Yeshua in the Writings: Esther
I’ve always been fascinated by the Book of Esther. It’s a story that feels like it could have been written for today—full of political intrigue, unexpected reversals, and a heroine who has to decide whether to risk everything for the sake of her people. What I love most about it, though, is how Yeshua is hidden in its pages. Just like God's name is never mentioned, yet His presence is unmistakable. Yeshua is there, woven into the very fabric of the story.
The Ecclesiastic King
Inside a little blue-gray bungalow on Alexander Street in Clay Center, Nebraska, around 1986 or so, Ann read her daughter the story of King Solomon in 1 Kings 3:1-15 when he asked God for wisdom. She read, starting in verse 5, while her daughter sat in her pajamas, holding her favorite stuffed polar bear.
“In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
Solomon’s Prayer
6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great faithfulness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth, righteousness, and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great faithfulness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it isthis day. 7
King Yeshua in Lamentations
Her words caught me completely off guard. I had absolutely no words for the sorrow that immediately flooded my heart. And at the end of the call, I asked if I could pray with her. Instead, I wept. I could barely form the words to pray for my dear sister in Christ, even when I knew that Jesus has her. Even though I know, I will see her again someday, whether healing finds her in this life or in the one to come. My head knows these things. But my heart takes a bit to reconcile it all. Perhaps “a bit” is too short. Overcoming hardship, sorrow, trauma, and unjustifiable pain sometimes take years, even a lifetime.
But my head immediately went to Jesus and his response to Lazarus’ death (John 11). He knew what was happening with his friend, yet He chose to prolong his current trip and wait to head to Bethany. HE knew that Lazarus had passed. His head knew it…. But His heart? His heart wept when he was confronted with the actual reality of His own grief.
The King in the Book of Ruth
The book of Ruth is often labeled as a love story, but to see it merely as a romantic tale misses the depth of its message. The book is raw and powerful in ways that will astonish the reader. The first time I read the verse (3:7b) as a teenager, I thought, “Man! This woman is so bold!” What woman sneaks into a man’s workplace and then lays down at his feet while snoozing after his shift is over?
King Yeshua in the Song of Songs
I have a very vivid memory of the first time I read Song of Songs. Between the ages of 4th through 6th grade, I was sitting on a hard wooden pew on the far left side of the church with the rest of the youth group. As the minister preached, my best friend Kendra and I thumbed through those chapters, horrified at first, then giggling, plastering our hands over our mouths at several points. We were beyond floored that “those kinds of things” were in our Bibles: God’s Word.
Today, after recalling that memory, I plan to teach my children about the beauty of God’s love letter to us through the pen of King Solomon. How awesome is it that we have the dream of every love-starved man and woman written down in black and white in the pages of our Bible—a relationship that only some are blessed to know? When reading through Song of Songs, I ask myself, “Has humanity become love-starved? Could that be why there is such a focus on quick “love” from cell phone applications like Tinder or such a thing as “one-night-stands?”
King Jesus/Yeshua in the Book of Job
To me, the book of Job is one of the most challenging narratives found in all of Scripture. In our humanness and limited understanding, the depth of the storyline is difficult to reconcile. Job endures unimaginable loss—our worst fears became his reality. Yet somehow, through his suffering, a greater story unfolds. Beneath the grief and unanswered questions, we see a thread of redemption woven throughout his story. Job’s story is not merely about suffering; it is about hope. It points us beyond itself to the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus Christ. And in many ways, Job’s story is our story, too.
King Yeshua in Proverbs: Wisdom Incarnate
Many have long regarded the book of Proverbs as a collection of wisdom for daily life. At its heart, it declares that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). But Proverbs is more than just a guide for moral living—it is a book that reveals the nature of Jesus, our true King, the embodiment of wisdom itself.
For years, I avoided the book of Proverbs. Who knows what to do with phrases like, “To rescue you from the strange woman, From the foreign woman who flatters with her words…”? Not me! It helped to put the Proverbs into perspective from King Solomon’s viewpoint of a father trying to encourage and lead his son into a life of wisdom. But it wasn’t until years later, while doing a Bible study on Proverbs via the Bible app, that I finally understood the true depth of the book.
THE SHEPHERD KING: YESHUA
Growing up in Nebraska, it is no surprise that I found myself trailing behind my Dad, Roger, in hundreds of corn fields in my lifetime. My Dad is a retired agronomist and crop scientist who has dedicated his life to wanting to "feed the world." Although that was his passion, he sometimes found himself disheartened when farmers monetized their crops for ethanol or other means. So, at a crucial moment, our family bought a small acreage outside of the small town I'd grown up in, and he began a new hobby: sheep.
YESHUA: KING OF THE SABBATH
The Sabbath, or Shabbat, is one of the most beautiful gifts given by God to humanity. From the beginning, it was set apart as holy, a day of rest and reflection to draw closer to the Creator. The Sabbath is more than a commandment; it’s an eternal instruction—a declaration of identity and purpose. It reminds us of who we are as God’s children, and who we are not. In Yeshua, the King of the Sabbath, we find its ultimate fulfillment, wrapped in the peace He left for us.
Learning to Pray God’s Word When Our Own Words Fail Us
It was late summer in Colorado, and I’d spent the last few months exhausted. But like the “good mom I was trying to be,” I would walk to our community pool with Titus, who was 18 months at the time, at least once a week. Michael, my husband, had been giving me a hard time lately, “Why aren’t you taking him to the pool more?” as I was a stay-at-home mom, and Titus begged me almost every day to walk him to the pool to swim. (He was a pretty cute kid and could puppy-dog-eyes like the best of them!) But I was exceedingly tired until it dawned on me, “I think I’m pregnant!”
I remember how giddy I was and how many pregnancy tests I had taken to share the news with Michael. I’d painted “I’m a Big Brother” on one of Titus’ favorite green onesies and prepared a “pregnancy test bouquet” (thanks, Pinterest; but it's so weird now that I’m typing it) to surprise Michael.
The King is Born: Hope in an Unexpected Arrival
As we celebrate the birth of Christ, it’s easy to become numb to the familiar message found in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 2. The nativity story is so well-known, so well-trodden, that we might wonder: What more can be said? (A lot, actually.) But perhaps the real “Behold” moment of Christmas isn’t about gaining fresh insights—it’s about the posture of our hearts. It’s about making room for Jesus in a way that transforms us.
King Yeshua in the Torah
A Thread Woven From Beginning to End
Many people approach the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) as if it is merely a historical or legal document with no connection to Yeshua (Jesus). They believe that Yeshua is strictly a New Testament figure, disconnected from the foundation of Scripture. But nothing could be further from the truth. They perceive Him as a figure solely of the New Testament. Yet, Yeshua’s presence is intricately woven throughout the Torah. From the creation of the world to the final words of Moses, the Messiah is revealed in profound and sometimes hidden ways. When we read the Torah with eyes to see, we encounter Yeshua as the heartbeat of the story from the very beginning. He is present, revealing the heart and plan of God long before His incarnation in Bethlehem.
Yeshua as King: From Genesis to the Gospels
Somewhere along the way of my faith, I lost sight of Yeshua’s Kingship. He had become my friend, my Savior, and the One I turned to in my darkest hour, but the fact that He was my King had slipped to the back of my mind.
It was the fall of 2003, about three months into my marriage, and the stories found in most of the Bible had become like lullabies to me. My newlywed husband and I had hit the inevitable “Wow, we’re actually married and have to deal with each other” phase, and I had felt the Holy Spirit weighing on my heart to go to Yeshua (Jesus) about it. In the stillness of our rented townhome, I sat on the top of the stairs with my Bible while my husband wrote quietly for one of his final Bible college classes below in our office. I could hear the click-clacking of his keyboard below and feel the anxiousness in my chest from our previous argument about allocating shared finances as we moved into this new season of married life.
The Goodness of God: In the Epistles
I had been battling debilitating headaches for months. I went through testing and tried medication. When relief and answers didn’t come, I was scheduled for an MRI. Those results did not come back with good news. I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in January 2000 and scheduled to see a neurologist immediately. When this situation came into my life, I was a brand-new believer. I had not yet experienced the goodness of God in a way that allowed me to trust Him fully. I didn’t know for sure that He would walk through whatever was to come in the days and weeks ahead. I was fortunate to have people in my life who pointed me to God during this season. I was surrounded by encouragement, support, and love. While I couldn’t understand why I was walking through this diagnosis, I fully experienced His presence and peace.
Paul wrote his letters to the early churches in the Bible for various reasons. These are filled with encouragement, instruction, and clarity.
The Goodness of God: John & Revelation
When we speak of God’s goodness in our lives, how often do we allow this simple truth to deeply reside in the crevices of our hearts and settle into our everyday lives where it matters most?
What does it mean to live as though God IS good?
Often, we can understand these truths on the surface, but our hearts and minds have not fully embraced what this means for our current reality– that Jesus is the “light of men” and has overcome darkness, both now and in eternity!
The Goodness of God: In Matthew, Mark & Luke
I always knew my calling was to be a wife and a mother. That dream’s first half became reality when my husband and I married. Many tears were shed, and prayers were spoken about our request to become parents. However, I didn’t know I would have to wait ten years into our marriage before I could fulfill the role of mother.
In the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, there is a story about a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years. Can you imagine? The Bible doesn’t say, but did she also have other symptoms along with the bleeding?
The Goodness of God: In the Prophets
There are mornings when I open my Bible out of obedience and routine. I know I need to be in it—and deep down, I want to be in it—but like the words of Ezekiel, my bones are dry.
It happened today.
I had something I knew I needed to deal with, but my want-to just wasn’t up-to it. I considered King David’s repentant words in Psalm 51 (a frequent flier in my own battle with sin) but found myself in Ezekiel 37 instead. Can I just tell you how much I love those first 14 verses?
The Goodness of God: In the Psalms
Something I've struggled with since becoming a believer is seeing God's goodness. I find it funny that The Behold Collective is in a series about God's goodness but it's the most blurred in my life. I've texted my mentors about 30 times since moving about how hard college is and how exhausted I am. God knows exactly what he's doing. Through studying for this blog, I have read scriptures that give me deja vu. I have felt these emotions before; I have cried out to God in these ways before, but my good, good God has also always answered in these ways before. I challenge you to view the Psalms the same way. How can this reflect your life and your lament?
The Goodness of God: Deuteronomy
The Goodness of God in Deuteronomy
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
We often forget the good things we’ve experienced from the hand of God. Even though I’ve seen God help me in tough times, provide what I need, and guide me through uncertainty, I still struggle to hold onto those experiences when life gets challenging. We know God is always with us, but when things get rough, it’s easy to feel scared, question what He’s doing in our lives, or even stray from what we know to be true. That’s why the Bible encourages us to keep these truths in our hearts, share them with our kids, and even write them where we can see them daily. We need those reminders.