The law of retaliation in the Old Testament permitted a person to put out an eye or knock out a tooth of an offender who had inflicted such injuries upon him (Exodus 21:23-25). But Jesus calls for a higher code of behavior from His followers. (“Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also,” Matthew 5:39.)
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (DO NOT RETALIATE)
King Sennacherib of Assyria had a huge army and ruled a large empire. And he was determined to add Judah to the list of nations under his control. He believed that no one could resist his demands-after all. Assyria had never lost a war, and Judah was a small nation. But Sennacherib failed to realize that Judah was different-it’s king, Hezekiah, depended on the Lord to fight Judah’s battles.
Continue reading DID YOU KNOW THAT AN ANGEL ONCE DESTROYED AN ENTIE ARMY?
Yet another reason for seeking a concubine was to demonstrate control over the assets and legacy of a father or king. Reuben attempted to force the hand of Jacob into declaring him the primary heir of the family by sleeping with his father’s concubine (Gen 35:22). The same happened in royal circles. Abner, Absalom, and Adonijah all either slept with a king’s concubine or attempted to do so in order to advance their legitimacy as a royal figure (2 Sam 3:7; 16:21-22; 1 Kings 2:17, 21-25).
Continue reading EVERDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (CONCUBINE PT2)
1.Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (HOSEA 4:1-19 “GOD’S CHARGE AGAINST ISRAEL”)
Revenge as a common human feeling has a long history Legal scholars, for example, believe that revenge is the basis for all jurisprudence. When Harry first stole a cow from Joe, Joe took two of Harry’s goats. Then Harry grabbed three of Joe’s turkeys. And joe, seeing where this
Continue reading IS PRAYING FOR REVENGE OKAY?
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)
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”)
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)