Editors’ Journal

Good movies and plays have supporting actors and actresses as well as leading characters. Some of the most significant scenes even feature bit actors in cameo roles. The Bible narrative is no exception.

Scriptures are, in large measure, the story of the human race. The history of God’s Old Testament people is told in simple and yet graphic language. The characters that grace its pages shine forth with their blemishes as well astheir often heroic deeds. In this issue of THE HERALD we present several of these minor roles in an attempt to better understand the people and the times in which they lived.

One of the more dramatic stories in the book of Genesis deals with the marriage of Jacob to the two sisters, Leah and Rachel. Our opening article, Leah, the Firstborn, looks at the jealousies involved and how all was overruled by the Lord. Although Jacob clearly loved Rachel and had no interest in Leah, yet it was Leah who was buried in the field of Machpelah with her husband, not Rachel.

One of the products of the marriage of Jacob and Leah was the birth of a daughter named Dinah. In a verse by verse study in Genesis 34, entitled Tragedy at Shechem, the asking of her hand in marriage by a man named Shechem and the resulting massacre of the men of that city is detailed. It was because of what they did at Shechem that both Levi and Simeon were severely penalized by their father Jacob in his dying blessing.

The featured characters in the third article, Jochebed, Amram, Shiphrah, Puah, deal with two women who truly played cameo roles. Shiphrah and Puah were the midwives who served Jochebed in the delivering of her children, Aaron, Miriam, and Moses.

Deborah is hardly a minor character. Yet the space devoted to this faithful judge in Israel and the remarkable victory she achieved over the warlords from the north under their general Sisera does not occupy many chapters in Holy Writ. Yet it is clear God uses whomever he pleases, whenever it pleases him. Deborah speaks for God, and the people accept it even though it is an exception to the general rule that prophets were male.

Moses is again a featured player in the next drama, dealing with his wife Zipporah. The article Patient in Trials looks at three specific experiences in the life of this remarkable woman. Nothing in Scripture suggests she ever murmured or complained about her trials including the jealousy of Miriam as expressed in her criticism of Moses’ wife.

Some of the women in the Old Testament played roles that were so minor that even their names have been forgotten. Yet the roles they played were often vital to the carrying forth of the Bible narrative. The article A Woman Not Remembered deals with just such a faithful Israelite from the northern city of Abel Bethmaacah.

The prophetess Huldah was a contemporary with the better known prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah. Yet it was to her that good king Josiah was sent to receive a message from the Lord. Her message of judgment mixed with an exemption for the king on account of his faithfulness is recorded in the article, A Hard Message for a Good King.

The final article deals with another female whose role was not minor at all. In fact her story records one of the most remarkable deliverances of Israel in all history. Esther and Our Times shows prophetic parallels between that biblical account and events we have seen in our own twentieth century.

A study of these truly remarkable women should give us faith and courage to carry out whatever work the Lord has for us, no matter how small. It takes the bit parts to bring out the rich fabric of the Bible and its meaning to our lives. It does not matter if the part we play in the plan of God is great or small, the important thing is that we perform it well. Even the smallest acts, if performed with the proper intent, can be to the eternal glory of our heavenly Father.