Have you ever stopped and looked at reoccurring signs and symbols in the lives of biblical characters?
For Moses, life lessons always seemed to center on his mouth, either fear of speaking or speaking rashly. He was so reticent to speak that God allowed his brother Aaron to speak for him at times. But in the end, it was Moses’ own angry words and actions that kept him out of the promised land.
If we continue that line of thought, we repeatedly see Moses’ staff throughout his biblical story. As with his mouth, his staff sometimes got Moses in trouble. But when Moses used it obediently, God showed His power through slithering serpents and water-filled rocks. I wonder if Moses ever stared at his staff and thought, “What’s next, God? Any other miracles in this staff?”
Jacob also had problems with words – his lying, conniving, manipulative words. Most of his life, Jacob used words to win his way with family members. Foods and flocks played a large role in those family tricks. But one day, Jacob the trickster finally endured the ultimate trick to secure his beloved Rachel. Later, Jacob also had to face the angel of God, and his human tricks were useless then. They wrestled, and Jacob was left with a lifelong limp.
Ironically, when Jacob finally faced his brother whom he had wronged, he repentantly offered Esau many gifts, including 220 goats – the same animal Jacob had used to trick his father out of Esau’s blessing. How many times had Esau looked at goats before that day at the river Jabbok and thought of his brother?
That question leads to another: Did either of them ever look at a bowl of lentils without thinking of their twin? And when his limp pained him on cold, cold nights, did Jacob grimace? I tend to think not. Instead, I imagine he told and retold that tale until it was much greater than his pain. I doubt he ever mastered the art of subtlety with words.
The apostle Peter never quite mastered his words either. They got him in trouble at every turn. I relate to Peter way too much in that regard. And just like Peter, the Lord rebukes me the most because of my mouth. But I pray I learn quicker than Peter did. Because in his last moments, some historians even say he was crucified upside down on a cross after declaring that he was unworthy of dying like his Savior.
Of course, Peter was a fisherman, so it was no wonder that Jesus used a coin in the mouth of a fish to teach Peter to trust Him for provision. It is also no wonder that in his lowest moments, Peter returned to what his flesh knew best – fishing. But lest we forget, Peter also stepped boldly out of that fishing boat several times to get to Jesus. One time, he even walked on water to do so.
Did those encounters forever change the way Peter looked at fishing boats, fishing nets, and fish? I would imagine that fish never tasted the same to Peter after the resurrected Savior served him a meal of fish and then forgave him of his words – not once, but three times in a row.
For Joseph, words weren’t the issue; it was dreams – and coats. Obviously, dreams and interpretation of dreams were always a big part of his life, from the pit to the dungeon to the palace. But coats also played a role in his journey. There was the coat of many colors from his father, the cloak that Potiphar’s wife pulled off him as he fled her advances, and the royal robe of honor that Pharaoh awarded him.
I would venture to say that Joseph was probably very careful with his royal robe. He had paid way too high a price for misplaced coats and cloaks. But I wonder if Joseph ever dreamed about his original coat of many colors from his father. Did he see it again in his sleep? Or did he dream of the thousands of children in the world hearing about that coat in Sunday school lessons? I wonder. I also wonder if Joseph cringed when people said, “You won’t believe the dream I had last night.” I would have!
What about other Bible characters and the common threads that ran throughout their faith journeys?
Did little ‘ol Zacchaeus climb a lot of trees as a child? Was that particular sycamore tree familiar to him? Is that why he automatically climbed into its branches to see Jesus? And after he met the Savior, did Zacchaeus smile whenever he passed that sycamore tree? Did he laugh aloud when he saw little boys climbing other trees? Did he stop to tell them the story of his sycamore tree?
I wonder how long David kept those other four rocks, just in case Goliath’s four giant brothers ever came calling. Was he still lethal with a slingshot in his old age? Did he teach the kids in the palace how to shoot a slingshot? Or did and his men have slingshot contests just to see who could best the king?
And what about Rahab? Long after God saved her and brought her into His fold, did she still momentarily lose her breath in worshipful awe whenever she saw another scarlet rope?
Did Mary and Martha shout in joy when they passed their brother’s empty tomb? Did Lazarus’ empty tomb give them a clue about another tomb vacated in nearby Jerusalem?
What about Gideon? I am certain did not have a clue that people would one day “put a fleece before the Lord” when they really needed an answer to prayer.
Talk about answered prayers. Noah had direct communication with God, but neither he nor anyone else had ever seen it rain before the flood. Imagine what those first raindrops felt like. But when the rain kept coming, I wonder if Noah ever forgot the sounds of those unbelievers drowning outside of the ark. If not, did the rainbow always comfort him after subsequent rains, reminding him of God’s promise?
Or what about Mary, the mother of Jesus? Did she and Joseph share a knowing smile every time they passed a stable? I wonder if she ever stared at the midnight stars and thought about the wise men from afar. Did the smells of frankincense and myrrh instantly transport her to the time of their visit?
Later in life, did those smells remind Mary of the time a woman anointed her son’s feet with priceless perfume? Did Mary ever smell that fragrance again and instantly see the precious body of Jesus, broken, crushed, and poured out for all mankind on the cross? And of all those present, what did Mary experience on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out? I would have loved to see the joy on her face, the refreshing assurance that He lives forevermore.
There are so many more people, places, and events of the Bible that I would love to know about more fully. So many things that it might take you and me half of eternity to meet all the heroes of our faith and hear the details of their stories.
But I think we forget that these biblical characters were real people.
Just like us, they had struggles and victories, pains and pleasures, good days and bad ones too. Sometimes, they totally missed the spiritual mark; other days, they seemed invincible. For the truth is, they were sinners, way before we thought of them as saints. I doubt they ever realized how important their lives would be for countless generations of believers.
So, maybe we should stop and consider those truths about our own lives. There are probably some reoccurring signs that will mark our journey of faith for those that follow as well.
In fact, I am currently sitting behind an old white desk as I write this blog. It’s not much to look at, nothing spectacular. But I know the story behind it.
It originally belonged to my aunt. Right before I was born, she gave it to her baby sister, my mom. I think it wore a light blonde coat of stain at the time. But it's been repainted multiple colors over the years, including turquoise, olive green, and now a distressed white.
Back in 1962, my mom crafted a beautiful cushion to top it and made it into my nursery changing table. Later, it served the same purpose for my baby sister. Then, it moved from room to room in our home to serve wherever needed as a desk.
I never really thought about it much as a child. I probably kicked its legs in frustration and impatience on many occasions when homework was not going well. I imagine my sister did the same. I figure my dad worried over money when he used it each month to pay bills. I definitely remember my mom using it as her sewing table when she got one of those new portable sewing machines.
Then, several years, back, my parents downsized and moved to a small apartment. Mom pretty much made me take the desk even though I had no room for it, and it matched absolutely nothing I owned. Not to mention the fact that I had a desk in my classroom and another one in our den.
But somehow, mothers always know best. Because not long after that, God gave me the unexpected gift of a new career in the second half of my life. Now, I write for a living, and much of my writing is done at this old white desk. In essence, I am right back where I started.
When I sit and look at it now, I wonder about the excitement my mother felt staining it and making a cushion for it. She had waited over six years for a baby. I can only imagine how she felt sitting beside this desk on the floor of my first bedroom and wondering if she would have a boy or a girl. I doubt she ever thought this one piece of furniture would follow me my entire life, or that it was a symbol of my life’s work as a schoolteacher and a writer.
But right here at this desk is where my story began, and literally, where it continues to be written. But I hope my story will not end here. I pray it continues to be written when my granddaughter moves it to her room. I am sure her mother will repaint it and modernize it. But it will still be a reoccurring symbol of love from one generation of women to the next. And who knows, maybe our precious girl will use it throughout her life as well. I am certain God has a good, good plan for her and this desk.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I realize that you and I are not patriarchs of the Bible. We are not famous leaders of the faith either. But we do have influence in the world in which we live. And God has given us some tools to use as we ply that influence. Those tools are not just literary signs and symbols in our life story. But just like Moses, Jacob, Peter, and Joseph, we can use those tools well and with much power, if we listen to God’s voice and obey his instructions.
Otherwise, we may end up limping on the wrong side of the Jabbok River or wandering way too long in the wilderness of our own sin. Or sadly, our children and their children might not be able to find the Rock with the Living Water that they so desperately will need.
