Names

Names were important in the Bible times, and they still are today. Everybody knows who you are because of your name. In the Bible times, introducing yourself using your name was saying what your name meant. For example, my name is Sarah. Introducing myself like they did in the Bible times means I would say “Hello. My name is Sarah.” But they would hear “Hello, my name is Princess.” The people in the Bible times tried to live up to their name. God had a lot of names. Some, like El, make God seem powerful. And some, like Yahweh (or YHWH), make God seem more loving. But no matter what we call God, all of his names matter. They take into account all of his amazing traits. Our names matter too. God can use them to make amazing things happen. Take Elijah for example. His name means “The Lord is My God.” He proved this on Mount Carmel. The priests of Baal tried for a really long time to get Baal to set fire to a pile of wood. But, of course since Baal is an idol, he did not. Elijah asked God once, and God sent down fire. The priests then bowed down to the TRUE God. Elijah proved that, indeed, “The Lord is My God.” Now, I call myself a Christian, which translates into “Little Christ.” I want to do what they would have in the Bible times, and live up to my name being a little Christ.

Conflict/Doubt

Doubt is part of being a human. You can doubt friends, family, even God sometimes. And it can be hard. Like tug of war. Your mind has questions about God, but your heart tells you that you shouldn’t question God. But it is okay to ask questions. That’s how we learn, by asking questions. Mother Teresa asked questions, and she had major doubts. But she knew that God was greater, that he would get her through these tough times. Gideon doubted and questioned God many times, and God still used him to save the Israelites. I know that it is okay to ask questions. Our human minds, though great, can not even begin to wrap around God’s amazingness. Our doubts can be used to trust God more, because he knows more than we do.

Call

God makes a lot of promises. And we respond. For example, Abraham. God made a promise to Abraham that he would be the father of the nations. And God kept this promise. From Abraham came the Israelites. God calls us to do things, some small and some big. This is very “Christianese.” God does not literally call us on a phone. He gives us nudges, through others and ourselves. I feel God has called me to work with special needs children, or even adults. I work well with kids with autism especially. And a blue puzzle piece is the logo. That is why I chose it for a visual. I feel that God is calling me to do that, and so I need to respond. I will respond and do what God wants me to do.

Slavery/Salvation

God took the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. They had been there for a long time. But now God wanted them out. So he took them out. Slavery is not always the act of owning another human or animal and making them work for you. Slavery can be other things. Things that get in the way of your freedom. That’s what slavery is, taking away someone’s freedom. And certain things can do that. For example, breast cancer. When my mom got breast cancer, simple things, like taking a shower, suddenly were so much more difficult. And even after everything was over, sometimes, if someone bumps her just right or the road is bumpy in a certain spot, it hurts her. She didn’t need ANY chemo or radiation. But she did have a surgery. I can’t even imagine how much of a “slave” to breast cancer some people that get like Stage 4 cancer. They really do become a slave to cancer. But once they beat it, they have been “set free” from their “slavery.” And God can use our “slaveries” in many different ways. But I know that, no matter what happens, God will eventually take me out of my personal “slavery.”

Sinai Law

When God gave the Israelites The Law on Mount Sinai he essentially married them. Marriage is a conditional covenant where both parties keep the terms. But before Moses had even gotten down the mountain, Israel had already broken the covenant. They had made a golden calf. An idol. God was very upset. But he still remained faithful. He did not have to do that, but he did. Everybody has their “golden calf ” or “golden calves.” Mine is my electronics. If something is happening, instead of going to God, I tend to put in my earbuds and shut out the world. I use my earbuds instead of God for an escape. And I shouldn’t. I really should trust God more, and get rid of my “golden calf.”

Salute to a King

Israel wanted a king. There are two types of kings; nagid and melek. A nagid is a man who follows God. A melek is a military ruler, an army man. God wanted the people to have a nagid, but they wanted a melek because that is what all the other nations had. But God wanted his kingdom to be different. God was trying to prove to his kingdom, and us, that what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. My 6th grade Bible teacher, Mr. N, had this poster hanging up in his room. It is very easy to confuse our “nagids” and “meleks.” Sometimes we think God wants us to have or do something, but he really doesn’t. So we have to be careful. But we all need a “nagid” in our life.

Symbol of a Lamp

God made a covenant with David that his line would always rule. From David’s line came Jesus. In multiple scripture passages, multiple different people refer to Jesus from David’s line. For example, in Jeremiah 33:15, the author says “ I will make a righteous Branch shoot up from the line of David…”  referring to Jesus. They are talking about an olive branch, because that kind of imagery was useful in that society at that time. Another example is when Jesus is referred to as a lamp. His light will shine forever in the kingdom of heaven, and little glimpses can be caught down here on earth. Jesus’s light is needed in so many dark places, and we can help spread his light.

A Savior

The Old Testament gives a lot of hints of what Jesus was going to be like. And even more imagery on what the world will look like at Jesus’s second coming. But it also gave a lot of hints at a new covenant, one that is unconditional. An unconditional covenant is one where only the more powerful party needs to keep the terms. This new covenant is marked by grace and forgiveness. The cost is Jesus’s death and resurrection. But now we know that because of his sacrifice, at his second coming, the lion will lay down with the lamb. Which is really cool. And hopefully, I will stay in the faith and can see this happen. That will be the best day ever, because everyone will meet Jesus. God made sure that the time was right to send his son for the first time, so he will make sure that the time is just right for his second coming.