Women of The Bible ~ Winter Blog Bible Study ~The Series

Welcome to Women of The Bible ~ The Series

This is a 7 week Bible Study of the women in the bible. We will post a new lesson every Tuesday until we have completed the study. You are welcome to comment and send your questions and suggestions to our email shared at the end of our lesson. Get yourself  comfortable, ask a friend to join and let's begin.

Lesson 4: Women of The Bible ~ The Series

Miriam ~ Moses and Aaron's Sister 

Miriam comes from the Hebrew word mar, which means "bitterness, or wish for child".  Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron, playing a very important and dangerous role in saving baby Moses' life. Miriam watched Moses as he was placed in the Nile River by his mother. She protected him from Pharaoh's decree, and she spoke with the Pharaoh's daughter to arrange his mother to nurse him when the Pharaoh's daughter found him. Miriam grew from a young brave girl that watched her baby brother sail away to safety to a "prophetess" and is described as leading the women in singing praises and dancing after the Israelites escaped Egypt when God used Moses and a staff to part the Red Sea. 

Miriam didn't like the fact that Moses married a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman and then criticized and gossiped to Aaron about it. Because of her rebellion against Moses, God rebuked her by giving her a skin disease called Leprosy.  Because she spoke against God's servant she was shut out from everyone for 7 days then God healed her. This was Miriam's moment to shine, to show the Israelites how to live and love as a servant of God and not grumble and complain. She was doing a great job of that til Moses married.

Miriam and the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert. Their lack of faith in God and their constant complaining caused them to wander and perish. Miriam died there and was buried. With all that we know about Miriam, we see she was a prophetess providing words when needed, had somewhat of an inferior complex, a bold tongue, and unashamed to praise the Lord.

Can we ask ourselves and honestly answer, have we done anything like Miriam in our lives? The answer should be yes. We have all encountered speaking about a subject about someone and trying to justify it with our own minds, the old I can too syndrome. I know as much as they do, I can see what they can see too, and they are wrong and I am right. Sounds all too familiar doesn't it. God is the same today, yesterday and forever. Miriam was rebuked for what she did and, as we are today. The word of God says; 

2 Timothy 3:17 NLT Version                                                                                                                      

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

Things are to be done decent and in order.

Hannah ~ Elkanah's Wife / Mother of Samuel

The name Hannah is a feminine Hebrew name of origin that means "favor" or "grace". It comes from the Hebrew name Channah, which is derived from the root ḥ-n-n, it may also mean God has favored me with a child. Hannah was Elkanah's wife, one of them. She couldn't have children and that made her sad. The other wife of Klkanah was Peninnah, her rival who provoked her bitterly and had given Elkanah a child and taunted Hannah with her fertility. Hannah wanted desperately to have a child.

Hannah knew how to make a petition before The Lord. When she went to pray one day Eli thought she was drunk. She wasn't, she explained to him that she was full of sorrow and was pouring her heart out to God. She was humble, requested special favor, and was specific in her prayer.  It's me your servant, remember me, grant me a son to give back to you Lord all the days of his life…a razor will not touch his head, that was a nazarite vow. She kept this between herself and The Lord. After Hannah prayed, pouring out her burdens before The Lord, she was finished. She was able to eat and she was no longer sad. She fully trusted The Lord, and no longer carried the sorrow and anxiety that her burdens had brought forth. 

Hannah conceived and bore a son. In God’s time, it happened. Hannah wished that it happened earlier, but God’s timing was perfect for her and for Samuel. She acknowledged God’s answer to prayer in the birth of her son, and was thankful. She was a dedicated mother. She didn’t have Samuel long, probably 2-3 years, and she spent that time diligently training her son. You can see later as Samuel grew up that he didn’t follow the poor example of his mentor Eli’s sons, but he was much more godly, this was due to his mother’s godly influence.

She didn’t think that giving here firstborn son to The Lord was enough. She also brought a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine as sacrifices. She was an abundant and generous giver. After giving her young son, her heart’s dearest desire, to The Lord, she went into praises and worship to Him. She didn't know that The Lord would bless her with more children, but she was content in the knowledge that she could give all she had as a sacrifice to The Lord.

Though she could have left all the responsibility for Samuel to Eli and the temple, she continued to visit and make him a new robe every year. God does not always choose to do it this way, but in the case of Hannah, He rewarded her willingness to give here son to Him by granting her 5 other children. Whether the benefit is seen here on earth or not, you cannot out-give God. As scripture says

Luke 6:38                                                                                                                                                  

give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

Let's look at some of Hannah's weaknesses and strengths;

Some of Hanna's weaknesses were her weeping and not being to eat because of her difficult circumstances, her bitterness, her being anxious, being vexed, and provoked. In her prayer she had a gloating attitude toward the other wife and she was jealous of Penninah’s fertility. Hannah didn't make her husband feel as if his love was special to her. 

Hannah's strengths were being faithful, going yearly to the house of the Lord.Woman of prayer. She had faith after Eli told her God would answer her. She ate and had a cheerful countenance. She worshiped God was a devoted mother, kept her vow to God, was a humble servant even though she was leaving her son at the temple, her heart rejoiced in God. She was grateful to Lord and gave a sacrifice, she was an industrious woman. We can take notes from Hannah and learn to petition God in the correct manner and let Him operate in His own time.

This concludes lesson 4 of our "Women of The Bible Series" Tuesday Winter Bible Study. We will post again on next Tuesday February 18, 2025. Please send any questions, comments, or suggestions to admin@urbeauty4ashes.com or if you're on blogger leave them here. Thank you for reading and remember I love you with the love of the Lord. Until next lesson, be blessed. 💞☺️💞