Categories
EDU

Mary and Martha #Character #Study by @DouglasJacoby

 

R4E130923 – Mary and Martha (New Testament Character Study) by Douglas Jacoby

You can download the full audiobook recording on qobuz or amazon or itunes.

 

Background

  • Martha (Aramaic) means something like “the lady.” It comes from the masculine form for master, mar.
  • Miriam, named after the sister of Moses, usually Mary in English, comes from the Hebrew for “bitter.”
  • Catholic tradition equates Mary with Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene), while in Orthodox and Protestant traditions these are two separate persons. In John 12:1-7 and Luke 7:36-50, the anointing is of the feet, not the head, as in the older source Mark 14:3-9 (appearing also in Matthew 26:6-13 and Luke 7:36-51); one Bethany home belongs to Simon the Pharisee (and leper), the other to the home of Martha; and so scholars cannot easily confirm that the anointings represent separate events. This is not easy to decide.
  • The sisters may have been born into wealth. Notice the spare room for guests, the family vault, and the expensive perfume.
  • Martha is usually mentioned first, suggesting that she was the older of the sisters. Though it doesn’t seem possible to prove this, her being the firstborn is more consistent with her display of personality in the gospel accounts.
  • They lived with their brother, Lazarus. (Is it more than coincidence that the figure in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus [Luke 16:19-31] is also named Lazarus?) No mention is made of children or aged parents, though of course the silence does not rule out their presence.

Martha & Martha

  • Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-12:8
  • Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, even as Saul of Tarsus sat at Gamaliel’s feet (Acts 22:3). The purpose was presumably not only to learn, but also (in turn) to teach. This is revolutionary. See note ** below.
  • Contrasting characters
    • higher-strung / lower-strung
    • more task-oriented / more relational
    • more controlling /more accepting
    • standing and serving / seated and learning and waiting
    • leader / follower

Application

  • People are wired differently, whether due to nature or nurture, genetics or family of origin, social conditioning, or other factors. Personality differences are not condemned in the Bible. There’s always room to improve, and to the extent that we fall short of the character of Christ, we should never become complacent about “who we are.” Still, contentment (when accompanied by godliness) is a positive thing, and highly desirable (1 Timothy 6:6).
  • Even in a single family, personalities differ significantly. Everyone interacts with Jesus Christ in his or her own way. We shouldn’t try to force everyone to respond the same way. Genuine commitment may manifest differently in different people.
  • Jesus Christ, as busy as he was, made time for relationships. It is clear that this family held a special place in his heart. Notice also that among his friends he counted not only men, but also women. Of course he comported himself with propriety at all times, but the requirements of holiness and dignity did not dictate that he hold aloof from those with whom he had no immediate “ministry business.”
  • Life can be burdensome and distracting, and it’s all too easy to focus too much on all the duties and chores. Every day let us take time to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn. May we all strive to have a “Mary heart” in a “Martha world.”

 

Categories
EDU

Esau Character Study

 

 

Hebrew words:

  • ‘Esaw (Esau) — 98x in the OT (vs. 3x in the N.T.)
  • Se’ar — hair
  • ‘Edhom — Edom, similar to the word for “red” (‘adhmoni), “to be red” (‘adham), and “to be died red” (‘adhammu). The words “Edom” and “Edomites” appear 120 in the O.T.
  • Se’ir — Seir, a mountain range in Edom

Further study:

  • Old Testament:
    • Genesis 25:24-34. (Scriptures in this podcast are from the [Holman] Christian Standard Bible.)
    • Re: 24:34 — Proverbs 30:20, Isaiah 22:13, 1 Corinthians 15:32b, Ecclesiastes 8:15. See also 1 John 2:15-17, 1 Peter 1:18, and Hebrews 11:25.
    • Genesis 27:1-4, 29-41.
    • Esau is potential to be a “second Cain” (cp. Genesis 4).
    • Obadiah (about the vengeance of Edom — the descendants of Esau — on Judah in 587/586 BC, when God punished Judah through the Babylonians). See also Jeremiah 49.
    • Genesis 33:1-17
    • Genesis 35:29 — see 25:9.
    • Genesis 36:1-9, 43
    • Esau is also mentioned in Deuteronomy 2, Joshua 24, 1 Chronicles 1, and Malachi 1.
  • The New Testament:
    • Romans 9:13 and Hebrews 11:20 (no commendation)
    • Hebrews 12:16-17

Some things we learn about God:

  • When we choose pleasure over principle, the people of the world over the people of God, impulse over rationalist, we forfeit God’s blessings.
  • Godlessness separates us from God and his goodness.
  • Sometimes God’s people are not as nice as those who are not his people. (Esau seems the more fun, relatable, happy-go-lucky of the two brothers; Jacob was more uptight, driven by fear, and calculating.) This shows us that God’s grace isn’t based on works, personality, character, or merit.

For kids:

  • Read part of Genesis 25. Talk about the differences between the twins. How were Jacob and Esau similar? How were they different — physically and spiritually?
  • Read the story of Genesis 27. How did Esau react when his brother tricked him out of his father’s blessing? How would you have reacted? (Have you ever been bitterly disappointed?)
  • Was what Jacob did fair?  Was Esau right to plan revenge? Have you ever wanted to hurt your brother / sister?
  • What is the difference between making decisions based on pleasure and based on principle?

Key verses:

  • 25:33 — sells birthright
  • 27:34 — forfeits blessing
  • 27:41 — contemplates fratricide
  • 33:4 — brothers reunited
  • 35:6 — lives away from the land of promise
  • Hebrews 12:16 — godlessness / worldliness separates us from God and his goodness

 

 

 

Categories
EDU

Lazarus #NewTestament #Character #Study

R4E130918 – Lazarus (New Testament Character Study) by Douglas Jacoby

You can download the full audiobook recording on qobuz or amazon or itunes.

Background

  • If you haven’t listened to the podcast on Mary & Martha, it might be good to listen to that one before this lesson on Lazarus, as they’re integrally related.
  • He lives in Bethany (2 miles from Jerusalem), with his sisters; apparently there are no parents or children living in the home, but this surmise can never be proven.
  • His name, Greek, comes from the Hebrew Eleazar, which means something like “God is my help.” (The help the rich man in Luke 16 would not give to Lazarus was lavished on him by the Lord, while the rich man’s fortunes were completely reversed. Parable inspiration?)
  • As for Lazarus’ character, nothing is known for sure. Yet we can rightly expect that, in terms of personality, there would have been a family resemblance. His sisters were faithful, devoted, giving, and “real.” It isn’t hard to imagine that Lazarus was a winsome individual; and as a fellow male, Jesus would easily have connected with him.

Scriptures read in this podcast:

  • John 11:1,3-4,5-6,11-15,17,33-37,38-41,43-44,45-46
  • John 12:1-2, 9-11, 17-19
  • John 13:23
  • Ephesians 2:1-6

Five facts about Lazarus’ life

  • The dead man walks out of the tomb (John 11:44).
    • Many come to faith as a result (11:45).
    • The notoriety this miracle accelerates the collision-course Jesus and the religious establishment are on.
    • Why was Jesus so deeply moved at this time? His emotion suggests his humanity (an emphasis in John), though (surely) also his divinity.
    • Was Jesus angry? Find out.
    • Did Jesus wait the extra days to prove beyond all doubt that Lazarus was dead? Is it true that the Jews believed the soul hovered around the body for three days after death? According to later Jewish belief, yes; check out this link or that one. And yet it is uncertain that this view was current in the first century.
  • At dinner, he reclines with Jesus (John 12:2).
    • This is a special dinner, hosted at the Bethany home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
    • At ancient meals, people lay around the table on couches (on their left elbow) and ate with their right hand.
  • After his resuscitation, Lazarus becomes, like Jesus, a target (John 12:9-11,17-19).
    • The impact of the miracle is mixed.
    • Some are moved to faith, others are moved to resistance. So it is with our lives!
  • Then Lazarus disappears (or does he? — see below).
  • He was deeply loved by Jesus (John 11:3,5,11,36). While the Lord loves everyone, not all relationships are the same. This is not a general love, but a very specific one: love for a person as a genuine friend.

An intriguing possibility

  • About the disciple Jesus loved, see John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7,20.
  • Note: The Twelve are referred to in chapters 6 and 20, though the apostle John is never designated by name. The closest we come is “son of Zebedee” (21:2).
  • “The disciple whom Jesus loved” makes his appearance at the very point that Lazarus “disappears.” Consider the suggestion of N.T. scholar Ben Witherington III. Click here.

Application

  • John 11:6 — God loves us, yet still he allows tough things to happen to us. We should never doubt his love, or the relief that will eventually come.
  • When God does great things through us, there will be some who are acutely uncomfortable. (Those among whom the Lord is not doing great things? Those whose influence or reputations is diminished.)
  • We were dead in our sins before we knew Christ (Ephesians 2:1-6). We could no more have raised ourselves up than Lazarus could have brought himself back to life. We are wholly dependent on Christ.
  • God’s love for us isn’t just platonic, or abstract. The Bible gives every appearance that God feels–that he cares.
  • We should pay attention even to the minor characters in the Bible. Although there may be no character development, still there may be things to learn about God (theology).

 

 

Categories
EDU

Rebekah #OldTestament #Character #Study

R4E130916 – Rebekah (Old Testament Character Study) by Douglas Jacoby

You can download the full audiobook recording on qobuz or amazon or itunes.

Hebrew words:

  • Rivqah (Rebekah). In the OT Greek Bible (the Septuagint [LXX]), her name is rendered Rebekka.
  • Berekhah (blessing) — a near anagram of Rebekah’s name.

Further study:

  • Genesis:
    • 22:23; 24 (all)
    • 25:21-23; 25:20,26; 26:7 (see  Genesis 12 and 20)
    • 26:35
    • 27:1-28:3; cp. 27:44 and 29:20
    • 35:8; 49:31
  • Study the character of Laban, Rebekah’s older brother (Genesis 24-25, 27-32).
  • Extrabiblical: Archaeologists have discovered documents from the period (2nd millennium BC) directing that if a girl’s father is deceased and another male relative is doing the negotiating, she must give her own consent before being married off. (Yet Bethuel is still alive — 24:50 — even though Rebekah’s brother Laban seems to be doing the negotiating.)
  • The New Testament:
    • Romans 9:10ff — God’s choice is not made on merit, but by grace.
    • Note: She is not mentioned in Hebrews 11, the “Hall of Fame of Faith.”

Some things we learn about God:

  • While we ought not to grow lazy (giving up industriousness and responsibility), we do need to leave the outcomes to God. When we hold on to things too tightly, or scramble to reach what the Lord has promised us anyway, we are likely to lose them.
  • As we age, we tend to revert to patterns of thinking and interaction that characterized our families of origin. Rebekah started out vibrant, giving, and faithful; as she got older, though not relinquishing her faith, she did succumb to temptations to take matters into her own hands. To stay close to the Lord, we need to resist the temptation to give in to fear; we must be more like Sarah in this regard (1 Peter 3).
  • He will often bless us even though we are not acting in full faith — even when we give in to fear.

For kids:

  • Read excerpts from the story in Genesis 24 and comment on the character of the girl Rebekah.
    • Was she quiet and selfish, or lively and giving?
    • How could she have “done the minimum” when she met Abraham’s servant?
    • How much does a camel drink? (There were 10 camels [v.10], each able to drink up to 100 liters [over 26 US gallons or 21 imperial gallons!)
    • How strong do you think her arms (and back) were in order to water all the animals?
  • Grown-ups do wrong things, too.
    • Later in life, Rebekah deliberately deceived her husband (and one of her sons).
    • Even people of faith do wrong things.
    • The point is to stay close to God, and not to do things because we are afraid we will not be happy.

Key verses:

  • 24:20 — Rebekah waters the camels, too. She goes way beyond the call of duty!
  • 27:45 — Fear prompts her to try to control others (children, husband).