People and Events of the Jesse Tree

People and Events 5. Sarah: cradle (Genesis 21:1-8) Abraham’s wife, Sarah, gave birth to of the Jesse Tree a son, Isaac, in her old age. Because this birth was a surprise, Sarah said, 1. Creation: world “God has given me cause to laugh, (Genesis 2:8-9) and all who hear of it will laugh with the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus was God planted a me.” Isaac’s name means “laughter” descended from them. garden and placed in Hebrew. the man and 10. Joseph: 6. Isaac: ram woman whom he (Genesis 22:1-19) colorful coat had formed there. Then God made (Genesis 37:1-36) God commanded various trees that were beautiful to Joseph’s father, Abraham to offer look at and good for food. In the Jacob, had a his son Isaac as a middle of the garden was the Tree of colorful coat made sacrifice, but after Life, the tree of good and bad. for him but Joseph’s brothers were Isaac was placed on an altar, the jealous of this attention so they sold 2. Adam and Eve: angel of God stopped Abraham from him into slavery. Even though his apple killing him. Then Abraham saw a ram (Genesis 3:1-7) brothers did this, in the end Joseph caught in some nearby bushes and forgave them and Jacob and his sons Adam and Eve sacrificed the ram instead. chose not to listen took their families to Egypt to be 7. Rebekah: well to God so they with Joseph. Joseph teaches us the (Genesis 24:10-20) were driven out of the Garden of power of forgiveness. Eden. Abraham sent his 11. Shiphrah and servant to find a Puah: babies 3. Noah: rainbow wife for Isaac. The (Exodus 1:14-22) servant prayed (Genesis 9:12-17) Shiprah and Puah that the right girl would not only God told Noah to were brave offer him a drink of water from the build an ark. God midwives who put well, but offer to water his ten made a new their lives at risk by defying the camels, too. Rebekah came out with promise to Noah about how God pharaoh’s law of death in order to her water jar and did exactly that! would care for all people and gave obey God’s law of life. Shiprah and She agreed to go back with the the rainbow as a symbol of this Puah were committed to life. servant and she became Isaac's wife. promise. Rebekah modeled generosity to a 12. Jochebed: 4. Abraham: stars stranger. basket (Exodus 2:1- in night sky 10; Exodus 6:20; 8. Jacob: ladder (Genesis 22:17-18) Numbers 26:5) (Genesis 28:10-22) Abraham obeyed Jochebed was the Abraham’s God and left his mother of Moses, grandson Jacob country. God who had faith in dreamed about a promised Abraham that He would God’s protection of her baby. ladder where he make of him a great nation and his Because she trusted God, she could met God. In the dream, God descendants would be more give up her son rather than see him confirmed the covenant that the numerous than the stars in the sky. killed. She knew that God would take ancestors of Abraham and Isaac care of her child. would be as plentiful as the dust on the ground and would spread from 13. Miriam: east to west. Later Jacob became the tambourine father of 12 sons who were leaders (Exodus of the 12 tribes of Israel. 2:1-10; 15:20-21; Numbers 20:1-13) 9. Leah and Rachel: 12-pointed star Miriam was the (Genesis 29:15-20) older sister of Leah and Rachel were mothers of Aaron and Moses. As an adult, the 12 sons who became leaders of Miriam is given the title of prophetess. She led the song and

Jesse Tree Whole Family Session  People and Events of the Jesse Tree  Copyright © 2016 Janet Schaeffler, OP  Page 1 All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.  Published by The Pastoral Center / PastoralCenter.com dance of victory after Moses parted leadership of Deborah brought the youngest son was the most famous the waters of the Red Sea parted. nation of Israel 40 years of peace. King of Israel, David. 14. Moses: Ten 18. Ruth and 22. David: harp (1 Commandments Naomi: wheat Samuel 16:17-23) (Exodus 19:5-6; (The Book of Ruth) David, the son of Exodus 34:10-11, 27- Naomi and Ruth Jesse, was a 28) suffered terrible shepherd until the God gave Moses the misfortune: the prophet Samuel ten men in their family, including both anointed him. He commandments, making a covenant their husbands, died. When Naomi is credited with a heartfelt song of where God promised to make the decided to return to her home, Ruth faith in God for God’s protection (2 Israelites his treasured possession sacrificed the chance to be with her Samuel 22). In this song, David among all people if they followed own people and went with Naomi describes God as a rock, fortress, God's commandments. Moses led because she came to believe in deliverer, shield, horn, stronghold, the Israelites out of the land of Egypt Naomi’s God, the God of Israel. Ruth and refuge. where they were slaves. and Naomi showed us the power of 23. Huldah: scroll 15. Joshua: deep love and friendship, living with (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 trumpet courage, self-sacrifice, and Chronicles 34:22-28) faithfulness. (Joshua 1:1-9; 6:1-15) One of the few Joshua became the 19. Hannah: red women or men leader of the heart with praying labeled a prophet, Israelite tribes after hands (1 Samuel 1- Huldah was the death of Moses. He led the 2) consulted, rather than Jeremiah, Hebrew people in conquering the Even though when the lost book of the law was land of Canaan. In Jericho, as the Hannah remained found. Her word was accepted by men marched around the city for childless for many years, she never everyone as coming from God. She is seven days, Joshua had the priests stopped praying. She had faith that the patron of women theologians. carry the ark of the Lord, blowing God had the power to help her. trumpets. Eventually, Hannah gave birth to 16. Rahab: red Samuel and gave him to the Lord, cord just as she promised she would. (Joshua 2:1-21) Joshua secretly 20. Samuel: lamp sent two spies to (1 Samuel 3:1-21) scout out the Samuel was an fortified city of Jericho. Rahab ran an honest and fair inn built on the Jericho city wall judge, delivering where she hid the spies on her roof God's law with fairness. As a top. Rahab did this because she had prophet, he urged Israel to serve heard about the God of Israel and God alone rather than other gods. recognized him as the true God. Despite his personal misgivings, he 17. Deborah: tent led Israel from the system of judges peg and mallet to its first monarchy. (Judges 4:4-9; 5) 21. Jesse: Deborah was a shepherd’s staff prophet and ruler (1 Samuel 16:1-13) of the people of Jesse, the son of ancient Israel, the Obed and the only woman among the twelve grandson of Ruth judges. She held court under the and of Boaz, lived Palm Tree of Deborah in the hill in Bethlehem and was of the Tribe of country of Ephraim, deciding the Judah. He was a farmer, breeder, people's disputes. The godly and owner of sheep. Jesse’s

Jesse Tree Whole Family Session  People and Events of the Jesse Tree  Copyright © 2016 Janet Schaeffler, OP  Page 2 All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.  Published by The Pastoral Center / PastoralCenter.com 24. Esther: purple 27. Daniel: lion (Daniel 6:17-24) 31. Joseph: saw (Matthew 1:18- robe with stars Daniel’s faithfulness to God landed (The Book of Esther) 25) him in a lion’s den, where his Esther, a Jewish enemies were sure he would be Mary was Queen of Persia, killed. But God sent an angel that engaged to saved the Jewish “shut the lions’ mouths” (Daniel Joseph of the house of David. When people from a plot by the wicked 6:22), and Daniel was miraculously Joseph found out that Mary was Haman, who tried to have the Jews spared. pregnant, he was troubled until he destroyed. This story began the found out that she was to be the 28. Elizabeth and Jewish festival of Purim. Esther mother of Jesus. Zechariah: pencil teaches us how to discover God’s and tablet (Luke 32. Jesus: Greek presence when God seems to be 1:39-63) letters Chi-Rho absent. (Luke 2) Zechariah, a priest 25. Isaiah: lion and and Elizabeth, his Jesus became lamb wife, were the parents of John the human to teach us (Isaiah 11:1-9) Baptist. Zechariah was made mute about God’s Isaiah is perhaps until after John was born, when unconditional love, the most important Elizabeth said he would be called to show us how to live and love as prophet in Old John. When Elizabeth's relatives humans on our journey with God. Testament times. Amid urging the objected, Zechariah wrote “His name 33. Shepherds: people to repent, he also told of a is John” and suddenly he could speak sheep (Luke 2:8-20) bright future with the coming again and began blessing and Shepherds Messiah. He speaks of an ideal world praising God. when “The wolf shall be a guest of watching their 29. John the the lamb, and the leopard shall lie sheep one night Baptist: sandals were interrupted down with the kid; the calf and the (Mark 1:1-11) young lion shall browse together, by angels telling them of good news with a little child to guide them.” John, the cousin – a savior had been born for them. of Jesus, became The shepherds paid attention to an 26. Jeremiah: tears a well-known preacher who interruption in their lives, an (Jeremiah 7) prepared the way for Jesus. He interruption which told them more Jeremiah was a asked people to repent, to always be about God’s love. major prophet, prepared for God; he baptized 34. Wise Men: star often referred to as people who wanted to be ready for (Matthew 2:12) the weeping the Lord to come. John was a strong Wise men from prophet. Jeremiah teaches that the and serious witness for Jesus. people cannot pray faithfully if they the east arrived in 30. Mary: lily (Luke Jerusalem to find continue to oppress the immigrants, 1:26-38) the orphans, and the widows. He the newborn King called the people to act justly toward The angel Gabriel and presented him one another. Jeremiah reminds us – told Mary that she with gifts. Having been warned in a especially through his tears – of the was going to have dream not to return to Herod they closeness of our God. a baby by the went home by another way. The power and grace of the Holy Spirit. wise men remind us to give God the Mary said yes to God, bringing Jesus gifts of our lives. to our world.

Jesse Tree Whole Family Session  People and Events of the Jesse Tree  Copyright © 2016 Janet Schaeffler, OP  Page 3 All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.  Published by The Pastoral Center / PastoralCenter.com