Women of the Week ~ Drusilla and Bernice

I'm jumping over to the New Testament this week and I'm also combining two women.  There is very little known about them, but they were sisters and their lives were tied together with the Apostle Paul.  These are two that I have never given much thought to, but my Women of the Bible book dropped some seeds that I want to follow.

Verses:  Acts chapters 24-26

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Pharaoh's Daughter ~ Woman of the Week

After studying Jochebed last week, I started thinking about her relationship with Pharaoh's daughter.  We don't have any details, but I wonder if they chatted from time to time when Moses was a toddler.  They both loved him, but I wonder if their relationship was friendly or did jealousy get in the way?  The Bible is silent, so I'm left to wonder...

Verses:  Exodus 2

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

I went down a rabbit hole and didn't really find any answers!  The Bible doesn't give us a name for Pharaoh.   Pharaoh was a title and it isn't clear which Pharaoh was the father of this woman.  We also don't know her name. This article about Pharaohs is very interesting.  Near the end there is a section called "Why the Ambiguity About the Exodus Pharaoh?"  It says, "One obvious archaeological reason is the Egyptian practice of damnatio memoriae (“condemnation of memory”). This is the act of excising embarrassing acts, individuals and defeats from historical records. Ancient Egyptian leaders are known to be masters at eliminating their own history."

 

What is she most known for? Victories? Defeats? How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?

Pharaoh's daughter comes along at the perfect moment.  Many commentaries said that she was married, but childless.  Barrenness in the Bible was often an act of God, so I wonder if that was the case here, too.  If she had a child of her own, would she have cared about the one in the river?

 

Exodus 2:4 is the bridge from Jochebed, the true mother of Moses, to the woman who would become the mother of Moses.  She was there to wash at the river when she spotted the ark.  Just an ordinary day, washing at the river, allowed God to use Pharaoh's daughter to educate the one God would use to lead his people out of bondage.

 

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Exodus 2:6 says, "And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children."

 

The Pulpit Commentary says, "Perhaps she suspected what she would find inside; but would it be a living or a dead child? This she could not know. She opened, and looked. It was a living babe, and it wept. At once her woman’s heart, heathen as she was, went out to the child — its tears reached the common humanity that lies below all differences of race and creed — and she pitied it. "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Hebrew characteristics were perhaps stamped even upon the infant visage. Or she formed her conclusion merely from the circumstances. No Egyptian woman had any need to expose her child, or would be likely to do so; but it was just what a Hebrew mother, under the cruel circumstances of the time, might have felt herself forced to do. So she drew her conclusion, rapidly and decidedly, as is the way of woman."

It seems almost immediately that Miriam approached with the offer to find a nurse for the baby.  Jochebed must have coached Miriam before setting Moses in the water.  Again, God provided a way for Moses to return to his parents for a time.  But his time as the son of Pharaoh's daughter was also important.  He received training that would be needed.  Matthew Henry's Commentary says, "Those whom God designs for great services he find out ways to qualify and prepare beforehand. Moses, by having his education in a court, is the fitter to be a prince and king in Jeshurun; by having his education in a learned court (for such the Egyptian then was) is the fitter to be an historian; and by having his education in the court of Egypt is the fitter to be employed, in the name of God, as an ambassador to that court."

We don't read anything else about either of these mothers.  I'm still left wondering.  I picture both mothers hurting when Moses kills an Egyptian and then has to flee.  I may not have the answers, but I'm thankful that God uses women of every kind to bring his promises to pass.

Woman of the Week ~ Pharaoh's Daughter

Verses:  Exodus 2

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Jochebed ~ Woman of the Week

From some reason, I studied Miriam in 2015 but not Jochebed.  You can read Miriam's post here.  Jochebed's story is found in only one chapter of the Bible, but her choices paved the way for Moses to be the one who would lead the children of Israel out of bondage.  In my studying I found that Jochebed's name means "Jehovah gloried" or "the glory of Jehovah."  Her story is closely intertwined with Pharoah's daughter.  I will study her next week, but this week I just want to focus on Jochebed.

 

Verses:  Exodus 2

 

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

As seems to always be the case when studying the Bible, I realized a little more about the family of Moses.  Exodus 2:1 simply says, "And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi."  This man was named Amram, he was the grandson of Levi, which made him the great grandson of Jacob.  Exodus 6:20 says, "And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses."  Since people lived such long lives it wouldn't have been uncommon for Amram to have an aunt (his father's sister) who was close to the same age as him.  It also appears that Levi was still alive when Amram was born.

Jochebed gave birth to Miriam, Aaron and Moses.   Miriam is believed to be the oldest, approximately 7-10 years older than Moses, and Aaron was 3 years older. 

 

What is she most known for? Victories?  Defeats?  How can I be like her? How can I avoid being like her?

Exodus 2:2 says, "And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months." Commentaries wrote that Pharoah's decree that when a Hebrew son was born he was to be killed occurred after Miriam and Aaron were born.  John Wesley's Notes on the Bible says, "Probably his mother had little joy of her being with child of him, now this edict was in force."  I have to wonder, did she pray for another daughter?  But once Moses arrived, she and her husband made the bold decision to hide him.

Hebrews 11:23 says, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment."  Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible says, "His parents were led to preserve his life by their confidence in God. They believed that he was destined to some great purpose, and that he would be spared, notwithstanding all the probabilities against it, and all the difficulties in the case."

For three months Moses was hid.  Can you imagine how Jochebed's heart must have raced whenever he cried?  A newborn cry is usually small, but by three months I'm sure he was making plenty of noise.  Did she fear her own neighbors or some Egyptian who might walk by?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Exodus 2:3 says, "And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink."  The time finally came when she could no longer hide him. His lungs were fully developed and as with any baby, when he was unhappy or hungry or tired, everyone in the household knew about it. I picture her with tears streaming down her face as she prepared an ark for her precious baby. Wrapping him gently, holding him close, then placing him in the ark.

The end of verse three says that she laid it by the river.  While Miriam was the one left to watch over the baby, it was Jochebed who laid him there.  Such an act of faith!  A faith that was rewarded in verses 7-9 when Pharoah's daughter found the baby.  Not only was her baby saved, but he was returned to her with pay!

 

Alexander MacLaren's commentary says, "Will it be thought too fanciful if we suggest that we are taught another lesson -namely, that the faith which surrenders its earthly treasures to God, in confidence of His care, is generally rewarded and vindicated by receiving them back again, glorified and sanctified by the altar on which they have been laid? Jochebed clasped her recovered darling to her bosom with a deeper gladness, and held him by a surer title, when Miriam brought him back as the princess’s charge, than ever before. We never feel the preciousness of dear ones so much, nor are so calm in the joy of possession, as when we have laid them in God’s hands, and have learned how wise and wonderful His care is."

 

Verse 10 tells us that she brought Moses to Pharoah's daughter.  We don't know how old he was.  I think he may have been more than just a toddler, since he identified with the children of Israel when he saw their suffering.  When I studied Hannah, I found a very helpful explanation of weaning by John Gill: "there was a three fold weaning of children in old times; the first from their mother's milk, when three years old; the second from their tender age, and care of a dry nurse, when seven years old; the third from childish manners, when at twelve years of age; and that it is this last and metaphorical weaning which is here meant, when Samuel was twelve years of age, and fit to serve in the temple."

 

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary says, "His age when removed to the palace is not stated; but he was old enough to be well instructed in the principles of the true religion; and those early impressions, deepened by the power of divine grace, were never forgotten or effaced."  Jochebed and Amram must have taken every opportunity to instruct Moses.

 

The Bible does not record the deaths of Jochebed or Amram, we don't know if they were alive when Moses fled Egypt or when he returned 40 years later.  But they deserve great honor for their bravery in keeping him alive.

Woman of the Week ~ Jochebed

I've rearranged my Women of the Word page and was surprised that I had never studied Jochebed, the mother of Moses.  I'll be fixing that this week.

 

Verses:  Exodus 2

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

Friday Foodie ~ Fun Fall Favorites

After reading the title of this post you may be thinking, "Chili and cornbread?  Soup?  Turkey and dressing?  Pumpkin muffins?"  You would be wrong with all those guesses!  My most recent Fall favorite flavors are in the form of ice cream.   It was in the upper 90s last week, so ice cream was exactly what I wanted.

 

I'm kind of obsessed with making a gallon of vanilla ice cream, then dividing it up in four quarts with four unique flavors.  This time I made Caramel Apple, Chocolate-Hot Tamale, Pumpkin, and Snickerdoodle.

I made a few changes this time and I think it turned out better than ever.  I started with my Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream recipe.  Once the ice cream finished churning, I divided it into my four quart size containers.  Instead of adding my flavors, I put the quarts in the freezer for about an hour.  I then pulled one quart out at a time and poured the ice cream into a larger bowl for mixing.  This allowed the ice cream to firm up a little more so when I added in the additional flavors they would not sink to the bottom of the container.  This worked like a charm!  Now on to the flavors...

Caramel Apple

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped 

1/2 cup Kraft  Caramel Bits

 

This was close to what I wanted.  The apple pieces were tart but the caramel bits got a little too hard after freezing.  I think I could have got the same flavor by adding caramel syrup instead.  Still, it was really good.  I'd say a 7 out of 10.

 

 

 

Chocolate-Hot Tamale

1/2 cup Hot Tamales, chopped

1/2 piece chocolate cake, chopped.

Last year Baskin Robbins carried a flavor called "Spicy 'n Spooky."  This was White Chocolate Ghost Pepper flavored Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Ice Cream and spicy Blood Orange Flakes and had quite the kick!  I tried to come up with something similar.  The Hot Tamales froze too hard like the caramel bits, but the flavor was good.  I'd call this a 6.5 out of 10.

 

Pumpkin

1 dozen Pumpkin Spice cookies, crushed.

The pumpkin spice cookie mix said that it would make 15 cookies.  They would have been very large cookies.  I made normal size cookies.  My first pan had a dozen and my second pan was a little larger and I was able to get another 20 cookies.  I cooked the pan that I wanted to use in my ice cream longer than normal, I wanted the cookies crunchy instead of soft and chewy like I usually make. This one was exactly what I was looking for!  Definitely a 10 out of 10.   

 

 

Snickerdoodle

Approximately 1/2 tube of sugar cookie dough

1/2 cup cinnamon/sugar mix

I bought a tube of "safe to eat raw" cookie dough.  I have been eating raw cookie dough for over 50 years so I'm sure I could have made this with "not safe to eat raw" dough, too.  I made small balls with the dough, then put them in the freezer until I was ready to add to the ice cream.  I mixed it with the cinnamon/sugar and dumped it all in the ice cream so there was a taste of cinnamon throughout.  This was another winner!  10 out of 10.

In case you're wondering, I plan to do some Christmas baking this year, but I'm pretty sure there will be a batch of Christmas ice cream, too!

Milcah ~ Woman of the Week

Little of Milcah's story is known and it is one that I had never considered before.  Her family tree intersects with Abraham and Sarah more than once.  What I found was a line that connects both Sarah and Milcah to Shem, the son of Noah, and all the way to Jesus.  I got so excited while studying this!  

Genesis 9:26 says, "Blessed be the LORD God of Shem." Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible says this, "Yahweh, the one true, living, known God, is his God. The knowledge and worship of the Creator is preserved in the family of Shem, when it is lost or fatally obscured among the other descendants of Noah."  Although ten generations separated them, Shem was still living when Abraham was born.  The story of God's deliverance was still being passed down first hand. 

 

Milcah was the daughter of Haran, the brother of Abraham.  This made her the sister (or at least half-sister) of Lot.  When their father died, Abraham assumed the care of Lot, while his other brother, Nahor, married Milcah.   There is no record of how old Lot or Milcah were at the time of their father's death, but it would not have been unusual for Milcah to be a young teenager when she wed.  In "The Women of the Bible" the author writes that Sarah and Milcah were most likely childhood friends while still living in Ur.

I wrote a lengthy post in 2015 called, "Who Was Cain's Wife?"  The Genesis Record by Dr. Henry Morris goes into quite a bit of detail to answer that question.  A key to understanding these close family marriages is this, "In order to get this process of multiplication started, of course, at least one of Adam’s sons had to marry one of Adam’s daughters. Probably, in that first generation, all marriages were brother-sister marriages. In that early time, there were no mutant genes in the genetic systems of any of these children, so that no genetic harm could have resulted from close marriages. Many, many generations later, during the time of Moses, such mutations had accumulated to the point where such unions were genetically dangerous, so that incest was thenceforth prohibited in the Mosaic laws."

Nahor and Milcah stayed behind in Ur when Terah, Abraham, Sarah and Lot traveled to Canaan as found in Genesis chapter 11. Later on, however, Nahor must have brought his own family on up to Haran, or to the nearby city of Nahor, both believed to be in the region of Mesopotamia.  We don't know if the family was ever reunited in Abraham's lifetime, but Genesis 22:20 says, "And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor."  There were eight sons born, the youngest was Bethuel, the father of Rebekah. 

 

 

Abraham was 75 years old when God called him out of Haran. 65 years later Abraham sent his servant to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor to find a bride for Isaac. "It was profoundly important that both Isaac and his wife be completely united in their faith in their covenant God, in order to properly instruct their children in this faith. His wife must not even be a recent convert. She must be one who had been instructed concerning God from her youth, and who had loved and served Him all her life. To find such a girl, if there were any such anywhere, Abraham must search among his own people." (The Genesis Record)

Nahor and Milcah were both descendants of Shem just like Abraham.  They were part of the family that preserved the worship of the Creator.  It might seem strange that Nahor did not leave Ur with Abraham, but I wonder if God's hand was on that.  Another thing to consider - if Milcah had stayed with her brother, Lot, instead of marrying Nahor, she could have also ended up in Sodom.  Although they had been separated for many years, when the time was right, God brought the descendants of Shem back together.  Isaac, the son of Sarah, married Rebekah, the granddaughter of Sarah's childhood friend, Milcah.  

 

You won't find Milcah's name in the recorded genealogy of Christ or in the great Faith chapter of Hebrews chapter 11.  But through Milcah we have Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel - mothers and wives of the great patriarchs.  The Scarlet Thread of Redemption came through all these women.

Grand Canyon Rim to Rim ~ They Did It!!

Today started really early for Les and Lance.  They spent last night at the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim.  I received at text at 5:43 a.m. saying, "Heading out!"  Another text came in that said, "12:17 at Phantom Ranch."  The trail from the North Rim to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon is approximately 14 miles.  Of course cell reception is almost non-existent and trying to follow them on Life360 didn't do much, but as they got closer to the top at the South Rim, I got occasional updates.

In case you're wondering, that distance is slightly more than a marathon! I'm so proud of them!  And very thankful that they finished without injury.  I don't have any pictures from their hike yet, but Les did send this one:

"6000 feet of climbing and I have to go up these to get to my room."

25 Years

It's been 25 years since my Mom left the cares of this life behind.  I've blogged about her so many times.  Her Bible is one of my greatest earthly treasures.  I posted this beautiful poem in 2010 and know this is how Mom would have felt...

When I'm Gone

by Mrs.Lyman Hancock

When I come to the end of my journey
And I travel my last weary mile
Just forget if you can, that I ever frowned
And remember only the smile


Forget unkind words I have spoken
Remember some good I have done
Forget that I ever had heartache
And remember I've had loads of fun


Forget that I've stumbled and blundered
And sometimes fell by the way
Remember I have fought some hard battles
And won, ere the close of the day


Then forget to grieve for my going
I would not have you sad for a day
But in summer just gather some flowers
And remember the place where I lay


And come in the shade of evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best

Mom,
There are so many things I remember.
Most of all I remember your love. You'll never be forgotten.

Norma D. Fultz
January 1, 1940 - October 10, 1998

Woman of the Week - Milcah

As I mentioned, Pastor White loaned me a little book called "The Women of the Bible."  I didn't get very far in my reading before I knew I wanted a copy of this book for my own library.  I found a used one on Amazon and I'm ready to study more women.  I'm also going to be rearranging my Women of the Word page.  Currently they are in the order that I studied them, but I'm going to put them in the order they are found in the Bible, which I think will make more sense.

This week I'll be looking at Milcah, fellow traveler with Abraham and Sarah.

 

Verses:  Genesis 11, Genesis 22, Genesis 24

Background – parents, husband, children, siblings

What is she most known for?

Victories? Defeats?

How can I be like her?

How can I avoid being like her?

Did she reach a place when she needed to reset?  If so, did she?  For good or evil?

65 Years

Today is my Mom and Dad's Anniversary. If they were still living they would be celebrating their 65th!  They were quite young when they tied the knot - Dad was 20 and Mom was 18!

I'm so glad they loved each other...


And their kids...


And they were thrilled to become grandparents!




We never had to wonder if Dad was going to take his paycheck and spend it before he made it home. Or if Mom was going to disappear while we were all at school.



No, our home wasn't perfect, but it was a safe place. Filled with laughter and some tough times, but through it all, we loved each other.




I'm so thankful for my wonderful parents!