Holy Huldah!

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 – Eliezer of Damascus The Guy Who Almost Had It All

Chapter 2 – Shiphrah & Puah The Two Ladies Who Foiled Pharoah’s Plan

Chapter 3 – Eldad & Medad The Two Prophets Who Skipped Church

Chapter 4 – Hannah & Peninnah A Tale of Two Moms

Chapter 5 – Eliab Son of Jesse Talk, Dark, Handsome and Rejected

Chapter 6 – Shimei Son of Gera He Was a Royal Pain in the Neck

Chapter 7 – Micaiah Son of Imlah He Stood for Truth in a Crowd of Liars

Chapter 8 – Gehazi He Threw It All Away for a Moment’s Pleasure

Chapter 9 – Uzziah, Jotham & Ahaz A Tale of Three Dads

Chapter 10 – Hilkiah, Shaphan & Huldah They Paved the Way for Revival

Afterward

Introduction

We’ve all heard of Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the lion’s den. But the question struck me a couple years back: What life lessons could we learn from the hundreds of guys and gals who are mentioned in Scripture that most of us have never heard of, or have heard of but ignore? Many books have been written on the life of David. Many commentaries have spotlighted even the smallest details of the lives of Daniel and Jonah. But what about Eliezer of Damascus? What about Shiphrah and Puah? What about Eldad and Medad, Shimei, Micaiah and my all-time favorite…Huldah? Don’t these obscure Bible characters deserve our attention as well? I am convinced that they do. Back in 2010, I spent fourteen weeks leading the congregation I pastor through a study of some of these lesser-known yet enriching Old Testament characters. I discovered that a study of these obscure characters has plenty of benefits. For starters, it’s a lot of fun and can give us a competitive edge when we play Trivial Pursuit, Bible Edition. But more importantly, this study will impact our lives in three key ways: #1: The study will help Christians follow God better. Some of these obscure men and women in Scripture demonstrate through their good examples how to follow God well. Others teach us through their bad examples which pitfalls to avoid. In short, they implore us to be holy like Huldah and avoid being a royal pain in the neck like Shimei. #2: Studying these ignored Bible characters will offer Christians a unique overview of the Old Testament. Normally when Bible teachers and authors set out to give a summary of the Hebrew Scriptures, they cover the main characters. But could we get a better handle on the big picture of Scripture by shining the spotlight on the minor characters? Absolutely! Over the next ten chapters, we’ll cover 1,400 years of biblical history in a unique way. We’re going to take a tour of Scripture through the eyes of biblical characters that most of us don’t know. #3: The obscurity of these Bible characters will encourage us in our obscurity. The reality is: Our lives are obscure. By that I mean that most of us are known by only a few people today, and we’ll be known by fewer still after we pass. Yet as we examine the lives of these obscure Bible characters, we’ll see that even though they are known by few and their roles in Scripture are small in comparison to “the big boys” (e.g., Abraham, David and Peter), their lives form an important part of the story of the Bible¬¬¬¬¬¬…God’s story. So, consider this: If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, God will weave your life into His story regardless of how obscure your life may be to the rest of the world. To say it a different way…your life matters to God, because your story is an important part of His story. Isn’t that encouraging? All in all, pulling these nobodies to the foreground and examining their lives has been helpful to me and the congregation I pastor, and I am convinced that it will be helpful to you as well. (And did I mention that it will also be a whole lot of fun?) So, thank you for taking this journey with me. You won’t regret it. Let’s discover some lessons we should never forget from these Bible characters we’ve never heard of. The journey begins.