People In The Bible

Apostle - Apostles are those entrusted by Jesus to help organize the church and spread the message of His teachings. There were 12 specifically chosen to begin this mission.

He has seen the Lord after His resurrection (1 Corinthians 9:1). He had received his commission directly from Jesus Christ and God the Father (Galatians 1:1). He possessed the signs of an apostle (2 Corinthians 12:12). He had received the knowledge of the gospel, not through any man, or by any external means, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).

Disciple - A devoted student and follower of a teacher (Jesus).

Simon (Whom Jesus named Peter) - Simon Peter, son of Jonas, was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum. During the time of Jesus, the common language was Greek and the family language was Hebrew. His Greek name was Simon (Mark 1:16; John 1:40, 41). His Hebrew name was Cephas (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:22; 9:5 and Galatians 2:9). The Greek meaning of Simon is rock. Peter was a married man (1 Corinthians 9:5) and his home was Capernaum. 

James - James the Elder, Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of John the Apostle, was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. His name never appears apart from that of his brother, John. They were an inseparable pair (Mark 1:19-20; Matthew 4:21; Luke 5:1-11). James was a man of courage and forgiveness, a man without jealousy, living in the shadow of John, a man of extraordinary faith. He was the first of the twelve apostles to become a martyr.

John - John Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James, the Apostle. John is known as the beloved disciple. He was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. He wrote the Gospel of John, I John, II John, III John and Revelation. He preached among the churches of Asia Minor (Turkey). He was banished to the Isle of Patmos, was later freed and died a natural death. His second name was Boanerges, which means son of Thunder.

Andrew - Andrew was the brother of Peter, and a son of Jonas. He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was a fisherman before Jesus called him. Originally, he was a disciple of John the Baptist (Mark 1:16-18). Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus (John 1:40). He is claimed by three countries as their Patron Saint-Russia, Scotland and Greece. 

Philip - Philip came from Bethsaida, the same town as Peter and Andrew, so it is likely he was also a fisherman. The Gospel of John shows Philip as one of the first to whom Jesus addressed the words, "Follow Me." When Philip met Jesus, he immediately found Nathanael and told him that "we have found him." Philip stayed with Paul in Caesarea (Acts 21:8) and was one of the major figures in the development of the early church.

Bartholomew also named Nathanael - Bartholomew Nathanael, son of Talmai, lived in Cana of Galilee. Bartholomew's name appears with every list of the disciples (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). This was not his first name, however; it was his second name. His first name probably was Nathanael, whom Jesus called "An Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile" (John 1:47).

Matthew also named Levi - Matthew, or Levi, son of Alpheus, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector. He wrote the Gospel of Matthew. The call of Matthew to the apostolic crew is mentioned in (Mark 2:14, Matthew 9:9 and Luke 5:27-28). From these passages, we learn that Matthew also was called Levi. It was a common custom in the Middle East at the time of Jesus for men to have two names. Matthew's names mean "a gift of God." It is likely that James the lesser (younger), who was one of the twelve Apostles, was Matthew's brother, also the son of Alpheus. 

Thomas - Thomas Didymus lived in Galilee. Thomas was his Hebrew name and Didymus was his Greek name. Matthew, Mark and Luke tell us nothing about Thomas except his name. However, John defines him more clearly in his Gospel. Thomas appeared in the raising of Lazarus (John 11:2-16), in the Upper Room (John 14:1-6) where he wanted to know how to know the way where Jesus was going. In (John 20:25), he says unless he sees the nail prints in Jesus' hand and the gash of the spear in His side he will not believe. That's why Thomas became known as Doubting Thomas. When Jesus rose, he came back and invited Thomas to put his finger in the nail prints in his hands and in his side. Thomas then makes the greatest confession of faith, "My Lord and my God." Thomas' doubts were transformed into faith. 

James - James, the Lesser or Younger, son of Alpheus, or Cleophas and Mary, lived in Galilee. He was the brother of Matthew, the tax collector and Jude also named Thaddaeus.

Thaddaeus also named Jude - Jude, Thaddaeus, or Lebbeus, son of Alpheus or Cleophas and Mary. He was a brother of James the Younger and Matthew. In (Mark 3:18) he is called Thaddeus. In (Matthew 10:3) he is called Lebbeus. His surname was Thaddeus. In (Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13) he is called Judas the brother of James. In the New Testament, (John 14:22 NIV) he asked Jesus at the Last Supper, "But Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" 

Simon the Zealot - Simon, the Zealot, one of the little-known followers called the Canaanite or Zelotes, lived in Galilee. In two places in the King James Version he is called a Canaanite (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18). However, in the other two places he is called Simon Zelotes (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).

Judas Iscariot (Replaced by Matthias) - Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the son of Simon who lived in Kerioth of Judah. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and afterwards hanged himself (Matthew 26:14,16). His name appears in three lists of the 12 Apostles (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:16). It is said that Judas came from Judah near Jericho. He was a Judean and the rest of the disciples were Galileans. He was the treasurer of the band and among the outspoken leaders.

(Jesus appointed another 70 apostles after the original 12.)

Matthias - Matthias is the disciple that replaced Judas Iscariot after he betrayed Jesus and hung himself. Matthias and Joseph were the only two men who could be considered for the position, because only these two men could pass the tests required to be one of the twelve: they had accompanied Jesus since His baptism by John and had seen the resurrected Lord in the flesh. 

James - The half brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church. According to Paul, James was not only an "apostle" but one of only three respected as the "backbone" of the community in Jerusalem. James is listed first of the three (Galatians 1:19; 2:9). Paul says that "James sent some Jewish followers" to Antioch (Galatians 2:12, CEV). Elsewhere, he lists James among those who had an personal encounter with Jesus after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). Similarly, in Acts, James emerges as the primary leader of the community in Jerusalem. When the apostles and other leaders meet to decide whether Gentiles ought to be circumcised, James gives his opinion and the community ratifies it (Acts 15:13-29). Also in Acts, Paul makes it a priority to meet with James in Jerusalem (Acts 21:18). Also referred to as "James the Just."

Barnabas - Acts presents the evangelizing apostle and church leader Barnabas as a model of integrity and character. Calling him a good man (Acts 11:24), a prophet and teacher (13:1), an apostle (14:14) and one through whom God worked miracles (15:12), Acts loads him with accolades. Acts recounts the times he faced persecution (13:45; 14:19) and risked his life for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (15:26). Acts introduces Barnabas as Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, with a story about money and giving (Acts 4:36–37). In this first mention of Barnabas, Luke, recounts his generosity: Barnabas sells a field and places the money at the apostles’ feet.

Paul -  The Apostle Paul started more than a dozen churches, and he’s traditionally considered the author of 13 books of the Bible - more than any other biblical writer. For this reason, Saint Paul is often considered one of the most influential people in history. The Apostle Paul (also known as Saint Paul or Saul of Tarsus), was born in Tarsus - a prosperous city in the province of Cilicia - which granted him Roman citizenship. This status gave him special privileges, and in some cases saved him from abuse (Acts 22:25–29). As a Pharisee, before his conversion to Christianity, Paul saw Christians (who were predominantly Jewish at the time) as a scourge against Judaism. From Paul’s perspective, these people were blaspheming about God and leading his people astray. He believed that Jesus was a regular man, and was therefore rightfully executed for claiming to be God.

When Stephen was stoned to death for preaching the gospel, “the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul... And Saul approved of their killing him” (Acts 7:58–8:1). Saul (Paul) asked the high priest for permission to take Christians (known as followers of “the Way”) as prisoners. Paul was on his way to Damascus when he had a vision that changed his life: according to (Galatians 1:16), God revealed his Son to him. More specifically, Paul states that he saw the Lord (1 Corinthians 9:1), though Acts claims that near Damascus he saw a blinding bright light. Paul believed that his vision proved that Jesus lived in heaven, that Jesus was the Messiah and God’s Son, and that he would soon return. Paul thought that the purpose of this revelation was his own appointment to preach among the Gentiles (Galatians 1:16).

Apollos - Apollos was a Hellenized (Judaism in the Greek speaking world) Jewish Christian from Alexandria, which was the second largest city in the Roman Empire. He was “a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the scriptures, having been instructed in the way of the Lord.”In 1 Corinthians 3-4, Paul is adamant that both he and Apollos are on the same page. They are both engaged in building up the church. Both are “servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.”

Timothy - Timothy was a native of Lystra. In the KJV New Testament, he is referenced a total of twenty-eight times (nine times using his well-known name and nineteen times as Timotheus). According to Paul, Timothy was taught about the Scriptures when he was a child (2Timothy 3:14 - 15). The first time Paul meets an unmarried Timothy is in Lystra, around early 50 A.D., soon after he began his second missionary journey

At the time Paul met Timothy they were roughly 48 and 33 years old, respectively. Based on the recommendation of several church members both in the city and in Iconium, Paul decides to take Timothy with him as he travels preaching the gospel (Acts 16:2 - 3). The Bible records, after Timothy was ordained to serve by Paul and church brethren (1Timothy 4:14, 2Timothy 1:6), he ministered in at least five New Testament churches (1Thessalonians 3:1 - 2, 1Corinthians 4:17, Philippians 2:19 - 22, Acts 17:14 and 1Timothy 1:3). Timothy accompanied Paul on most of his second journey travels after he left Lystra. Scripture then informs us he was with the apostle in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. While in the city he and a man named Erastus are sent by Paul to minister to brethren in Macedonia (Acts 19:22).

Silvanus - Silas, Silvanus was a distinguished member and prophet of the Apostolic Church at Jerusalem and was a companion of Paul. He was sent as a delegate from the Apostolic Council with Paul and Barnabas to report the Council’s decision (Acts 15:22). He suffered with Paul in prison (Acts 16:19, 25, 29), joining in the prayers and praises that midnight hour resulting in the conversion of the keeper of the prison. He was also associated with Peter, acting as bearer or scribe of Peter’s first Epistle (1 Pet. 5:12).

Epaphroditus -  Epaphroditus is mentioned by name twice in the book of Philippians, one of Paul’s Prison Epistles. Epaphroditus is the one who delivered the original manuscript of Philippians to its original recipients, the church in Philippi. Paul was under house arrest in Rome, and the church in Philippi desired to send Paul a “care package.” The Philippian believers gathered supplies and sent them to Rome by the hand of one of their own, a man named Epaphroditus. To Paul, he was a “brother” (belonging to the same family), a “co-worker” (laboring toward the same goal), and a “fellow soldier” (sharing the same trials). 

Epaphroditus was a man of obvious devotion, faithfulness, and self-sacrifice. He put “the interests of others” before himself and so modeled the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:4–5). He labored on Paul’s behalf until his own health broke, and, even when he was sick, Epaphroditus took no thought of himself; rather, he was distressed because his church had heard of his illness, and he didn’t want them to worry.

Andronicus and Junia - The book of Romans states that Junia served alongside Paul in his ministry, and was effective enough to be considered a threat to the local authorities, who imprisoned her along with Paul.  Paul thought highly enough of Junia and her co-worker Andronicus that he commended them both in Romans 16:7 as “noted among the apostles”.  Junia was a female apostle.

Titus - Titus is first introduced in Second Corinthians 2:13. He was a close and trusted disciple of St. Paul, who called Titus his partner and co-worker (8:23). Titus was noted to be Greek in Galatians (2:1-5) and to have traveled with Paul and Barnabas to the first Council held in Jerusalem. He was also sent to Corinth first to deliver a letter (2 Corinthians 7:6-8), and then to take up a collection for the Jerusalem Church (2 Corinthians 8:16-23). Paul planned to send Artemas or Tychicus to relieve Titus in Crete so that he could join Paul for the winter in Nicopolis in western Greece (Titus 3:12). In 2nd Timothy 4:10, Titus was also noted as having gone to Dalmatia. As a companion, he was of great comfort to Paul, who wrote, “I had no rest in my spirit because I found not Titus my brother (2 Cor 2:13).

John Mark - John Mark is first mentioned as the son of a woman named Mary (Acts 12:12), whose house was being used as a place for believers to gather and pray. Later, Mark is mentioned as a companion of Barnabas and Paul during their travels together (Acts 12:25). John Mark was also Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10). John Mark is the author of The Gospel of Mark. His hometown was Jerusalem. His family was of some importance to the early church in Jerusalem as his home was a center for church gatherings. John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia and left the work (Acts 15:38). 

Paul expressed a desire to go back to the cities they had previously visited to see how everyone was doing (Acts 15:36). Barnabas agreed, apparently on the provision that they take John Mark with them. Paul refused to have Mark on the trip, citing Mark’s previous desertion. Paul thought it best not to have a quitter with them; they needed someone more dependable. Paul and Barnabas had a “sharp disagreement” about John Mark (Acts 15:39) and wound up separating from each other and going on separate journeys. Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas with him through Syria and Cilicia to encourage the believers in the churches in those areas (Acts 15:39–41).

Luke - Luke was a Syrian born in Antioch and one of the earliest converts to Christianity. Luke, well-educated in classical Greek and noted for his literary talent, wrote The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, which follows the Gospel of John. Together the two writings cover 60 years of the Life and Teachings of Jesus and the early Christian Church. Luke is unique in that he was the only Gentile to compose a New Testament Book. Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:10-14) and likely accompanied Paul on three of four missionary journeys as described in Acts.

He is the only one to describe the Appearance of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Luke is only mentioned by name three times in the New Testament (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24). At the outset of his account, Luke stresses to Theophilus (and through him, us) that he has gone to great lengths to make sure that what he writes is true.

Stephen - A Deacon in the early Christian church. (Acts 6:2-7) 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Mary (Mother of Jesus) - Also referred to as Saint Mary or The Virgin Mary. (Luke 1:26-38) In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said,

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!"

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.  

And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

John The Baptist - But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:13-17)

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11)

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” (John 1:19-25)

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him...(Matthew 3:1-17)

Mary Magdalene - Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means. (Luke 8:1-3)

But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. (John 19:25)

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” (John 20:11-18)

Adam - Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 1:7 

Eve - The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him...” But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said,

Noah -  This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth....11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. Genesis 6:9-14

The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” 5 And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him. Genesis 7:1-5

Abraham - The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him...Genesis 12:1-4

Sarah - The wife of the patriarch (Abraham) was originally known as Sarai. She was the daughter of Terah, therefore half-sister to Abram, her senior by ten years (Genesis 17:17). While Abram and Sarai had the same father, they had different mothers (Genesis 20:12).  Sarai was well past middle life and childless when with Abram she left her own country and with him went out “not knowing whither they went” (Genesis 11:29, 30). Sarah was unusually beautiful (Genesis 12:11, 14).

God appeared to Abram when he was 99 years old, and assured him that his long barren wife, although now 90 years old, would conceive. To confirm His promise God changed the name of Abram to Abraham, and of Sarai to Sarah (Genesis 17; 18). The Bible says, “Sarah laughed within herself,” but hers was the laugh of doubt. Yet when her son was born he was named Isaac, which means “laughter”—a memorial of her sin (Genesis 18:13). Sarah is the only woman whose specific age is stated in Scripture.

Sarah called herself old when she was 87 (Genesis 18:12), but she was 127 years of age when she died. Abraham had reached the patriarchal age of 175 when God called him home.

Isaac -Son of Abraham and father of Jacob. Isaac is one of the only cases in the Bible in which God selected a name for a child and announced it before he was born. In the Old Testament there is Isaac, Ishmael, Solomon, Josiah, Cyrus and Isaiah’s son; in the New Testament, John the Baptist and Jesus. 

To three patriarchs in succession was this covenant specifically given: to Abraham, as he left Chaldea (Gen. 12:3); to Isaac, when in Canaan during the famine (Gen. 26:4); to Jacob, at Bethel (Gen. 28:14). Isaac, however, was the first to inherit the covenant, and to him God gave the whole inheritance of Abraham (Gen. 24:35).

For many years Isaac and Rebekah were childless, but God heard Isaac’s prayers and Rebekah gave birth to twins, Jacob and Esau. Isaac seems to have outlived his wife, and died at the age of 180 (Gen. 35:28).

Rebekah - Rebekah is first mentioned in the genealogy of the descendants of Nahor, Abraham’s brother (Genesis 22:20-24). When the pilgrims set out from the Ur of the Chaldees, Nahor was one of the party, and settled down at Charran where Terah, his father, died. Among Nahor’s sons was Bethuel who, by an unknown wife, became the father of Rebekah, the sister of Laban. Rebekah married Isaac the son of Abraham, by whom she had two sons, Esau and Jacob.

Jacob - Jacob was the younger of Isaac and Rebekah's twin sons. He started fighting with his brother before they were born, symbolizing the conflict their descendants (the Israelites and the Edomites) would have throughout history. Before they were born, God told Rebekah that the younger would rule over the older. The eldest was named Esau, which means "red," because when he was born his skin was red. Jacob came out holding onto Esau's heel, as if trying to prevent him from leaving first. "Jacob" means "one that takes by the heel" and came to mean "supplanter" (Genesis 25:19-28)

Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into giving Jacob the firstborn blessing (Genesis 27). Isaac sent Esau out to hunt and prepare a meal before his blessing. Rebekah cooked a goat and covered Jacob's smooth arms with the skin. Since Isaac's eyesight was so bad, he couldn't tell the difference, and gave Jacob the firstborn blessing before Esau returned.

On his way to Laban in Haran (the city that Abraham's father, Terah, had established in honor of his deceased son, Lot's father) Jacob had a dream of a ladder to heaven with angels ascending and descending. There, God passed on the covenant He'd made with Abraham to Jacob, Abraham's grandson (Genesis 28:10-22).

Things were more complicated in Laban's house, however. Before he even arrived, Jacob met and fell in love with Laban's younger daughter, Rachel. Jacob agreed to serve Laban for seven years for Rachel's hand. But at the wedding, Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Rachel's older sister, Leah, claiming it wasn't right for the younger sister to marry first. Jacob got mad, and Laban agreed to give him Rachel immediately if he promised to serve another seven years (Genesis 29:1-30).

Jacob packed up his large family and went back to Canaan. On the trip, at night Jacob wrestled with an angel, asking for a blessing. At last the angel blessed him and gave him a new name: Israel ("You have struggled with God.") Jacob made amends with his brother Esau.

Joseph -  This is the account of Jacob’s family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” 

And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 

His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. 

Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.” “Very well,” he replied. So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” 

Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?” He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?” “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’ ” 

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” 

When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed. 

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. When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?” 

Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.” 

He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.” 

So his father wept for him. Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:2-36)  

Moses - Moses was born to Jochebed and Amram, both from the tribe of Levi, when the children of Israel lived in Egypt as slaves. He was the youngest of three children, with a sister named Miriam and a brother named Aaron. Pharaoh was afraid of the Israelite slaves because there were so many of them and ordered all the boy babies to be killed. Moses mother protected him. “She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months” (Exodus 2:2).

When she couldn’t hide him anymore, she made a little boat, placed him in it, and hid baby Moses in the reeds on the banks of the Nile River. He didn’t stay there long before being rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter. Unable to nurse him, she hired a Hebrew woman to do the job. This woman just so happened to be Moses’ mother.

He grew up in the palace but knew he was a Hebrew. When Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave the Bible says, “Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand” (Exodus 2:12). Pharaoh found out what Moses did and tried to kill him. Moses ran for his life. He lived in the desert of Midian for 40 years, became a husband to Tharbis and Zipporah, and a father to Gershom and Eliezer.

Fear showed up again when God “…appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up”(Exodus 3:2). 

God wanted Moses to rescue the Israelites from Egypt. Moses was afraid and gave many excuses, one being that he stuttered. Moses told God, “Please send someone else”(Exodus 4:13). God didn’t want to send someone else and got angry with Moses.

God recruited his brother Aaron to assist, promising to help them both.