In Exodus 3:2 Moses’ attention was arrested by the sight of a bush that burned without being consumed by the fire. When he turned aside to investigate, the Lord spoke to him from the bush, instructing him to return to Egypt to deliver the Hebrew people from slavery.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (BURNING BUSH)
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (ROMANS 5:12-21 “ADAM AND CHRIST CONTRASTED”)
Solomon’s list of times and “seasons” must be viewed within the larger context of life an history. He is not necessarily saying, “Hey, it’s twelve o’clock, time to kill-so go out and bump someone off.” Rather, Solomon insists that human life takes place within a larger framework of events that repeat down through history: laughter, tears, killing, healing, destruction, building, death, birth.
Continue reading AGAINST SO MANY BIBLICAL COMMANDS, HOW CAN SOLOMON ADVISE THAT THERE IS A TIME TO KILL, TO TEAR DOWN, AND TO HATE?
Flogging was a form of punishment that employed a variety of devices to lash the exposed flesh of the victim. The biblical authors describe this grisly business with a variety of Greek and Hebrew terms, each of which has been translated in our English versions in more than one way. That makes this phenomenon a bit more difficult to trace through the pages of our Bible. But we will get the basics by tracing the terms flogging, whipping, and scourging.
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (FLOG,WHIP,SCOURAGE)
Supplying wood for priests to use in offering burnt sacrifices on the altar was a task assigned to the Nethinims, or temple servants (Ezra 2:43). But not enough of these servants returned from the exile in Babylonia and Persia to handle this task.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (WOOD FOR THE ALTAR)
None that makes much military sense, if using traditional tactics is the key to victory. The genius of God’s ways is that they are not our ways. Tactics that should fail do in fact succeed as God’s way of showing His power in our weakness. At Jericho, the victory was preceded by priests blowing horns and circling the city seven times. Against the Philistines, David’s single slingshot led to an amazing victory.
Continue reading WHAT SORT OF BATTLE PLAN HAS A CHOIR LEADING AN ARMY?