WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

This is the introduction to a book I'm writing.  If it sounds interesting, stay tuned!

 “O my people, listen to my instructions.  Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable.

I will teach you hidden lessons from our past-stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.

We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders.

For He issued His laws to Jacob; He gave His instructions to Israel.  He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them-even the children not yet born-and they in turn will teach their own children.

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting His glorious miracles and obeying His commands.

Then they will not be like their ancestors-stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.”  Psalm 78:1-8

**************************************

“So each generation should set its hope anew on God …”

This is the reason for storytelling! This is the reason for these stories offered to you.  God placed many people in the Book whose stories span several verses, chapters, and even whole books; but there are also many who appear as a mist, or a whisper-names mentioned once, never to be mentioned again.

If we let our minds and hearts linger on these un-historied characters, we begin to wonder who they were, we begin to try to put flesh on those names.  They were real people with real feelings, problems, victories, and defeats-they have stories to tell!

This offering is an attempt to “flesh-out” these people, to extract lessons from their brief mention.  When we meet them at the Table someday, I’m sure we’ll hear from their own lips who they were and are; but in the meantime, our imaginations will have to suffice….

Deb Gorman