People in the Bible Archives - Christian Questions Bible Podcast

To “challenge” Jesus and succeed is not something you hear about every day, so let’s clarify what we are talking about. Jesus was a speaker of God’s word and a doer of God’s will. Inevitably, challenging this would be a futile effort. When we say “challenge” we mean not following an expected pattern. There were a few instances in the ministry of Jesus where someone did not exactly follow Jesus’ set patterns regarding healing and they were blessed anyway. On this episode, we investigate another unnamed woman of the Bible. The Syrophoenician woman spoken of in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 was one of these people. This unnamed Gentile woman did not accept a seeming denial from Jesus when she asked for her daughter to be healed. Jesus complied with her insistence and she was blessed.  What was her secret and what can we learn?

Jesus had ventured into the non-Jewish territory of Tyre and Sidon to rest. After he entered a house in which to find that rest, a loud and emotional woman showed up, begging and yelling to see Jesus. Her daughter was demon-possessed and she was at her wits end. She knew Jesus unexpectedly coming to her hometown was the one chance she had to rid her child of this evil experience. She wasted no time and expended all of her desperate energy to get his attention.  He just had to help!

There was a significant challenge that stood between this woman’s pleading desire and her daughter being healed. They were Gentiles. Jesus came to be the Messiah of the Jewish nation. He came to fulfill the Jewish Law and be the deliverer of the Jewish people. The woman and her daughter were not scheduled to receive the Messiah’s blessings just yet.

So, what happens next? Several things of great impact. The woman does get to talk to Jesus and he does heal her daughter, though it was not a simple path to get to that resolution. Who is the real hero in this exchange? That depends on who you talk to  We believe the woman showed heroic faith in Jesus, and he rewarded it with heroic and miraculous healing. Some say it is just the woman who was the hero because she “straightened Jesus out.” They say that Jesus showed bias against her, even racism.

Who is right? Was Jesus bigoted in his approach to her? Why would anyone even say such a thing? Check out our June 21, 2021 podcast, “Who Successfully Challenged Jesus?” for answers. We look at the entire account in its context. Then we follow this woman’s hysterical introduction and observe how she responded to Jesus with extraordinary faith and conviction. We learn why Jesus said the things he said to her. This is much more than a story of somebody being healed by Jesus. It is a practical lesson that teaches us how to take our own raw desperation before our Lord to find the answers and comfort we seek.

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The Bible is full of inspirational accounts of such female heroes of faith like Abigail, Mary and Esther. It also gives us the cautionary tales of the infamous like Jezebel and Delilah. But there is a class of special women in the Bible – both virtuous and sinful – whose stories are told without mentioning their name. Often they are associated with well-known men who are named, yet they themselves remain anonymous. Who were these women and what do their experiences mean to us? Today’s focus will be on one of those infamous yet unnamed women, the wife of Potiphar. Her role in Scripture is primarily defined as the seductress who pursued Joseph when he was a slave in her household. While there was nothing honorable in her actions, there are significant lessons we can learn from them.

Joseph was a strong, brilliant and very handsome young man in his 20’s when he was a slave in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar was an influential officer of Egypt. He recognized Joseph’s work ethic and ability, so he placed him into his highest trust. Joseph became the overseer of the entire household. Potiphar’s wife also noticed Joseph, and she wanted him as her lover. When her proposition was plainly rejected by Joseph, she began to seduce him.  Day after day she attempted to entice him to be with her, and day after day Joseph resisted.

Fast forward to our day and this game of seduction Potiphar’s wife was playing sounds all too familiar. Because we are overtly loose with our sexuality and because we are so infatuated with ourselves, seducing someone into giving us want we want is commonplace and easy. Why shouldn’t we be able to have this thing, or that success, or that specific person? I deserve it! When it comes to being with that desirable one, I can make them want me as well.

As Christians, where do we fit into all this? Is it ever appropriate to use any form of seduction to get what we want? The short answer to this lies in the basic definition of seduction, which has to do with disloyalty, leading astray and false promises. Clearly, none of these descriptions aptly fit a true Christian character. It has been said “the devil is in the details,” and that is painfully true when it comes to really understanding how seduction actually works.

Check out our June 14, 2021 podcast, “Can I Get What I Want Through Seduction?” for more. We lay out “The 11 Deceptive Tactics of Seduction” as detailed in an article by Peter Krol. These tactics range from manipulating the very subtle nuances of life to brash and overt advances. They include commandeering some of the simple and seemingly harmless things in life. Things like food and spiritually-based activities can become tools of ungodly desire and passion. Seduction can be subtle as easily as it can be overt. In every case it is scary. Join us to be forewarned and forearmed!

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Talking about slavery is a sensitive issue, and rightfully so. We live in an age where we recognize that ALL people have rights. We now live in a time where no group of people or any working class should ever be separated from those rights. This was not always so. Many ancient societies survived on the backs of slaves. These were often comprised of conquered peoples or those who were generationally born into servitude. Christianity had its beginnings in the context of such societies. With such inequity, how could Christianity survive and even flourish? Could slaves AND their owners both thrive under Christ?  Fortunately, the Bible gives us a powerful view of how this actually worked in those days. Let’s walk through the true story of two men on opposite ends of this spectrum and see how the Apostle Paul helped them both maintain their faithfulness to Christ and each other.

Towards the end of his life, the Apostle Paul found himself a prisoner of the Roman Empire because of accusations some made that he was subverting the Empire by preaching Christianity. Being a Roman citizen gave him certain advantages, like being on house arrest. He was not able to go anywhere, but he was able to have visitors. It was during this time that a runaway slave named Onesimus came to see him. Onesimus was a slave of Philemon, who had been converted to Christianity by Paul. Although a slave owner, Philemon was an active and faithful brother in Christ and was well known for his service to others.

On top of all this, the Apostle Paul ends up converts Onesimus to Christianity! What should he do now? How do you find the path to doing the right thing for everyone involved without breaking the law? And how do you see to it that the right thing is done when you yourself are on house arrest and cannot personally follow up?

Check out our February 22, 2021 podcast, “How Did the Apostle Paul Handle a Slave Owner?” for answers. We examine the letter that Paul wrote to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus line by line. Then we find wise, spiritually-sound and legally-compliant advice all wrapped up in rock solid compassion and reasoning. We get a powerful glimpse into the heart and mind of the Apostle Paul in a way that is not revealed in any of his other writings. Don’t miss this opportunity to see wisdom unfold that conquers social inequity, wrongdoing and the reconciling of two very different individuals!

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Two of the most dramatic lives recorded in the Bible belong to Moses and Jesus. The heroics of Moses life extended over a lifetime of 120 years, whereas Jesus’ heroics were all accomplished within a 33-year lifetime. Despite the dramatic time differences, there are startling similarities between these two deliverers. Moses’ life was recorded and detailed in four Old Testament books of the Bible. Jesus’ life was recorded and detailed in four New Testament books. Both of them were plainly or prophetically referenced throughout the entire Bible. They each executed the two greatest deliverances in the history of mankind – Moses walked his people out of Egypt, and Jesus ransomed the entire human race from sin. This all just scratches the surface! As we look into specific events of Moses’ life as deliverer of a nation, we will see inspiring revelations into the life of Jesus as deliverer of the world. Comparing Moses to Jesus makes for a revealing Bible study, as there is an extensive list of striking similarities between the two.

Moses told Israel there would come a prophet from among them who would be like him. The Bible unequivocally tells us he was speaking about Jesus. This revelation by Moses invites us to investigate the significant comparisons between these two leaders. By Moses prophesying that Jesus would be like him, it stands to reason that Moses’ life would a be pattern for Jesus’ life. Sure enough, we find that the similarities from the beginning to the end of these two lives are staggering.

For example, think about the simple comparisons between these two lives in relation to their birth and infancy. Both Moses and Jesus were born at times when Israel was not a free nation. They were both were born to parents who were faithful to God. As infants, both of their lives were under threat by the present governing powers of their time. Even though Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, his birth parents had a powerful influence on him. Parenting and nurturing a deliverer is no easy task, and God chose parents who were up to the task. Moses grew up, left Egypt and renounced his Egyptian upbringing. Jesus was taken to Egypt for protection from Herod and literally came out of Egypt just as Moses did.

Check out our February 1, 2021 podcast, “What Does Moses the Deliverer Teach Us About Jesus?” for more. We compare the characters of Moses and Jesus and look at their leadership. This episode even includes a comparison of some of the miracles they each performed.

There are many reasons, not the least of which is to remind us that God always had a plan. God foreshadowed the actions and responses of Jesus as the world’s savior in Moses’ life as deliverer of Israel.  The message here is one of great comfort. God has everything in His ultimate control. He does not need to make things up as He goes; rather, He creates His plan and watches it unfold!

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Life is overflowing with opportunities, and I’m not talking about the big things that change your world.  I’m talking about the small and often-overlooked chances in your everyday to refocus on the good, or to simply be kind or to elevate a conversation rather than diminish it.  Many of our life experiences come from small decisions that are actually a result of indecision.  In the Old Testament, there lived a man named Lot whose life was an example of this.  Lot had faith in God and God protected him.  In spite of this, his life experiences produced much sadness, folly and cause for regret.  How did he get to such an end?  He hesitated.  He hesitated when it came to godly choices and he constantly did “almost” enough when it came to godly actions!

Life’s biggest problems really can begin with some of its simplest choices.  When Lot and his Uncle Abraham were deciding where each would settle with their families, households and flocks, Abraham gave Lot first dibs. Lot made the obvious choice of the fertile valley for the benefit of his family and flock,s but he also made a much more subtle yet life-changing choice.  While the valley would be a productive place in which to thrive, Lot for some reason was drawn to set up his tents right by the city of Sodom.

This city was a known center of evil, and yet Lot not only settled in right by it, he eventually moved his home into the city itself.  Okay, so where is the hesitation we started talking about?  Up to this point Lot did not seem to hesitate when it came to moving his family right into the lap of evil.  Sadly, all of his second guessing began when it became evident that his home and city were destined for destruction. It was in this life and death context we see how the true challenges of Lot’s choices came to the front and how they end up costing him dearly.

Lot’s choices, in many ways, can represent you and me as Christians.  Do we sometimes get careless when it comes to managing our interactions with the world around us?  Do we maybe get too curious about evil and let it creep in closer than it should?  Do we ever have clear and bold direction as to what direction our lives should go to stay safe within the reach of God and then compromise that direction?  Lot did.  While his life does show us faith, righteousness and God’s care, it also shows us double mindedness, desperation and a measure of depravity.

Check out our March 11, 2019 podcast, “Is He Who Hesitates Really Lost?” to hear the story of Lot and what it can reveal about us.  Lot, like us, was a faulty and imperfect human who fell prey to his own devices and decisions and ended up rescued in spite of himself.  Take this story to heart and learn what NOT to do!

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Last week we began talking about what it takes to actually change the world around you – what it takes to not only have a dream for change but to begin that process of change. We talked about Nehemiah, a little-known figure in the Old Testament, who not only had a ridiculously big dream for change, he worked on the idea and recruited the masses to help him progress towards making that dream a reality. Today we finish the story as we catalogue the principles and techniques Nehemiah used to accomplish what seemed impossible. Not only did Nehemiah achieve something magnificent, he also left clues and tools along the way for us to pick up on and use to apply to the changes we want to affect in our own lives.

As we once again drop in on Nehemiah, we will pick up in the middle of his story.  Nehemiah had positioned himself (I should say he volunteered to be God’s hands-on representative) to lead the project of rebuilding the demolished walls of Jerusalem.  He recruited scores of his Jewish brethren as workers and set them to the task by not only forming community and family-based work groups but by also setting them to work on the wall near their homes and neighborhoods.  The people worked hard and quickly drew the ire of several enemy states around them.  Soon these civilian volunteers were faced with horrifying threats of ambush, attack and annihilation.  The threats caused deep-rooted insecurity and needed to be addressed.

Nehemiah was a man of courage built upon his godly wisdom and integrity and led the people through this overwhelming time.  How did he do it?  How does anyone continue world-changing work when they are beset by the worst kind of threats?  Nehemiah faced them head on with passion and faith.  He set up watchmen and weapon bearers around the wall and armed the rest of the workers. Some workers held their swords in one hand and did the work of rebuilding with the other.  The message to those who would destroy them was clear – the rebuilding work was SO vital and important that it could not – it would not – be stopped.  Sure, you can attack.  What you will get is a fight – a fierce fight – so think carefully, as we will not be deterred from our mission that our God has blessed us to accomplish!

Just as you might have expected, there was no attack.  Nehemiah’s enemies saw a grit and a unity in this Jewish brotherhood that was best left undisturbed.  But just because they did not attack does not mean they quit.  Oh no, they simply tried other ways to derail the work; the primary method of which was to eliminate the leader.  So, Nehemiah was now beset with numerous, sly and personal traps being set for him on top of his all-consuming work of rebuilding.  I suppose we could not expect anything different.  After all, he was changing the world and when you change the world you will be challenged again and again. Check out our December 4, 2017 podcast, “How Do You Change Your World? Part 2″ and let yourself be inspired by the adventure of the task and the principles by which that adventure was accomplished.  It is a journey you may never forget!  Did you miss Part 1 of this series? Click here.

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Everyone wants their world to be better. Everyone has dreams and ideas they see as transformative – even innovative – yet the vast majority of us never do anything about those dreams and ideas to bring them to reality. Why the lack of effort? Because change is hard. Because it takes thought, energy and determination and most of us are not convicted enough by our dreams and ideas to be willing to commit all of that effort. Occasionally someone stands apart from this typical reaction and actually thinks, acts, leads and accomplishes their dream or idea. Today we will talk about a little known man in the Old Testament who did just that. His dream was laughable, his mission was ridiculous and his enemies were determined to stop him, yet he focused and fought with all of his being and changed his world in the process!

The beginning and the end of the story is that anyone who actually changes the world is accomplishing something akin to an anomaly. Tracking how that has happened in the past provides us powerful insight for our future.  Nehemiah changed the world for Israel. He lived about a hundred years after the time of Daniel being captive in Babylon and was in the service the Persian King Artaxerxes as his cup bearer. When he found out details about the broken down condition of the city of Jerusalem he was deeply discouraged and could not get past it. The story changed his life, as he had been up to that point a quietly and profoundly religious Jew living in a foreign land. Now Nehemiah had been given something of great significance to live for – rebuilding the walls and the city of Jerusalem.

This was an inordinately massive task for the King of Persia’s cup bearer to be focusing on, but that is the beginning stage of changing the world – it is an inordinately large task set aside for those who can absorb and process such things. For Nehemiah, this became his noble – his quietly noble – passion that did not just simmer under the surface, it boiled over with internal passion, planning and preparation until the door of opportunity cracked open. So, here is the next stage of how to change the world: allow a noble thought grow into a noble idea, which then grows into a noble passion which then grows into a noble plan which then seeks opportunity.

Nehemiah laid all of this before God in a very detailed and humble prayer. His prayer was such that he put God’s word and will first, and then he simply asked to be able to be a tool in God’s hand to bring the destroyed city of Jerusalem back to life. God heard him, blessed him and sent him on a world-changing mission that would be nothing short of miraculous!  Check out our November 27, 2017 podcast, “How Do You Change Your World? (Part I)” and see for yourself.  Nehemiah’s experience was not only riveting in its story line, it was powerful in its teaching and inspiring in its lessons as he essentially wrote out the process for changing the world! You have got to hear this to believe it!

Ready for Part 2 of this series? Click here.

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Every so often someone comes along who stands out from the crowd, someone who distinguishes themselves from their peers by their manner, their motivation and their mission.  They don’t seem to fit into any comfortable category, for theirs is a mission that has world-changing implications and such missions are not common and least of all comfortable.  With such a description we would typically and rightfully envision Jesus as its object, but today we will focus on another.  Today we focus on John the Baptist, the man who prepared the people for Jesus, the man who stood alone as a powerful voice that pointed to the Redeemer of all men.  John the Baptist uniquely epitomized greatness – where did he come from, what did he do and how did he do it?

To say that someone uniquely epitomizes greatness might be considered somewhat brash as there are so many ways to quantify and qualify greatness.  So let’s do a general “greatness check” and see how our man, John the Baptist, fares:

There is a specific need:  Jesus was due to come on the scene and someone needed to pave the road for him.  John’s mission specifically accomplished this.  Greatness!

Timing calls for someone to step up:  John arrived on the scene as a prophet after a 400-year prophetic silence from God.  Greatness!

Events call for a charismatic leader:  When John preached he drew crowds of all kinds from all outlying areas.  Greatness!

Events call for a fearless spokesman:  John was straightforward with everyone – he pulled no punches as he spoke truth and it eventually cost him his life.  Greatness!

Events call for a humble leader:  John was entirely aware and accepting of his role to bring attention to Jesus and not to himself.  Greatness!

Having established that John the Baptist would be considered great by most any standards that measure greatness, we can now begin to explore the things that made him that way.  For instance, with truly great leaders like a Martin Luther King Jr. or a Winston Churchill, it is always fascinating to look at their lives before their window of greatness opened to see what experiences, nurturing or education prepared them for that special moment.  John the Baptist is no exception to this.  Even though there are just a few lines written about his parents and his upbringing, we can glean a sufficient harvest from those lines and clearly see how he was prepared for the difficult and important work he was called upon to do.

Another unique and fascinating point about John was his eloquence.  We visualize John the Baptist as a rough, unshaven and uncultured sort of man.  This vision, while partially true, does not even give an inkling of the power, grace and control he had of his intellect.  Of all the aspects of greatness that John exhibited, this to me is most inspiring.  Check out our November 13, 2017 podcast, “What Made John the Baptist So Special?” and see for yourself what real grit and greatness look like.  Who knows, greatness may be calling YOU and John the Baptist may be just the guy to help you prepare!

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Sometimes things need to change. When there is a great plan in progress, the need for great change is likely to be a part of that plan. Since Adam’s fall from grace, God’s plan for man’s redemption has been punctuated by changes, including the great Flood which ended the old world, the calling of Abraham which began the age of the Patriarchs, and the death of Jacob which ushered in the age of Jewish favor. Each change had a distinct purpose. Today’s story about the conversion of Cornelius signaled that another change was on the horizon – a change that would be played out through the experiences of the Apostle Peter and Cornelius, the first Gentile convert. God’s plan was progressing and great change was necessary. But why Cornelius? Why a soldier?

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Daniel was a good, righteous and deeply faithful man. From a very young age, he showed himself to be wholly keyed in on being in lock-step with obedience to God. God, in turn, blessed Daniel in many ways, from preserving his life, to granting him ability to interpret dreams, to elevating him in power, to bestowing upon him an incredible gift of prophecy. Oh yeah, and God also delivered him from the den of lions! Today, Daniel’s prophecies are among the most discredited scriptures in the Bible! Why? What is it about Daniel that makes so many afraid?

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