Z is for Zipporah

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Moses agreed to stay with Jethro, and 

he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife.” 

Exodus 2:21 ncv

After the Pharaoh heard of Moses’ interference in a fight between an Egyptian and Hebrew, the ruler set out to have Moses killed. So, Moses fled Egypt to the land of Midian.

He was seated beside a well when a Midian priest’s seven daughters came to draw water for their father’s flock. Some shepherds in the area tried to drive the young ladies away, but Moses came to the damsels’ aid. This impressed their father who invited Moses to dine with him and his daughters…and to repay Moses for his good deed; the priest offered his daughter Zipporah’s hand in marriage. In the next verse, it says she gave birth to a son which Moses named Gershom.

Y is for You (& me)

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

 “God showed his great love for us

by sending Christ to die for us

while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 nlt

 Christ died for You and me!

 

How can the Creator of all things make such a sacrifice for You and me? It is a mystery with a wonderful ending. Yet, that’s what the Bible says.

X is for eXtra

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

Genesis to Revelation

Not only is there no woman whose name begins with this letter, the only word I found in the Bible—the NIV to be eXact--was Xerxes, the Persian king who booted Vashti out of the kingdom and eventually married Esther.

So, since I’m running behind in the 2012 A-Z blogging challenge, I will make this short and sweet…X is for “I need eXtra time!” The story of my life.

Please, if you want to leave a comment make it an eXemplary one. Thanks!

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W is for Widows

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

(Another “no women of the Bible names begin with this letter” piece)

“[Always] treat with great consideration and give aid to those who are truly widowed (solitary and without support).” 1 Tim. 5:3 amp

Other translations say to honor, respect, care, or support the widow.

First Timothy chapter five verses 3-16, addresses widows as totally alone and who are without any means of financial support and care. The verses speak of the widows’ behavior—live a life of prayer with hope in the Lord and not one of self-gratification.

V is for Vashti

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women

in the royal palace of King Xerxes.” Esther 1:9 nlt

Vashti, whose name means beautiful, probably was quite beautiful as she was married to the powerful King Xerxes I (aka Ahasuerus) who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. They lived in the citadel in Susa—one of several Persian Empire capital cities (an interesting study of its own).

We meet Vashti in the opening chapter of Esther when she and the king entertained many of the Persian dignitaries—princes, attendants, army officers, and nobles—for a seven-day gala. The finest white and violet linen draped the marble columns of the courtyard. The couches of gold and silver lined decked the mosaic pavement made of porphyry (a reddish purple rock), marble, mother-of-pearl and other precious stones. The distinguished guests drank an abundance of royal wine from golden goblets, while Queen Vashti held a banquet of her own for the wives of the dignitaries in the palace.

U is for United (not the airlines)

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“…What therefore God hath joined together, 

let not man put asunder.” Matthew 19:6 kjv

United: joined, amalgamated, unified, cohesive, integrated, bond, fused

There are no “U” women’s names, so please consider the following verses to see how God united us with Him through our acceptance of Christ as Savior, through marriage, and in fellowship as fellow believers, joint heirs in Christ.

T is for Tryphena and Tryphosa

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, 

     women who work very hard for the Lord…”

Romans 16:12a ncv

I confess; I’ve never noticed the list of people Paul recognizes for their work. In this chapter of Romans, he praises—to the best of my counting—almost 30 people by name for their faithful service, and eight of his fellow workers who send their greetings to the church as well as.

Based upon the similarities of their names and the fact they are tied together in the chapter, leads most researchers to believe that Tryphena and Tryphosa were probably sisters or close relatives. I wonder if not twins.

S is for Syrophoenician women

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. 

And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.” 

Mark 7:26 nasb

She was an unnamed woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite, a Greek, a Gentile born in Syrian, Phoenicia…and a woman. She sought Jesus out, despite their differences, and cried outside where He was staying. “Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”

R is for Rhoda

(yes, I’m a few letters behind, but life got crazy and…well, you know)

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“…When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer….”Acts 12:13

This is not Rhoda Morgenstern from the Mary Tyler Moore show I’m talking about, but I do find this biblical Rhoda as a great scene in the sitcom.

Chapter 12 of Acts opens with Herod the king having James, the brother of John (Matthew 4:21) killed. He arrested Peter and threw into prison. (This isn’t the humorous part.)

Q is for Queens

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad, and he gave him his wife’s sister in marriage—the sister of Queen Tahpenes. She bore him a son named Genubath. Tahpenes raised him in Pharaoh’s palace among Pharaoh’s own sons.” 1 Kings 11:19-20 nlt

Another “no women of the Bible names begin with this letter” piece, so, lets talk about queens in the Bible. There are three woman called by the name of queen—Sheba, Tahpenes, and Candace.

I featured Ethiopian Queen Candace for the letter “C;” so she’s covered.

P is for Prayer

(Interrupting the Women of the Bible A-Z series)

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 nasb

“With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit…and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel…that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. Ephesians 5:18-20 nasb

“…pray for one another…the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16

Since returning from the Christian writers’ conference, I’ve encountered the enemy—which also explains why I’ve struggled to keep up on my A to Z blogging.

If you would be so inclined by the Holy Spirit to pray for me and my family, I thank you and pray God’s blessing upon you—as His blessings are much greater than my gratitude.

O is for Orpah

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” Ruth 1:14 nasb

We meet Orpah in verse 4 in the first chapter of Ruth when she marries one of the widow Naomi’s two sons. The two sons, Mahlon and Chilion came to the land of Moab east of their homeland, Bethlehem of Judah, with their parents, Elimelech and Naomi, at the time of a great famine.

Elimelech dies and Naomi was left with her two sons. With her permission, the sons took these Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, the more famous daughter-in-law, as wives of their own. The Moabites worshipped pagan gods and were descendents of Lot, the nephew of Abraham.  But soon, both sons died, leaving these three widowed women to fend for themselves.

Don't follow me...

follow HIM

 “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness,

because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me..." John 12:26

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and

I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19

“'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him.

So Matthew got up and followed him." Matthew 9:9

 

M is for Missing

You've probably noticed "M" is missing... I apology to those following me on the A-Z challenge. I’ve been in southeast Kansas at a writers’ conference and just didn’t have the brain power to write last night. Then, we left early to avoid the severe thunderstorms and tornado activity for the trip home this afternoon. So, I’ll be a bit behind.

L is for Lydia

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the river where we thought we would find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them. One of the listeners was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira whose job was selling purple cloth. She worshiped God, and he opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying. She and all the people in her house were baptized. Then she invited us to her home, saying, "If you think I am truly a believer in the Lord, then come stay in my house." And she persuaded us to stay with her.”

Acts 16:13-15 ncv

K is for Keturah

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Now Abraham took another wife, 

whose name was Keturah.” 

Gen. 25:1 nasb

Abraham’s first born son was Ishmael, the son of his wife Sarah’s maidservant, Hagar. The son God promised to him and Sarah was Isaac. Isaac was born fourteen years after Ishmael when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. Hagar and Ishmael were eventually sent away, but God watched over them.

J is for Jerusha (Jerushah)

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Jotham was twenty-five years old when he became king,

and he ruled sixteen years in Jerusalem.

His mother's name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.”

2 Kings 15:33 ncv

I first met Jerusha or came across this beautiful name while researching my ancestry. I have six…yes, six…women in my family line named Jerusha—the oldest born in 1734, the youngest in 1829. She is a part of my inheritance. This may be my favorite name in my A-Z blog challenge, so let’s talk about Jerusha of the Bible.

I is for Iscah

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“…Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.)" 

Gen. 11:29

Iscah’s father, Haran was one of two brothers of Abram [Abraham]. Her sister, Milcah, who married their uncle Nahor, and a brother Lot. Her father, Haran, died before his own father, Tereh. More then likely she went to live with one of her two uncles, but we’re not told for certain. We do know her sister married their uncle. Lot traveled with their grandfather Tereh and Uncle Abram from Ur to Haran (I assumed named for his deceased son) in Chaldea.

H is for Hephzibah,

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother was Hephzibah."  

2 Kings 21:1 nlt

Hephzibah was the wife of Hezekiah, a king of Judah (2 Kings 18- 20), though she is not mentioned during his lifetime. King Hezekiah was an awesome king who “did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done." (18:3)

...Then came the morning, 

night turned into day:
The stone was rolled away, 

hope rose with the dawn!
Then came the morning,
Shadows vanished before the sun;
Death had lost and life had won,
For morning had come!

by Bill & Gloria Gaither

G is for Gomer

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“So Hosea married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, 

and she became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea's son.” Hosea 1:3 ncv

Gomer is the only woman in the Bible whose name begins with “G.” What can I say about a woman with a name I associate with a modern day simpleminded, tenderhearted, country boy known as Gomer Pyle?

Well, she is found in the small book of Hosea. Verse three above tells us she is a daughter, wife, and mother, but verse two says so much more.

F is for Friend

Women of the Bible from A to Z series 

“A friend loves you all the time, 

                                and a brother helps in time of trouble.”

Proverbs 17:17 ncv 

There is no woman's name which begins with “F” in the Bible, so I chose to write on the name “Friend."

What is a Friend? The dictionary describes them as - somebody emotionally close, who trusts and is fond of another - as an acquaintance, who thinks well of, is on good terms with – an ally not an enemy – an advocate, defender, supporter, pal, buddy, companion, comrade

E is for Eunice

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“...you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.”  

2 Timothy 1:5 nlt

My most cherished heirlooms are those of my Christian heritage. Timothy received such a legacy from his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother Lois. These devoted women passed their love of God down to him.

“You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood...” 

2 Timothy. 3:15 nlt

D is for Drusilla

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“After some days Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, and asked for Paul to be brought to him. He listened to Paul talk about believing in Christ Jesus.” Acts 24:24 ncv

 

The name Drusilla is and always has been an uncommon name, however my elementary school principal’s first name was Drusilla. Her friends called her Dru (Drew). She was a happy, loving strong Christian lady. As a principal, her smile made her charges feel loved and safe. When someone misbehaved, she laid a gentle yet firm hand on their shoulder and spoke truth. The name means strong, sturdy, fruitful, and dewy-eyed—a pretty good description of Principal Dru.

On the other hand, the Drusilla mentioned in Acts lived in a harsher world.

C is for Candace

“So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch. He was an important officer in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians; he was responsible for taking care of all her money. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship.” Acts 8:27 ncv

Candace means verdure—green, lush vegetation, freshness—and reminds me of a breath of fresh air. In the passage above she is of little consequence but I’ll explore a bit about Her Majesty the Queen of Ethiopia.

The name Candace is not her given name but rather her title like Pharaoh, Caesar, or Herod. In my research, I found it was not uncommon in certain nations for women to rule as female warrior queens.

She is only mentioned because of her trusted servant’s encounter with Philip after he went to worship. It doesn’t tell if he was or was not with his queen, but because the eunuch even made the trip, she must have been in agreement.

B is for Bithiah

Women of the Bible from A to Z series

“Ezrah's sons were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. Mered married Bithiah, the daughter of the king of Egypt. The children of Mered and Bithiah were Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah...” 1 Chron. 4:17 ncv 

Of course, I known more about Bithiah's husband, Mered, than I do her so let me give a bit about his ancestry line. Mered was a son of Ezrah (aka Ezra). Ezrah is of the line of Judah and his wife/daughter-in-law Tamar. (See Genesis 38:1-30) I was unable to determine which of the five sons bore to Tamar, which he is a descendent. I based on what I could glean for the text from 1 Chronicles 4:1-17, I believe Ezrah is of the line of Shobal (see verse 2).

I can, however, give you some history for Judah.