Introduction

Welcome to Bible Woman and Loyalty!

It is amazing to see the how God uses woman of different backgrounds and ethnicities to advocate and complete his work. I have been thinking how God chooses his people to pass his message. I grew up in a religious family, so Bible stories are very familiar to me. And when I saw that we were going to create a storybook in this class, I got excited because I always wanted to tell my version of some stories in the bible.

In this storybook, I will be your guide through the stories of six women in the Bible. These women were full of courage, love, devotion and loyalty. Some of them had their negative side such as jealousy and rivalry. We will learn much about their lives and the circumstances that led them to their ultimate acts of loyalty. In these stories, you will meet Rachel, Leah, Ruth, Naomi, Sarah and Hagar. I will tell their story in connected pairs because in order to talk of Rachel we will have to talk about Leah and same goes for Ruth and Naomi, Sarah and Hagar. Additionally, talking about them in pairs will help to appreciate their differences.

You will learn more about these wonderful women through their exceptional stories.

Rachel was Jacob's second wife and favorite (we will know more about Jacob in Rachel and Leah's story). She also was Leah's younger sister. Rachel's story shows how unfair life can be, but she never gave up. She pursued what she wanted even with obstacles placed in front of her.

Leah was Jacob's first wife and older sister of Rachel. Despite the overwhelming pain of rejection, Leah found herself blessed beyond measure. She is one of the examples of loyal faithfulness to her family and God.

Ruth was a woman who, when given the opportunity go back to her old life after the death of her husband, decided to live with her mother-in-law. Her name means “friend.” Ruth's story illustrates the triumph of courage and loyalty in adverse circumstances.

Naomi was Ruth's mother-in-law. After the deaths of her husband and sons, she was devastated. Naomi's story shows how we can help others in difficult moments and how God redeems the lost.

Sarah was Abraham's wife (Abraham was God's servant and father of many nations). Sarah was childless until she was very old. Sarah's story shows how lack of faith can make things impossible to be achieved.

Hagar was Sarah's servant and Abraham's concubine. She conceived Abraham's child since Sarah wasn't able to conceive.

God's grace can be seen by the story of all these different women. I hope you will enjoy the ride into these beautiful women's lives.