THE MARRIAGE FEAST IN CANA
There was a marriage feast in G-alilee;
The festal board was spread with viands
rare;
The joyous guests had met in commune sweet,
And he, the Man of Nazareth, was there.
Yes, he was there, that marriage, Eden-born,
Might share the sanction of his presence
sweet,
That round this holy ritual he might throw
A sacred halo, glorious and complete.
"The wine has failed;" the murmuring word
is passed.
And soon from lip to lip is borne to him;
Then sweeter far than music sounds his voice,
' 'Fill ye these water vessels to the brim."
'Tis done: and wine, rare, purple. rich, and
sweet,
Th' astonished servants, smiling, bear away;
The while, methinks, the wondering guests
repeat,
"Ah, we have seen strange things —
strange things to-day."
New, unferinented wine, the Master made.
Not the mad wine that fills the drunkard's
cup,
But such as he, the bridegroom, gives his
guests
Who at the marriage of the Lamb shall sup,
And drink it new within that kingdom fair —
His Father's glorious kingdom over there.
E'en thus it is along life's rugged path;
Ofttimes it seems the wine of life is spent.
And we have nought to offer those we love
But empty vessels, tears, and discontent.
O let us fill these empty vessels full
With flowing sap, fresh from the living
Vine;
And we shall find, before the feast is done,
That He has turned life's water into wine
Sunday, January 16, 2022
The Marriage Feast In Cana
The Baptism and Temptation
THE BAPTISM AND TEMPTATION
AT last th' appointed hour has come;
Christ bows 'neath Jordan's swelling wave;
The mighty Baptist leads him forth
Triumphant from that watery grave.
And from the heaven, serene and blue,
While wondering souls with awe are stirred,
A dove-like form appears in view,
Th' Eternal Father's voice is heard:
' 'Lo, this is my beloved Son —
The Prince of Peace, th' Anointed One! "
O holy hour! O sacred spot!
And yet, and yet, they knew him not.
And now the Spirit leads him far
From busy haunts of life away,
Where gloomy shades of darkness are,
'Mong fierce and angry beasts of prey ;
The Holy Spirit bids him go
To wrestle with the wily foe.
There, in that wilderness alone,
With fainting form and pallid face,
Grievous temptations fierce and strong
He suffers, for our fallen race.
But with the Spirit's mighty sword
The prince of hell is put to flight;
The strength of the Eternal Word
Has conquered in Jehovah's might.
O tempted heart! when sorely tried
Amid life's desert, drear and broad,
When hope and strength and courage fail,
Look up, and put thy trust in Grod.
He will not fail thee; he who bore
Temptations fierce and long for thee,
Who in the wilderness prevailed.
Will give thee strength and victory.
In The Temple
IN THE TEMPLE
O'ER Judah's plains sweet Spring had
thrown
Her flowery robe of living green.
And Nature in her gala robes
Was mantled like a fairy queen.
High o'er the temple's burnished towers
The sunshine fell like molten gold,
And flamed and flashed from glittering spire,
From pinnacle and turret old.
While through the city's busy street
Echoed the tread of countless feet.
Far over Judah's hills they come,
From shepherd lad to stately priest,
To ancient Salem's gates they haste
To keep the sacred Paschal Feast.
Look, who is he, that youthful Lad, -
Standing within the temple fair ?
Why do not Israel's sages know
That he — the Paschal Lamb — is there?
Strange blindness, that they knew him not, -
Those gray haired men, those learned
seers:
Useless the Rabbi's studied lore,
The vain philosophy of years.
From out those sacred, youthful lips
Flow wondrous words of heavenly lore, —
Such words of purity and grace
As man had never heard before.
And now, a kind, obedient Son,
No thought had he of earthly fame,
But 'mong the hills of Nazareth
A humble carpenter became.
He took our fallen nature; he
Who made the hosts which roll above
Of Abraham's frail seed partook,
In godlike sympathy and love.
Slaying of The Innocents
SLAYING OF THE INNOCENTS.
Thus one by one the days go by
Since, in the brightening orient sky,
The wise men saw the shining star
Gleam over Bethlehem's hills afar,
And since the shepherd's hearts were stirred
By sweetest song ear ever heard.
But ah ! those echoes scarce had died
O'er Judah's hills and vales so wide, —
Those hills and vales which lately flung
The echoes back from angel tongue, —
Ere, from those selfsame hills, arise
Loud wails of anguish to the skies.
O Herod! heed'st thou not the cry
Of Rachel's anguish, rising high, —
That long, loud wail of mortal pain
From tender babes thy sword hath slain?
Why dost thou raise thy puny arm
To do the Lord's Anointed harm ?
Dost thou not know th' Eternal One
Will shield his well beloved Son?
To far-off Egypt's friendly land
He journeys, led by angel hand;
There, safe from cruel rage, is borne,
While Rama's daughters weep and mourn.
O crafty Herod, vain thy might
When waged against Eternal Right.
Vain, vain shall be thy godless boasts,
Thy conflict with the Lord of Hosts.
Birth
Birth
O'er Bethlehem's hills the stars of night
Were softly shining, clear and bright;
The flocks and herds were sleeping still,
On verdant dale and dewy hill,
And o'er earth's calm and peaceful breast
A benediction seemed to rest,
As though the whole creation knew,
And smiled a welcome warm and true
To Him, her long-expected Lord,
Foretold by Inspiration's Word, —
Foretold and sung by seer and sage,
Bright Star of Hope, from age to age.
Hark, hark! what strains of music rare,
Like faintest perfume fill the air!
And louder still, and still more loud.
Bursts from that swift descending cloud:
Such glorious notes ring o'er and o'er
As weary earth ne'er heard before;
Aloud the heavenly heralds sing.
While through the spheres the echoes ring.
''Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good will to men!"
And the heavens caught the glad refrain,
And echoed it o'er again.
Then up from the hills of glory
There echoed the thrilling cry,
''Rejoice, O Earth, for the Christ is born!
Glory to God on high!"
Who were Philip's daughters?
Philip's daughters (Acts 21:9) were the four unmarried daughters of the evangelist Philip. They seem to have had the honor of knowing and working for and with the great Christian men and women of their time in Jerusalem, Samaria, and Caesarea. Their father helped to administer the business affairs of the apostles and the growing Church in Jerusalem and to distribute relief to the poor.
They probably assisted him in the latter and were with him when he preached and healed at Samaria and when he led Simon the sorcerer to become an active believer in Christ.
Their mission as prophetesses is mentioned in the narrative telling that Paul's company entered the house of Philip at Caesarea on the Mediterranean. Luke probably stopped at their house also, and it is thought he may have written parts of his Gospel and the Book of Acts there.
Because of their association with the greatest Christian leaders of their time and their own rare spiritual endowments, they became illumined expounders of God's words.
Herodias' Daughter
Herodias' daughter (Matt. 14:6; Mark 6:22) is given no name in the Bible, but Josephus says her name was Salome. The famous opera Salome by Richard Strauss is based on the life of this daughter. She danced before her stepfather Herod Antipas and pleased him so well that he said to her, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee." Mark. 6:22. The daughter went to her mother and said, "What shall I ask? And the mother made the ghastly request for the head of John the Baptist because he had objected to her divorce from the girl's father and her marriage to his half-brother. The head was brought to the girl on a platter. Her own father was Herod Philip, who was a half-uncle of her mother's and a son of Herod the Great, who sought to destroy the child Jesus.
Saturday, January 15, 2022
"I have eyes for you."
| "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 |
Description of Clip Art: an eye looks over the highway of life, a sign on the road reads, "STOP, Look, Listen, Railroad Crossing," plus cautionary scriptures, grey scale illustration
| Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name." Matthew 6:9 |
| "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Matthew 5:7 |
| "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." 2 Corinthians 9:6 |
| "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5 |
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Daughter of Jairus
| Daughter of Jairus. |
The daughter of Jairus (Matt. 9:18-25; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8: 41-56) was raised from the dead by Jesus. Jairus, her father, was a ruler of a synagogue elected by elders of the community, and it was his duty to look after the order of the divine service. His office was one of the most respected in the community and no doubt his only child of twelve years was loved by all his people.
One day as she lay at the point of death, her father hastened to Jesus, then at Capernaum, beseeching Him to heal her. But as the anxious father spoke with Jesus, a woman who had had an issue of blood for twelve years touched the Master's garment, and the multitude thronged about Him.
This pause must have been a great test of Jairus' patience and faith, for he knew how necessary it was that Jesus hasten to his daughter's bedside. While Jesus paused to speak to the woman, messengers came from Jairus' house saying, "Thy daughter is dead.'' (Mark 5:35). Until then he had besought Jesus to heal his sick child, but now she lay dead. To the mourning Jairus, Jesus spoke the confident words, "Be not afraid, only believe. '' (Mark 5:36).
When Jesus had healed the woman with the issue of blood, he hastened on to the house of Jairus, taking with Him Peter and James and John. Upon entering the house, Jesus found it filled with noisy mourners. Even the flute-players had gathered to play for the last rites of the dead (Matt. 9:23). But Jesus rebuked the mourners, saying, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.'' (Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39;
Luke 8:52).
Then He went in to where the sick child lay, taking with Him His three disciples. He said to her, "Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise'' (Mark 5:41).
The Gospel writer, Mark, in his graphic way tells us, "And straightway the damsel arose, and walked.'' And Luke, the physician, makes this comment, "And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: . . . And her parents were astonished.'' (Luke 8:55, 56) .
In their astonishment, the joyous parents forgot that their daughter needed food, but Jesus did not forget. Turning to them. He commanded that something be given her to eat (Mark 5:43). Her hunger, a natural condition after a long illness, also made Jairus and his wife more aware that their only daughter was not only alive again but fully restored to health.
Though Jesus told her parents to tell no one what had transpired in this room of death, Matthew reports that "the fame hereof went abroad into all that land'' (Matt. 9:26).
Monday, January 10, 2022
Drawings by David Rice
My father was a pastor, a Greek & Roman scholar and an architect. He lived a truly unique and colorful life. In his old age he could not move and was confined to a wheel chair because of Parkinson's disease. However, he could draw and manipulate a pencil up until the last year of his life. I will include a series of drawings that he made for this little blog below.
All graphics/illustrations/clip art on this web journal are free to download and use for personal art projects, church related hard copy or webpages. Images are not to be redistributed in any other collections of clip art online. Please include a link back to this web journal if you use the materials for web articles. Link to htpp://christianclipartreview.blogspot.com
- Help, when least expected..
- Get On Board The Church Bus!
- The Discussion
- Dad's river of smiles
- A little village...
- God's Colorful Congregation
Butterfly Clip Art Index
| Sample butterfly clip art found in the collection below. |
- Philippians 1:6 Framed
- New Life Scriptures + Butterfly
- Orange Butterfly Divider
- Short love verses from Song of Solomon...
- Song of Solomon with Butterflies
- Butterfly resting on a flower
- Romans 8:38-39
- 2 Thessalonians 3:16
- Butterflies Are Free!
- Rejoice Butterfly
- Butterfly With Heart Patterned Wings
- A Symbol of Immortality
Sunday, January 9, 2022
Dove Clip Art Index
| Sample dove clip art found in the collection below. |
All graphics/illustrations/clip art on this web journal are free to download and use for personal art projects, church related hard copy or webpages. Images are not to be redistributed in any other collections of clip art online. Please include a link back to this web journal if you use the materials for web articles. Link to htpp://christianclipartreview.blogspot.com
- Drawing of A Pentecost Dove
- Illuminated Illustration of Pentecost
- The Dove of Pentecost
- Two real looking doves
- The Harp Player Banner
- A small dove frame in liturgical colors...
- Trinity Symbols: Pop Art Style
- Divine Peace
- "I Have Come With A Purpose"
- Confession Clip Art
- Matthew 18:20
- The Flaming IHC
- Colossians 3: 18-19
- Descending Dove
- A Dove on An Easter Egg
- Flood Doves
- Day of Pentecost
Read More About Doves As Symbols in The Christian Faith:
- Dove With An Olive Branch Chrismon
- Combined Triangle, Trinitarian, Dove Symbol
- The Descending Dove or Divine Dove Symbol
Huldah, "Thus Saith the Lord"
Though many of the Hebrews were given to idolatry and were ignorant of God, still the lamp of divine truth was kept burning in the heart of a woman. That woman was Huldah.
To a high degree, Huldah possessed two great qualities, righteousness and prophetic insight, and because she possessed the former she was able to use the latter wisely. This prophetic power, never trusted to the undeserving, was given to her because she loved God with all her heart.
Evidently Huldah was known in the kingdom of Judah far and wide or she would never have been sought out by King Josiah, who sent five of his own personal messengers to her with the Book of the Law, which had been recently discovered during repairs in the Temple at Jerusalem. He had faith in Huldah's spiritual powers and he wanted her to tell him whether the book was genuine or not. Here is a clue to Huldah's intellectual and spiritual perception.
The Scriptures give us no graphic description of this early Hebrew prophetess, except to say that she was the wife of Shallum, whose family had been singled out as keepers of the wardrobe, meaning either the priest's or the king's wardrobe, probably the latter. At least this would place her close to life inside the palace and Temple.
The King James Version says that Huldah "dwelt in Jerusalem in the college - but the Revised Standard Version says "she dwelt in the Second Quarter'' (II Kings 22:14), indicating the area of Jerusalem in which she lived. On some maps the Second Quarter is shown to be the section in front of the Temple. Jewish tradition has it that Huldah taught publicly in a school. Other tradition has it that she taught and preached to women.
We can justly infer that she was a woman of distinction. Among the messengers that King Josiah sent to her were his high priest, Hilkiah, who had found hidden away this amazing roll of manuscript, the lost Book of the Law, the brilliant work of a group of prophets and priests who had recorded the Yahwistic spiritual ideals. Another messenger was Shaphan, the scribe in the temple, to whom Hilkiah had first taken the lost book. Parts of this book are still found in Deuteronomy. It is now thought to be the first book of the Bible that was canonized.
Only a deeply devout woman, one of real intellectual attainments, would have been sought out by a king and a priest to give her opinion as to whether or not this scroll was indeed the word of the Lord. It turned out to be one of the most important scrolls in the history of Israel.
Huldah not only confirmed its authenticity but also prophesied concerning the future, saying that the Lord would bring evil upon Judah, because the people had forsaken Him and had turned instead to images. As a reward for Josiah's humility and tender heart, Huldah prophesied that he would be gathered unto his fathers before this terrible doom came upon Israel.
Commentators have questioned why King Josiah sent his personal messengers to consult a woman. Why were they not sent to a man? Josiah, who had come to rule at age eight, doubtless had learned to rely a great deal on his mother Jedidah as queen-mother.
We know little about her, but we do know that Josiah's father Amon was murdered in his own palace by his servants because of his idolatry. But King Josiah centralized religion at Jerusalem, exalted the Levites, threw out the shrines of the false gods, and led his people to new spiritual heights. We naturally assume that the godly Josiah had a godly mother. Because of her, he would have a sympathetic appreciation of a woman as righteous and as spiritually discerning as Huldah?
Noteworthy it is that in the short account of Huldah's prophecy the scribe repeated four times her phrase, "Thus saith the Lord'' making us know that Huldah did not think of herself as an oracle, but only as a channel through which God's word came.
Huldah's prophecy gave King Josiah greater courage to put into action the laws written in the Book of the Law, which had been sent to her for verification. After this, Josiah had the scroll read in the house of the Lord and made a covenant to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments. And because of it, he fought evil in Judah more zealously.
High regard he had for Huldah's prophecy when he acted so promptly, and when he also sought to make himself more worthy of the promised forbearance of God, though he knew the threatened evil to his country and his people could not be averted.
Only a woman who studied immutable spiritual laws and who prayed unceasingly could have been given insight into the mystery of the future. But Huldah was a woman who could throw back the veil of Israel's future because she had lived so close to God.
Jesus Only
Description of Clip Art: simply framed poem "Jesus Only" by W. H. Griffith Thomas, black and white text
Jesus Only
The Light of heaven is the face of Jesus.
The Joy of heaven is the presence of Jesus.
The Melody of heaven is the name of Jesus.
The Harmony of heaven is the praise of
Jesus.
The Theme of heaven is the work of Jesus.
The Employment of heaven is the service of
Jesus.
The Fullness of heaven is Jesus Himself.
In all preaching the Son of god is the substance,
the Word of God is the instrument,
the Spirit of God is the power, the Man of
God is the channel, the salvation of God is
the result, and the glory of God is the end.
by W. H. Griffith Thomas.
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Saturday, January 8, 2022
"Do this in remembrance of me."
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Christian Martyrs Burned Alive in Nero's Court
Description of Illustration: Nero's Torches, also known as Candlesticks of Christianity. Insane Roman emperor who burned Christian martyrs alive at his garden parties.
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Answers to Prayer
Answers to Prayer
Our Savior in the garden wept,
And thrice he prayed to God;
And while his tired disciples slept,
He sweat great drops of blood.
But through the cup his Father gave
Must never pass him by,
Yet strength to bear and power to save
Are sent him from on high.
His servant prayed that God would take
The piercing thorn away;
Yet, though he prayed for Jesus' sake,
The thorn must with him stay.
And yet in answer to his prayer,
A heavenly grace was sent,
To help its agony to bear,
Until his life was spent.
A child is bearing in his hands
A little pack of ware,
But by his side his father stands,
And guards his child with care.
So while the father stands so near,
To shield from rude alarms,
His child, when faint or filled with fear
He gathers in his arms.
'Tis thus our heavenly Father cares
For those who love his name;
He hears their oft-repeated prayers,
And loves them just the same.
And those who have some thorn or load
That seems too hard to bear,
He guards them all along the road
With a more watchful care.
"All the earth doth worship thee the Father.."
Description of Illumination: Illuminated hymn text "All the earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting." The "Te Deum is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. The illumination consists of a diamond-shaped centre upon a crossed pattern or diaper of Egyptian origin, which was extensively used for glass painting.
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a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and
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closely related to the subject folks.
Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Fishing for people...
Description of Clip Art: mosaic of fisherman and fish, scripture "Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people.' Matthew 4:19
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4 Verses about the Holy Spirit at work...
1.) His witness with us of Sonship.
"Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and me fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord." Romans 16: 7-8 (KJV)
2.) His testimony through us to the world.
"But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will
send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned." John 16:7-11 (NIV)
3.) His guidance of us into Truth.
"But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you recieved from Him abides (permanently) in you; (so) then you have no need that anyone should instruct you." 1 John 2: 27 (TAB)
"But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message (on His own authority): but He will tell whatever He hears (from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him), and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come (that will happen in the future). He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (recieve, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you." John 16: 13-14 (TAB)
4.) His leadership of us in service.
" And when they fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia and from thence they sailed to Cyprus." Acts 13: 3-4 (KJV)
Blank Ribbon Title
Description of Clip Art: black and white scroll work, ribbons, superimpose your own words, lettering, give your work, writing, index a fancy title graphic...
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Buried in his books...
Description of Illustration: An old scholar searches through his stacks of books. A very cluttered library of thoughts, facts, and imaginings..., black and white illustration of a bibliophile
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Only Waiting . . .
Only Waiting...
Only waiting till the shadows
Are a little longer grown;
Only waiting till the glimmer
Of the day's last breath is flown.
Till the night of earth is faded
From the heart once full of day;
Till the stars of heaven are breaking
Through the twilight soft and gray.
Only waiting till the reapers
Have the last sheaf gathered home;
For the summer time is faded,
And the autumn winds have come.
Quickly, reapers! gather quickly
The last ripe hours of my heart,
For the bloom of life is withered,
And I hasten to depart.
Only waiting till the angels
Open wide the mystic gate,
By whose side I long have lingered,
Weary, poor and desolate.
Even now I hear their footsteps,
And their voices far away;
If they call me, I am waiting,
Only waiting to obey.
Only waiting till the shadows
Are a little longer grown;
Only waiting till the glimmer
Of the day's last beam is flown;
Till from out the gathering darkness
Holy, deathless stars shall rise,
By whose light my soul shall gladly
Tread its pathway to the skies.
Who were the 400 outstanding wives in the book of Judges?
Four hundred young virgins from Jabesh-Gilead (Judg. 21:12-23) were brought into the camp at Shiloh and given as wives to the defeated Benjamites. This incident followed the war started over the Ephraim Levite s concubine, who had been ill-treated by the wicked Sons of Benjamin, who had no wives.
Grieved that the tribe of Benjamites was now nearly destroyed, the Israelites received them into their favor and found them wives from among their own daughters. After the Benjamites received the four hundred young virgins as wives, they went and repaired their cities and dwelt in them.
Here is a striking example of how good wives can be the civilizers of men, thus influencing them away from evil into that which is good.
Who was Machir's wife?
Machir's wife (I Chron. 7:15) was in the line of Zelophehad, who had the five distinguished daughters who declared their property rights.
"Makir took a wife from among the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister’s
name was Maakah. Another descendant was named Zelophehad, who had only
daughters." 1 Chronicles 7:15
Who was Artaxerxes' Queen?
The queen who sat beside Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:6) is only briefly mentioned when Nehemiah came before the king to ask for the commission to build again the wall of Jerusalem.
"Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long
will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king
to send me; so I set a time." Nehemiah 2:6
Who was Job's wife?
Job's wife (Job 2:9; 19:17; 31:10) has been called everything from the "adjutant of the devil" (St. Augustine) to the "faithful attendant upon her husband's misery" (William Blake). She is introduced after Job, one of the richest and greatest men of his time, has been bereft of his cattle, flocks, camels, and all his children. Moreover, he is suffering from a loathsome disease, probably leprosy.
As he sat on an ash heap outside the city walls, Job still did not blame God. His wife, probably not so faithful and certainly not so patient, cried out, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die." Job 2:9 No doubt Job's wife regarded a quick death as better than long-drawn-out suffering. In those days sudden death was supposed to result from cursing God.
In this statement we see Job's wife as an ordinary, normal woman. Though a dutiful wife, she probably failed to suffer with her husband in his hour of agony and consequently failed to share with him the marvelous victory of trusting God in spite of not understanding Him.
There is another side, however, to Job's wife. She had endured her husband's affliction, even the loss of all their children and all their material possessions, and had survived these trials. Like her husband, she was bewildered amid so much calamity. Such a piece of advice as she gave him in his affliction could have been inspired by sympathy and love. Probably she would rather have seen him die than endure such great suffering.
In the next scene where she is depicted, we find her turning from her husband (Job 19:17), because his breath is so offensive on account of the disease from which he suffered.
Though Job's wife is not mentioned in the closing chapters, we learn in 42:14 that three daughters, Jemima, Kezia, and Keren-hap-puch, as well as sons, were later born to him. Probably Job's wife arose to new joy, just as he did, and regretted her own lack of faith when she had advised him to "curse God, and die."
Who was Ezekiel's wife?
Ezekiel s wife (Ezek. 24:16, 17, 18) is referred to as the desire of his eyes. The wife of this prophet-priest of the sixth century B. C. was taken quite suddenly with a stroke. Ezekiel was warned that this would happen but was forbidden to perform the customary mourning rites.
He restrained his tears and went forth to preach, probably the morning after he had been told that he would lose his wife. In the evening she died. But that morning he spoke to his people on the coming destruction of Jerusalem, when they also would lose loved ones, but he told them that they too must abstain from any outward signs of mourning. Ezekiel's own great grief, only a few hours away, enabled him to speak with greater conviction to those who looked to him for spiritual guidance.
Doubtless Ezekiel's wife was a godly woman who had helped him serve his small, remote congregation. Their home was a little mud-brick house in a colony of exiles at Tel-abib on the Chebar, an important canal in the Euphrates irrigation system (Ezek. 3:15).
Who were the wives that burned incense to false gods?
Wives who burned incense to other gods (Jet. 44:15) were Hebrew women who had left Judah and had fled to Pathros, a province of the land of Egypt. They were rebuked by Jeremiah for their idolatrous worship. He forewarned them of the dreadful evils that would befall them if they persisted in their false worship.
These women presumptuously declared it was their intention to continue in the same course, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, as their fathers had done before them. They saw no evil in such a practice (Jer. 44:19).
Who is the unbelieving wife?
The unbelieving wife (I Cor. 7:14), says Paul to the Corinthians, is sanctified by her husband. Though he is a Christian and she is not, his belief sanctifies the union. Paul goes on to say that the faith of one Christian parent gives to the children a near relationship to the Church, just as if both parents were Christians. The children are regarded not as aliens to the Christian faith but as sharers in it. Paul presumed that the believing parent will rear the child in the Christian principles.
He makes the same point in regard to husbands, saying that "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife." I Corinthians 7:14