Podcast: 5 Tales of Forgotten Girls within the Bible (Colleen Searcy)

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

The Complicated, Forgotten, and Missed Tales of Girls within the Bible

On this episode, Colleen Searcy discusses seven girls from 5 totally different tales of the Bible who exemplify faithfulness and train us tips on how to stay in accordance with God’s phrase. These tales are typically complicated, forgotten, and even ugly, however each uniquely teaches us extra about who God is.

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Matters 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 at the moment serves on workers 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 this time on The Crossway Podcast.

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

Matt Tully
At the moment we’re going to speak just a little bit concerning the tales of some key girls within the Bible. And as everyone knows, the Bible has a lot 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 centered on or taking note of. And so we’re going to dig into just a few of these characters that you simply really spotlight in a brand new Bible examine that you simply’ve written with Crossway. However earlier than we even get to that, I’m going to ask a type of apparent query, however I’d simply love to listen to your ideas on this, having finished this deep examine of a few of these girls. 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 vital one. There are a number of layers to that reply. I believe it’s vital to review tales of ladies as a result of girls are God’s picture bearers. And so to repeat language that sounds type 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 believe we have to examine tales of ladies as a result of, Ruth and Esther apart, we don’t hear quite a bit about different inspirational narratives within the Bible about girls. However they’re not absent; we simply don’t hear about them typically. And I’d say the third purpose we have to examine these tales is in my Bible examine, it’s straight Scripture. I take these large, ole’ chapters with narratives about girls, and so these tales are God-breathed, and so they’re worthwhile for educating and correction and reproof similar to the tales of David and Moses and Joshua. We simply don’t hear them as typically, and so I believe 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 sizzling matter. 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 girls?

Matt Tully
That’s such a useful nuance there and a useful remark simply since you’re so proper. There may be, in our broader tradition—each the broader secular tradition that we stay in and even then the broader church tradition through which we stay—the place there might be a variety of totally different opinions, a variety of confusion, a variety of rivalry round girls and their roles within the church and society and the house. And I believe it appears so smart for Christians to return to the supply, again to see what God’s phrase has to say. As you talked about, there are just a few girls within the Bible which might be in all probability very well-known and fairly often studied. There are in all probability a lot 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 girls within the Bible who’re lesser recognized and fewer mentioned. So let’s get into just a few of the ladies that you simply spotlight on this new examine that you simply’ve launched with Crossway. We’re not going to cowl the entire girls that you simply cowl there, however I picked out just a few that I believed might fall into that class of just a little lesser recognized, maybe, than a few of 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 believe oftentimes once we consider that story, we predict primarily when it comes to Abraham and Sarah. And there’s in all probability even good causes for that, that the primary 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 ponder 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 identify Hagar. Who is aware of? However I’m going to should say it that means as a result of I’m used to it that means. I could also be fallacious. Her story fascinates me as a result of Hagar’s is a narrative of a girl that simply didn’t have a alternative. She was Pharaoh’s slave, after which she was given to Abraham and Sarah after they exited Egypt, and he or she 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 girls, each with actually tough circumstances. Sarah has shouldered the ache and doubtless the reproach of infertility her entire life. She’s married to a person whose identify means “father of countries,” and so they don’t have any youngster and he or she’s previous, on the level that she fingers over Hagar. So you possibly can really feel her ache and you’ll really feel Hagar’s ache. And what’s so attention-grabbing is that God doesn’t choose a favourite. He pursues Sarah and he pursues Hagar. And certainly 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 he or she 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 best way he sees every of those girls individually. And in order that’s who Hagar is.

Matt Tully
I believe it’s fairly widespread 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 will consider Isaac, who’s the kid of Abraham and Sarah that was promised by God; that is the promised youngster—we will type of suppose that’s the nice facet of the story. And Hagar and the kid that comes from that relationship, Ishmael, isn’t chosen by God and isn’t the kid of promise, so to talk. We are able to nearly then view Hagar in that unfavourable gentle, the place she’s nearly the villain of the story maybe. So how would you characterize her character on this story? What position is she enjoying?

Colleen Searcy
I really like the way you simply stated that. After I began learning Hagar’s story, I noticed how totally different, if you actually get into it, how totally different the Bible portrays her than how we’ve got historically portrayed her. Such as you stated, we’ve even seen her as nearly 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 neglect she had no alternative. Like we’ve got to place ourselves in her footwear. That’s why I believe historic context is so key to decoding the Scriptures is once we put ourselves, as greatest we will, within the footwear 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 believe 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 believe is hilarious as a result of she’s in all probability in her 60s. However Abraham fingers his spouse over to Pharaoh’s harem, and so Sarah is given no alternative. She is handed over to Pharaoh for Abraham’s functions. After which later we see Sarah deal with Hagar the identical means, the place she fingers Hagar over to Abraham. And so Sarah and Abraham each type of have this “going to Egypt” second to unravel their issues, if you’ll. And Hagar, bless her coronary heart, simply doesn’t have an entire lot of alternative, and so I believe it’s such a useful reminder that God beloved Hagar too. And an attention-grabbing half about Hagar and Ishmael that I simply discovered pretty not too long ago is we learn “your son shall be a donkey of a person” when God’s speaking to Hagar. God says, “You’re going to bear a son, and his identify shall be Ishmael.” Apparently, that identify 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 had been seen as an indication of freedom. Kinda like we’d image like a wild stallion galloping in Montana, donkeys had been an image of freedom. And so I believe how that will’ve landed on Hagar’s ears was “My son will stay as a free man, not like me.” And so there are simply so many nuances to this story that, such as you stated, we simply didn’t develop up listening to the entire context behind it. And so there’s simply a lot to find out about God via the best way he treats Hagar. And what’s additionally unbelievable is that Abraham and Sarah by no means name her by her identify, however God does. He’s the one who calls her Hagar. And so there’s a lot to find out about God as we find out about 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 stated, perceive the historic context, search for these repeated phrases, these distinctive phrases. And as we actually take note of the textual content, we would begin to discover that a few of our assumptions concerning the story, or issues that we’ve even been informed, 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 an entire chapter on on this examine are girls within the e-book of Exodus. And particularly, within the early chapters of Exodus (Exodus 1–2), a variety of this story is all associated to Moses and his early days and Pharaoh’s makes an attempt to primarily kill him. So converse just a little bit to who a few of these girls had been and why you needed to dig in.

Colleen Searcy
Sure. Thanks that I get to do this. Early within the story of Exodus are two mid midwives named Shiphrah and Puah. I believe we must always deliver these names again. You simply don’t hear these anymore. They had been commanded by Pharaoh to kill all male infants. They usually simply didn’t. On the danger 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 determination to place him in a basket and ship him within the river, hoping that he’ll stay. After which we see Pharaoh’s daughter make a brave determination 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 girls simply within the first two chapters of the e-book of Exodus. And in a means, I really like how Moses the deliverer is delivered, in a way, by these girls. Their position in God’s story, and the entire braveness exhibited by all of those girls 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 recognized and talked about at instances. For many who might have forgotten, simply remind us of those two girls—the place they fall within the story of the Bible and even how they relate to one another.

Colleen Searcy
Deborah and Jael are girls 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 after I was actually little, I can bear in mind felt boards in Sunday faculty.

Matt Tully
Oh, I bear in mind these.

Colleen Searcy
I’m in my early 50s, so I bear in mind felt boards. And I may let you know about Gideon and I may let you know about Samson. They had been judges, and I may let you know their story. However now on this facet, I solely knew very tiny elements of Gideon’s story and Samson’s story. However I didn’t develop up figuring out that Deborah was a decide, and he or she was a extremely good one. I’m on workers at The Village Church, and we simply completed, in girls’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 means as those that preceded her. They had been extra warriors, and once we examine Deborah, she was a decide who distributed knowledge in Israel. And the warrior, his identify is Barak, he regarded 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 informed 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 basic on the time, his identify was Normal Sisera, was so evil. You’ll be able to learn this story in Judges 4–5, however he’s actually horrible, raping Israelite girls.

Matt Tully
In Deborah’s music, there’s this concept of his mother singing a music, 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 music 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 entire life.

Matt Tully
And is she an Israelite?

Colleen Searcy
We don’t know. It doesn’t really say. Her husband isn’t, 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 will be becoming, even when we don’t know for certain, as you stated. However the thought that she won’t be would even match with a few of the different tales of some key girls in the remainder of the Bible. There appears to be this recurring motif of ladies who are usually not Israelite—and I consider Ruth as an ideal instance—not an Israelite who but, however, show a stage of religion or a stage of affiliation with God’s individuals in a means that’s actually wonderful.

Colleen Searcy
I really like that. I consider Rahab too—one other non-Israelite who exhibits a variety of braveness. So Jael makes use of her talent of driving tent pegs into dry floor, and her robust arms which have developed over time, and he or she makes use of that energy to place a cease to Sisera’s raping of ladies. And he or she drives a tent peg into his cranium. And it’s a ugly story, nevertheless it was a ugly time. God gave Sisera into her fingers, and he or she saved a variety of girls and put an finish to an evil basic via doing one thing she’s finished on daily basis of her life, or a variety of days of her life, by driving tent pegs onto the bottom. And so that you’ve received 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 pace forward to the New Testomony, the place we’ve got 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, converse just a little bit to Anna, after which inform us just a little bit extra about Tabitha.

Colleen Searcy
Anna’s certainly one of my favourite characters within the Bible. She has only a few 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 quite a bit. God has a young spot for widows. They actually matter to him.

Matt Tully
Why do you suppose that’s?

Colleen Searcy
I believe as a result of God cares for the susceptible. The widows we see all via the Bible, he desires to verify his persons are taken care of and have their wants met. Individuals are to be the fingers and ft of Jesus and perform his will, and so he typically instructions his individuals, “Deal with these whose wants aren’t going to naturally be met.” And as a widow, within the Outdated Testomony and within the New Testomony, girls actually couldn’t go and get a job and help themselves in the event that they weren’t married. They went with out provision, aside from the nation of Israel, as a result of it was a part of their regulation to deal with widows. So I believe that’s why we hear about them so typically within the Bible.

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

Colleen Searcy
I really like her as a result of we hear that she was a widow most of her life, however she spent on daily basis on the temple praying and fasting. After which she will get to truly see the Christ youngster. She is there on the temple—after all she is as a result of she’s there on daily basis praying and fasting.
And so she is there on the day that Mary and Joseph deliver 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 youngster. I really like that. Anna embraced a future that she didn’t count on. She didn’t count on to be a widow for many of her life.

Matt Tully
The textual content says that she was married for perhaps seven years, after which her husband dies. And the way previous 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 believe she’s in her 80s. That’s a protracted, sluggish faithfulness. She was anticipating to be married, anticipating to have kids, and he or she simply stewards the present of singleness so superbly. 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 each day. And I want we may have extra of a peek into her ministry as she was on the temple each day. So she fascinates me in that means. The writer is basically cautious to inform us that she’s of the tribe of Asher. And I discover that attention-grabbing as a result of if 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 an entire factor. And Asher isn’t 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 ponder if there’s some connection there. I ponder if that’s why Luke needed us to know she was of the tribe of Asher. However she’s a widow, and he or she simply embraced a future she didn’t count on, and he or she made it a fruitful one. And he or she was devoted in a tough means, and God honors her, in all probability towards the top 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 he or she will get to see him. That’s so unbelievable!

Matt Tully
I really 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 really like about your examine and the way you’re educating individuals to learn the phrase, which is to essentially acknowledge that each phrase is from God. Each phrase has which means and significance. And when the biblical authors give us a element like “of the tribe of Asher,” there could possibly be one thing actually important there that will be value us pausing for a minute, perhaps 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? Converse just a little bit extra to that—the self-discipline of wanting on the particulars in terms of learning the Bible.

Colleen Searcy
Simply to piggyback on what you simply stated, there’s a lot behind the phrases. And so even once 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 each 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 totally 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 means he loves us is he provides us poetry, and knowledge literature, and historical past, and genealogies—all of the numbers. Matt, certainly one of my favourite tales was we had a girl in Bible examine who was not a Christian. In actual fact, she got here to a Bible examine simply to type of collect ammo. She needed extra arguments in opposition to the Bible and why it was so foolish. And he or she 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 simply emphasize the range of the Scriptures, even the totally different genres, as one thing that makes it so great. As a result of I believe for many people, that’s perhaps a part of what makes it really feel so intimidating is they want that all the things learn like a Gospel. It’s a narrative, there are characters, there’s a plot nearly. They usually get to one thing like Proverbs or a few of the books of the regulation and even a few of 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 could be your encouragement to somebody who desires to really feel the best way that you simply really feel about these books, however they must be trustworthy and say that simply feels intimidating and overwhelming?

Colleen Searcy
I’d say as a result of all of those totally 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 exhibiting us a aspect of himself. Simply push in, regardless that it feels intimidating. I used to say it this strategy 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 onerous 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 means out of a moist paper bag. However they love thriller in music. If you take heed to music, you type 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 keen to—and even like some problem—to get to the opposite facet. And so for people who would say the Bible isn’t that for me, however I would like it to be, may you perhaps strategy it that means? An amazing film or an ideal musical rating or an athletic occasion the place with out some push via and a few onerous work and a few perseverance, there’s one thing on the opposite facet of the perseverance that’s golden for you. That’s definitely true of the Bible. It’s so true that if perhaps you could possibly lean into what layer of life that you simply’re keen 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 facet of this self-discipline that I’m going to wish in my life to assist me stay, perhaps that will 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, in the end, God is on the opposite facet of that onerous work. God is on the opposite facet of the uncomfortable confusion for some time or simply not understanding totally that we will have a confidence that if we proceed to press in, via the facility of the Spirit and our personal onerous 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 will we learn 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 best way 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 previous 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 entire 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 believe that feels actually vital to girls to see a girl be named as a disciple. I believe it’s vital to single girls to see this stunning image of Tabitha being fruitful and multiplying and stewarding her present of singleness properly. When the widows come to Peter of their mourning and so they present Peter the garments that Tabitha made for them—

Matt Tully
That’s simply such a lovely 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 girls who took God very critically and who spent their lives very, very properly. And outdoors of this, we hear quite a bit within the church about being a spouse and a mom. And it’s okay that we hear quite a bit within the church about being a spouse and a mom, however I want we’d discuss extra about what it appears prefer to be a devoted single lady. And we see that within the lives of Anna and Tabitha, in addition to Martha and Mary of Bethany, which is a special story.

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

Colleen Searcy
Peter prays over her, and he or she is raised from the lifeless, which is unbelievable. And once more, I’m all the time hesitant so as to add my hypothesis as a result of I really feel the best weight of dealing with the Scriptures precisely. However I’ll fastidiously say right here that I ponder if that is God loving widows, by going, I’m not solely going to display my energy and my authority over demise—which he definitely does that—I’m additionally going to display my kindness by giving this devoted, diligent disciple of Jesus who cares for you, I’m going to lift her from the lifeless, and he or she’s going to proceed her ministry. There’s simply a lot we find out about God via his consideration to Tabitha. There may be a lot displayed about him right here. Sure, his energy; sure, his authority over demise; but in addition simply his tenderness and kindness by doing so.

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

Colleen Searcy
And simply you studying the top 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 working out of time, nevertheless it’s so much 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 wish to embody and why?

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

Matt Tully
And perhaps this is usually 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 simply’re about to inform us about with the tactic that you simply’ve described right here. So go forward.

Colleen Searcy
Oh man. Okay. Most likely Lydia. I initially had Lydia in with Anna and Tabitha. Lydia is a enterprise lady, so I believed she could 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 serious supporter of Paul and the apostles, proper? She was serving to to fund his ministry.

Colleen Searcy
Sure. In actual fact, if I bear in mind appropriately, 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 entire family is saved. And Lydia involves religion, and her entire family is saved. And I believe that’s the beginnings of the Philippian church. And you’re proper. Bible students consider 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 finally 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 believed that will be attention-grabbing. But when I do one other one, I’d for certain wish to add Rahab. David’s wives could be attention-grabbing—Abigail, Michael, Bathsheba. These could be attention-grabbing girls. Mary of Magdalene. So I believe there’s an entire different examine. Ruth and Esther, such as you stated, they’re their very own books, so these are their very own research.

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

Colleen Searcy
Meet me within the Bible birthed out of a query. I’ve been talking and educating in church buildings for about fifteen years now, and I’ve been educating the Bible for a very long time. I’ve additionally been a classroom instructor. I began out as a biology instructor, and so a variety of the gas behind this got here out of the classroom too. However as I spoke in any respect these totally different church buildings, I saved getting the identical query from the church leaders: How will 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 type of shut their workbooks, put them on the shelf, and go, “What are we learning within the fall?” And I received that query in all places I went. And I additionally noticed that though hundreds 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 clear up that downside. And so Meet Me within the Bible is just a little bit totally different than a standard Bible examine that you simply do corporately in church buildings. It’s not a fill within the clean. And I believe these are useful. I’ve finished 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 totally 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 provide you with it. It’s statement, interpretation, and software. However 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 statement, interpretation, and software. And so if you’re completed with Meet Me within the Bible, The Tales of Girls, you possibly can take your bookmark and you’ll maintain learning the e-book of Acts utilizing the very same prompts. After which you could possibly 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!” They usually simply used their bookmark and the framework that they’d discovered, and so they received their ESV Scripture journals, and so they used the Meet Me within the Bible bookmark, and so they 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 desires to satisfy with me in my examine of the Bible. God desires to satisfy with me in my examine of the Bible, and he’s delighted to assist open my eyes to grasp 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 finished 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 stated. 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 attempting to inform us via his phrase. And thanks for giving us this little preview of a few of the tales of ladies within the Bible that you simply’ve really explored in certainly one of these research. We respect it.

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

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