Podcast: 5 Stories of Forgotten Women in the Bible (Colleen Searcy)

This text is a part of the The Crossway Podcast sequence.

The Complicated, Forgotten, and Neglected Tales of Ladies within the Bible

On this episode, Colleen Searcy discusses seven ladies from 5 completely different tales of the Bible who exemplify faithfulness and train us the way to reside in accordance with God’s phrase. These tales are typically complicated, forgotten, and even grotesque, however each uniquely teaches us extra about who God is.

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Subjects Addressed in This Interview:

Matt Tully
Colleen Searcy is a Bible instructor, a speaker, and the creator of the Meet Me within the Bible examine sequence. She presently serves on employees at The Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas, and leads Bible workshops for church buildings across the nation. Colleen, thanks a lot for becoming a member of me at the moment on The Crossway Podcast.

Colleen Searcy
I’m so completely satisfied to be right here. Thanks for the invitation.

Matt Tully
Right now we’re going to speak just a little bit concerning the tales of some key ladies within the Bible. And as everyone knows, the Bible has plenty of feminine characters in it; a few of them are very well-known, however there are a selection which might be much less well-known. Possibly their characters that we simply haven’t spent a ton of time targeted on or being attentive to. And so we’re going to dig into a couple of of these characters that you just really spotlight in a brand new Bible examine that you just’ve written with Crossway. However earlier than we even get to that, I’m going to ask a form of apparent query, however I’d simply love to listen to your ideas on this, having executed this deep examine of a few of these ladies. Why is it value learning, particularly, the tales of ladies within the Bible?

Colleen Searcy
Thanks for that query. I do suppose it’s an essential one. There are a number of layers to that reply. I feel it’s essential to review tales of ladies as a result of ladies are God’s picture bearers. And so to repeat language that sounds form of apparent nevertheless it’s value stating: God, in his infinite knowledge, selected to create two genders to picture him. And so we have to know concerning the tales of ladies as a result of they present us one thing about what God is like. I feel we have to examine tales of ladies as a result of, Ruth and Esther apart, we don’t hear so much about different inspirational narratives within the Bible about ladies. However they’re not absent; we simply don’t hear about them usually. And I might say the third purpose we have to examine these tales is in my Bible examine, it’s straight Scripture. I take these massive, ole’ chapters with narratives about ladies, and so these tales are God-breathed, they usually’re worthwhile for instructing and correction and reproof similar to the tales of David and Moses and Joshua. We simply don’t hear them as usually, and so I feel that that was the motivator behind compiling a few of these tales. And there’s simply a lot dialog proper now about this. It’s a scorching subject. What are the roles of ladies, notably within the church? And so it simply felt like an opportune time to go straight to the Scripture for solutions. What image does the Bible paint about ladies?

Matt Tully
That’s such a useful nuance there and a useful remark simply since you’re so proper. There’s, in our broader tradition—each the broader secular tradition that we reside in and even then the broader church tradition wherein we reside—the place there will be loads of completely different opinions, loads of confusion, loads of competition round ladies and their roles within the church and society and the house. And I feel it appears so clever for Christians to return to the supply, again to see what God’s phrase has to say. As you talked about, there are a couple of ladies within the Bible which might be in all probability very well-known and fairly often studied. There are in all probability plenty of Bible research on Ruth or on Esther. There are books of the Bible named after them, in order that’s in all probability a part of the reason for that. However there are many different ladies within the Bible who’re lesser identified and fewer mentioned. So let’s get into a couple of of the ladies that you just spotlight on this new examine that you just’ve launched with Crossway. We’re not going to cowl the entire ladies that you just cowl there, however I picked out a couple of that I assumed might fall into that class of just a little lesser identified, maybe, than among the others. And the primary one I needed to speak about was Hagar. So Hagar is, clearly, on this story with Abraham and Sarah. And I feel oftentimes after we consider that story, we expect primarily when it comes to Abraham and Sarah. And there’s in all probability even good causes for that, that the principle lineage of the individuals of Israel goes via Sarah and Abraham. However let’s take a second to speak about Hagar just a little bit. So I’m wondering in case you may begin us off by simply reminding us who was Hagar and the way does she match into that story?

Colleen Searcy
I pronounce her title Hagar. Who is aware of? However I’m going to should say it that method as a result of I’m used to it that method. I could also be fallacious. Her story fascinates me as a result of Hagar’s is a narrative of a lady that simply didn’t have a selection. She was Pharaoh’s slave, after which she was given to Abraham and Sarah once they exited Egypt, and she or he then grew to become Abraham and Sarah’s slave. And when Sarah, in her latter years, began getting panicked about not having an inheritor, she gave Hagar to Abraham in order that she may have a son, as a result of that’s the way it labored again then. After which Hagar will get pregnant, and Sarah despises her for being pregnant. And it’s such a messy story. These two ladies, each with actually tough circumstances. Sarah has shouldered the ache and doubtless the reproach of infertility her complete life. She’s married to a person whose title means “father of countries,” they usually haven’t any little one and she or he’s outdated, on the level that she palms over Hagar. So you may really feel her ache and you’ll really feel Hagar’s ache. And what’s so attention-grabbing is that God doesn’t decide a favourite. He pursues Sarah and he pursues Hagar. And considered one of my favourite passages of Scripture is that when Sarah casts out Hagar and makes her go into the wilderness, and Hagar is anticipating a toddler and pregnant and within the wilderness, the verses within the Scriptures say that the angel of the Lord “adopted her into the desert.” What an image! That’s so intentional that God adopted Hagar into the desert, and he speaks to her, and she or he says, “You’re the God who sees me.” It’s such a young story. So amid the entire mess, God pursues and blesses Sarah and Hagar. It’s very private the way in which he sees every of those ladies individually. And in order that’s who Hagar is.

Matt Tully
I feel it’s fairly frequent for us to learn that story—and even simply as we recollect it or have heard it retold many instances over our lives as Christians—we are able to consider Isaac, who’s the kid of Abraham and Sarah that was promised by God; that is the promised little one—we are able to form of suppose that’s the nice aspect of the story. And Hagar and the kid that comes from that relationship, Ishmael, is just not chosen by God and isn’t the kid of promise, so to talk. We will virtually then view Hagar in that unfavorable gentle, the place she’s virtually the villain of the story maybe. So how would you characterize her character on this story? What position is she enjoying?

Colleen Searcy
I like the way you simply mentioned that. After I began learning Hagar’s story, I noticed how completely different, whenever you actually get into it, how completely different the Bible portrays her than how we’ve historically portrayed her. Such as you mentioned, we’ve even seen her as virtually like a villain or the competitors.

Matt Tully
She’s there to spoil the promise that God gave to Abraham and Sarah.

Colleen Searcy
Yeah. And we overlook she had no selection. Like we’ve to place ourselves in her sneakers. That’s why I feel historic context is so key to decoding the Scriptures is after we put ourselves, as finest we are able to, within the sneakers of the individuals of that point, we’d higher perceive that Hagar had no voice in any of this. She was owned by Pharaoh after which owned by Abraham and Sarah. I feel it’s attention-grabbing, too, as a result of in case you return in Abraham’s story just a little bit extra and also you return to Abraham going to Egypt due to a famine, he’s scared that Pharaoh’s going to kill him as a result of Sarah is so stunning—which I feel is hilarious as a result of she’s in all probability in her 60s. However Abraham palms his spouse over to Pharaoh’s harem, and so Sarah is given no selection. She is handed over to Pharaoh for Abraham’s functions. After which later we see Sarah deal with Hagar the identical method, the place she palms Hagar over to Abraham. And so Sarah and Abraham each form of have this “going to Egypt” second to unravel their issues, if you’ll. And Hagar, bless her coronary heart, simply doesn’t have a complete lot of selection, and so I feel it’s such a useful reminder that God beloved Hagar too. And an attention-grabbing half about Hagar and Ishmael that I simply realized pretty not too long ago is we learn “your son will likely be a donkey of a person” when God’s speaking to Hagar. God says, “You’re going to bear a son, and his title will likely be Ishmael.” Apparently, that title means “God hears,” after which she calls him the” God who sees.” And so he’s seeing her, he’s listening to her. And once more, if we return to the historic context, donkeys at the moment have been seen as an indication of freedom. Kinda like we’d image like a wild stallion galloping in Montana, donkeys have been an image of freedom. And so I feel how that may’ve landed on Hagar’s ears was “My son will reside as a free man, in contrast to me.” And so there are simply so many nuances to this story that, such as you mentioned, we simply didn’t develop up listening to the entire context behind it. And so there’s simply a lot to study God via the way in which he treats Hagar. And what’s additionally unimaginable is that Abraham and Sarah by no means name her by her title, however God does. He’s the one who calls her Hagar. And so there’s a lot to study God as we study Hagar.

Matt Tully
I’m simply struck by, and that is what you’re doing on this examine, there’s a lot to study as we fastidiously strategy the textual content. We open our eyes and look very fastidiously about what’s being mentioned, perceive the historic context, search for these repeated phrases, these distinctive phrases. And as we actually take note of the textual content, we’d begin to discover that a few of our assumptions concerning the story, or issues that we’ve even been instructed, aren’t all the time the case.

Colleen Searcy
Yeah.

Matt Tully
One other class, this isn’t only one lady, however one other class of ladies that you’ve a complete chapter on on this examine are ladies within the e book of Exodus. And particularly, within the early chapters of Exodus (Exodus 1–2), loads of this story is all associated to Moses and his early days and Pharaoh’s makes an attempt to basically kill him. So communicate just a little bit to who a few of these ladies have been and why you needed to dig in.

Colleen Searcy
Sure. Thanks that I get to try this. Early within the story of Exodus are two mid midwives named Shiphrah and Puah. I feel we should always carry these names again. You simply don’t hear these anymore. They have been commanded by Pharaoh to kill all male infants. And so they simply didn’t. On the threat of their very own lives, they saved male infants. And we see Shiphrah and Puah, after which we see Moses’s mother then, and Moses survives due to Shiphrah and Puah. After which Moses’s mother makes the brave choice to place him in a basket and ship him within the river, hoping that he’ll reside. After which we see Pharaoh’s daughter make a brave choice to take this child that she finds within the river and lift him as a foster mother. And so there are such a lot of layers of braveness that we’re seeing via ladies simply within the first two chapters of the e book of Exodus. And in a method, I like how Moses the deliverer is delivered, in a way, by these ladies. Their position in God’s story, and the entire braveness exhibited by all of those ladies early on within the e book of Exodus, I simply discover all of them very inspiring.

Matt Tully
Let’s discuss one other couple of ladies, this time within the e book of judges—Deborah and Jael. Deborah is perhaps just a little extra well-known. Possibly each of those are barely extra identified and talked about at instances. For many who might have forgotten, simply remind us of those two ladies—the place they fall within the story of the Bible and even how they relate to one another.

Colleen Searcy
Deborah and Jael are ladies within the e book of Judges. Deborah was a decide, which is, once more, so attention-grabbing. That is going to age me, and that’s okay. I embrace my age. However once I was actually little, I can keep in mind felt boards in Sunday college.

Matt Tully
Oh, I keep in mind these.

Colleen Searcy
I’m in my early 50s, so I keep in mind felt boards. And I may let you know about Gideon and I may let you know about Samson. They have been judges, and I may let you know their story. However now on this aspect, I solely knew very tiny elements of Gideon’s story and Samson’s story. However I didn’t develop up understanding that Deborah was a decide, and she or he was a very good one. I’m on employees at The Village Church, and we simply completed, in ladies’s Bible examine and in males’s Bible examine (we each do the identical factor), we simply completed the e book of Judges. God raised up Deborah as a decide in Israel. She didn’t decide in precisely the identical method as those that preceded her. They have been extra warriors, and after we examine Deborah, she was a decide who disbursed knowledge in Israel. And the warrior, his title is Barak, he seemed to Deborah for knowledge. The Bible tells us she’s a prophetess, and so God spoke via Deborah. Barak went into battle and battled for Israel as a result of God instructed him to via Deborah. And so it’s such an attention-grabbing story. In order that’s Deborah, after which Jael is part of that story too. The Canaanite common on the time, his title was Normal Sisera, was so evil. You possibly can learn this story in Judges 4–5, however he’s actually horrible, raping Israelite ladies.

Matt Tully
In Deborah’s track, there’s this concept of his mother singing a track, praising him for all the ladies that he’s going to gather in battle.

Colleen Searcy
Yeah. She says, “a womb or two for each man.” And so additionally what’s attention-grabbing within the track of Deborah is you see this juxtaposition between Deborah, the mom of Israel, and Sisera’s mother, and simply how evil the Canaanite tradition was, that the mother of Sisera was celebrating this womb or two for each man. And so Jael is a tent dweller, which is such a secular job. She’s been pitching tents her complete life.

Matt Tully
And is she an Israelite?

Colleen Searcy
We don’t know. It doesn’t really say. Her husband is just not, however she’s in all probability not. She’s in all probability not an Israelite, however we don’t 100% know. We simply know her husband isn’t.

Matt Tully
And that may be becoming, even when we don’t know for certain, as you mentioned. However the thought that she may not be would even match with among the different tales of some key ladies in the remainder of the Bible. There appears to be this recurring motif of ladies who should not Israelite—and I consider Ruth as an incredible instance—not an Israelite who but, however, show a stage of religion or a stage of affiliation with God’s individuals in a method that’s actually wonderful.

Colleen Searcy
I like that. I consider Rahab too—one other non-Israelite who reveals loads of braveness. So Jael makes use of her ability of driving tent pegs into dry floor, and her sturdy arms which have developed through the years, and she or he makes use of that power to place a cease to Sisera’s raping of ladies. And she or he drives a tent peg into his cranium. And it’s a grotesque story, nevertheless it was a grotesque time. God gave Sisera into her palms, and she or he saved loads of ladies and put an finish to an evil common via doing one thing she’s executed day by day of her life, or loads of days of her life, by driving tent pegs onto the bottom. And so that you’ve obtained these two feminine heroes in Judges 4–5. Barak is a hero too. I see them as this trio that God used to save lots of Israel on the time. However yeah, that’s Deborah and Jael.

Matt Tully
Let’s velocity forward to the New Testomony, the place we’ve the story of Anna and Tabitha. Anna is within the early chapters of Luke, and I’d love to listen to just a little bit extra about her. After which Tabitha is later within the story; we discover her in Acts 9. First, communicate just a little bit to Anna, after which inform us just a little bit extra about Tabitha.

Colleen Searcy
Anna’s considered one of my favourite characters within the Bible. She has just some verses, however a few highlights on Anna. Anna spent most of her life as a widow. I’ve a young spot for widows as a result of the Bible speaks about widows so much. God has a young spot for widows. They actually matter to him.

Matt Tully
Why do you suppose that’s?

Colleen Searcy
I feel as a result of God cares for the susceptible. The widows we see all via the Bible, he needs to ensure his individuals are taken care of and have their wants met. Persons are to be the palms and toes of Jesus and perform his will, and so he usually instructions his individuals, “Handle these whose wants aren’t going to naturally be met.” And as a widow, within the Outdated Testomony and within the New Testomony, ladies actually couldn’t go and get a job and help themselves in the event that they weren’t married. They went with out provision, apart from the nation of Israel, as a result of it was a part of their legislation to care for widows. So I feel that’s why we hear about them so usually within the Bible.

Matt Tully
Inform us just a little bit extra about Anna and what she was doing.

Colleen Searcy
I like her as a result of we hear that she was a widow most of her life, however she spent day by day on the temple praying and fasting. After which she will get to really see the Christ little one. She is there on the temple—after all she is as a result of she’s there day by day praying and fasting.
And so she is there on the day that Mary and Joseph carry child Jesus to be circumcised, as a result of they’re religious Jews. And so these two aged individuals, Simeon and Anna, get to see the Christ little one. I like that. Anna embraced a future that she didn’t anticipate. She didn’t anticipate to be a widow for many of her life.

Matt Tully
The textual content says that she was married for possibly seven years, after which her husband dies. And the way outdated is she when she meets Jesus for the primary time?

Colleen Searcy
I would want to return and look. For some purpose, eighty-four is coming to thoughts, so I hope I’m proper. However I feel she’s in her 80s. That’s an extended, gradual faithfulness. She was anticipating to be married, anticipating to have kids, and she or he simply stewards the reward of singleness so fantastically. She is fruitful. She is praying. She is fasting for her individuals. There’s no telling how many individuals she met on the temple whereas she was praying and fasting day by day. And I want we may have extra of a peek into her ministry as she was on the temple day by day. So she fascinates me in that method. The writer is absolutely cautious to inform us that she’s of the tribe of Asher. And I discover that attention-grabbing as a result of whenever you return and look who Asher was, Asher was thought of the least of the tribes due to Jacob. Jacob was married to Rachel and Leah, and that’s a complete factor. And Asher is just not the son of the beloved spouse, Rachel, and Asher’s not the son of the hated spouse, Leah. Asher is the youngest son of Leah’s servant. And so he’s thought of the least of Israel. And so I’m wondering if there’s some connection there. I’m wondering if that’s why Luke needed us to know she was of the tribe of Asher. However she’s a widow, and she or he simply embraced a future she didn’t anticipate, and she or he made it a fruitful one. And she or he was trustworthy in a tough method, and God honors her, in all probability towards the tip of her life, by going, “Right here’s who you’ve been praying and fasting for all these years. Right here’s the Messiah.” And she or he will get to see him. That’s so unimaginable!

Matt Tully
I like the way you even simply picked up on that element of her being from the tribe of Asher. I’m it proper now. It’s verse 36 of Luke 2. It’s in all probability one thing that many people would simply learn previous, not give it a second’s thought, and simply discover that to be an odd little element to incorporate. However I simply suppose that’s one of many issues I like about your examine and the way you’re instructing individuals to learn the phrase, which is to essentially acknowledge that each phrase is from God. Each phrase has that means and significance. And when the biblical authors give us a element like “of the tribe of Asher,” there might be one thing actually important there that may be value us pausing for a minute, possibly pulling out a commentary, have a look at our cross references, pull out a examine Bible, and simply see what is perhaps happening right here. Why is the writer telling us this? Communicate just a little bit extra to that—the self-discipline of trying on the particulars on the subject of learning the Bible.

Colleen Searcy
Simply to piggyback on what you simply mentioned, there’s a lot behind the phrases. And so even after we consider what would really feel to us like tedious books, like Leviticus, or tribe names or genealogies, as a result of all of these particulars are God breathed, to enter into day by day Bible studying of a family tree with this posture of, God, you breathed these phrases out for a purpose. Will you open my eyes to see what you need me to see in these particulars? And I additionally suppose, too, concerning the completely different literary types that God provides us within the Bible. It may have all been historic narrative. I really feel like that’s the one of many method he loves us is he provides us poetry, and knowledge literature, and historical past, and genealogies—all of the numbers. Matt, considered one of my favourite tales was we had a lady in Bible examine who was not a Christian. The truth is, she got here to a Bible examine simply to form of collect ammo. She needed extra arguments towards the Bible and why it was so foolish. And she or he was saved listening to Matthew’s family tree in Matthew 1. She’s an engineer, and listening to the entire numbers, the Lord used that orderliness to grant her religion in him.

Matt Tully
It’s so attention-grabbing that you just emphasize the variety of the Scriptures, even the completely different genres, as one thing that makes it so fantastic. As a result of I feel for many people, that’s possibly a part of what makes it really feel so intimidating is they need that the whole lot learn like a Gospel. It’s a narrative, there are characters, there’s a plot virtually. And so they get to one thing like Proverbs or among the books of the legislation and even among the Outdated Testomony narrative, and there are locations I don’t know, there are unfamiliar names, issues occur that simply really feel bizarre and never defined. So what can be your encouragement to somebody who needs to really feel the way in which that you just really feel about these books, however they must be trustworthy and say that simply feels intimidating and overwhelming?

Colleen Searcy
I might say as a result of all of those completely different genres, intimidating or not, as a result of they’re all God breathed, they’re God’s phrases to us. There’s one thing in them. He’s displaying us a aspect of himself. Simply push in, though it feels intimidating. I used to say it this option to my children: there’s some layer of life the place you’re keen on and embrace thriller, the place you’re keen on and embrace the exhausting work it’s going to take to determine one thing out. For my boys, it’s music. They’re each musicians. They don’t get that from me. It’s so loopy. They each have excellent pitch, and I can’t sing my method out of a moist paper bag. However they love thriller in music. Once you take heed to music, you form of need there to be part of the music the place there’s some dissonance, whether or not that’s via the lyrics or the written musical notes. So everyone has a layer of life they’re prepared to—and even like some problem—to get to the opposite aspect. And so for those who would say the Bible is just not that for me, however I need it to be, may you possibly strategy it that method? An incredible film or an incredible musical rating or an athletic occasion the place with out some push via and a few exhausting work and a few perseverance, there’s one thing on the opposite aspect of the perseverance that’s golden for you. That’s actually true of the Bible. It’s so true that if possibly you might lean into what layer of life that you just’re prepared to persevere, after which layer that on prime of Bible studying, that there’s one thing about God I’m going to study on the opposite aspect of this self-discipline that I’m going to wish in my life to assist me reside, possibly that may assist.

Matt Tully
That’s so good. Going again to the very starting of your reply, underlying all of that for the Christian is simply this deep, theological conviction that that is God’s phrase and, finally, God is on the opposite aspect of that onerous work. God is on the opposite aspect of the uncomfortable confusion for some time or simply not understanding totally that we are able to have a confidence that if we proceed to press in, via the ability of the Spirit and our personal exhausting work, God will reveal himself to us. That’s so good. Let’s have a look at one final lady within the Bible, after which I had a pair others, however we simply don’t have time. So let’s discuss Tabitha from Acts 9. What can we find out about her?

Colleen Searcy
Tabitha might be a single lady as a result of no husband or kids are talked about in her story. I put her story alongside Anna’s as a result of Tabitha’s ministry is to widows, and in order that’s the way in which she pictures the Lord. Her ministry is she does care particularly for widows, and it’s such a young ministry: she makes them new garments. She doesn’t collect outdated garments from different individuals; she makes them garments, which is so dignifying. I simply see that as such a young ministry. And on this story Tabitha dies, and we see the widows mourning for her. All of it’s tender. Her complete story is tender within the e book of Acts. However Luke wrote the e book of Acts, and Luke calls her a disciple. So I feel that feels actually essential to ladies to see a lady be named as a disciple. I feel it’s essential to single ladies to see this stunning image of Tabitha being fruitful and multiplying and stewarding her reward of singleness effectively. When the widows come to Peter of their mourning they usually present Peter the garments that Tabitha made for them—

Matt Tully
That’s simply such a phenomenal image in that scene.

Colleen Searcy
Oh, it brings tears to my eyes. I can hardly discuss Anna and Tabitha with out getting emotional, as a result of they’re actually tender, stunning tales about ladies who took God very critically and who spent their lives very, very effectively. And out of doors of this, we hear so much within the church about being a spouse and a mom. And it’s okay that we hear so much within the church about being a spouse and a mom, however I want we’d discuss extra about what it appears to be like prefer to be a trustworthy single lady. And we see that within the lives of Anna and Tabitha, in addition to Martha and Mary of Bethany, which is a unique story.

Matt Tully
And simply to place a bow on Tabitha’s story, it doesn’t finish along with her loss of life. Communicate just a little bit to what occurs, in case somebody’s forgotten. And simply by advantage of what occurs, I feel it’s value speaking about.

Colleen Searcy
Peter prays over her, and she or he is raised from the useless, which is unimaginable. And once more, I’m all the time hesitant so as to add my hypothesis as a result of I really feel the precise weight of dealing with the Scriptures precisely. However I’ll fastidiously say right here that I’m wondering if that is God loving widows, by going, I’m not solely going to display my energy and my authority over loss of life—which he actually does that—I’m additionally going to display my kindness by giving this trustworthy, diligent disciple of Jesus who cares for you, I’m going to boost her from the useless, and she or he’s going to proceed her ministry. There’s simply a lot we study God via his consideration to Tabitha. There’s a lot displayed about him right here. Sure, his energy; sure, his authority over loss of life; but additionally simply his tenderness and kindness by doing so.

Matt Tully
And it’s simply wonderful interested by the way in which that she’s described early on this passage. She was full of fine works and acts of charity, and she or he was beloved, clearly, as a result of the individuals have been mourning her loss of life. After which it’s attention-grabbing to see the tip, in verse 42, the place after Peter’s raised her from the useless, “it grew to become identified that she had come again from the useless all through all of Joppa, and lots of believed within the Lord.” So via this miracle, God was glorified and other people have been drawn to him, even via the loss of life of this stunning saint.

Colleen Searcy
And simply you studying the tip of her story jogs my memory, and I’m not going to go all into it as a result of I do know we’re operating out of time, nevertheless it’s so just like the Samaritan lady’s story that via her testimony, many believed. After which so we see via the Samaritan lady’s testimony, many got here to know Jesus. After which we see via Tabitha’s resurrection, many got here to know Jesus. And once more, simply going again to why examine the tales of ladies is how pivotal their position is within the kingdom of God, whether or not it’s the e book of Exodus or within the New Testomony. It’s so thrilling.

Matt Tully
Yeah. That’s wonderful. Possibly only a final couple fast questions earlier than we go right here. That is an eight-week examine, and so in case you had a ninth week so as to add to this examine, which biblical lady would you need to embrace and why?

Colleen Searcy
Oh, that’s a tricky one. If I had a ninth week.

Matt Tully
And possibly this generally is a bonus as a result of as we’ll get into with my subsequent query, there are methods individuals may proceed on and do one other week with this lady that you just’re about to inform us about with the tactic that you just’ve described right here. So go forward.

Colleen Searcy
Oh man. Okay. In all probability Lydia. I initially had Lydia in with Anna and Tabitha. Lydia is a enterprise lady, so I assumed she can be tremendous attention-grabbing so as to add in there. We see her story within the e book of Acts additionally, so it could simply be straightforward to proceed with Lydia.

Matt Tully
She was a significant supporter of Paul and the apostles, proper? She was serving to to fund his ministry.

Colleen Searcy
Sure. The truth is, if I keep in mind accurately, that’s how the Philippian church began, with the jailer. The jailer goes again and tells his household about what occurred within the jail, and his complete family is saved. And Lydia involves religion, and her complete family is saved. And I feel that’s the beginnings of the Philippian church. And you might be proper. Bible students imagine she was the monetary help for that church plant. And so I’d in all probability put her because the ninth week. I’d like to ultimately do one other quantity. With the ladies I selected for this examine, I selected pairs or teams of ladies so I may have as many as potential. And I additionally thought it could be tremendous attention-grabbing to see relationships, whether or not it was sisters or cousins, like Elizabeth and Mary. I assumed that may be attention-grabbing. But when I do one other one, I might for certain need to add Rahab. David’s wives can be attention-grabbing—Abigail, Michael, Bathsheba. These can be attention-grabbing ladies. Mary of Magdalene. So I feel there’s a complete different examine. Ruth and Esther, such as you mentioned, they’re their very own books, so these are their very own research.

Matt Tully
Possibly simply as a final query, communicate just a little bit extra to this Bible examine sequence particularly that you just’ve created. What’s it about this examine sequence that’s just a little bit distinct and possibly units it aside from different Bible research that males or ladies may need executed previously?

Colleen Searcy
Meet me within the Bible birthed out of a query. I’ve been talking and instructing in church buildings for about fifteen years now, and I’ve been instructing the Bible for a very long time. I’ve additionally been a classroom instructor. I began out as a biology instructor, and so loads of the gasoline behind this got here out of the classroom too. However as I spoke in any respect these completely different church buildings, I saved getting the identical query from the church leaders: How can we maintain individuals learning their Bible when the company Bible examine on the finish of spring or on the finish of fall is completed? And they’d form of shut their workbooks, put them on the shelf, and go, “What are we learning within the fall?” And I obtained that query all over the place I went. And I additionally noticed that though 1000’s of ladies do Bible research, few really feel assured opening their Bible and studying it on their very own. And I simply needed to assist remedy that drawback. And so Meet Me within the Bible is just a little bit completely different than a conventional Bible examine that you just do corporately in church buildings. It’s not a fill within the clean. And I feel these are useful. I’ve executed them too. And I’ve helped write a few of them. So I’m not saying these aren’t good, as a result of they’re. I needed to supply one thing completely different that helped women and men develop of their confidence of studying the Bible on their very own. And so Meet Me within the Bible is that this doable five-step framework. It’s time examined. I didn’t give you it. It’s remark, interpretation, and software. Nevertheless it’s simply 5 steps. Meet Me within the Bible framework is 5 steps that transfer you thru these three levels of Bible studying. And each examine comes with a bookmark with prompts that transfer you thru remark, interpretation, and software. And so whenever you’re completed with Meet Me within the Bible, The Tales of Ladies, you may take your bookmark and you’ll maintain learning the e book of Acts utilizing the very same prompts. After which you might return and examine the e book of Luke utilizing these very same prompts. And so Meet Me within the Bible is a framework that helps you examine any e book of the Bible. And I’ve seen that occur now with the church buildings which have used this framework is that if they examine, as an example, I’ve Abraham and Jacob. I’ve the story of Abraham and the story of Jacob. I don’t have the story of Joseph out but, and so I can’t let you know what number of church buildings went, “We couldn’t cease with Jacob!” And so they simply used their bookmark and the framework that that they had realized, they usually obtained their ESV Scripture journals, they usually used the Meet Me within the Bible bookmark, they usually saved going via Joseph. And in order that’s the hope behind it’s simply to assist women and men develop in confidence that God needs to satisfy with me in my examine of the Bible. God needs to satisfy with me in my examine of the Bible, and he’s delighted to assist open my eyes to know his Scriptures. The hope is that they’ll really feel assured to open the Bible and browse it on their very own or with the group. It’s a really versatile framework. It really works in church auditoriums and it really works throughout your kitchen desk. I’ve executed each, and it really works. In order that’s the guts behind it.

Matt Tully
Great. Colleen, thanks a lot for telling us just a little bit about this Bible examine framework, as you mentioned. It’s such a easy, accessible, doable factor, nevertheless it actually does assist us to take that step ahead in our Bible examine to essentially perceive what God is making an attempt to inform us via his phrase. And thanks for giving us this little preview of among the tales of ladies within the Bible that you just’ve really explored in considered one of these research. We respect it.

Colleen Searcy
Nicely, thanks for having me on. This was tremendous enjoyable.

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