A Pharisee asked Jesus to tell Him which commandment in the law of Moses He considered the greatest of all (Matthew 22:36). This was a trick question. No matter which way Jesus answered. He was sure to leave out some commandments that. He was sure to leave out some commandments that His enemies considered essential.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (THE TWO COMMANDMENTS)
A biblical analogy to gun control is recorded in 1 Sam 13:19-22. The Philistines, who held a monopoly on the manufacture of iron implements, refused to allow the Israelites access to swords or spears. In spite of the Philistine attempt at armament control, the Israelites were able to defeat both the Philistines (1 Sam 14) and Amalakites (1 Sam 15) in battle.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (GUN CONTROL)
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, which means he likely was one of the least popular citizens of Jericho. Jewish people in the first century AD despised tax collectors. They not only did the work of the hated Roman Empire but also overcharged their fellow Jews and pocketed the extra money. That’s why Luke describes Zacchaeus as “rich” (Luke 19:2). He likely built his wealth from the funds he stole from the people in his community.
Continue reading MEN OF THE BIBLE (ZACCHAEUS “DESPISED BY MOST, EMBRACED BY ONE”)
9.Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the Lord, and because of the words of his holiness.
10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (JEREMIAH 23:9-21 “JUDGMENT ON FALSE PROPHETS”)
These commercial activities that upset Jesus were being conducted in an outer court of the Jewish, temple during the observance of the Passover in Jerusalem.
All male Jews were expected to attend this festival, even if they lived a long distance from Jerusalem (Exod 23:17). The money changers were probably exchanging foreign coins of these pilgrims for the appropriate coins with which to pay the temple tax (Matt 17:24).
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (COMMERCIALISM IN THE TEMPLE)
Neither the ark of the covenant nor the temple of Solomon housed God in a literal, confining sense. God is both infinite and omnipresent. As the martyr Stephen declared. “The Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands” (Acts 7:48. Acts 17:24).
Continue reading HOW DID GOD “DWELL” IN THE ARK AND IN THE TEMPLE?
Mentioned in numerous Old Testament passages, the concubine was not a prostitute but an auxiliary marriage partner who was both similar to and different from the wife. She was similar in that the Bible describes her marriage partner as her “husband” and includes her along with sons, daughters, and wives as a member of the ancient household (Judg 20:4-6; 2 Sam 19:5).
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (CONCUBINE PT1)17 But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.
18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (LUKE 11:17-24)
Term used by the KJV to translate two closely related Hebrew words (tannim and tannin). At times the terms appear to be interchangeable. Context indicates that the first term refers to a mammal inhabiting the desert (Isa 13:22; 35:7; 43:20; Lam 4:3). Most modern speech translation equate the animal with the jackal, though perhaps the wolf (REB) is intended. The second term has four possible uses: (1) “great sea monster” (KJV, “great whales”) in the sense of a large sea
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (DRAGON)
The story of Judas Iscariot may be the most unsettling cautionary talk in all of Scripture. For three years Judas spent practically every day in the presence of the Son of God-experiencing his miracles, listening to his teachings, and watching him change lives and give hope to multitudes.
Continue reading MEN OF THE BIBLE (JUDAS, ISCARIOT)