John 4:25-26: The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
These two verses are part of the account in John’s Gospel of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. He admitted openly to her that He was the Messiah, the deliverer whom God had been promising to send to His people for hundreds of years.
Continue reading NAMES OF GOD (MESSIAH)
The Ten Commandments remind children to honor their parents. Paul applies this command here by teaching that honor begins with obedience. Paul’s reason is not that parents are always right or because children owe some debt to parents, but because obedience toward parents pleases the Lord.
Continue reading HOW SHOULD CHILDREN TREAT PARENTS?
Solomon’s bride, the Shulamite, is speaking in this verse. In an age when women prized pure white skin, she was a country girl whose skin had been darkened by long exposure to the sun.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (SEEING BENEATH THE SURFACE)
Translations of several uncomplimentary words that appear approximately 360 times throughout the OT and NT to describe unwise and ungodly people. The words are especially predominant in the Wisdom Literature of the OT. Persons who do not possess wisdom are called “fools”; their behavior is described as “folly.” The picture, which emerges from the biblical material, is quite simple: folly is the opposite of wisdom, and a fool is the opposite of a wise person.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (FOOL,FOOLISHNESS, AND FOLLY PT 1 OF 2)
Most Christians approach this topic from one of three viewpoints. One group sees all the gifts mentioned in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 as still operative today. Another group says that the more spectacular, so-called “sign” gifts (prophecy, tongues, healing) were given only for the beginning era of the church (people who hold this position are called “cessationists”). Still others teach that all the gifts were temporary in nature.
Continue reading WHAT SHOULD WE BELIEVE ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS?
Sailors of ancient times tended to be very superstitious because of their constant exposure to the dangers of the sea. When a storm struck the ship in which Jonah was escaping from the call of the Lord, they assumed the pagan gods were punishing them because of their displeasure with one person on board.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (SUPERSTITIOUS SAILORS)
This verse shows God’s desire that cities of refuge be established throughout the land once the Israelites had conquered and settled the land of Canaan. Any person who caused the accidental death of another could seek refuge in one of these cities until it was determined through due process what punishment, if any, should be levied against him.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (ACCIDENTAL DEATH)
It’s hard to find nice things to say about the woman whose name has become synonymous for being shameless, brazen, and morally bankrupt.
Jezebel came from royalty-her father was Ethbaal, a Phoenician king. She also married into royalty-her husband, Ahab, was the king of the ten tribes that made up the northern kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 16:29-33),
Continue reading WOMAN OF THE DAY (JAZEBEL “HOW NOT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE”)
Artisans of the past were occasionally commissioned by their benefactors to create works of art that delivered messages and captured beauty. One mode of delivery was engraving: the incising of words or images into clay, wood, stone, or metal. The process of engraving began with the purchase or production of the necessary tools for the job. The engraving tool could be a reed stylus, metal chisel, or flint point (Job 19:24; Jer 17:1), depending on the hardness of the
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (ENGRAVE 1 OF 2)
Essential part of Jewish life in Bible times. According to Eccles. 3:4, there is “a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (NASB). Dances were performed on both sacred and secular occasions, though the Hebrew mind would not likely have thought in these terms.
Continue reading DEFINITOIN OF THE DAY (DANCING)