LEVITICUS 7:9- All the meat offering [grian offering niv] that is baken in the oven, and all that is dressed in the fryingpan, and in the pan [griddle, NIV] shall be the priest’s that offereth it. Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (THREE WAYS OF BAKING BREAD)
God addressed Ezekiel with an unusual title which will later become Jesus’ favorite way of referring to himself. The title is “son of man.” In the original Hebrew language, it’s literally ben Adam or “son of Adam” since Adam means “humans.” Continue reading WHY “SON OF MAN”?
Nehemiah describes himself as “the king’s” cup-bearer” (Nehemiah 1:11). That’s a palace servant who brings the king his wine, after tasting it to make sure no one has spiked it with poison. Continue reading MORE THAN THE KING’S WINE TASTER
In three other of his epistles, Paul instructed believers to greet one another in this way (1 Corinthians 16:20: 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26). Thus, we can assume that the holy kiss (“kiss of charity,” 1 Peter 5:14) was practiced widely among the early New Testament churches. Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (PAUL’S “HOLY” KISS)
False teachers add or subtract from the Bible. They often have a “revelation” that allegedly supplies new data about divine matters-data that the Bible fails to reveal, so to speak. False teachers devalue the work of Jesus Christ by making Him less than God incarnate.They twist the trust the meaning of His death or reject the truth of His resurrection. Continue reading HOW CAN A PERSON IDENTIFY A FALSE TEACHER?
The most notable candlesticks in the Bible are those created for use in God’s house. The lamp stand or menorah that stood in the tabernalce was made of a single sheet of pure gold and had seven branches, each topped with a lamp in the shape of an almond blossom (Exod 25:31-40). Solomon’s temple had ten of these candles (1 Kings 7:49). Each lamp burned olive oil and was kept burning through the night as a symbol that God was with his chosen people at all times (Exod 27:21; 1 Sam 3:3). Extrabiblical sources suggest that in later times the middle lamp, which represented God himself, was kept burning around the clock. Continue reading SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF THE BIBLE (CANDLESTICK/LAMP STAND)
Barzillai is not one of the better-known men of Old Testament times, but the biblical account of his life and his relationship with King David can teach us something about standing strong for a friend-or what God has taught us is right-even when there is risk involved. Continue reading MEN OF THE BIBLE (BARZILLAI: A FAITHFUL FRIEND. . .IN SPITE OF POPULAR OPINION)
This is the first of only two references to embalming in the Bible. Like his father, Jacob, Joseph was also embalmed after his death (Genesis 50:26). Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS & CURIOSITIES (EGYPTIAN EMBALMING)
The Bible most often portrays the land of Egypt as the crucible in which the nation of Israel was forged. But Egypt played an important role earlier, in the lives of Abraham as well as his great-grandson Joseph. Abraham found shelter there during a famine but left in disgrace after lying to the Pharaoh about Sarai (Gen 12:10-20). Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt and became not only a great blessing to the nation, but also the means by which the rest of his family was kept safe during another devastating famine (Gen 37-46). Eventually Egypt enslaved the young nation and treated them mercilessly for four hundred years. Continue reading SIGNS & SYMBOLS OF THE BIBLE (EGYPT)
The Good News that God has for people is all wrapped up in the person, life, and teachings of Jesus Christ. When Jesus started His ministry, He declared that a new time in history had arrived. The God who created this world and all its people was now on the planet in a human body. Knowing that God was not far away or disconnected from this Continue reading WHAT IS GOD’S GOOD NEWS? (MARK 1:14)
