Michal and Paltiel

We all know about that time David stole Bathsheeba from her husband Uriah and had Uriah killed so that he wouldn’t find out about the unexpected pregnancy. This incident is largely seen as a small blip on the otherwise clear radar of the “man after God’s own heart.” Interpreting this story this way is problematic […]

Isaiah’s Leader

Someday I will be a ruler, And my reign will be totally peaceful. Long ago the LORD God showed his prophet Isaiah What his coming Kingdom would be like. I am a child of Adam and Eve, Like you. Long ago, our parents lived in peaceful paradise With the beasts of the field and the […]

Jonathan and the Soldier

1 Samuel 14: I was a soldier in King Saul’s army during the Philistine conflict. We fought long and often against the Philistines, defending our land. One day, the king’s son Jonathan went to a Philistine outpost in Mikmash in secret, and managed to slay twenty men and throw the rest into a panic. When […]

Why Samson?

How do we choose which Bible heroes will be celebrated in kids’ books and Sunday school classes? One year at my church, the theme for kids’ summer camp was “Samson Brings Down the House.” That’s a fun theme idea. We get to celebrate this incredibly strong man who led Israel until he was unfairly duped by […]

Widow of Zarephath’s Son

My father died when I was very young. I don’t really remember him, but my mother talked about him often. She loved him very much. To honor him, she wanted me to grow big and strong so that I could carry on his name. She was a nervous woman, always calling after me – “Be […]

Woman with the Lost Coin

“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell […]

Stumbling on Water

We all know the story of Jesus walking on the water. It’s a popular story that highlights Jesus’ authority over nature. But what catches my attention when I read this story is Peter’s experience and its relatability. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid,” Jesus says to his shaken disciples as he approaches the […]

Philip the Evangelist

I always prided myself on how inclusive I was. When the Twelve first appointed me to assist in food distribution, I served both Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews impartially. After my friend and colleague Stephen was killed on charges of blasphemy and all of Christ’s followers were forced to flee to escape persecution, I fled to […]

King Josiah

I was eight years old when I began to reign. My grandpa Manasseh began to reign when he was twelve. History remembers him as Judah’s most evil king. But long before he bought into the practices of our surrounding nations, worshiped the stars, practiced sorcery, defiled God’s temple, and sacrificed his sons in the fire, […]

Miriam

It was very strange watching my mother put my brother into the river. I was six years old then, and curious. My mom and dad never talked about it, but I knew that Hebrew babies were in trouble. We stopped celebrating when a baby was born. I wasn’t allowed to talk about my new brother […]