A name carries great authority. It sets you apart.  It triggers memories.  The sound of it calls you to attention anywhere.

Many Bible names accomplished even more. They were often descriptions of important facts about one’s past and hopes for the future.  The choice of the name Isaac, “he laughs”, for Abraham and Sarah’s son must have created a variety of feelings in them each time it was spoken.  At times it must have recalled their shocked laughter at God’s announcement that they would be parents in their old age.  At other times, it must have brought back the joyful feelings of receiving their long-awaited answer to prayer for a child.  Most important, it was a testimony to God’s power in making his promise a reality.

In a family of forceful initiators, Isaac was the quiet, “mind-my-own-business” type unless he was specifically called on to take action. He was the protected only child from the time Sarah got rid of Ishmael until Abraham arranged his marriage to Rebekah.

In his own family, Isaac had the patriarchal position, but Rebekah had the power. Rather than stand his ground, Isaac found it easier to compromise or lie to avoid confrontations.

In spite of these shortcomings, Isaac was part of God’s plan. The model his father gave him included a great gift of faith in the one true God.  God’s promise to create a great nation through which he would bless the world was passed on by Isaac to his twin sons.

It is usually not hard to identify with Isaac in his weaknesses. But consider for a moment that God works through people in spite of their shortcomings and, often, through them.  As you pray, put into words your desire to be available to God.  You will discover that his willingness to use you is even greater than your desire to be used.

Strengths and accomplishments:

He was the miracle child born to Sarah and Abraham when she was 90 years old and he was 100

He was the first descendant in fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham

He seems to have been a caring and consistent husband, at least until his sons were born

He demonstrated great patience

Weaknesses and mistakes:

Under pressure he tended to lie

In conflict he sought to avoid confrontation

He played favourites between his sons and alienated his wife

Lessons from his life:

Patience often brings rewards

Both God’s plans and his promises are larger than people

God keeps his promises! He remains faithful though we are often faithless

Playing favourites is sure to bring family conflict

Vital statistics:

Where: The area called the Negev, in the southern part of Palestine, between Kadesh and Shur (Genesis 20:1)

Occupation: Wealthy livestock owner

Relatives: Parents: Abraham and Sarah. Half brother: Ishmael.  Wife: Rebekah.  Sons: Jacob and Esau

Key verse: “Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.  I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him’ “ (Genesis 17:19).

Isaac’s story is told in Genesis 17:15-35:29. He is also mentioned in Romans 9:7, 8; Hebrews 11:17-20; James 2:21-24.

Some brothers, like Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau, get each other into trouble. Nadab and Abihu got into trouble together.

Although little is known of their early years, the Bible gives us an abundance of information about the environment in which they grew up. Born in Egypt, they were eyewitnesses of God’s mighty acts of the exodus.  They saw their father, Aaron, their uncle, Moses, and their aunt, Miriam, in action many times.  They had first-hand knowledge of God’s holiness as few men have ever had, and for a while at least, they followed God [Wall] wholeheartedly (Leviticus 8.36).  But at a crucial moment they chose to treat with indifference the clear instruction from God [Wall].  The consequence of their sin was fiery, instant, and shocking to all.

We are in danger of making the same mistakes as these brothers when we treat lightly the justice and holiness of God [Wall]. We must draw near to God [Wall] while realising that there is a proper fear of God [Wall].  Don’t forget that the opportunity to know God [Wall] personally is based on his gracious invitation to an always unworthy people, not a gift to be taken for granted.  Do your thoughts about God [Wall] include a humble recognition of his great holiness?

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Oldest sons of Aaron
• Primary candidates to become high priest after their father
• Involved with the original consecration of the tabernacle
• Commended for doing “everything the LORD commanded” (Leviticus 8.36)

Weakness and mistake:

• Treated lightly God’s direct commands

Lessons from their lives:

• Sin has deadly consequences

Vital statistics:

• Where: The Sinai peninsula
• Occupation: Priests-in-training
• Relatives: Father: Aaron. Uncle and Aunt: Moses and Miriam.  Brothers: Eleazar and Ithamar

Key verses:   Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorised fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD”   (Leviticus 10.1, 2).

The story of Nadab and Abihu is told in Leviticus 8-10. They are also mentioned in Exodus 24.1, 9; 28.1; Numbers 3.2-4; 26.60, 61.

Some people can’t stay out of trouble. When conflict breaks out, they always manage to be nearby.  Reaction is their favourite action.  This was Moses.  He seemed drawn to what needed to be righted.  Throughout his life, he was at his finest and his worst responding to the conflict around him.  Even the burning bush experience was an illustration of his character.  Having spotted the fire and seen that the bush did not burn, he had to investigate.  Whether jumping into a fight to defend a Hebrew slave or trying to referee a struggle between two kinsmen, when Moses saw conflict, he reacted.

Over the years, however, an amazing thing happened to Moses’ character. He didn’t stop reacting, but rather learned to react correctly.  The kaleidoscopic action of each day of leading two million people in the desert was more than enough challenge for Moses’ reacting ability.  Much of the time he served as a buffer between God [Wall] and the people.  At one moment he had to respond to God’s anger at the people’s stubbornness and forgetfulness.  At another moment he had to react to the people’s bickering and complaining.  At still another moment he had to react to their unjustified attacks on his character.

Leadership often involves reaction. If we want to react with instincts consistent with God’s will, we must develop habits of obedience to God [Wall].  Consistent obedience to God [Wall] is best developed in times of less stress.  Then when stress comes, our natural reaction will be to obey God [Wall].

In our age of lowering moral standards, we find it almost impossible to believe that God [Wall] would punish Moses for the one time he disobeyed outright. What we fail to see, however, is that God [Wall] did not reject Moses; Moses simply disqualified himself from entering the promised land.  Personal greatness does not make a person immune to error or its consequences.

In Moses we see an outstanding personality shape by God [Wall]. But we must not misunderstand what God [Wall] did.  He did not change who or what Moses was; he did not give Moses new abilities and strengths.  Instead, he took Moses’ characteristics and moulded them until they were suited to his purposes.  Does knowing this make a difference in your understanding of God’s purpose in your life?  He is trying to take what he created in the first place and use it for its intended purposes.  The next time you talk with God [Wall], don’t ask, “What should I change into?” but “How should I use my own abilities and strengths to do your will?”

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Egyptian education; desert training
• Greatest Jewish leader; set the exodus in motion
• Prophet and law-giver; recorder of the Ten Commandments
• Author of the Pentateuch

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Failed to enter the promised land because of disobedience to God [Wall]
• Did not always recognise and use the talents of others

Lessons from his life:

• God [Wall] prepares, then uses. His timetable is life-sized
• God [Wall] does his greatest work through frail people

Vital statistics:

• Where: Egypt, Midian, Desert of Sinai
• Occupations: Prince, shepherd, leader of the Israelites
• Relatives: Sister: Miriam.  Brother: Aaron.  Wife: Zipporah.  Sons: Gershom and Eliezer.

Key verses:    “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time”    (Hebrews 11.24, 25).

Moses’ story is told in the books of Exodus to Deuteronomy. He is also mentioned in Acts 7.20-44; Hebrews 11.23-29.

Ask older brothers or sisters what their greatest trial in life is and they will often answer, “My younger brother (or sister)!” This is especially true when the younger sibling is more successful than the older.  The bonds of family loyalty can be strained to the breaking point.

When we first meet Miriam she is involved in one of history’s most unusual babysitting jobs. She is watching her infant brother float on the Nile River in a waterproof cradle.  Miriam’s quick thinking allowed Moses to be raised by his own mother.  Her protective superiority, reinforced by that event, must have been hard to give up as she watched her little brother rise to greatness.

Eventually Moses’ choice of a wife gave Miriam an opportunity to criticise. It was natural for her insecurity to break out over this issue.  With Moses married, Miriam was clearly no longer the most important woman in his life.  The real issue, however, was not the kind of woman Moses had married.  It was the fact that he was now the most important man in Israel.  “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?…  Hasn’t he also spoken through us?”  No mention is made of Moses’ response, but God [Wall] had a quick answer for Miriam and Aaron.  Without denying their role in his plan, God clearly pointed out his special relationship with Moses.  Miriam was stricken with leprosy, a deadly disease, as punishment for her insubordination.  But Moses, true to his character, intervened for his sister so that God [Wall] healed Miriam of her leprosy.

Before criticising someone else, we need to pause long enough to discover our own motives. Failing to do this can bring disastrous results.  What is often labelled “constructive criticism” may actually be destructive jealousy, since the easiest way to raise our own status is to bring someone else down.  Are you willing to question your motives before you offer criticism?  Does the critical finger you point need to be pointed first towards yourself?

Strengths and weaknesses:

• Quick thinker under pressure
• Able leader
• Songwriter
• Prophetess

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Was jealous of Moses’ authority
• Openly criticised Moses’ leadership

Lessons from her life:

• The motives behind criticism are often more important to deal with than the criticism itself

Vital statistics:

• Where: Egypt, Sinai peninsula
• Relatives: Brothers: Aaron and Moses

Key verses:   “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.  The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea’ “ (Exodus 15.20, 21).

Miriam’s story is told in Exodus 2; 15 and Numbers 12; 20. She is also mentioned in Deuteronomy 24.9; 1 Chronicles 6.3; Micah 6.4.

Sometimes love is not enough – especially if that love is little more than the strong emotional attraction that grows between a hero and an admirer. To Michal, Saul’s daughter, the courageous young David must have seemed like a dream come true.  Her feelings about this hero gradually became obvious to others, and eventually, her father heard about her love for David.  He saw this as an opportunity to get rid of his rival for the people’s loyalty.  He promised Michal’s hand in marriage in exchange for David’s success in the impossible task of killing 100 Philistines.  But David was victorious, and so Saul lost a daughter and saw his rival become even more popular with the people.

Michal’s love for David did not have time to be tested by the realities of marriage. Instead, she became involved in saving David’s life.  Her quick thinking helped him escape, but it cost her Saul’s anger and her separation from David.  Her father gave her to another man, Paltiel, but David eventually took her back.

Unlike her brother Jonathan, Michal did not have the kind of deep relationship with God [Wall] that would have helped her through the difficulties in her life. Instead she became bitter.  She could not share David’s joyful worship of God [Wall], so she hated it.  As a result, she never bore David any children.

Beyond feeling sorry for her, we need to see Michal as a person mirroring our own tendencies. How quickly and easily we become bitter with life’s unexpected turns.  But bitterness cannot remove or change the bad things that have happened.  Often bitterness only makes a bad situation worse.  On the other hand, a willingness to respond to God [Wall] gives him the opportunity to bring good out of the difficult situations.  That willingness has two parts: asking God [Wall] for his guidance and looking for that guidance in his word.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Loved David and became his first wife
• Saved David’s life
• Could think and act quickly when it was needed

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Lied under pressure
• Allowed herself to become bitter over her circumstances
• In her unhappiness, she hated David for loving God [Wall]

Lessons from her life:

• We are not as responsible for what happens to us as we are for how we respond to our circumstances
• Disobedience to God [Wall] almost always harms us as well as others

Vital statistics:

• Occupations: Daughter of one king, Saul, and wife of another, David
• Relatives: Parents: Saul and Ahinoam. Brothers: Abinadab, Jonathan, Malki-Shua.  Sister: Merab.  Husbands: David and Paltiel

Key verse: “As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window.  And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6.16).

Michal’s story is told in 1 Samuel 14 – 2 Samuel 6. She is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15.29.

More than any other disciple, Matthew had a clear idea of how much it would cost to follow Jesus, yet he did not hesitate for a moment. When he left his tax-collecting booth, he guaranteed himself unemployment.  For several of the other disciples, there was always fishing to return to, but for Matthew, there was no turning back.

Two changes happened to Matthew when he decided to follow Jesus. First, Jesus gave him a new life.  He not only belonged to a new group; he was now an accepted person.  For a despised tax collector, that change must have been wonderful!  Secondly, Jesus gave Matthew a new purpose for his skills.  When he followed Jesus, the only tool from his past job that he carried with him was his pen.  From the beginning, God [Wall] had made him a record-keeper.  Jesus’ call eventually followed him to put his skills to their finest work.  Matthew was a keen observer, and he undoubtedly recorded what he saw going on around him.  The Gospel that bears his name came as a result.

Matthew’s experience points out that each of us, from the beginning, is one of God’s works in progress. Much of what God [Wall] has for us he gives long before we are able to consciously respond to him.  He trusts us with skills and abilities ahead of schedule.  He has made us each capable of being his servant.  Matthew couldn’t have known that God [Wall] would use the very skills he had sharpened as a tax collector to record the greatest story ever lived.  And God [Wall] has no less meaningful a purpose for each of us.  Have you recognised Jesus saying to you, “Follow me”?  What has been your response?

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples
• Responded immediately to Jesus’ call
• Invited many friends to his home to meet Jesus
• Compiled the Gospel of Matthew
• Clarified for his Jewish audience Jesus’ fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies

Lessons from his life:

• Jesus consistently accepted people from every level of society
• Matthew was given a new life, and his God-given skills of record-keeping and attention to detail were given new purpose
• Having been accepted by Jesus, Matthew immediately tried to bring others into contact with Jesus

Vital statistics:

• Where: Capernaum
• Occupations: Tax collector, disciple of Jesus
• Relative: Father: Alphaeus
• Contemporaries: Jesus, Pilate, Herod, other disciples

Key verse:  “As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth.  ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him” (Mark 2.14).

Matthew’s story is told in the Gospels. He is also mentioned in Acts 1.13.

Motherhood is a painful privilege. Young Mary of Nazareth had the unique privilege of being mother to the very Son of God [Wall].  Yet the pains and pleasures of her motherhood can be understood by mothers everywhere.  Mary was the only human present at Jesus’ birth who also witnessed his death.  She saw him arrive as her baby son, and she watched him die as her Saviour.

Until Gabriel’s unexpected visit, Mary’s life was quite satisfactory. She had recently become engaged to a carpenter, Joseph, and was anticipating married life.  But her life was about to change for ever.

Angels don’t usually make appointments before visiting. As if she were being congratulated for winning the grand prize in a contest she had never entered.  Mary found the angel’s greeting puzzling and his presence frightening.  What she heard next was the news almost every women in Israel hoped to hear – that her child would be the Messiah, God’s promised Saviour.  Mary did not doubt the message, but rather asked how pregnancy would be possible.  Gabriel told her the baby would be God’s Son.  Her answer was the one God [Wall] waits in vain to hear from so many other people: “I am the Lord’s servant….  May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1.38).  Later, her song of joy shows us how well she knew God [Wall], for her thoughts were filled with his words from the Old Testament.

Within a few weeks of his birth, Jesus was taken to the temple to be dedicated to God [Wall]. There Joseph and Mary were met by two devout people, Simeon and Anna, who recognised the child as the Messiah and praised God [Wall].  Simeon directed some words to Mary that must have come to her mind many times in the years that followed: “A sword will pierce your own soul” (Luke 2.35).  A big part of her painful privilege of motherhood would be to see her son rejected and crucified by the people he came to save.

We can imagine that even if she had known all she would suffer as Jesus’ mother, Mary would still have given the same response. Are you, like Mary, available to be used by God [Wall]?

Strengths and accomplishments:

• The mother of Jesus, the Messiah
• The one human who was with Jesus from birth to death
• Willing to be available to God [Wall]
• Knew and applied Old Testament Scriptures

Lessons from her life:

• God’s best servants are often ordinary people available to him
• God’s plans involve extraordinary events in ordinary people’s live
• A person’s character is revealed by his or her response to the unexpected

Vital statistics:

• Where: Nazareth, Bethlehem
• Occupation: Housewife
• Relatives: Husband: Joseph. Relatives: Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Children: Jesus, James, Joseph, Judas, Simon, and daughters

Key verses: “ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered.  ‘May it be to me as you have said.’  Then the angel left her” (Luke 1.38).

Mary’s story is told throughout the Gospels. She is also mentioned in Acts 1.14.

Hospitality is an art. Making sure a guest is welcome, warmed, and well-fed requires creativity, organisation, and teamwork.  Their ability to accomplish these goals makes Mary and her sister Martha one of the best hospitality teams in the Bible.  Their frequent guest was Jesus Christ.

For Mary, hospitality meant giving more attention to the guest himself than to the needs he might have. She would rather talk than cook.  She was more interested in her guest’s words than in the cleanliness of her home or the timeliness of her meals.  She let her older sister Martha take care of those details.  Mary’s approach to events shows her to be mainly a “responder”.  She did little preparation – her role was participation.  Unlike her sister, who had to learn to stop and listen, Mary needed to learn that action is often appropriate and necessary.

We first meet Mary during a visit Jesus paid to her home. She simply sat at his feet and listened.  When Martha because irritated at her sister’s lack of help, Jesus state that Mary’s choice to enjoy his company was the most appropriate response at the time.  Our last glimpse of Mary shows her to have become a woman of thoughtful and worshipful action.  Again she was at Jesus’ feet, washing them with perfume and wiping them with her hair.  She seemed to understand, better even than the disciples, why Jesus was going to die.  Jesus said her act of worship would be told everywhere, along with the gospel, as an example of costly service.

What kind of hospitality does Jesus receive in your life? Are you so busy planning and running your life that you neglect precious time with him?  Or do you respond to him by listening to his word, then finding ways to worship him with your life?  It is that kind of hospitality he longs for from each of us.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Perhaps the only person who understood and accepted Jesus’ coming death, taking time to anoint his body while he was still living
• Learned when to listen and when to act

Lessons from her life:

• The busyness of serving God [Wall] can become a barrier to knowing him personally
• Small acts of obedience and service have widespread effects

Vital statistics:

• Where: Bethany
• Relatives: Sister: Martha. Brother: Lazarus

Key verses:   “When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her” (Matthew 26.12, 13).

Mary’s story is told in Matthew 26.5-13; Mark 14.3-9; Luke 10.38-42; John 11.17-45; 12.1-11.

The absence of women among the 12 disciples has bothered a few people. But it is clear that there were many women among Jesus’ followers.  It is also clear that Jesus did not treat women as others in his culture did; he treated them with dignity, as people of worth.

Mary of Magdalene was an early follower of Jesus who certainly deserves to be called a disciple. An energetic, impulsive, caring woman, she not only travelled with Jesus, but also contributed to the needs of the group.  She was pregnant at the crucifixion and was on her way to anoint Jesus’ body on Sunday morning when she discovered the empty tomb.  Mary was the first to see Jesus after his resurrection.

Mary Magdalene is a heartwarming example of thankful living. Her life was miraculously freed by Jesus when he drove seven demons out of her.  In every glimpse we have of her, she was acting out her appreciation for the freedom Christ had given her.  That freedom allowed her to stand under Christ’s cross when all the disciples except John were hiding in fear.  After Jesus’ death, she intended to give his body every respect.  Like the rest of Jesus’ followers, she never expected his bodily resurrection – but she was overjoyed to discover it.

Mary’s faith was not complicated, but it was direct and genuine. She was more eager to believe and obey than to understand everything.  Jesus honoured her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of his resurrection.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Contributed to the needs of Jesus and his disciples
• One of the few faithful followers present at Jesus’ death on the cross
• First to see the risen Christ

Weakness and mistake:

• Jesus had to drive seven demons out of her

Lessons from her life:

• Those who are obedient grow in understanding
• Women are vital to Jesus’ ministry
• Jesus relates to women as he created them – as equal reflectors of God’s image

Vital statistics:

• Where: Magdala
• Occupation: We are not told, but she seems to have been wealthy
• Contemporaries: Jesus, the 12 disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus’ mother Mary

Key verse: “When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons” (Mark 16.9).

Mary Magdalene’s story is told in Matthew 27, 28; Mark 15, 16; Luke 23, 24; and John 19, 20. She is also mentioned in Luke 8.2.

Many older brothers and sisters have an irritating tendency to take charge, a habit developed while growing up. We can easily see this pattern in Martha, the older sister of Mary and Lazarus.  She was used to being in control.

The fact that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are remembered for their hospitality takes on added significance when we note that hospitality was a social requirement in their culture. It was considered shameful to turn anyone away from your door.  Apparently Martha’s family met this requirement very well.

Martha worried about details. She wished to please, to serve, to do the right thing – but she often succeeded in making everyone around her uncomfortable.  Perhaps as the oldest she feared shame if her home did not measure up to expectations.  She tried to do everything she could to make sure that wouldn’t happen.  As a result, she found it hard to relax and enjoy her guests, and even harder to accept Mary’s lack of co-operation in all the preparations.  Martha’s frustration was so intense that she finally asked Jesus to settle the matter.  He gently corrected her attitude and showed her that her priorities, though good, were not the best.  The personal attention she gave her guests should be more important than the comforts she tried to provide for them.

Later, following her brother Lazarus’ death, Martha could hardly help being herself. When she heard Jesus was finally coming, she rushed out to meet him and expressed her inner conflict of disappointment and hope.  Jesus pointed out that her hope was too limited.  He was not only Lord beyond death, he was Lord over death – the resurrection and the life!  Moments later, Martha again spoke without thinking, pointing out that four-day-old corpses are well on their way to decomposition.  Her awareness of details sometimes kept her from seeing the whole picture, but Jesus was consistently patient with her.

In our last picture of Martha, she is once again serving a meal to Jesus and his disciples. She has not stopped serving.  But the Bible records her silence this time.  She has begun to learn what her younger sister already knew – that worship begins with silence and listening.

Strengths and accomplishments:

• Known as a hospitable homemaker
• Believed in Jesus with growing faith
• Had a strong desire to do everything exactly right

Weaknesses and mistakes:

• Expected others to agree with her priorities
• Was overly concerned with details
• Tended to feel sorry for herself when her efforts were not recognised
• Limited Jesus’ power to this life

Lessons from her life:

• Getting caught up in details can make us forget the main reasons for our actions
• There is a proper time to listen to Jesus and a proper time to work for him

Vital statistics:

• Where: Bethany
• Relatives: Sister: Mary. Brother: Lazarus

Key verse: “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!’ “ (Luke 10.40).

Martha’s story is told in Luke 10.38-42 and John 11.17-45.