The metaphor of midwife is used of God to help better understand God as a deliverer when the people of Israel are in Babylonian exile (Ps. 22, 71). L. Juliana M. Claassens writes, “The image of the midwife powerfully communicates the commitment to preserve life in life-and-death situations.”[1] Just as the metaphor of God as … Continue reading Shiphrah and Puah: Deliverers and Liberators for God
In the book of Ruth in the bible, we have a story of love, but this is a love story of women who live out true sisterhood. It is a story of the relationship between two widowed women: Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. The book of Ruth is special for many reasons. First, women are … Continue reading Call Me Mara: The Strength & Courage to Admit We are Not ‘Fine’
How many times a day are we on social media checking to see how much interaction there is on our posts and tweets? Are we becoming obsessed with trying to be an influence in the sphere of social media? In a world where we vie for likes and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and … Continue reading Blessed Are the Nameless
Defined by her work and her past, Lydia nevertheless overcomes societal biases and makes a huge impact of the establishment of Christian faith in the city of Philippi. While most commentators define Lydia as a wealthy merchant, this may not be the case.[1] Lydia is from Thyatira in the region of Lydia, for which she … Continue reading Lydia: A Dyer of Purple who Tints a City with her Faith
While walking down the aisle on one’s wedding day, most are envisioning a happy and joyful future. What happens when the wedding processional of the soothing cadence of “Canon in D” instead becomes a prelude to a funeral pyre? The Timnite woman did not experience wedded bliss, instead she was thrust into a situation where … Continue reading The Timnite Woman: A Wedding and a Funeral
What do you think it would have been like to meet Deborah? I would imagine that most people would envision Deborah with stereotypical female traits and personality: a welcoming and hospitable presence, a reserved personality, and a pliant temperament. Yet is that an accurate view of Deborah? Deborah was a judge, a prophetess, and a … Continue reading Deborah, A Fiery Woman
Between the conspiring of the religious leaders to kill Jesus and the devastating betrayal of a close friend, we have the opportunity in the Gospel of Mark to pause and smell the sweet fragrance of faithfulness, the aroma of devotion to Jesus that permeates the air from an act of sacrificial love. Let us linger … Continue reading Remembering Her Fragrant Faithfulness
In 1 Samuel 25 we are told the account of Nabal, Abigail’s husband refusing to provide David and his army with food even though they had been protecting Nabal’s shepherds and flock while he was in Carmel shearing his sheep. David becomes angry and decides to retaliate. When Abigail finds out what has happened, she … Continue reading Abigail: A Courageous and Clever Commander
Michelle Mosier 