In demanding a king, Israel became like every other nation of the world. Instead of asking God for relief from counterfeit spiritual leaders, they cried, “Give us a king!” They rejected God’s rule in favor of human leadership.
Continue reading DID THE KINGS HELP OR HURT ISRAEL AS A NATION?
1.Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (JONAH 1:1-17)
Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, which dominated the Ancient Near East for about 300 years (900 -605 B.C.). It began its rise to world power about the time of the division of the Hebrew kingdom, at the close of Solomon’s reign. It gradually absorbed and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel.
Continue reading JONAH (AN ERRAND OF MERCY TO NINEVEH)
It was not possible to separate warfare from religion. The connection of the two was evident in many aspects of military practice. To the Jews, God was the Lord of Hosts who went before them into battle (Exo 15:3; Judg 4:14; 1 Sam 17:45; Isaiah 42:13). There was a sacred “Book of the Wars of the Lord” (Num 21:14). Before going to war, the men had to keep themselves ritually clean, not even engaging in sexual relationships (2 Sam 11:11). Health laws were involved in the commandments concerning ceremonial uncleanliness, but there were other laws in operation as well as those (Deut 13:13-14).
Continue reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN THE BIBLE (WAR AND RELIGION)
Personal Creator and Lord of the universe; the Redeemer of His people; the ultimate author and principal subject of Scripture; and the object of the church’s confession, worship, and service.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (GOD PT 1)
Jehoram was the world’s best-known fratricidal maniac. He waited until power was solidly in his palm, then wiped out all possible bloodline competitors. The crime carried little strategic advantage, and alternatives, such as appointing brothers to cabinet posts, might have been more effective in securing Jehoram’s reputation and power.
Continue reading HOW COULD ANYONE BE SO CRUEL AS TO EXECUTE ALL HIS BROTHERS
This was Haman’s response to the king when he asked how to honor one of his subjects. Haman outlined the highest royal recognition possible because he thought the king intended to honor him.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURISITIES (THE ULTIMATE HONOR)