Lord, I got caught in gossip today. I didn’t mean to though. A group of us were just talking about this and that, and You know how women are. We’re so into relationships and what others are doing.
Continue reading A PRAYER ABOUT (GOSSIPING)
Guilt is bad, many counselors and therapists tell us. Guilt is therapeutic, we learn from the counsel of the Bible. Which is right? to feel guilt is to:
Continue reading WHAT IS THE POINT OF FEELING GUILT?
The woman guilty of sexual misconduct was to lose her capacity for childbearing. This was a fearsome penalty indeed, for women in the ancient Near East established their sense of personal value and esteem on one activity only-bearing and raising children. Education, business, military status, community leadership-none of these were open to women; motherhood was everything.
Continue reading WHAT IS THE SICKNESS THAT PUNISHES ADULTEROUS WOMEN?
In a vision the prophet Ezekiel saw the temple of the Jewish people in Jerusalem. He was shocked to see on its walls paintings or sculptures of unclean animals that God’s people were not supposed to eat (Leviticus 11:1-19).
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS & CURIOSITIES (IDOLS IN THE TEMPLS)
Israel was guilty of participating in various pagan worship practices. This included actual, physical prostitution at many Canaanite shrines left standing after the conquest of Canaan. The idea behind these degrading sexual rites was that the Canaanites fertility gods Baal and Asherah would favor the participants with healthy babies and crops. Continue reading WHY THE FREQUENT REFERENCES TO PROSTITUTES AND PROSTITUTION IN THE BOOK OF HOSEA?