People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Mary, the mother of Jesus

    About 800 years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah prophesied that He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14-15) and about 700 years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah* (Micah 5:2). *Ancient name for the town of Bethlehem

    A young woman enters the pages of history described as one betrothed to Joseph (Matthew 1:18). Betrothal in these times meant that there was an agreement between both families and that Joseph and Mary were considered engaged to be married – but it was more than that – Mary was, from the time of the betrothal, considered Joseph’s wife, and he her husband, though they did not live together nor know one another until after the wedding.

    When Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant. Joseph did not want Mary to be made a public spectacle so he thought about dissolving their agreement secretly, but an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him that the child was conceived of the Holy Spirit; he was also told that Mary would have a Son and that he was to call him Jesus (literally means Saviour, Matthew 1:18-25).

    We are given more background to Mary’s story in the gospel of Luke. The angel, Gabriel, was sent by God, and he spoke to Mary saying, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” Mary didn’t know what to think about such a greeting as this, but Gabriel told her to not be afraid because she had found favour with God – she pleased God. 

Side note: This same ‘favour’ is used in speaking of David in Acts 7:45-47 – he found favour before God. 

    Mary is told that she will conceive and bring forth a Son and He will be called Jesus (read Luke 1:31-33 to see how Gabriel describes Jesus). Mary asks how it could be possible because she was a virgin, and Gabriel tells her simply that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Highest would overshadow her – that the Holy One she would bear will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). He goes on to tell her that her relative, Elizabeth, once barren and now old, was 6 months pregnant (with a son, John the baptizer, Luke 1:5-25, 57-80) – “For with God nothing will be impossible”  (Luke 1:37) – and Mary’s response? “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). In saying this, Mary declared herself a willing servant, wholly submitting to God and His will.

    We see a beautiful facet of Mary’s heart and mind, as well as her knowledge of the Scriptures, in Luke 1:46-55 – take the time to read this passage. Mary sings that her soul magnifies the Lord – declares His greatness – and that her spirit rejoices in God her Saviour. She goes on to describe God as One who regards the lowly people who serve Him, One who is mighty, who does great things, who is merciful on those who fear Him; One who is strong and powerful, who is able to pull down the mighty and exalt the lowly, able to fill the hungry with good things, and the One who helped Israel, and in His mercy, He remembered His promise to Abraham and his seed.

Side note: Mary sings words similar to Hannah’s prayer, when Hannah offered a prayer of rejoicing after being blessed with her son, Samuel – see 1 Samuel 2:1-10, specifically verses 5-8

    Mary pleased God. He chose her to be the mother of Jesus. And from what we can learn from the rest of the gospels and the beginning of Acts, Mary remained a faithful maidservant to God: She quietly considered matters she didn’t yet understand (Luke 2:41-51), she stood by the cross while Jesus hung there (John 19:25-27), and she (and Jesus’ brothers) continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the apostles after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:9-14). I think it is good to note that her only recorded words after Jesus began His ministry were, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5). She submitted to God, followed Jesus, and pointed others to Him, as He pointed all to God.

What can we learn from Mary?  

    When we are prepared, God can use us. Mary, likely never considering how God would/could use her, was faithful to His law and kept herself pure, and because of this was prepared for the role she was to have in Jesus’ birth. We, too, need to seek God’s will (Ephesians 5:10, 17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17) so we can study and show ourselves approved by God, being a worker who is pure in heart and motive (does not need to be ashamed), and who knows the Truth (not carried away by winds of doctrine, Ephesians 4:13-15, 1 Timothy 4:12-16). Read and consider Hebrews 5:12-14. God gave us work to do: good works (Ephesians 2:10, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Titus 3:8, 14, Matthew 5:14-16, Hebrews 13:16), proclaiming His praises (1 Peter 2:9, Hebrews 13:15), bearing fruit (John 15:8, Galatians 5:22-23), and teaching others (Matthew 28:18-20, Titus 2:3-5, 1 Peter 3:1-4). When we are prepared to do the work, God can use us to light the way for those seeking Him, and He can use us to strengthen our brethren (Ephesians 4:29, 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11). Let’s determine to keep our vessels filled with oil so that we are ready and prepared to do the work (Matthew 25:1-13).  

    We can trust God and willingly submit to His will. I’m sure Mary didn’t fully understand what Gabriel meant by the overshadowing power of the Highest, but she knew that the Highest was God, and with Him she would be okay. Can we trust Him like Mary did?  YES! He is the same God. He loves us and gives us instructions and commands that are for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), He has provided all we need to succeed in our walk along the difficult path (John 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 John 2:3-6), He longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18), and to welcome us home. Trust Him. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the man who trust in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)

    We can tell others to follow Jesus, as we continue to follow Him all our days. There are many people in the religious world who want to give great significance to Mary, but Mary’s words were “Whatever He says to you, do it” – these simple words are potent because they clearly say that it is Jesus who needs to be listened to, and His words should be our command. Consider also the woman who wanted to venerate Jesus’ mother in Luke 11:27, then look at Jesus’ response in verse 28. Mary pointed others to Jesus the Christ, not in a loud way, but in a clear, concise way, and we can do that too. We can also hear God’s word and keep it, just as she did. The last we hear of Mary, the mother of Jesus, was after Jesus’ ascension, and we find her with the apostles and brethren (about 120 people, Acts 1:15) earnestly praying; they all had the same mind to serve God and they continued in it together.

    Mary was a woman prepared to obey God and willing to submit to His will. She was one who listened to Jesus and pointed others to Him. She faithfully served God, and when there were times that she didn’t understand, she still trusted Him and continued in obedience to Him. Let’s hear Mary’s words: “Whatever He says to you, do it” as she points us to Jesus and let’s submit to God’s will so that we are prepared to be a useful vessel that can help others come to know Jesus, and let’s follow Him all of our days.

You can do it! So can I!!    

   

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Joseph

“The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand… So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field.” (Genesis 39:2-3, 5 NKJV)

    A seventeen year old boy named Joseph, much loved and favoured above his eleven brothers, is introduced in the pages of history as a something of a ‘tattletale,’ bringing his father a bad report of his older brothers, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher, who were feeding the flock, and they hated him for it. Then this same young man dreamed dreams that indicated that his siblings, and even his parents, would one day bow down to him. His older brothers rebuked him and envied him; his father, Jacob (aka Israel), also rebuked him for such aggrandizing dreams, but retained these dreams in his mind and pondered over them (Genesis 37:1-11).

    Hatred and jealousy drove his brothers to want to kill him, but when the oldest brother, Reuben, told them to shed no blood, they conceded, stripped Joseph of his coat of many colours (Genesis 37:3, 23), and threw him into a deep pit, until the fourth in line, Judah, suggested a way to get rid of their annoying little brother and ‘keep their hands clean’: sell him to the Midianite traders who were passing by. So, for twenty shekels of silver, Joseph was carried out of their land and into Egypt (Genesis 37:12-28).    

    While in Egypt, God was with Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3, 21-23, also Acts 7:9-10), and Joseph never forgot God. Joseph would not sin against Him when Potiphar’s wife tried to lure him (Genesis 39:1-20), and when he was put into prison after her false accusation, God showed him mercy and gave him favour in the sight of the prison guard so that Joseph was given charge over all the prisoners – “whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper” (Genesis 39:21-23).

    Joseph, seeing his fellow prisoners (the king’s chief baker and the king’s chief butler) looking sad after dreaming troubling dreams, informed them that dream interpretations belong to God (Genesis 40:8), and after hearing their dreams and giving their interpretations, Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him when he was released; the butler forgot him (Genesis 40:14-15, 23), but God did not.

    Two years later, Pharaoh had dreams that he could not understand, and after calling all his wise men and magicians together, he found that there was not one who could interpret the dreams; it was then that the chief butler remembered his faults and mentioned Joseph to the king. Joseph was brought before the king and when Pharaoh told him that he had heard of his ability to understand and interpret dreams, Joseph responded: “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:1-16)

    After giving the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41:1-32), Joseph told him that God would shortly bring it to pass so he should select a wise and discerning man to appoint officers to collect produce during the seven years of plenty, so that there would be food in the cities during the seven years of famine. This advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants (Genesis 41:37).

    Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” Then to Joseph, “Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word… See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt… I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 41:38-44)  

Side notes: Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh (41:46). Pharaoh changed Joseph’s name to Zaphnath-Paaneah (41:45, thought to mean ‘God Speaks and He Lives’, ‘revealer of secrets’, or ‘nourisher of the living one’), and he gave Asenath (daughter of Poti-Pherah, priest of On/northeastern Cairo) to Joseph as a wife (41:45).

    During the seven years of plenty, Joseph’s wife, Asenath, bore him two sons, and Joseph glorified God in the very names he gave them: Manasseh – “For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house” (all the trouble and suffering he experienced because of his brothers’ envy was forgotten), and Ephraim – “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” (Genesis 41:50-52, 46:20). In all areas of his life, Joseph gave God the glory!

    When the seven years of famine had begun, it was severe in all lands, and all countries came to Joseph in Egypt to buy grain. Jacob/Israel heard that grain was available in Egypt, and sent ten* of his sons there to buy grain, “that we may live and not die” (Genesis 42:1-2).

*Jacob kept Benjamin from that journey because he was his youngest son – and, to his knowledge, the only remaining son of his loved wife, Rachel (Genesis 37:31-35, 42:3-4, 44:5-31)

    The brothers went before Joseph, who immediately recognized them, but they did not recognize him. Joseph used this to his advantage to not only share grain with his family, but also, eventually, bring his whole family to Egypt, including his younger brother Benjamin (and his beloved father, Jacob. Read the full account: Genesis 42:1-47:12).

    While there were still five years left of the famine (Genesis 45:6) Joseph revealed himself to his eleven brothers. He had been in Egypt for 22 years* and his words to his brothers were these: “God has sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout the land of Egypt… God has made me lord of all Egypt.” (Genesis 45:7-9) Joseph was not angry, there was no vengeance, no retaliation – only joy in God for being with him and granting him the ability to be a help to his family in their time of need (see Genesis 50:15-21)!    

*Joseph was sold at 17, was 30 when he was brought before Pharaoh, then 7 years of plenty, and 2 years of famine

What can we learn from Joseph?

    We are servants of God, no matter what, no matter where. When surrounded by ungodly people, or facing temptation, we may think ‘no one will see me,’ or ‘no one knows me here, so it won’t matter,’ but God is aware; He sees, He knows. Like Joseph we need to always remember our relationship with God first, see sin for what it is, and strive to not sin against Him (Psalm 119:10-11; 37, 2 Timothy 2:22) – we need to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good (Romans 12:9); we need to be faithful and committed to God every moment of every day because when we faithfully represent God to the world – becoming blameless and harmless children of God (Philippians 2:15), serving Him first (Colossians 3:22-24) – we will shine as lights in the world and prove that His will is good and acceptable and perfect (Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 12:2).

    We can bloom wherever we are planted. No matter where you are, you can faithfully serve God. Even in pagan lands, difficult workplaces, and trying relationships we can follow the one true God and bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), because in reality you are rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7), you are rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:14-21), and you are planted in the house of the LORD (Psalm 92:12-14), so be content with where you are (Philippians 4:11-13) and flourish with what you have (abundant daily blessings from God, Psalm 68:19). Take time to read James, 1:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10-18; 5:6-9

    We can give God the glory. It is God in His mercy who gives us life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25), it is He who gives us power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18), it is He who gives us wisdom (James 1:5), and it is He who hears our prayers and answers them (1 John 5:14-15). It is God who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9), it is He who gives us abundance for which to do good works (2 Corinthians 9:7-11), and it is He who gives us abilities to be a benefit to others (1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:4-8) – “It is not me, it is God,” “I’m simply using the abilities and wherewithal God blessed me with,” “It is God who gave me the time and opportunity – let Him be thanked.” Read and think on Psalm 16:2, Jeremiah 9:23-24, and James 4:10

    We can be gracious and forgiving. We need both grace and forgiveness from God for our own missteps and sin; if our Creator is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we repent and confess our sins to Him, we need to be forgiving and offer grace to those who trespass against us (Matthew 6:12, 14-15, Colossians 3:12-13). Think of how God’s love has helped you and healed you, extend that pathway to those who have hurt you by forgiving them; point them to God, so they may seek help and healing from Him, too. Consider Matthew 18:15 and James 5:20

    Like Daniel, Joseph spent the rest of his days in the foreign land he had been carried off to (Genesis 50:22-26), and through all those years (17 in Canaan, and 93 in Egypt, Genesis 50:26) he never doubted God, nor did he doubt God’s ability to take His people back to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). Like Joseph, we can trust God throughout our lives – His promises are real; what He has said, He will do (1 Thessalonians 5:24, Psalm 34:8).

Are you ready to trust God completely, serve Him faithfully, and give Him the glory?

You can do it! So can I!!      

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Daniel (and His Companions)

    After Nebuchadnezzar (the king of Babylon, Daniel 1:1) besieged Jerusalem*, he instructed his master of eunuchs, Ashpenaz, to bring some of the young Israelite men back to Babylon (1:3). From the list of qualifications given to Ashpenaz, we can conclude that Daniel and his three companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were: of royal or noble descent (1:3, of the sons of Judah, 1:6), young, without blemish, good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, and had ability to serve in the king’s palace. They were brought to serve the king of Babylon and to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans (1:4, Babylon belonged to the Chaldean dynasty).

*This was 370 years after King Solomon built the temple. After Solomon the kingdom was divided (1 Kings 11:1-13) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah lived under 20 kings (some good, some bad) before being carried off into Babylonian captivity. The books of Jeremiah and Lamentations were written during Nebuchadnezzar’s siege on Jerusalem, his breach of its walls, and his looting of the temple (2 Chronicles 36:15-21, 2 Kings 25:1-5, 8-17).  

    We know that God does not look at the outward appearance, as man does, He looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), and God saw young men who were determined not to defile themselves while being in Babylonian captivity (see Daniel 1:5-16). God blessed Daniel by bringing him into favour and goodwill with the chief of the eunuchs (1:9) and by making he and his friends healthier than those who ate what the king supplied (1:15). He gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom, and beyond these blessings God gave Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams (1:17).

    Daniel’s friends are not mentioned beyond chapter three, but what is said of them is worthy of study, so take time to read how they, with Daniel, sought God’s mercies (2:11-19), and how God blessed Shadrach (Hananiah), Meshach (Mishael), and Abed-Nego (Azariah) for their unwavering faith and refusal to bow to a carved image of the king in Daniel 3:1-30. Note the promotions they received in the province of Babylon (2:46-49, 3:30).

    Throughout his lifetime, Daniel kept his determination to not become defiled while living in a pagan nation. When jealous men sought to bring him down because he was favoured by the king, Daniel kept to his habit of opening his windows toward Jerusalem to pray and give thanks to God three times a day (6:3-10), knowing full well it meant that he would be thrown into a den of lions (6:10-20). God blessed him and wholly protected him from harm (6:21-23).

“My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” (Daniel 6:22 NKJV)

    Daniel’s faithful example caused kings who worshiped many false gods to acknowledge the one true God; to bless Him, praise Him, and to declare His power, dominion, and might (2:47, 3:28-29, 4:1-3; 34-37). His immovable faith caused one ruler (Darius, king of the Medes, 6:2) to make an unchangeable decree (6:8, 15) that in every dominion of his kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel (6:26).   

    Daniel was mentioned, by the LORD, as a man of righteousness (along with Noah and Job, see Ezekiel 14:14 and 20). He remained righteous while living the rest of his adult life in a foreign land, and while serving under rulers who did not regularly acknowledge God. Daniel is a man who pleased God in his determination to remain undefiled by the world around him.

What can we learn from Daniel and his companions?            

    We can live righteously before God, even in an ungodly nation (2 Corinthians 6:17-18, 2 Peter 2:13-17, 1 John 3:1-3, 7). We are to pray to God and earnestly beg Him, as we make intercession for, and give thanks for the governments that we live under (1 Timothy 2:1-4). We are not to rise up against those in authority (Romans 13:1-7), we are to humbly submit to God and do what He has asked us to do – His blessings cannot be blocked or held back by any oppressive leader or regime. Remember, there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), so let us continue to walk in the Spirit and serve God, and we will be blessed (Proverbs 16:13, 22:11, Matthew 5:44-48, Colossians 3:22-24).  

    People are going to exalt others and pressure us to join in worshiping* them – be it a social media influencer, a singer, a celebrity, or a religious speakers/political leader – we need to be determined not to defile ourselves with what the world exalts (Ephesians 4:17-24, Colossians 3:1-4, 2 Peter 2:18-22). Daniel’s companions didn’t organize a rally, start a petition, or incite a riot; they simply chose to remain standing with God in obedience to His commands (Exodus 20:4-6). We were created to seek God (Acts 17:26-27) and to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9). He is to be our only guide (Proverbs 3:5-8, Matthew 7:21-23). He is to be our hope and strength (Psalm 33:20-22, Romans 15:13, Ephesians 6:10-18). We are to desire to be in His presence (Psalm 27:4-5, 8; 122:1, 2 Peter 3:11-18, Psalm 17:15).

*Anyone who we think about more than God; who we spend more time following/learning about/learning from, anyone whose actions/activities guide our decisions (ex: choosing to see them over going to worship/Bible study) is someone whom we worship. And, yes, some have exalted religious speakers to a place where whatever they say is accepted without further investigation or study (as opposed to Acts 17:11); they are given an almost ‘celebrity’ status and people will fill van loads, driving for miles to hear them night after night, but these same people can hardly bring themselves to support a Bible lesson series being taught by a little known (or local) preacher one night out of the week.

    We may go through fiery trials, but God will be with us (1 Peter 1:3-9). When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us (James 4:8). Take time to read Psalm 34 – God will not forsake us, He hears the cries of the righteous – He will strengthen us, comfort us, and deliver us (Psalm 46:1-11, 50:15, 1 Peter 5:9-11, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Consider how God helped Paul, as described in 2 Timothy 4:17-18.

    We can lead others to consider God and His way when we faithfully obey God (Daniel 6:16-23) Wives with submissive and chaste conduct (gentle and quiet spirits) may, without a word, win their unbelieving husbands to Christ (1 Peter 3:1-4). When we abstain from fleshly lusts and conduct ourselves honourably in the world, we may cause those who want to speak evil of us to come to a place of glorifying God instead because of the good we do as we humbly serve Him (Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:14-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12, Romans 6:13, 17-18). When we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, transformed by the renewing of our mind, we can prove to others that God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2, also consider Deuteronomy 6:24-25).

    We, too, live in a time of captivity – the world is held captive under the sway of the devil (1 John 5:19) – but the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true (1 John 5:20); we can find out what is acceptable to God (Ephesians 5:8-10), and we can understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17) and we can practice righteousness every single day (Matthew 6:33, 1 John 2:3-6; 3:7, James 1:21-25). Our determination to remain faithful to God, to take a stand for Him, and not be defiled with the world and its ways, may encourage someone else who sees our continuing, humble obedience to consider God, and they may even choose to begin obeying Him with us! Let’s point them in the right direction, and determine to show them that God’s way is the BEST way!

You can do it! So can I!!