Favorite Obscure Story

[traveller]

We all run across little gems buried in scripture. I thought it'd be fun to share them. Here's mine. I'll TRY to keep it short! LOL!

Rizpah - y'all know her, right? C'mon - sure you do! Here's her story, and I apologize, but I have to tell it in my own style. Picture this:

As you know, when Joshua led the Israelites to Canaan, they had to fight a lot of battles after crossing the Jordan River. After the victories of Jerico and Ai all the kings of the land gathered together to fight Joshua. The people that lived in Gibeon had heard not only of the defeat of Jerico and Ai, but of Israel

[sagz4Christ]

Wow! I am always interested in how people can see the very small details in the bible. Like how Bruce Wilkenson found one sentence in the middle of a huge geneology about a prayer of some obscure person. (Not that I condone the way he went about publicizing it). In like manner though, you have seen a small story that the Holy Spirit has lightened your soul with and I would bet that not many of us has barely noticed the story....or the lesson that is contained in it. (I don't think there is any such "obscure" story in the bible for it all pertains to life and godliness!)

I would like to add my favorite for the time being. (I have two that I am thinking of, but will start with the story of Haman and Mordecai.)

In the book of Esther....chapter 2, we learn of a plot to kill the King Ahasuerus hatched by two of the kings door guards. Mordecai the Jew catches wind of this and he tells Queen Esther (His niece) and she tells the king. After the two guards were hanged on the gallows, the whole event "was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence." (Esther 2:23)

After that, the king promoted a guy named Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite...(I have yet to research who Hammedatha was)....and advanced him to "prime minister". This caused no end to Haman's bloated head and ego. Not to mention that the king also ordered that all who haman passes must bow down and pay Haman homage. The only one that didn't bow or pay hoomage was Mordecai. Haman HATED this and after a while, built a tall gallows in his front yard and planned to hang Mordecai on it as soon as he got the chance. Anyway, we skip a bit to Chapter 6.

Chapter 6 finds that King Ahasuerus could not sleep one night, so he had the Book of records/chronicles brought in and read to him. (I am almost sure that this was standard practice to cure insomnia. It might also have been used for some cruel torture devise as well, but this is just my opinion ). I digress.....while reading this book to the king, it was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning the plot to assassinate the king. After learning that nothing was done to honor or dignify Mordecai, King Ahasuerus called Haman and asked him, "What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?" (Esther 6:6). Immediately, Haman thought to himself, "Who would the king desire to honor more than me?" (Esther 6:6)

Haman then says the following; "For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!' " (Esther 6:7-9) Now Haman was thinking of what he wanted from the king. The most visible and lavasciuos set up his ming could think of. The king agreed with him!!

(Esther 6:10-12)

"Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended."  So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!"  Afterward Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief...

Ahhhh....this book always manages to bring a smile to my face!

By His Blood;

~Sagz

[Andrew007]

Very interesting thread have you started traveller... I wish i had something to contribute... Sorry. Interesting though!!

[traveller]

Thank you Andy! And yes, sagz, isn't it interesting what the Spirit shows us? We see different things and events at different times.

Sagz, I guess I chose the wrong word with "obscure" but I was meaning "hidden. "

Interesting that you should tell about Mordecai and Haman! And it's a super story! (should teach us where greed leads!) But, did you know this little tidbit? Haman was alive because of failure to obey God, and Mordecai was alive because of grace?

Haman was descended from Agag, the king of the Amalekites. (hense Agagites) God commanded Saul to kill all of the Amalekites, but he took king Agag alive. Later Samuel had to kill Agag. Now, Saul also told the Kenites to leave before the war started. They were living amongst the Amalekites. It could have been that king Agag had children through them, because, clearly, some lived.

Mordecai was son of Jair, who was the son of Shime-i. (interestingly enough, Shime-i was the son of Kish, Saul's father. ) Anyway, Shime-i was cursing David and throwing rocks! David's men wanted to kill Shimei but David stopped them.

2 Samuel 16:11-13

11. And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him.

12. It may be that the Lord will look upon my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for this cursing of me today."

13. So David and his men went on the road, while Shime-i went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him and flung dust.

Later, as the story goes, Shime-i was grateful to David for sparing his life.

Isn't it interesting, though, that the bad guy in the story (Haman) was alive through disobediance, and the good guy, Mordecai, was alive through grace? Our actions have effects on down the line, don't they?

[nebula]

Wow, Trav! Where did you find that geneology info? That's pretty interesting info!

BTW, did you know that King Saul was mortally wounded by an Amalakite?

***************

Well, this isn't obscure or hidden, but just a different way of looking at things.

1) Angel: "Hail Gideon, mighty warrior!"

Gideon: "Where?" ::looks around::

2) At the house where the believers are gathered together to pray for Peter who had been imprisoned by Herod, where Peter goes to after the angel frees him.

Peter: Knock! Knock!

Rhoda: "Who is it?"

Peter: "It's me, Peter."

Rhoda: "Wheeee!" Runs from door to tell the others.

Peter: "Uh, Rhoda?" Knock! Knock! Knock! "Hello? Rhoda?" Knock! KNock! Knock! "Rho-o-o-o-o-d-d-a-a-a-a!" Knock! Knock!

3) I love this one. Jonah disobeys God by travelling by ship to Joppa instead of going to Nineva - because Jonah hated Nineva and did not want to see them repent and be saved. So, God sends a storm. This storm is so bad, the ship is in danger of sinking. All the maen of the boat are praying to their (false) gods to no avail. Eventually, Jonah tells the men he's to blame for this storm. His description of God (I believe he described him as the Maker of Heaven and Earth) put fear (awe) into the hearts of these men - well, I'm sure the evidence of the storm helped!

But this is what is interesting. These pagan men whose lives are at stake choose to try to save Jonah rather than sacrifice him to save their own skins! Did you ever catch that? (Hmmm, a lesson to Jonah perhaps?)

It's only after they realize the cause is completely lost that they do as Jonah suggested and throw him overboard. Even as they did, they cried out to God - not their personal gods, but the true God - for mercy and forgiveness for doing what they had to do. After the "large fish" (whether it was a whale or not, I don't know) swallowed Jonah and teh storm suddenly stopped, these men gave their worship to God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, whose mighty work they had seen! Isn't that cool?

[traveller]

Wow Neb! That's real cool! I never stopped to think about the men in the boat. Wow. I'm gonna have to review that one for sure!

And no kidding about Rhoda!!

[Guest shadow2b]

Wow, Trav! Where did you find that geneology info? That's pretty interesting info!

BTW, did you know that King Saul was mortally wounded by an Amalakite?

***************

Well, this isn't obscure or hidden, but just a different way of looking at things.

1) Angel: "Hail Gideon, mighty warrior!"

Gideon: "Where?" ::looks around::

2) At the house where the believers are gathered together to pray for Peter who had been imprisoned by Herod, where Peter goes to after the angel frees him.

Peter: Knock! Knock!

Rhoda: "Who is it?"

Peter: "It's me, Peter."

Rhoda: "Wheeee!" Runs from door to tell the others.

Peter: "Uh, Rhoda?" Knock! Knock! Knock! "Hello? Rhoda?" Knock! KNock! Knock! "Rho-o-o-o-o-d-d-a-a-a-a!" Knock! Knock!

3) I love this one. Jonah disobeys God by travelling by ship to Joppa instead of going to Nineva - because Jonah hated Nineva and did not want to see them repent and be saved. So, God sends a storm. This storm is so bad, the ship is in danger of sinking. All the maen of the boat are praying to their (false) gods to no avail. Eventually, Jonah tells the men he's to blame for this storm. His description of God (I believe he described him as the Maker of Heaven and Earth) put fear (awe) into the hearts of these men - well, I'm sure the evidence of the storm helped!

But this is what is interesting. These pagan men whose lives are at stake choose to try to save Jonah rather than sacrifice him to save their own skins! Did you ever catch that? (Hmmm, a lesson to Jonah perhaps?)

It's only after they realize the cause is completely lost that they do as Jonah suggested and throw him overboard. Even as they did, they cried out to God - not their personal gods, but the true God - for mercy and forgiveness for doing what they had to do. After the "large fish" (whether it was a whale or not, I don't know) swallowed Jonah and teh storm suddenly stopped, these men gave their worship to God, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, whose mighty work they had seen! Isn't that cool?

NOW AIN'T THAT STRAAAAAAAANGE ???? GIDEON???i jess posted a shawt storry on gideon on over in {ALL you great guys thread} started by calamity...ya maght fine it kinna hugh-morus--maybe??

[traveller]

You're too funny Gary!

You know, it's amazing to me how there are so many jewels to dig out of God's word. Some things were known way back then, but, because of our culture and language, we've lost the meanings. Little things like names, for instance. Take Abraham and Sarah. She was originally named Sarai, meaning contentious. After calling Abraham "lord" she was renamed Sarah, meaning princess. And Isaac. When told they would have a son, both Abraham and Sarah laughed in unbelief. God told them they would have a child and they would name him Isaac, meaning laughter. Imagine their wonderment when they first beheld their son. God took their bitterness and unbelief and changed it into belief and joy.

[traveller]

No more nuggets out there?

[Guest shadow2b]

You're too funny Gary!

You know, it's amazing to me how there are so many jewels to dig out of God's word. Some things were known way back then, but, because of our culture and language, we've lost the meanings. Little things like names, for instance. Take Abraham and Sarah. She was originally named Sarai, meaning contentious. After calling Abraham "lord" she was renamed Sarah, meaning princess. And Isaac. When told they would have a son, both Abraham and Sarah laughed in unbelief. God told them they would have a child and they would name him Isaac, meaning laughter. Imagine their wonderment when they first beheld their son. God took their bitterness and unbelief and changed it into belief and joy.

YOU are TOO KIND TRAV.....yeah i really do love those little tid-bits of humor GOD puts out there just to kind-a- humble us & confound the un-belief of HIS people.. HE really does like to get US in UNbelievable positions & then DO the UNexpected & the IMpossible---HE does have a STRANGE sense of humor at times,I could tell you HIS way of answering certain prayers for certain people & then HE just sits back & LAUGHS like a loon--AND SAys WeLL, I answered you prayer,what's the matter??????? Can't you just see GOD ROTFL????? I know I have given HIM more than ONE chuckle-------------GOD-BLESS--------------------Gary-- :tongue: