Obscure Bible Heroes {Blogging Through the Alphabet - L}

L is for Lemuel's Mother


Proverbs 31:1  "The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him."

Proverbs 31 is an amazing chapter, full of practical teaching about life. In this first verse, we see that this chapter is penned by King Lemuel. 

Lemuel's mother is preparing him for life as a man, a king, and a leader. She mentions that he is the "son of her vows". I picture her as a young mother, making a vow to God to raise her son for the Lord, and training Him in Godly ways. 

There are three specific areas of training that are presented in Proverbs 31, that Lemuel learned from his mother. While they were specifically mentioned as training for kings, they are great practical advice for all:

1. He learns why he should avoid alcohol.
2. He learns about compassion, caring for the poor, and speaking up for those who have no voice.
3. He learns what to look for in choosing a virtuous woman as his wife.

We always consider the second half of Proverbs 31 as a great pattern for Godly women, (and it certainly is!) but I think it is very neat that it was actually first given from a mother to a son, specifically as a list of characteristics for him to use in finding a virtuous woman. 

Motherhood is a high calling, and it's duties should be fulfilled with gravity and sobriety. I love the pattern set forth in Proverbs 31. It is great training for mothers, showing them how to present a principle to their children, then explain the reasoning behind it. 

May we, as Lemuel's mother, make vows to God to train our children for His glory, and then give our all to fulfilling that calling. May we invest the time and dedication necessary to "parent on purpose" and thoroughly pass on our heritage and faith, so that our children will understand and be able to pass on that training to others, as Lemuel so poetically recorded Proverbs 31, spreading his mother's teaching and influence to us.

Copyright 2012-2014 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Feta & Kale Garden Omelet

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of fresh veggies and fruits that are readily available. Our little farming town grows some of the tastiest produce ever! It is common to eat things that were just picked that morning or the day before, that the farmers have made readily available.

I would like to share a favorite way that we get our veggies in for breakfast.

I commonly make omelets out of whatever veggies we have currently available in the fridge, even if it is last night's leftovers. 

This week we had an abundance of kale given to us. On it's own, kale has a pretty strong flavor that no one in the house really cares for, but they will tolerate it if I mix it with other things. 

First, I wash everything well (the local organic veggies typically have a good amount of little bugs - I don't mind...I would rather clean off bugs than chemicals!). Most veggies I will soak in a salt water or vinegar water wash, then rinse well,  to make sure that the bugs are gone before cooking.

Then I mix together the following ingredients in a saute:

Enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. Allow it to warm up first before adding:
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped peppers
2 c. coarsely chopped or torn kale leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red peppers (more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

The kale leaves will quickly look wilted as they cook. This is fine.

In a separate pan, prepare your eggs for an omelet. I typically use 2 large eggs, beaten, and poured into a hot, greased pan. Allow them to cook in one large circle. When set, flip once and immediately pour saute mixture onto one half of the egg circle. Sprinkle about 1/4 c. (more if desired) crumbled feta cheese over the kale saute then fold the omelet closed. 

Slide onto a plate, and garnish with extra feta if desired. Enjoy Your healthy and energizing breakfast!

Copyright 2012-2014 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.

Obscure Bible Heroes {Blogging through The Alphabet - K}

K is for the Kohathites


Numbers 7:9 "But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders."

Numbers 3:29-31 "The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward.
30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof."

Numbers 4:4 "This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:"


Numbers 4:15 "And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation."

I once heard a sermon preached about the Kohathites that really was an encouragement, especially to a family that has given itself to the work of the Lord in the ministry. I am going to try to explain here why the Kohathites were special.

In the Old Testament, the Levites (people of the tribe of Levi) were set apart to take care of all the things that pertained to the Jewish religion, namely the tabernacle (or later, the temple), the sacrifices, the priestly duties, and, during the Exodus, to maintain and transport the Tabernacle items.  These things were precious and very special. They were a valuable part of Jewish identity, and were considered most holy. In fact, one Scripture tells of someone who was not a "chosen one" who touched the Ark, and was struck dead on the spot. 

Of all the Levites, the family of Kohath was chosen and set apart to care for the "most holy things". They were the only ones charged with the safekeeping of the Ark and items used in the sacrifices. While it was a burden, it was also a blessing. Of all the Levites, the Kohathites were different. 

Here are some special things about the Kohathites:

• They worked in the dark, when others were asleep, setting up the holy things to be ready for daybreak.
• They got to lead the way (often the Ark would go before the people, such as at the Jordan River when God led the Ark out first to cross into the Promised Land)
• They got to see God move in a way that no one else did. They were closest to him, following right after the pillar of cloud/fire.
• They were extremely attentive to the task God gave them. 
• They had the privilege of working right inside the cloud of the presence of God. Numbers 9:15-16  "And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night."
• They did their job with precision. The results of them carefully following God's plan and doing their job right was that God showed up and made His presence known to all the congregation every time they finished.
• They never gave up. 
• They set the pace for the entire congregation.
• Because of their special burden, they got to know God and feel His presence in a way that most never did!

There are a number of places where this particular family is mentioned, and it is always in a positive and faithful way. When others went astray or departed from the Lord's command, they remained true and faithful. When others decided to sin or depart, they refused. They had the mentality that "others can do that, but I cannot, because I have been chosen and set apart to bear the most holy things."  Because of it, they are recorded for all time in the Bible as being faithful and holy and blessed.

From the Kohathites, I can be encouraged that in the ministry, God has set apart His servants to complete a holy task, and that this burden is a very big and special privilege and blessing!

Copyright 2012-2014 - "Be The One" - www.aclassofone.blogspot.com  All rights are reserved. No text, photos, or content may be reproduced without direct permission from the author.