Jewels And Gems

  "David said to Abigail, 'Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.'"                                                           I Samuel 25:32-33 Godly wisdom and godly behavior matter. Together, they impact lives, families, and generations. The story of Abigail tells us that Abigail possessed both the wisdom from above and the behavior that corresponded to this wisdom. She is the only woman in the Hebrew Bible that is described as both beautiful and intelligent. Beyond her beauty and intelligence was a deep relationship with God (inner beauty) that enabled her to avert disaster and prophesy of the Davidic throne that was not yet in existence. Despite being married to an abusiv...

  "The Lord said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger'".                                                                   Genesis 25:23 Rebekah is a woman who is very admired in the Hebrew Bible. She has prominence and is assertive, which breaks all the stereotypical norms of that culture and time.  She is bright and charming, and is not afraid to use her charm to benefit those she loves. Today, we would refer to her as fierce and courageous. Though some of her actions are definitely problematic in a spiritual sense, there are also those who view her boldness as a witness of the deep faith she has in God's promises. Her story begins in Genesis 24 where she has come to the well to ga...