servant Girl of Naaman

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

An unnamed Israelite girl is captured in a raid and forced to work as a slave in the household of the enemy commander, Naaman.

Although Naaman is an accomplished military leader, he suffers from a limiting physical ailment. He has leprosy, a contagious skin disease that can cause a loss of feeling, flesh decay, and even deformation.

Though she could have been bitter over her forced servitude, the young girl instead desires the best for her master. She tells him of the prophet Elisha, who can heal Naaman of his terrible disease. Naaman proceeds at once and receives God’s healing—as soon as he humbles himself and follows Elisha’s instructions.

Naaman then affirms the power of God and pledges to worship only him.

Though she has every reason to remain quiet, the girl’s confidence in God’s power and her willingness to speak up leads to a man receiving healing and God receiving praise.

How willing are we to help others, regardless of our situation?

[Discover more about Naaman’s servant girl in 2 Kings 5:1–19.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: The Shunammite Woman

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

Elisha travels to the city of Shunem, and a wealthy woman urges him to stay for a meal. From then on, whenever he’s in the area, he stops by. Realizing he’s a man of God, she makes a room for him to stay in when he’s in town.

Grateful, Elisha wants to do something nice for her. She has no son. And with an aging husband, they have no expectation of ever having kids. Elisha prophesies that within a year, she will have a boy.

As promised, a year later she gives birth to a son.

When the boy grows older, one day his head begins to hurt, and he dies in her arms. She puts him in Elisha’s room.

Without telling her husband what happened, she searches for the prophet. With great intent, she finds him, but then blames him for raising her hopes in the first place, when she didn’t even ask for a son.

The prophet sends his servant to resurrect the boy, but she refuses to leave Elisha. So the two of them head for her home. It’s a good thing they do, because despite following what Elisha instructed, his servant can’t resurrect the boy.

Though it takes a couple of tries, Elisha brings the boy back to life.

Later, Elisha warns the woman of a seven-year famine and sends her away to another country. When she returns, the king restores her land to her, along with the profits it generated while she was gone.

The Shunammite woman honored God by caring for his prophet. As a result, God cared for her, through both good times and bad.

What can we do to honor God?

[Discover more about the woman from Shunem in 2 Kings 4:8–37 and 2 Kings 8:1–6.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: The Widow and Her Oil

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

The widow of one of Elisha’s followers comes to him for help. Her deceased husband left her with an outstanding debt. She has no means to pay off his loan, and the creditor demands her two sons become his slaves as payment.

Elisha asks what resources she has. “Nothing,” she replies. “Just a small amount of olive oil.”

Elisha has a plan. He tells her to borrow empty jars from her neighbors, lots of them. Then she is to go home, close the doors, and begin pouring olive oil from her small vessel into all the other jars.

She does, and the oil continues to flow until every container is full. When she has no more to fill, the oil stops flowing.

She sells the oil. With the proceeds, she pays off her debt and has extra to live on.

What if she had borrowed more jars? What if she had only borrowed a few?

When God tells us to do something, do we do it halfway and possibly miss his bounty, or do we go all out?

[Discover more about the poor widow and her oil in 2 Kings 4:1–7.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: The Widow of Zarephath

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

During a long drought and famine, God sends Elijah away from Israel to the foreign city of Zarephath in Sidon. When Elijah reaches the town gates, he sees a woman, a widow, and asks her for water and bread. Though she is willing to fetch him water, she has no bread to share. In fact, she plans to use her last remaining bit of oil and flour to make a final meal for herself and her son before they starve to death.

Elijah tells her not to worry, to go home and prepare this meal for herself and her boy—but to first make a small loaf of bread for him. He tells her that her flour and oil will last until it rains again. She does as he asks. As promised, the flour and oil last, providing food for the three of them every day.

After a while, her son dies. The woman blames Elijah. He takes the dead boy to his room, imploring God to restore life to the lad. God does as Elijah asks. When Elijah presents the resurrected boy to the widow, she finally realizes Elijah is a man of God.

Centuries later, Jesus recounts this story, reminding the people that God didn’t send Elijah to any of the needy widows in Israel but to a foreigner. This infuriates them, and they try to kill Jesus, but he walks through the mob and leaves.

Sometimes God asks us to do things that seem ill-advised. The widow of Zarephath did what was illogical and lived.

Are we willing to do what God says even if it doesn’t make sense?

[Discover more about the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:7–24 and Luke 4:24–26.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: Abishag

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

Abishag is a young, beautiful Shunammite woman, carefully selected to attend to King David in his old age. Despite her sleeping next to him to keep him warm, it isn’t sexual.

After David dies, his son Adonijah requests, through Bathsheba, that the new king, King Solomon, allow him to marry Abishag. Though this seems reasonable, Solomon sees this as Adonijah’s attempt to elevate his standing in the kingdom and vie for leadership.

His apparent power struggle is a threat to Solomon’s reign—so Solomon executes Adonijah. We don’t know what happens to Abishag.

Abishag has her life in front of her, full of expectations, when she’s tapped to be a tool for the king, a human bed warmer. She doesn’t even get any “benefits” from the arrangement—though I’m sure people thought otherwise.

When the king dies, it seems her ordeal is over. But it’s not. Another man, a wannabe king, tries to use her so he can usurp his half brother’s throne. His ploy results in his execution.

Sometimes people use us—or at least they try to. Do we sink to their level or rise above it?

[Discover more about Abishag in 1 Kings 1:1–4 and 1 Kings 2:13–25.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

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Biblical People

Biblical People: The Queen of Sheba

Post author By Peter DeHaan
Post date July 2, 2021

The queen of Sheba hears about the stunning reputation of King Solomon. Skeptical, she travels to meet him to see if there is any truth to the reports she has heard.

Bringing gifts, she talks with Solomon at length and is astounded with what she sees. The king answers her every question, able to fully explain all things to her.

She then affirms his great wisdom and immense wealth, declaring that what she heard failed to communicate the fullness of all she saw and experienced. She is in awe.

Solomon loads her up with gifts, and she returns home.

The queen of Sheba had to see to believe. Does our confidence in God require tangible proof, or do we have the faith to believe without seeing?

[Discover more about the queen of Sheba in 1 Kings 10:1–13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1–12. See “The Queen of the South” for part 2 of this story, but we won’t encounter it until we get to the New Testament.]

Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in audiobook, e-book, paperback, and hardcover.

Tags Biblical Characters, women of the bible