Plain Secrets by Joe Mackall

This is a very close look at the Swartzentruber Ordnung of the Amish people.  Joe Mackall lives in West Salem, Ohio where a large number of Amish live today.  Many believe that Amish is Amish is Amish, but Joe shows us that different ordnungs have different ways of living.  The Swartzentruber Ordnung is the most strict of all the Amish ordnungs.

Mackall presents many details of the Swartzentruber in comparison to other ordnungs among the Amish.  He also gives us the history of the Swartzentruber group and how they broke away from the Old Order Ordnung.  The differences are astounding.

For example, and Old Order obeys the law of the state to post an orange triangular sign on the back of their buggies to warn fast zooming cars that they are approaching a slow moving vehicle.  The Swartzentrubers believe that the signs are too showy, so they refuse to post them on their buggies.  The Ordnung finally agreed with the state to run a slim line of reflective tape on the back bottom side of their buggies to warn vehicles most especially at night, when their black colored buggies are hard to see.  The Swartzentrubers still see many of their people killed in accidents every year by colliding with cars.   

Mackall gives a lot of other examples of how the Swartzentrubers live by following Samuel, who is a Swartzentruber bishop and Mackall's neighbor, during his daily routine of chores, prayer, dining, and family entertainment.  The two men become fast friends, but Mackall notes that it is limited whenever other Amish are present.  Mackall has a deep founded love for his Amish friend and his family, but he's also very understanding of the boundaries that Samuel places around his loved ones.

Mackall takes his readers on a 1 1/2 hour trip in Samuel's buggy to travel 10 miles to the local Home Depot.  He spends a few hours helping Samuel save every penny he can on the building supplies that Samuel is purchasing for the house he is building to Swartzentruber specifications, then they make the 1 1/2 hour trip back home.  The trip takes more than 1/2 the day to accomplish by horse and buggy.

The author comes in contact with a youth, Jonas, who has left the Amish way of life, but is finding it ever so difficult to break into the "English" world.  Jonas felt he could no long be called Amish, but he most definitely couldn't be considered English either.  The young man becomes one of the many that are known as the "ex-Amish" trying to make a life in the English world.  The Swartzentrubers don't have any identifying markings of the world, so the children do not get social security numbers, driver's licenses, and other documents that the average teenager in the world has easy access to.  Unfortunately since Jonas was born in Canada, he had a two year battle just proving he was an American citizen so he could qualify for a social security number.  Due to that, Jonas could only work jobs that paid cash under the table to support himself.  Mackall gives us a peek into the other side of the fence by describing many of the issues that arise in Jonas' life.

Mackall walks a slim line of possibly alienating his good friend, Samuel, and trying to equate the value of the Swartzentruber's way of life.  Mackall's book oozes with the love and affection he has for these simple people, but he also doesn't understand the hazards that they place themselves and their families in by some of the 'rules' from the Ordnung. On the other hand, Mackall does quote verses of Scripture to explain the beliefs and decisions that are ordained by the Ordnung. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has even remotely been interested or intrigued by the Amish way of life.

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

I've finished the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.

I must admit that I found the book to be interesting.  Not one of my most favorite reads, but interesting!

Barbara Enrenreich is a journalist by trade.  She was disturbed when welfare reform claimed that most people receiving welfare could have a comfortable life if they would just get out and get a job.  Barbara decided to perform what she calls an 'experiment' by trying to obtain jobs available to the unskilled worker, which is typically what welfare recipients are.  She didn't display any of her skills that she obtained through her profession as journalist, and she didn't utilize any of her education (she has a Ph.D. in biology) to acquire the jobs she worked during her summertime experiment.

Barbara's main goal was to try to prove or not prove that unskilled workers can land work that enables them to pay the rent, and put food on the table.  Barbara worked menial, hard working jobs such as, waiting on tables, cleaning homes through a maid service, and Wal-mart.  She traveled to three major cities (Key West, Florida; Portland, Maine; and Minneapolis, Minnesota) to carry out her experiment.

Enrenreich vowed that she would not use any funds from her 'other life', and she wanted a true picture of what a person with no money (such as a recent welfare recipient) could do to obtain work and survive.  Enrenreich did actually utilize funds from her 'other' life's savings account.  It was either that or live in the streets at one point.  The major conclusion that she came to after her experiment was over is that unskilled workers most likely must work 2 full-time jobs if they desire to live indoors.

She also found that many of her co-workers within the establishments that she was employed by were not living in an apartment, or a duplex (and none of them owned a home).  She found that all of them either lived in their car, truck, in a hotel room, or with family members.  The biggest hardship for unskilled workers is to put a roof over their heads that is affordable.  Unfortunately, due to the first and last month rent rule along with security deposit for most apartments, many of her co-workers were forced to live in non-traditional 'homes.'  Many were paying 3 to 4 times the monthly rent of an affordable apartment due to the hardship of saving for those deposits.  Daily and even monthly rents for a hotel room are quite steep.  Many hotel rooms have no  accommodations for preparing food, so another cost that her co-workers and she faced was cheap take-out or fast food. 

Enrenreich is a bit rough around the edges for all her education.  Remember she has a Ph.D. in biology (which she reminds you of several times throughout her lengthy introduction "Getting Ready.")  She doesn't converse with her co-workers other than to share a cigarette on break with them - she was a non-smoker, but she lit up when she wanted to pump one of her co-workers for information, or a soda at the local convenience store.  She doesn't utilize any kind of network that most people in their every day life fall back upon for help and support.  She admits to being an atheist, but ironically when she does eventually spends a day to interview a person who has come off welfare quite successfully; this fine Christian lady reveals to her that the secret for unskilled workers to overcome their obstacles is the network of support they establish through their church.  Ehrenreich also notes that this lovely lady doesn't come near to living among the middle class - yet.  She still struggles with living in poverty each and every day.

Enrenreich brings up the point that she's a healthy, muscle-toned 50's woman who visits her local gym regularly in her 'other life.'  She finds the physical work of one job grueling, demeaning, and often bone weary.  Her observation of the unskilled worker is that they are most likely the people in society who have bad backs, and other physical ailments that wear them down by doing the jobs they are paid to do.  She summarizes that the physical work that is supposed to move the unskilled worker to a better life, indeed moves them almost into traction.  Unfortunately, almost all unskilled workers don't have any health insurance to fall back upon - so many never visit the doctor for their ailments.

I found it interesting that most of Enrenreich's employers were some of the meanest alive.  Many of the incidents that she described sounded almost illegal to me in the world of employment, but she has a lot of footnotes letting you know that most of these practices are not illegal.  She felt the drug testing procedures were demeaning, not instilling trust in the potential employee; and she gives a vivid description of one of the two drug testing incidents that she had to endure.

While reading this book, I learned some facts about Wal-mart as an employer, and I honestly feel a bit sheepish for shopping there.  I'm not a huge Wal-mart fan to begin with, but I assure you that in the future, I'm making my stops at Wal-mart even fewer.

Barbara Enrenreich finishes her summer working experiment, but her book continues on for one more lengthy dissertation of her 'evaluation' of the whole experiment.  Honestly, this part of the book is where my interest started to wain.  She goes on and on and on for 39 whole pages telling her view on what her experiment revealed about our government and the passage of employment laws for the last few decades.  I wanted to say, "Really, Barbara?  Really!  You have been living in the twilight zone your whole life."  Did you know that the cost of living in areas (mostly cities) has risen to the point where the average minimum wage employee can't put food on their table?  Did you know that most of those minimum wage employees have no health insurance?  Did you know that the cost of housing has tripled in the last decade?

Really, Barbara, I knew!  Where were you?

All in all it's a good read, but it is also very much a bash fest in the end.  If you choose to read this book, I'd recommend skipping the 'Evaluation' piece of this book.  I mean, it really did nothing other than peeve me off at the author, mainly because Barbara Enrenreich would be perfectly happy to go back to her cushy, elegant life and do nothing; because she feels that the government is the only one who can rectify this situation with more government.

Too Much Reading Material??

Can anyone have too much reading material?

I went to the local pharmacy last Sunday afternoon.  There was a huge Boy Scout Used Book Sale.  Fill up a bag of books for $5.00!  Okay, so I bought a bag of books!

What did I get?  Much!

Fabric and Dress by Lucy Rathbone and Elizabeth Tarpley.  This book is an ancient home-ec book from 1946.  I found one listed at amazon.com for $40.00.  Hmmm, interesting!

Kingdom of God Series Bible History by William Newton and Ellamay Horan.  This was published in 1940.  Yeah, someone cleaned out a lot of old books from somewhere.

 Under His Wings by Patsy Clairmont.

The Best Is Yet To Be by Eve Fisher.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells.

Straight Talk by Joyce Meyer.

The Ebony Swan by Phyllis A. Whitney.

I might have read this book before, but I'm not sure.  When I was first married I became a huge fan of Phyllis Whitney, and I read a ton and gobs of her books.  My mother recently discovered her books, so we've been sharing.  Oh, well, if I've read this one before - I'll just read it again!


Nickel and Dimed by Barbara  Ehrenreich.

I've started to read this particular book, and I plan on doing a book review of it real soon.  I'm about 2/3 of the way through it so far.



Then I went to Borders to buy some books online as my mother and father had gotten me a gift certificate for Christmas.

I chose these two books for my reading pleasure:

Then today when I was looking at the Books Are Fun display at work, I purchased this book for $6.00!

So guess what I'm going to be doing for quite awhile!  Reading, reading, and reading some more!

College Football, Cancer Treatments, and Reading List

What an odd title!  But that's what I'm going to be writing about in this post.  I don't often put my life out there on the World Wide Web, but if I don't talk about my life and what's going on in it, well, I don't have much to tak about! Self absorption? Maybe...

Yesterday, hubby and I drove up to Buffalo to watch the boy's last game of the year.  I got a lot of pictures of him on the sidelines, then I got tired of holding the camera, and put it away!  It's hard to sit in a stadium full of spectators trying to get a good shot of your own personal college football player, so forgive me!

There he is - #17, my son!

I'm thrilled that the Mohawk is gone!  Bryce decided that it started to look grossssssss!   I'm thrilled also that one of his suitemates can cut hair - even if he does give a Mohawk or two, the good feature is that he can also shave them off!! 

I don't see that frown very often, but hmmmm, I'm really wondering what he was thinking at that moment??

It was a hot, hot day!  Can you believe it?  It was so hot that hubby and I turned the air on in the car when we got to Buffalo.  Unfortunately, the Buffalo Bengals play on a field that typically has a great deal of wind that sweeps in from Canada, or Lake Erie, or Lake Ontario, or all three.  Usually the temps are very low there this time of year, and typically we shiver throughout most of my son's games.  So being the last game of the season, we figured for sure, it would be unbearably cold.  We both donned our thermal underwear (hey, it was freezing when we left), and we felt like furnaces for most of the game.  Hubby got a sunburn!

Okay, so I took most of the pictures before the game started, so Bryce has his helmet off in all the pictures that I took, except this one:

Ooops!  I cut his head off!  That probably happened as I was trying to balance the camera with one hand and my other hand was high in the air waving to him and his teammate.  He had turned around and was pointing out his floozy of a mother, standing there in all her Bengal gear, and sweating!  I guess I should be grateful that he's not too embarrassed to say, "See that lady standing there with the Bengal shirt, Bengal hat, jumping up and down with the camera screaming 'Bryce, Bryce, over here, honey'.....well that's my mom."

The Bengals lost, but we all enjoyed going out to dinner with an old classmate of Bryce's and his family after the game.  Bryce and the old classmate played high school football together and were (and still are) pretty good buddies.  The old classmate played for the winning team, not the Bengals!  It always feels so strange sitting in the crowd watching two boys who played together in high school, play against each other in college.  They actually are pretty comical!  They pat each other on the butts (what's that all about anyway?), they slap each other on the backs, they smile and laugh!  Whatever!!!!!!!!!

We had a safe ride home without incident, and we were tired, but happy that we spent time with our son!

On a not so happy note, my father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.  If you are a praying person, and feel so led, please pray for him.  He has a lot of health issues (although to look at him you'd never know).  He has a super great attitude, and we're all rooting for him.  He actually laughed when he told us how he left the doctor's office the other day and overheard the nurse say, "That poor man has so much wrong with him!  But such a nice man!"  Yupper, that's my dad!

He starts his intensive radiation treatments at the end of the month.  He has a few other health issues that they want to get under control before they start.

Now on to my reading list:

  

I finished Reading Lolita in Tehran.  I enjoyed reading the book, but it was an eye-opener to me also.  It shows the terrible oppression that so many on the other side of the world live with every single day of their lives. 

Hubby and I had a wonderfully, rich conversation on the ride to Buffalo about the mentality, and most of the time, ignorance, that plagues these poor people.  Many have very little in regards to worldly goods.  They grow up feeding and nurturing themselves from their family's political and moral values.  Many don't have the luxury of having much of an education.  We, as Americans, often feel that it is our right to an education, but in other parts of the world, it's not even considered nor is it a priority.  Their 'education' stems from watching censored political agendas that the main message is: "Hate Americans!  Kill Americans!  They are of the devil!"  It's easy to understand the methods of their government (brainwashing, in my opinion), but it's also easier to understand the 'why' of the hatred they feel towards the western world.

The author, Azar Nafisi, lived in the United States for over a decade while obtaining her education, having been born and raised in Tehran.  She had always loved her country of Iran, but when The Ayatollah Khomeini usurped power of her country, she started to see the ripping seams of what her country had been built upon, which was basically a hatred that was so consuming that many were willing to sacrifice themselves for a cause that they had been totally misinformed about.  Or perhaps their views were so skewed that they couldn't grasp the reality of what their country was submitting them to. Many ideals taught within the 'home and hearth' atmosphere, obviously, will shape that person's reality.

Once per week, Azar meets with a few select students that she had previously taught at the University of Tehran.  Although she is not a professor at the University of Tehran while meeting with these young ladies, she realizes how much influence she had upon her students while teaching them Western Literature.  Many of those who had appeared withdrawn or perhaps, disagreeable during her years of teaching, were actually staunch supporters of her ideology.  It wasn't until the girls were in the privacy of Azar's home that they would admit to their allegiance.  Surprisingly, she invited women to partake in their literature meeting, when she hadn't seen their support of her beforehand.   Personally, I think that was pretty brave of her!  

All in all, it is a book that I would recommend.  It's not a 'sit back and let things happen' kind of book. It's of the genre that make the mind work.  It also stayed with me long after I read the last page.

Another book that I'm in the process of reading is The Red Tent by Anita Diamanti. 

It's a little different than what I thought it would be.  It's the story of Dinah, Jacob's daughter.  It's not to be confused as Biblical, as Anita Diamanti has made it clear that she is writing in the novel format.

I'll review the book properly once I've finished reading. 

My Blog and 150 Hits!

That's right, good ol' Laurie somehow got 150 hits to her blog in the last couple of weeks!  How?  Well, seems that the "Funny Halloween Stories" was a big hit.  Who'd 've thunk?  I can't believe how many people have been googling those very words, then visiting my blog.  Apparently, I show up on the first page of links, so I guess it goes to show how a simple title can get your blog a ton of traffic.

Life on the home front has been quiet, for the most part.  My son has been calling regularly from college.  It's a big change from last year when he hardly called at all.  He's facing some major decisions in his college career, and he's struggling.  If you feel inclined, please pray for him.  He's having a rough time of it.

We have several kids out sick with flu-like symptoms.  I saw on the news the other day that if you have flu-like symptoms, to just assume you have H1N1.  Okay.........So Lysol wipes, Purell, and Lysol spray have been getting a lot of use in the office by yours truly.  A few teachers have fallen victim to the bug, so it's really making the rounds.

A bit of good news is that I got on the scales the other day, and found that I have lost 17 pounds in little less than a year.  That may not sound like much, but I didn't think I was carrying too much extra weight, but 17 pounds sounds like a lot.  How did I do it?  I cut portion sizes down to something more normal, and I quit putting sugar in my coffee!  That's it!  Well, I've also been trying to avoid sugary snacks and baked goods.  I still eat them, I just cut back.

 

I've just finished reading a wonderful book.  

Greg Mortenson has become my hero!

He climbed the mountain K2 in Pakistan, the second highest mountain in the world.  He didn't quite make it to the peak.  Upon coming off the mountain, he recuperated in a small Pakistani village where he witnessed the village children traipsing off to 'school' with sticks in their hands.  Their 'school' was a pile of dirt that they sat upon with sticks in hand, writing their letters and sums.  Their 'school' had no walls, no bathrooms, and no cafeteria.  This view into their poverty-stricken life compelled Mortenson to make a promise that was difficult in the keeping, but he did, indeed, keep his promise.  His promise to these school-aged children and their families was to build them a school.  It was the beginning of the organization known as Central Asia Institute.  Greg has gone on to build numerous schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan throughout the years as the director of the organization.

If you're looking for something to read that might inspire you or lift you out of a bad mood, read it!  Yes, read it!  I enjoyed it so much.  It brought home to me that with all our worries and anxieties, we don't have it quite as bad as we think we do.

My reading has taken on a few too many books at once, but I'm enjoying the opportunity to stretch myself through my reading list.  Well, okay, that Barbra Streisand biography might not be stretching me much, but it's an interesting read.

I'm also reading a book called Reading Lolita in Tehran.  For some reason, I have been gravitating toward that portion of the world where turmoil is a way of life.  Reading Lolita in Tehran is written by Azar Nafisi. 

Now, personally, I think that Nafisi is a bit full of her self, mainly because she tries really hard to prove that she's academial, but once you get past that point, it's a pretty good read.  Nafisi was once a Western Literature professor at the University of Tehran.  Born in Iran, she was educated in the United States, but returned to Tehran to teach.  The memoir she presents takes place before, during, and after the revolution that kicked the Shah out, and planted the Ayatollah Khomeini in his place.  (You know, I personally remember all those news stories way back then).

Being a Supreme Ruler - which basically means he was the highest ranking political and religious leader of Iran - he pronounced severe changes to society as a whole, mainly towards women.  Nafisi would gather together weekly with a small number of her former students.  They would read and discuss Western Literature within the realm of Fitzgerald (Gatsby), Austen (Pride and Prejudice), James, and Nabokov.  All this literature had been banned by the Ayatollah, so it was during these covert meetings that the women got to know each other, and the trials they faced as women living in Iran.  I'm not finished reading it yet, so I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished.  So far, I like it!  It brings to forefront the struggles that women in that kind of society face.

I'm also reading A.W. Pink's An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount.  I've read Pink before, so I'm sure that I'll like this one too.  If you are interested in checking out some of his books, they are online for your reading pleasure here.   I happened upon this site a few years back while visiting Theology from a Bunch of Dead Guys which is part of the Spurgeon archives.

Well, I certainly have a lot of reading on my list, but once your house becomes the 'empty nest' you find you have a lot more time for all those things you've wanted to do for years.  I'm also working to complete an afghan that I put on my knitting machine around 2 months ago.  I'm getting there, and when I'm finished I'll post a picture.  

I guess we've caught up by now!  As you can see, I've been pretty busy!

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Lydia

My life has been busy, and although I read in my Bible every day, I have to admit that getting to this chapter on Lydia has not been a priority for me.  After reading through the chapter and writing my post, I have to admit that I'm sorry that I haven't done it earlier.  It is a rich chapter with a lot of detail as McArthur gets quite involved in a lot of different features surrounding the extraordinary woman of Lydia in this chapter.
                                 

Here is Ehart's post regarding this chapter of the Twelve Extraordinary Women book.

                   
Lydia was a "first" in a couple aspects regarding Paul's missionary work.  She was the first convert for the gospel in Europe.  She was also the first to respond to Paul's message of Christ during Paul's first missionary journey into Europe.

                      
Although Lydia resided in Europe, she was not European.  Lydia's name was the same name of a large Asian province.  This province was most likely the region of her birth.

     
The capital city of Lydia was Sardis.  Long before Paul's day, back in the sixth century B.C., the region of Lydia was ruled over by Croesus.  Croesus' name was often associated with wealth.  Ironically, Croesus was defeated by Cyrus, who utilized the wealth he had usurped from Croesus to conquer most of the known world at that time.  Cyrus, king of Persia, was the instrument who God used to release Israel from their bondage and returned His people back to the land to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.

             
Isn't it amazing how characters from the Old Testament weave themselves into the fabric of the New Testament?

       
While studying different regions from Biblical times, I often use this wonderful resource:  http://biblos.com/.  The "Atlas" and "Places" icons can link you to hours of viewing concerning historical facts regarding Biblical regions.

           
This site also has a feature that is helpful for any person studying the Bible in depth.  By searching for a particular verse in the Bible (they have many versions of the Bible available for your usage), you can click on the actual verse; and arrive at the Biblical location by simply clicking the maps on the sidebar.

 
But now, back to Lydia.

     
Acts 16:14 tells us that Lydia's hometown was Thyratia.  Thyratia was one of the seven churches referred to in Revelation (Rev. 2:18-29).


Thyratia was located in Asia Minor, where Paul, Silas, and Timothy "were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word" just previously mentioned in Acts 16:6.

     
At this point we read in the Scriptures about a woman who was from the very region that the Holy Spirit had forbidden the missionary party access, but it depicts her coming to the Lord and accepting Him into her heart.  This is a great example of how God sovereingnly works through His servants by shutting a door in one respect, but opening another.  The workings and motives behind the Holy Spirit's work is often hidden from man's view.  But as my good friend, Ella, so correctly says, "God is faithful."

         
The missionary group of Silas, Timothy, Paul, and Luke (as he had just previously joined them on their journey) arrived in Phillippi, but waited for the Sabbath day before they went out and about to share the gospel.
   


Typically, Paul would arrive at a new location and visit the local synagogue.  Phillippi was a Gentile town and a synagogue had not yet been established.  Instead, Paul and his group went to the riverside where the women were known to gather for prayer.


The men meet Lydia among the women prayer gathering.  Lydia was "a seller of purple."  Lydia's hometown of Thyratia has been uncovered by archeologists who have discovered that Thyatira had a thriving guild of dyers of cloth.  The purple dye was associated with royalty, and was an expensive commodity in the ancient world.

  
We can assume that Lydia was a wealthy woman by means of her occupation, but also by reading in verse 5 that she maintained a house in Phillipi.  Obviously, Lydia maintained a house in the city for the purposes of her business.  We can also note that this particular house was large enough to accommodate the four men, in addition to herself and any servants that she employed to maintain the house while she pursued her career.

     
Acts 16:14 states that Lydia "worshiped God."  So one may wonder how Lydia could be considered a convert?  Apparently, Lydia knew that there was one true God, but she had not yet converted to Judaism.

       
Remember Cornelius, the centurion from the Italian Regiment? (Acts 11).  He was "a devout man and one who feared God with all his household."  Yet Cornelius after hearing Peter preach the gospel "the Holy Spirit fell upon all those (Cornelius and his household) who heard the word."  Following that Cornelius and his household were baptized in water as a symbol of proclaiming their new-found faith.


Luke tells us in Acts 16:14 that Lydia "heard us."  She opened her ears, and through that the Holy Spirit drew her heart towards accepting the gospel message.

   
Lydia was truly an extraordinary woman.  Her exceptional quality was exemplified by the works of God through His grace in bringing her to the truth. 

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Mary Magdalene

My life has been totally hectic and out of control, but I did want to get this post done.

See, my garden is producing faster than my full-time working schedule permits. I have gobs and gobs of waxed beans. I have oodles and oodles of rhubarb. I have green bell peppers coming along. We have had garden fresh salad every night. AND soon we'll be eating fresh tomatoes and I'll be doing a whole lot of sauce for the freezer.

Anyway, ehart has had her post up for awhile, and I'm just catching up to her. Here's her post.

In recent years the publishing of such books as The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown has added fuel to the hype of the supposed character of Mary Magdalene. Although Brown's book is classified as a novel, many have fallen prey to the blasphemous suggestion that Mary Magdalene secretly married Jesus then proceeded to have children.

The ancient cults and some early commentators of the Bible have often confused and stretched the facts surrounding this extraordinary woman from the Scriptures.

MacArthur starts out in this fascinating chapter to dispel the myths that cloud our vision concerning the ever-devoted follower of Jesus, Mary Magdalene.

In fact, MacArthur pointedly reveals that Scripture gives us very little background regarding Mary with the exception being the fact that she was at one point tortured by seven demons. Jesus through His goodness and grace freed Mary Magdalene from the grips of this horrific affliction.

It seems Luke and Mark mention the exorcism purely to celebrate Christ's goodness and grace toward her. Both authors don't offer gruesome details concerning Mary's demon possessed condition. They simply state that Jesus delivered her from seven demons.

Moving on to the role that Mary Magdalene played during Jesus' ministry and crucifixion. At Luke 8:1-3 we get a glimpse of the entourage attached to Jesus during His travels. Mary Magdalene is mentioned among the specifically named followers of Jesus throughout the cities and villages, and "provided for Him from their substance."

We can be sure that the relationship that Jesus had with the women disciples was always appropriate. Jesus' enemies were always searching out any kind of "proof" they could find to discredit Him. Never do the Scriptures reveal that Jesus' adversaries accused Him of any inappropriate behavior concerning His women followers. Therefore, we can be absolutely sure that Jesus and Mary Magdalene's relationship was one reflecting a loving servant supporting and helping her Master in His work.

The Bible never makes mention that Mary Magdalene was married or had children during her discipleship. She may have been a widow or possibly never married. She obviously had no housebound responsibilities as Jesus would have certainly directed her to those obligations had she been neglectful of them. Mary Magdalene along with the other followers had a means that "provided for Him from their substance." (Luke 8:3) This may have been property that she had turned into monetary value which she had received as an inheritance, from either the death of parents or a husband.

Mary Magdalene was present when Jesus was hung to the cross. The Scriptures offer more information regarding Mary Magdalene in the passages after Jesus' death than anywhere else.

Joseph of Arimathea requested from Pilate the body of Christ in order to give Him a proper burial.

Egyptians embalmed the dead, but Jews didn't. They wrapped the body in perfumed burial clothes.

Mark 15:47 tells us how Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of Joses, and a few other women watched where Joseph laid the body.

Joseph of Arimathea obtained the body of Christ, and Nicodemus brought the spices.

Mark 16:1 states that Mary Magdalene, Mary (mother of Joses), and Salome bought more spices to anoint the Lord's body. They had seen Joseph and Nicodemus lay Jesus' body to rest. Did they realize that the two Sanhedrins had done a hurried job of the anointing as the Sabbath was fast approaching? Or was it the fact that the two men were Sanhedrin that brought them back to re-anoint Jesus?

Either way, upon coming near the tomb, after the Sabbath, the women wondered how they might remove the stone that had been used to close the tomb. They were unaware that two guards had been placed at the tomb. The guards had been ordered to stand watch over the tomb after the women had left the grave site before the Sabbath. Upon approaching, an earthquake shook the ground all around them.

I find it very interesting that the Chief Priests and Pharisees had gone to Pilate to remind him that while Jesus was alive, He had stated that after three days He would rise again. That's why they had asked that the tomb be guarded and made secure. They didn't want Jesus' disciples to steal His body away in the middle of the night to verify that He had risen. Yet the women were alarmed when they found the tomb empty. They obviously didn't equate the empty tomb with the fact that Jesus had risen! At least not at this particular time

Mary Magdalene ran out of the tomb and came across the path of Peter and John on their way to the burial site. She tells them about the empty tomb, and they both ran to the burial site to confirm her statement.

While the remainder of the women, Peter and John were near the empty tomb; the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was to be the first person to lay eyes on the resurrected Lord. She clung to Him as she had during His lifetime.

She was granted a great honor for all time through the grace bestowed upon her.

Indeed, she was an extraordinary woman!

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Martha and Mary

Ehart has done a very nice piece about Martha and Mary here.

Mary and Martha were two sisters, along with their brother, Lazarus, who lived in Bethany. Reading the Scriptural accounts regarding this family, brings to our attention that Jesus cherished His friendship with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

In fact, resurrecting Lazarus four days following his death caused Jesus' enemies to become fixated on putting Him to death. Jesus' prior two resurrections were immediately following death, whereas Lazarus was resurrected four whole days after his passing. Lazarus had been dead long enough that his body had started to decompose and a stench of death permeated the tomb. There was no question that Lazarus had indeed died.

Perhaps the previous two resurrections were questioned by the Jews as to whether the victim actually had died, as they occurred immediately following death. Jesus arrived during Lazarus' funeral to raise him back to life. It clearly showed that He was indeed the Savior. His powers displayed that He was who He claimed to be, namely the Son of God.

Martha and Mary, although sisters, worshiped and devoted themselves to Jesus in conflicting manners. Martha, being a hostess by nature, draws a clear picture in Luke 10 as a meticulous servant. Have you ever hosted a gathering where you've wanted everything to be perfect? Have you wanted the guests to leave exclaiming, "What a beautiful meal she presented! What a fabulous hostess!"? Perhaps Martha was looking for praise regarding her honed qualities as a fine hostess.

Mary on the other hand sat at Jesus' feet and hung onto every word He said. Martha asked Jesus in Luke 10, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

Martha shows us much about her character in those two short phrases. As women, we often find ourselves worrying and fussing over the details, and the minor to major items that need to be done to make a task complete, such as a dinner gathering. Martha was no different. I'm sure she wanted the Lord's meal to be perfect.

One could actually wonder at this point if Martha was advocating a life of works over faith. Some commentators have actually supported this ideal while examining the two sisters' lives. Martha was exhibiting the desire to 'work' her way into the Lord's heart, whereas as Mary was actually showing her faith by sitting at His feet attentively listening to all that He had to say.

Personally, I don't think that is the case here. It might be a nice reminder to us that faith comes before works, but I don't think that Martha was 'working' for her salvation. To support my theory on this, I have to remember that Jesus knew the hearts of all men (or women, in this particular case). He vehemently rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees throughout His ministry. He knew what was in their hearts. These Jewish leaders were so involved in the law and the following of that law, that they actually couldn't see Jesus fulfilling that law. They couldn't even begin to think of Jesus as their Savior.

Here in Luke 10, Jesus ever so slightly, but lovingly rebuked Martha. Notice that Jesus says, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

But in contrast, Jesus when rebuking the Jewish leaders used expressions such as "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!", "Woe to you, blind guides...", and "Serpents, brood of vipers..."

Jesus knew what was in the heart of the Pharisees. He knew that they had ulterior motives, and they didn't even recognize Him for who He was, the Son of God. But Jesus knew what was in Martha's heart. He knew that she most certainly knew and acknowledged Him as the Messiah. Note her statement in John 12: 27, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

I think Jesus knew that Martha had a pure heart. She was trying to serve him a wonderful, awesome meal, because she loved Him. It wasn't that she was trying to 'work' her way into the Lord's good graces, she was trying to honor him. Through her service to Him, she hoped that she would be able to express her appreciation and to glorify Him.

Mary, on the other hand, honored Jesus by sitting at His feet with an attitude of worship and meditation. When we see Mary again in Scripture during Lazarus' funeral, we view her sitting among the mourners. We can see that she was most likely not the one that had planned or made arrangements for her brother's funeral.

When Jesus arrived at the funeral, Martha ran out to our Lord to meet Him. Martha is definitely a person of action. Mary, on the other hand, had stayed with the mourners. She was so involved in the funeral and the mourning of her brother that she hadn't realized Jesus had arrived. Hence, again we see the differences between the two sisters.

The last Scriptural encounter we have with Martha and Mary occurs during a sizable dinner party at the home of Simon. Martha was acting as hostess at this particular gathering also. Mary showed her gratitude by anointing Jesus' feet with spinkenard. Already Jesus had enemies that wanted to kill Him, mostly spurred on by His resurrection of Lazarus. Upon seeing Mary anointing Jesus' feet with the expensive oil, Judas Iscariot made the final decision to betray our Lord.

Once again Martha is the servant, planning and arranging the dinner. Once again Martha is sitting at our Lord's feet, and worshiping Him by anointing Him for His upcoming crucifixion. One large difference in this particular situation is that Martha is not noted for asking the Lord to take notice of Mary's non-participation of the party details. I'm sure that Martha more cheerfully fulfilled her duties for this particular dinner as she was serving the Lord in her own fashion, not expecting Mary to serve in the same capacity.

These two women are fine examples of how we can worship Jesus in different capacities. Not every one is meant to serve, not everyone is meant to do the anointing, but it all glorifies the Lord.

Twelve Extraordinary Women: The Samaritan Woman

Here's ehart's post on The Samaritan Woman.

John's main theme throughout his entire gospel was that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God.

In verses 25 and 26 of chapter 4, Jesus reveals not only His love and compassion towards people of any status, but He explicitly stated to this particular woman, who was a social outcast, that He was indeed the Messiah.

John 4:4 states that Jesus "needed to go through Samaria." Perhaps John was hinting at Jesus' spiritual necessity in meeting the Samaritan woman.

Samaria was the name give to the capital of the northern kingdom when the nation of Israel split. Therefore, the Samaritans were a people that resulted from the descendants of the few remaining Israelites after the Assyrians took control of the northern kingdom and the pagan Assyrians. The Samaritans built their culture around a religion that blended bits and pieces of Judaism and paganism. The apostate northern kingdom with their false priesthood, blended with the pagan rituals, made Samaritans very far from the true worship of God. The Jews had an intense dislike for anything Samaritan.

The Samaritans woman openly admitted to Jesus that she had no husband. Jesus promptly pointed out (John 4:17, 18) "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had 5 husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband."

The woman started to sense that Jesus was a prophet. Later, she was to declare, "He told me all that I ever did."

At the very moment that Jesus reveals to the woman at the well His messiahship, the apostles return from their trip to fetch food. Had they arrived earlier during the conversation, the woman would not have been fully informed as to Jesus' identity. Had they arrived later, they would not have heard His declaration. Jesus' divine control is clearly shown in this situation.

Many Samaritans came to see Jesus upon hearing the woman's report. Here was a woman drawing water at Jacob's well at a time when no one else was likely to appear. This clearly shows the status of this woman as being less than desirable. Yet as soon as Jesus reveals Himself as the Messiah, she immediately left the well to tell the townspeople, who she previously had been avoiding, of her experience.

Through divine grace this one lowly Samaritan woman not only became a believer of Christ, but literally led others to Him.

What a fine tribute to Almighty God!

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Anna

Click here for ehart's post.

The character of Anna is revealed in only a few short verses at Luke 2:36-38. They read as follows:

"Now there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem."

In those three short verses, a number of details can be considered. First of all, Anna is called a prophetess, of the tribe of Asher. MacArthur goes into great depth to point out just what Anna's role as a prophetess was. He suggests that she didn't predict the future, which we often think of when we think of a prophet. Rather he suggests that Anna was called a prophetess in regard to the fact that she spoke the word of God.

When you consider Anna's background, it is extraordinary that she did so. Anna was "the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher." The tribe of Asher was a part of the northern kingdom of Israel after the kingdom split. If you've read OT history, you know that Jerusalem was located within the boundaries of the southern kingdom of Judah. Judah had very few good kings, but Israel had none! All the kings of Israel had ignored the 'way of the Lord.' The northern kingdom also not having access to Jerusalem, the Holy City, built new alters and made sacrifices upon those alters. The northern kingdom established an alternative priesthood. In essence, MacArthur dubs them as the 'apostate northern Kingdom.'

Apparently, Anna's ancestors were among the small remnant of exiles who returned from captivity. She was a fine example of God's faithfulness during a time when the Scriptures were silent for 4 centuries, up until Jesus' birth. She was a part of the minuscule believing remnant that came from the northern kingdom.

Anna was a widow, which in those times usually meant a life of hardship. Yet she "did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day." This verse expresses Anna's faithfulness and devotion to the Lord.

God has given us a glimpse at the woman that He chose to lay eyes upon the living Messiah. She was a descendant of the apostate northern kingdom with all their pagan rituals. She was most likely poor financially, having been so for many years, since she was a widow for decades. But by the grace of God, He placed her at the temple exactly at the moment when Simeon was declaring Jesus as Savior.

What an awesome God!

The verse continues, "She gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." Anna lived out the remainder of her life continuing to fast and pray; and she enthusiastically shared her hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anna was truly an extraordinary woman!

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Mary

Here is ehart's wonderful post on Mary.

Anyone, who has read the gospels, is familiar with the mother of Jesus, Mary.

Mary was a young woman of approximately 13 - 15 years old. She lived in a poor district of Galillee, Nazareth.

Imagine by today's measures a 13-year old preparing to wed and start a family. Obviously, in Mary's time, 13-year old girls were of marriageable age, making them more focused upon their life's plan than our modern-age teenagers are.

Picture Mary, preparing for her life's plan of marriage to Joseph, the carpenter, and settling into the role of wife and most likely, mother. I'm sure Mary had a plan for her life. When couples take on the commitment of marriage, whether they are 13, 33, or 103, they have plans for their life together.

In Mary's case, God also had a plan!

I have often wondered, as ehart states in her blog post about Mary:

Where was she when the angel, Gabriel came to her?
What was she doing at that time?
What was she thinking before, during, and after the angel's visit?

I also wonder:

Did she understand fully she was about to become the human instrument God was to utilize in bringing our Savior into the world?
Did she realize she was to play a role in the covenant God had given Abraham, way back there in Genesis?

Whether Mary was fully aware or not of what her capacity was to be in God's plan, one thing is clear: Mary had a strong faith and willingness to do God's will. This is illustrated in her reply to the angel in Luke 1:38, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word."

I'm sure Mary's plans from that point forward may have shifted more to a plan that was directed by God and for God.

But when I think about it, I realize God has a plan for us all. We just need to open our hearts to God, so He can direct us. We need to pray that God may reveal to us His plan, not our own agenda.

Can you imagine the struggle Mary went through learning to submit to her son, Jesus Christ as our Lord? As time goes on, the Scriptures clearly show Mary did learn to submit herself to her Lord and Savior, the son whom she gave birth to.

When Jesus was 12 years old, Joseph and Mary traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. On their return trip home upon discovering the missing Jesus, the parents returned to Jerusalem seeking Him. After three days they found Him in the temple.

Luke 2:48 and 49 reiterates the conversation between Mary and her son, Jesus, after they found Him:

"So when they saw Him, they were amazed, and the mother said to Him, 'Son, why have you done this to us? Look Your father and I have sought You anxiously.' And He said to them, 'Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?' "

At this young age, Jesus, states He was about His father's business, and He wasn't referring to Joseph, his legal father.

This passage illustrates Jesus had a clear understanding of His identity and mission. Although, Luke 2:50 states concerning his parents, "But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them."


Mary "kept all these things in her heart." Undoubtedly, she recalled "these things" throughout Jesus' lifetime here on earth, and obviously, came to understand the meaning of such expressions and sayings of Jesus.


At the crucifixion, we see Mary standing near the cross Jesus was hanging upon. Mary was a firm believer God's will was being fulfilled, and she gave herself to that will. How else could she have stood by and watched her Son die such a painful and humiliating death? What a fine example of her remarkable faith!

Mary was a truly blessed woman, but MacArthur gives scriptural evidence throughout that in no way should we escalate her to a position where we pray to her , or ask her to bless us. She was an extraordinary woman who God had chosen to bless through her and our own Savior, Jesus Christ.

Twleve Extraordinary Women: Hannah

Ehart's thoughts on the Hannah chapter can be found here.

I love the few chapters of 1Samuel that tell the history of Hannah. I always have. So, this particular chapter was one that I read with pleasure, great pleasure.

The name Hannah means 'grace.' Thus far in the book, Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur, he has uniquely touched upon the amazing grace that was shown to the women he describes in the book. In fact, he usually recaps the chapter by stating that each woman is extraordinary due to the extraordinary grace that God has shown her. Hannah was no exception.

Hannah was married to Elkanah. Now Elkanah was a Levite, more specifically a Kohathite. Moses and Aaron were Kohathites. The Kohathites were responsible for the furnishings of the tabernacle, which included the ark of the convenant.

Hannah lived during a time period when Israel's spiritual life was most definitely on a downward spiral.

Eli's son's, Hophni and Phinehus, were what MacArthur labels "two of the worst priests we ever meet on the pages of Scripture." They were greedy and immoral. Eli wasn't always the best of patriarchs when it came to disciplining his son's behaviors. He made a weak attempt to rebuke them, even though he was the high priest.

Hannah's history parallels Sarah's in a few key points. First off, Hannah was barren, just as Sarah was. Also, Elkanah had taken a second wife, most likely to produce an heir as Abraham had. Poor Hannah! While Sarah manipulated the situation with Hagar, we are not given the same impression with Hannah. Hannah was dearly loved by her husband and even given a double portion of the peace offering by her husband, Elkanah, when they went to the tabernacle to worship.

While praying and weeping for a child, Eli observes Hannah praying, but assumes Hannah was drunk. Normally, Israelites prayed aloud, but Hannah knew God can see right into her heart, so there was no need for her to pray aloud. Her lips moved as she prayed, and apparently Eli thought she must have been drunk.

After rebuking her for her drunkenness, Hannah explained that she was not, but asked that she find favor in Eli's sight.

Hannah left the temple no longer sad. She had given her concern to God. I'm not so sure that Hannah had assurance her petition would be granted, but she had given the concern up to God. She strongly believed in the sovereignty of God to do His will.

This aspect of Hannah's faith is something I often ponder upon. When I have a low moment, and I'm confused and feeling weak in faith, I think of Hannah. That's one of the reasons that I love the history of Hannah so much. She is a fine example of a faith in God that helped support and comfort her in her trials.

MacArthur states that Hannah had three great loves that weave throughout her life as a godly wife and mother:

1. Love for her husband.
2. Love for heaven.
3. Love for home.

As you read the first few chapters of 1Samuel, it's easy to see Hannah's love for her husband. She desired to give her husband a child. The tender love and care Elkanah exhibits towards Hannah is reciprocated by this godly woman. She dearly loved her husband, even though the tension of having a second wife must have been trying for her. As you may already know, the second wife, Peninnah, was a taunting menace to Hannah. Peninnah had bore Elkanah children, and she didn't mind pointing it out to Hannah.

Hannah's love for heaven is apparent most especially when she finally had received the answer to her prayers by becoming pregnant. The prayer recorded at 1Samuel 2:1-10 is closely paralleled to Mary's Magnificat at Luke 1:46-55. MacArthur does a more detailed comparison of the two pieces of Scripture in the next chapter in the book, which is Mary.

Hannah had also made the vow to give her child (if she were to bear a child) to the Lord. She promptly adheres to this vow by sending Samuel to the tabernacle when he was but a small child. It shows her devotion and obedience to God in heaven.

Hannah had a great love for her home. Samuel grew up to be a devoted and godly man. Hannah influenced her son during the earlier years so he was prepared to devote his life in service to God. She realized the importance of the training she would give to this child, who was only to be living under her roof for a few short years.

Hannah was blessed with five more children. God blessed her with a rich and full family life.

Hannah is a fine example of a godly woman making her way through a culture full of sin and ungodliness.

She was indeed an extraordinary woman.

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Ruth

This particular chapter in the book, is subtitled, "Loyalty and Love" and if you are familiar with Ruth's history, then you understand why MacArthur subtitled it such.

Ehart's post with regards to the chapter of Ruth can be found by clicking here.

The book of Ruth starts out by giving us a little bit of background. Elimelech was an Israelite married to Naomi. The famine in the land had become so severe that Elimelech and family took refuge in Moab.

The relationship between Moab and Israel was often tense, or at times even hostile. The Moabites were a pagan society that worshiped several gods. Their idolatry included a god named, Chemosh. When Solomon strayed from the one true God and became influenced by his pagan wives, he built an alter in the high places for Chemosh, which the Scripture calls "the abomination of Moab." With this knowledge of the kind of society that Elimelech was taking refuge within, we can only imagine that the famine was fierce in his land to have driven him there.

Elimelech died while living in Moab, which left Naomi alone with her two sons. Mahlon and Chilion (Elimelech and Naomi's two sons) took wives from the Moabite women. Orpah and Ruth are those two Moabite women. Times would have been difficult for Naomi, as her sons took wives from the pagan society, but she does seem to have accepted these daughters-in-law. Later, after the death of Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi was left in this foreign land with the two widowed wives.

Naomi receives word that the famine in her homeland had eased, so she prepares to return to her people. As we see in Ruth 1:6-14, Naomi encourages her daughters-in law to return to their people and their gods. Orpah makes the decision to return to Moab, but Ruth decides to remain with Naomi. What beautiful poetry Ruth states when pleading her case to her mother-in-law:

"Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me."
Ruth 1:16-17

Here is a fine example of Ruth proclaiming her faith in God. How beautiful!

Once Naomi saw the firm decision of Ruth, she accepted it. MacArthur suggests that perhaps Naomi was testing her daughters-in-law by requesting they return to their land and their gods. If so, Ruth passed the test.

Upon returning, Ruth and Naomi were greeted by the people and they remembered Naomi well. Of course, as we shall see, Naomi had relations among the people, so I wouldn't say that was surprising.

Ruth, being a young, physically strong, woman, knew that she needed to help support her aging mother-in-law. As commanded by God to the Israelites to leave the edges of the fields for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, Ruth went to a certain field to glean barley for the two of them. She was noticed by Boaz, a relative of Naomi.

Boaz, despite the famine, had remained somewhat prosperous. Upon learning who Ruth was, Boaz recommended that Ruth only glean from his fields. He also gave her permission to drink from the water that was supplied to his servants, and he instructed the young men not to touch her. Ruth returns home to Naomi with an abundance of grain that she had gleaned from the fields under Boaz's protective watch.

Upon learning that Ruth had gleaned her abundance from Boaz's fields, Naomi 'helps' along the situation. She suggests at the end of the harvesting that Ruth go to the threshing floor where the grain was winnowed and give herself in marriage to Boaz. MacArthur suggests that Naomi's scheme was "bold and utterly unconventional....the propriety police certainly would have been up in arms."

Upon following Naomi's instructions, Boaz informs Ruth that there is another, who is a closer relative that could "perform the duty of a close relative for you." The very next day Boaz takes care of the matter and discovers that the closer relative was unwilling to ruin his inheritance by performing his right of redemption.

Boaz, being the next closest relative does as he promised Ruth on the threshing floor, and said, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day."

MacArthur states that Ruth is a symbol for all believers due to her being redeemed by Boaz. We, too, have a Redeemer. We are His own bride, and loved by Him with the affection that He demonstrated by sacrificing His life on the cross.

Isn't that a wonderful love story?

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Rahab

This particular chapter has some amazing things in it. One of the things that I love the most is exactly what ehart wrote about this particular chapter and you can read her post here.

Rahab was the mother of Boaz, who later married Ruth. Of course, the next chapter in the book is 'Ruth', so I think it flows rather well. To get a really good insight into the connection of Rahab, Boaz, and Ruth you need to read ehart's post. She did a very nice recap of it.

Rahab was a harlot. Yes, there really isn't any way around it, that's what her profession was. MacArthur makes note later in the chapter that some rather 'scholastic rabbis' before Jesus' time were embarrassed that a harlot and her family were the only redeemed people at Jericho. They concocted a theory that Rahab was perhaps a innkeeper of sorts as the term used for harlot is similar to a Hebrew word 'to feed.' But MacArthur shows that the actual Hebrew word really can only mean 'harlot.' He explains that in the Septuagint the Greek word to describe Rahab is 'porne,' which can only be interpreted as 'harlot' which we get our English term 'pornography.'

So with that argument set aside, we have to look at Rahab's lifestyle and admit that it certainly wasn't the best from an Israelite's view point seeing that harlotry was forbidden. Yet, the two spies that Joshua sends out end up at Rahab's domain. It didn't take long for the king to receive information that the spies had visited Rahab, so he sent his men out to question her.

Upon the arrival of the king's men, Rahab hid the Israelite spies on her roof among the stalks of flax. Then she went to converse with the men who had come to question her. Hiding the Israelites was a dangerous action for Rahab. She was putting her life in jeopardy for these men. Perhaps before the king's men arrived the Israelites had expressed their purpose for being within the gates of Jericho. If so, then they would have most likely told Rahab about their God, YHWH.

Of course, we know that Rahab lied to these men when they questioned her. MacArthur asks the question as to whether Rahab was justified in telling the lie for the greater good. He states that many have argued over this through the centuries, but one thing you can't ignore is the fact that God hates a lie. Proverbs 12:22 states, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord."

So then we ask, could God have saved Rahab and the spies without a lie? Absolutely! We must believe in God's power and strength to bring to fruition His will. There are many biblical accounts that justify God's will taking place even when things started to look like there was no way out. For example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego might have lied and escaped punishment, but they told the truth and God saved them from the fiery furnace.

After the king's men leave Rahab, and they start to 'pursue' the Israelites as Rahab had told them that the Israelite men had left the city; Rahab goes back to the rooftop to converse with the two spies. During this time, Rahab confesses her faith to them.

You have to remember that Rahab had heard about how God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt by separating the Red Sea. In fact, during her proclamation of faith, she says, "For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt....And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you." But she continues, "For the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." That's quite a statement of faith when you consider that Rahab was living in a grossly, sinful, pagan world. She recognized the one true God and made her proclamation before the Israelite spies. Therefore, God bestowed grace upon her so that she and her family would survive Jericho's destruction.

Albeit, Rahab's statement of faith was spurred on by her fear. But fear is often the first emotion that we feel when we come to faith. Ps 111:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."

Rahab's life represents an extraordinary woman who was saved by extraordinary grace.

A few points of interest that I found in the recap of Rahab's life are:

• Rahab was the mother of Boaz, who married Ruth.
• Rahab, a harlot, is included in the lineage of our Lord.
• Rahab is the first Gentile that we meet in the Promised Land.
• Rahab played a gigantic role in helping the Israelites to conquer the gateway to the Promised Land
• Rahab is a reminder to us that the most demeaning life of a harlot can be redeemed by God's grace.

Twleve Extraordinary Women: Sarah

I'm really enjoying this study and I'm finding things within the Biblical account that I hadn't noticed before. I'm also enjoying reading Ehart's posts. Ehart's post on this particular chapter can be found here.

The chapter on Sarah was a bit more difficult for me than the one on Eve. I can see things about Sarah that aren't always what one would expect from a woman of faith.

Yet, Hebrews 11:11 states within the Hall of Faith that "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised."

Sarah did exhibit her lack of faith when she gave Haggar, her maid, to Abraham to secure herself a child that she could call her own. Perhaps Sarah reasoned that since Haggar was owned by herself, then any children she may have by Abraham would belong to her also. Interestingly, this is the first recorded case of polygamy in Scripture involving a righteous man.

If I'm really honest with myself, I have to admit that there have been times in my life where my faith has been weak. And, yes, just like Sarah, I have tried to 'help' things along in my life to assure myself that certain things might transpire to my satisfaction. In other words, I've manipulated certain aspects of my life, and it truly does illustrate my lack of faith. Maybe I haven't gone to the extreme that Sarah did, but I have done it. I think most people can admit to that, if they are truly honest with themselves.

At this point, Sarah was 75 years old. She had remained barren throughout her entire marriage, and she was becoming desperate. MacArthur points out that she was most likely post-menopausal.

But then God once again reveals to Abraham in Genesis 17 His covenant with Abraham, but this time, God includes Sarah. Up to this point, Sarah had never been mentioned. Scripture mentions that God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation (Genesis 12:3). It also mentions in Genesis 13:16 , 'so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.' God later promised in Genesis 15 that Abraham's seed would be as numerous as the stars in the heavens. But not until Genesis 17 does God include Sarah in the covenant.

"I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her." Genesis 17:16 (NKJV)

Upon further reflection of Sarah's life, we realize that indeed she was faithful and indeed she was a proper role for women. She was nearing the century mark, yet she would become a mother to Isaac.

When Sarah had heard the angels conversing with Abraham (she was inside the tent listening), she laughed. Genesis 18:12-15 explains how the Lord had told Abraham that Sarah would bear a child within the year and Sarah laughed. The Lord then asked why had Sarah laughed, and she denied it. Verse 12 says that Sarah laughed 'within herself' which means she didn't laugh out loud. Sarah didn't want to admit that she had laughed, perhaps due to the fact that she was in fear. She probably came to the realization that this stranger was indeed the Lord, since He seemed to know that she had laughed, even though she hadn't laughed out loud.

Sarah was a fine example of submission to her husband. She was near 65 years old and she followed Abraham out of the land that she was born in. God had commanded Abraham to leave the land of his fathers and to travel to a land 'not knowing where he was going.' (Hebrews 11:8). Sarah followed her husband to the unknown.

In fact, Sarah is noted for her submissive behavior in 1 Peter 3:5,6 - "For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror."

While at first, I had a hard time finding Sarah to be the role model that any woman could follow, I slowly tried to envision what her barrenness meant to her. I finally realized that she was indeed a faithful person and submissive woman.

Twelve Extraordinary Women: Eve

Ehart and I are doing an e-mail/blog book study. We've chosen the book Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. Well, I bought the book while in the mall last week and since ehart owned the book, we decided to read it together.

Her first post on the book can be found here.

The first chapter is about Eve, 'the mother of all living.'

Whenever I've read the account of creation, the major theme that I pondered over is how awesome and wonderful God is. He created all that exists and it amazes me every time I stop to think about it. Everything created by God works hand in hand with each other to make the universe continue on as a fine tuned machine. But reading this brief chapter about Eve put my thoughts into another direction.

Eve was the first of many things. She was the first and only person created by God from another living being. It does make you think that Eve was very special in God's plan. You could extend that to think that women, in general, have a special place in God's divine plan. She was the first woman, wife, mother and the 'mother of all living.'

Eve was easily tempted and deceived, but she was also very innocent, in the fact that she knew only 'good.' She was living in perfect Eden without an inkling as to what 'wrong' or 'evil' was. She was unaware that any danger even existed. Then along comes the serpent and she was enticed into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. I find this interesting, that Satan knew the very best way to encourage Eve to disobey God. Isn't that so true of us all? Satan does have a way of making things look 'not so bad,' or maybe 'good' to us. I constantly have to guard myself from the many desensitizing mechanisms that Satan uses in this day and age.

But anyway, Eve represents the essence of womanhood, whether you look at things before the fall or after, there are things to glean that we, as women, should put emphasis on in our lives.

For example, we were created to be helpers for our husbands. Women can fulfill this God-given role by numerous different actions. Being a helper to your husband is the major role that God has given us. Helping could be categorized by balancing the checkbook, cooking family meals, taking care of the children and 1001 other tasks. Helper can be defined as a partner.

I think many women mistake this to mean that we should be servants to our husbands. But being a helper, may include serving them, but not solely being a servant. It's important to note that God didn't make women less intelligent or less spiritual. Marriage becomes a partnership. It's not a dictatorship. 'One flesh' should not be torn in two by the mentality that women are to be subservient to men, nor the other way around. Subjection and subservient are not the same words in my vocabulary. Subjection is more about obeying and trusting, and the faith that you have in your spouse through your loving relationship. To be subservient is more about one person ruling over another with negative connotations and not always with the idea of love involved.

Each spouse can help and support the other, but the woman's role is to mainly give herself to 'helping' her mate through their endeavors.

God commanded that women be in subjection to their husbands. I think that being in subjection to your husband equates to some women always saying, "Yes, dear, anything you say." They lose the true essence of who they are and what God meant for them when He created them. Being in subjection doesn't mean you become a whole other being. You are still the same woman, you just have a new role in life, when you marry. Some of the roles that you fulfilled while single may change a little, but your role as a woman in many aspects remains the same.

Paul states in Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body."

Therefore, God gave man the knowledge to be head over his wife. He gave him the ability to be that headship figure within the marriage partnership. Yes, we as women sometimes fight that leadership and headship in our day to day dealings. But in any arrangement where you have more than one person involved, someone needs to be the leader or chaos ensues. So, God has given man the ability to be the head of the marriage and household. We (women) just need to be reminded of that from time to time.

Usually whenever I get all huffed up about something and think I'm a know it all, God shows me that my husband has more common sense concerning most matters. He has a much better way of dealing with issues than I do. It's humbling, but it is true!

But I also find it interesting that a few verses down Paul says in Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her."

So, in being in subjection to your husband, hopefully, he will show love in his dealings with his wife. I find it interesting that Paul mentioned this immediately following the 'wives, submit...' because I think Paul didn't want man to 'lord' his headship over women in an uncaring or unloving manner. A loving partnership is the true essence of what marriage is. It's not about one member of the marriage partnership lording their every command and desire over the woman. (I know that word - partnership - sounds harsh, like business dealings sometimes, that's why I like using the words 'loving partnership')

John MacArthur states that the relationships with in the Trininity perfectly illustrate to us the essence of headship and submission. Christ was in no sense inferior to the Father, yet He was in subjection to Him. "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30) and "I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:20) Both of those Scriptures are taken from the NKJV.

Ehart mentions in her blog that the spread of Christianity actually uplifted women's position in society. John MacArthur gives clear historical background to prove this point. Women in pagan societies were often treated little better than animals. Greek philosophers taught that women are inferior creatures by nature.

Christian women who were converted from the pagan dregs to Christianity often found themselves freed from a host of demeaning practices. Their position within the church often recognized women as givers of hospitality, minsters to the sick, and the caregiver and nurturer to their families with the loving labor of their hands.

I love it when John MacArthur states in his introduction to the book, "Women play prominent roles in many key biblical narratives. Wives are seen as venerated partners and cherished companions to their husbands, not merely slaves or pieces of household furniture."

Obviously not all marriage relationships are perfect, in fact, none are truly perfect. But I think if we refer to God's word, we have a better idea of what our marriage roles should be.