As I start reading through the Bible again this year, cover to cover, I’m always surprised at the things that I thought I knew, forgot that I knew, or didn’t realize I didn’t know.
For example, most of us who read The Bible on a regular basis are pretty familiar with the story of Abraham. We know that Isaac had been born through Sarah, and Ishmael through Sarah’s Egyptian servant Hagar. Some may also recall that Hagar was kicked out of the house by Sarah, out of envy, though God said it was ok – well… sorta.
Bible Breadcrumbs
But how many know that after Sarah’s death Abraham remarried? Yes, it says in Genesis 25:1…
Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah.
If we read further on in verse 4, we notice something else that maybe wasn’t obvious before…
The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.
So the Midianites came from Keturah. Interesting, no?
The next time we hear about the Midianites is in the story of Joseph. Recall that his brothers sold him into slavery, but it was specifically to a nomadic band of merchants who are identified as Midianites in Genesis 37:28…
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.
Here we see the descendants from all three of Abraham’s wives, um…interacting.
Now that we’ve started picking up these breadcrumbs, let’s go ahead and follow the trail a bit more to see where it goes, because I certainly remember the Midianites coming up a few more times down the road. In fact, not long after crossing over from Genesis into Exodus do I read in chapter 2:15-16…
When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.
Before you know it, Moses gets forever linked to Midian in Exodus 3:1…
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
If we continue to read, we’ll learn that The Midianites continue to show up on the wrong side of Israel throughout the Old Testament.
The last thing I want to mention about Midian, so we can stop pulling on this thread, is the role they play in one of the most well-known Bible stories. You may have already guessed it right after hearing the name ‘Midian’. Flip forward to Judges 6:13 NIV…
"Pardon me, my lord," Gideon replied, "but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."
The Midianites are the antagonists in the saga of Gideon’s 300.
Are You Sure About That?
But there’s one more example I want to share of something that I didn’t fully realize until reading it again this morning. It’s what prompted me to write this.
What if I were to ask you, “Who’s staff turned into a snake, and was also held over the Nile and parts of Egypt when the first of the plagues were being called upon the land?”
In my mind, I would’ve answered “Moses, of course! Duhh!” But hold on – go back and read the accounts in Exodus 7-10 to accurately recall how this all played out. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Were you surprised, or were you right?
I tip my hat to you who were right! But now I’m going to invite you to pull a little more on this thread, as there were 2 more significant aspects about this staff. I’m feeling generous and will throw you some breadcrumbs: Numbers chapter 17 and Heb 9:4.
Bleeding Bibline
For me, going through this short exercise amplified the importance of staying immersed in Scripture and continually consuming The Word of God. The life-critical implications of this is expressed in a passage found in the Psalms…
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:9-16 NIV
Let’s keep ourselves so saturated in Scripture until, like the old Bedford tinker John Bunyan, our blood becomes, as Spurgeon put it, “Bibline“.
*all scripture references are from the NIV