Although by Bible times people had moved out of the original cave dwellings that were abundant in the ancient Middle East, there were always people who lived in caves. Lot lived in a cave after his escape from Sodom (Gen 19:30), and the Edomites made and enlarged caves in the rock face at Petra for living and for public affairs.
Continue reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS (CAVE-DWELLERS)
First and 2 Kings trace the history of Israel during the four hundred years from the death of King David to the destruction of Jerusalem. Each king is judged on whether he was obedient to God or did evil in His sight. Many lessons follow from these stories.
Continue reading WHAT’S THE POINT OF READING ABOUT ALL THESE ANCIENT KINGS?
ISAIAH 45:7 – 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
FROM THE HEBREW AND GREEK KEY WORD STUDY BIBLE pg 1993
7451. ra’, rah; from 7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural) or mora): -adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, + displease (-ure), distress, evil (I – favouredness], man, thing), + exceedingly, x great, grief (-vous), misery, naught (-ty), noisome, + not please, sad (-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked (-ly, -ness, one), worse (-st), wretchedness, wrong. [Including feminine, ra’ ‘ah, raw-aw’; as adjective or noun.)
Continue reading IS GOD BOTH GOOD AND EVIL? (ISAIAH 45:7 EXPLAINED)
It was Solomon who built up a professional army, for through taxation and trading he was able to accumulate sufficient wealth to pay for it (1 Kings 10:25-27). In times of national emergency the regular army was supplemented by conscripts. Recruiting officers went through the tribes on such occasions and were still in use at a much later date (2 Kings 25:18; 2 Chronicles 11:1).
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Manasseh, king of Judah (697 – 642 BC), built altars in Jerusalem for all the “host of heaven” (2 Kings 21:5). He attempted to merge the worship of other gods with the worship of Yahweh. Manasseh’s efforts were reversed when Josiah came to the throne (2 Kings 23:7).
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (HOST OF HEAVEN PT 2 OF 2)
The metalsmith has a very old pedigree. Cain was a smith, and it was one of his descendants, Tubal-Cain, who was described as “the forger of instruments of bronze and iron” (Genesis 4:17,22). Cain was the father of the Midianite tribe of Kenites who seem to have been involved in many aspects of Israel’s history (see, for example Genesis 15:19; 1 Samuel 15:6). They appear to have exploited the copper of the Sinai with the Egyptians. Artifacts of Kenite metalworking have yielded much of the archaeological information we know concerning ancient metal-working.
Continue reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE BIBLE (WORKERS WITH METAL)
Exodus 19 describes Israel arriving at Sinai. This chapter is important for understanding the events at Sinai, where Israel spent over two years (Numbers 10:11). God addressed the people as “the house of Jacob. . . the people of Israel . . .” (Exodus 19:3) as a way to remind them that they were the people of the covenant, the descendants of Abraham. What was about to happen at Sinai was not a new covenant with the people but an extension of the covenant God made with Abraham.
Continue reading ISRAEL AT SINAIGREAT HIGH PRIEST
When Christ is called our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14) it is because he and he alone was chosen by God to make the perfect sacrifice and intercession for us before God’s merciful throne-and not before an earthly throne, but before the very throne of God’s presence!
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From the moment the Israelites left Egypt, danger followed them all the way. Between the Egyptian army pursuing them and the dangers in the wilderness, the Israelites were a crowd of scared, tired people. They had seen God’s power in Egypt, but they were walking into the unknown. Seeing the cloud during the day and the column of fire during the night was probably a great comfort. The pillar of cloud and fire functioned as a reminder of God’s guiding and protective care, shown in Exodus 14:19, the pillar interposed between Israel and the pursuing Egyptian army, striking fear into the camp of Egypt and encouraging the Israelites.
Continue reading JESUS AND THE PLLLAR
The evaluation at times took a decidedly negative tone. Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, was the first to have his reign characterized in a more negative way due to the first that Judah “step up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree” (1 Kings 14:23). This was clearly a case of hyperbole; nevertheless a land that appeared full of what God had forbidden characterized Rehoboam’s rule as less than it needed to be.
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (SACRED STONES PT4)