Scripture

Old Testament

Law, history, poetry and prophets — the three quarters of the Bible most readers skip.

39 articles

Omri on the crown of the hill of Samaria at golden hour, surveying the half-built city and its scaffolding below

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Who Was Omri?

Omri was a powerful but wicked king of Israel who built Samaria and led the nation into idolatry, setting the stage for disaster.

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People of the Bible

Who Was Asher?

Asher, the eighth son of Jacob, received a blessing of rich food and royal delicacies, symbolizing a life of contentment and God's faithful provision.

Asher at the edge of an olive grove at golden hour, a basket of olives and an oil jar beside him

People of the Bible

Who Was Eli? Have you ever felt like you were given a sacred responsibility, but you struggled to manage your own household? That was Eli, a priest and judge of Israel whose story is both cautionary and redemptive.

Eli seated by the doorpost of the tabernacle at Shiloh late in the evening, a single lamp burning low beside him

People of the Bible

Who Was Jael?

You might not expect a tent peg and a hammer to be instruments of deliverance, but Jael's story proves God can use anyone—and anything—to fulfill His purposes.

Jael standing at the open flap of her goat-hair tent at dusk with a bowl of milk in both hands, a mallet and tent peg in the dust beside her

People of the Bible

The Story of Ruth: Loyalty, Redemption, and Unexpected Grace

The story of Ruth is one of the most tender and beautifully written narratives in the entire Bible.

Ruth stopped on the road out of Moab at first light, a bundle roped across her back, looking back the way she came

People of the Bible

The Story of Esther: Courage, Providence, and "Such a Time as This"

The story of Esther is the only book in the Bible that never mentions the name of God — and yet it is one of the most compelling demonstrations of divine providence in all of Scripture.

Esther pausing at the threshold of the king's inner court at Susa, a long lamplit hall running away beyond her

People of the Bible

The Story of David and Goliath: Faith That Faces Giants

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most famous confrontations in human history — not just in the Bible, but in all of literature. It's the archetypal underdog story.

David on the slope of the Valley of Elah at first light, a sling loose in one hand, a towering armoured figure far off across the valley

People of the Bible

The Story of Moses and the Exodus: Liberation, Law, and the Long Walk Home

The story of Moses is one of the most sweeping narratives in the entire Bible. Spanning the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, the Moses and the Exodus story covers roughly 80 years of one man's life — from a basket on the Nile to the…

Moses on a ridge in the Sinai wilderness at first light, staff grounded, the column of Israel strung out across the plain below

People of the Bible

The Story of Joseph in the Bible: From Pit to Palace

The story of Joseph in the Bible is one of the most dramatic and emotionally rich narratives in all of Scripture.

Joseph at the head of a broad palace stair in Memphis, a hand on the balustrade, the lamplit hall receding below

People of the Bible

The Story of Noah and the Ark: Faith, Flood, and a New Beginning

The story of Noah and the ark is one of the most recognizable stories in all of Scripture. It appears in Genesis 6–9 and tells of a man who trusted God completely — even when what God asked seemed impossible.

Noah on the open ramp of the grounded ark after the rain, a hand on the doorpost, the drying plain below

People of the Bible

Who Was Ziba?

Who Was Ziba? Ziba was a servant in the household of King Saul, and later, a key figure in the life of Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul and son of Jonathan.

Ziba on the road below Jerusalem at dawn, a hand on a laden donkey's pack-saddle, the city gate on the ridge beyond

People of the Bible

Who Was Nadab?

Nadab is one of those Bible characters whose story is both brief and sobering. He was the eldest son of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel, and therefore had a front-row seat to God's miraculous work in the wilderness.

Nadab in priestly vestments in the tabernacle court at night, an unlit censer held low, coals glowing at the altar

People of the Bible

Who Was Elijah?

Imagine a man so bold he challenges a king, calls down fire from heaven, and never tastes death. That man is Elijah—one of the most dramatic and beloved prophets in the Bible.

A weathered prophet in a camel-hair cloak on the bare summit of Mount Carmel, a stone altar smouldering behind him and storm cloud gathering over the distant sea

People of the Bible

Who Was Lamech?

Who Was Lamech? Lamech is a figure from the early chapters of Genesis, a descendant of Cain, and the first man recorded in Scripture to have taken two wives.

Lamech standing outside a stone and timber encampment at dusk, chin raised, a spear leaning unused against the wall

People of the Bible

Who Was Bathsheba? The Woman Behind Two Kings of Israel

Bathsheba's story begins with a king's abuse of power and ends with her son on the throne. Discover the resilient woman who shaped the course of an entire kingdom.

Bathsheba in a crimson and gold robe on a palace terrace at golden hour, one hand on the balustrade, looking out over the flat limestone roofs of Jerusalem

People of the Bible

Who Was Isaac? The Child of Promise Who Carried a Covenant

Isaac was the miracle child Abraham and Sarah waited ninety years for — and then God asked Abraham to offer him as a sacrifice. Discover the quiet patriarch who carried the covenant forward.

A bearded man in plain wool robes resting a hand on the stone coping of a desert well at evening, goats drinking at the trough

People of the Bible

Who Was Gideon? The Unlikely Warrior Who Won With 300 Men

Gideon was hiding in a winepress when God called him a mighty warrior. He cut his army from 32,000 to 300 — and still won. Discover Israel's most improbable military victory.

Gideon threshing wheat in secret inside a rock-cut winepress, chaff in a shaft of light, glancing sharply up

People of the Bible

Who Was Jeremiah? The Weeping Prophet Who Never Stopped Preaching

Jeremiah preached for forty years to a nation that refused to listen. Mocked, imprisoned, thrown in a pit — he never stopped. Discover the story of Israel's weeping prophet.

Jeremiah sitting on the step of a broken city gate in Jerusalem, a scroll beside him, the ruined street running away beyond

People of the Bible

Who Was Jacob? The Schemer Who Wrestled With God

Jacob deceived his father, fled his brother, worked fourteen years for the woman he loved, and then wrestled with God all night. Discover the complicated patriarch who became Israel.

Jacob leaning on a staff at the ford of the Jabbok after sunrise, favouring one hip, mist lying on the water

People of the Bible

Who Was Samson? The Strongest Man in the Bible — and His Greatest Weakness

Samson killed a lion with his bare hands, brought down a temple with two pushes, and was undone by a woman with a pair of scissors. His story is more complicated than you remember.

Samson standing still on the road above the vineyards of Timnah at midday, the terraced valley running away beyond

People of the Bible

Who Was Esther? The Queen Who Risked Everything to Save Her People

Esther was an orphan who became a queen — and then risked her life to walk uninvited into the throne room to prevent the genocide of her entire people.

A young queen in blue and brass Persian robes standing alone at the threshold of a vast columned throne hall at night

People of the Bible

Who Was Noah? The Man Who Built an Ark When There Was No Rain

Noah spent decades building a massive ark on dry land while his neighbors watched. Discover the story of the man God chose to preserve life when the world was starting over.

Noah on scaffolding beside the ribbed hull of the half-built ark, an adze in one hand, the dry plain beyond

People of the Bible

Who Was Isaiah? The Prophet Who Saw Jesus 700 Years Early

Isaiah wrote about a suffering servant, a virgin birth, and a prince of peace — centuries before Jesus was born. Discover the greatest prophet of the Old Testament.

Isaiah in the temple court before dawn, a scroll open in one hand, altar smoke drifting through the light

People of the Bible

Who Was Jonah? The Prophet Who Ran from God — and Got Swallowed

Jonah was called to preach to his enemies, ran the other direction, ended up in a fish for three days, and still almost missed the point. His story is stranger — and deeper — than you think.

Jonah sitting on the quay at Joppa at dawn, a bundle at his feet, a merchant ship moored beyond him

People of the Bible

Who Was Joseph? The Dreamer Who Saved a Nation

Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned unjustly — and then raised to save the very people who wronged him. Discover the story of Joseph.

Joseph as Egypt's vizier on the step of a granary court at Memphis, a rolled record in hand, silos and labourers beyond

People of the Bible

Who Was Deborah? The Judge and Prophet Who Led Israel to Victory

Deborah was Israel's only female judge — a prophet, military strategist, and poet who led her nation to victory when no man was willing to step forward.

Deborah beneath an ancient palm on a ridge in Ephraim at first light, looking out over a valley with an army far below

People of the Bible

Who Was Daniel? The Man Who Faced Lions and Refused to Bend

Daniel was taken captive to Babylon as a teenager and rose to advise kings — without ever compromising who he was. Discover the story of one of Scripture's most faithful figures.

Daniel in a vast Babylonian hall at night, a scroll against his side, glazed brick columns receding into shadow

People of the Bible

Who Was Joshua? The Warrior Who Led Israel Into the Promised Land

Joshua spent forty years waiting in the wilderness before his moment came. Discover the story of the courageous leader who finally brought Israel home.

Joshua on a rise above the Jordan in a scaled cuirass, spear grounded, looking towards the distant walls of Jericho

People of the Bible

Who Was Sarah? The Woman Who Laughed — and Then Gave Birth to a Nation

Sarah waited ninety years for a child God had promised. Discover the story of Abraham's wife — her faith, her doubts, and the miracle that changed history.

Sarah listening at the opening of a goat-hair tent, a half-smile beginning, three long shadows on the ground outside

People of the Bible

Who Was Ruth? The Loyal Outsider Who Became an Ancestor of Jesus

Ruth was a foreign widow with nothing — but her loyalty, courage, and faithfulness made her one of the most beloved women in the entire Bible.

Ruth straightening from gleaning at the edge of a barley field outside Bethlehem, a bundle of stalks against her hip

People of the Bible

Who Was Solomon? The Wisest King Who Ever Lived

King Solomon asked God for wisdom instead of riches — and became the wealthiest, wisest king in Israel's history. Discover his rise, his fall, and his legacy.

A king in blue and brass robes with a plain gold circlet sitting forward in thought in the unfinished temple court, sunlight cutting the dust

People of the Bible

Who Was Elijah? The Prophet Who Stood Alone Against a Nation

Elijah called down fire from heaven and faced down a king — then collapsed in despair in the wilderness. Discover the dramatic, deeply human story of this fiery prophet.

An exhausted prophet in a dust-caked cloak slumped against a solitary broom tree in an empty bleached desert

People of the Bible

Who Was Moses? The Reluctant Leader Who Set a Nation Free

Moses ran from his calling for forty years. Discover how a reluctant shepherd became the deliverer, lawgiver, and most pivotal leader in the Old Testament.

An old man with a long white beard leaning on a shepherd's staff high on a rock shoulder of Sinai above an empty desert valley

People of the Bible

Who Was Abraham? The Story of the Father of Nations

Who Was Abraham? Abraham is one of the most important figures in all of human history — and one of the most important in the Bible. He is called the Father of Nations, the father of faith, and the founding patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Abraham at the entrance of his tent on a high plain in Canaan at dusk, a staff in one hand, the first stars showing

People of the Bible

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