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)
Army at God’s command, composed of either heavenly bodies (such as sun, moon, and stars) or angels.
“Host” is basically a military term connected with fighting or waging a war. The most frequent use of the word is to designate a group of men organized for war. In this sense, The Hebrew word often refers to a human army (Gen 21:22,32; Judg 4:2,7; 9:29; 1 Sam 12:9; 2 Sam 3:23; Isa 34:2; Jer 51:3). The term can refer to an act of war, as in Num 1:3,20; Deut 24:5; and Josh 22:12. An extended meaning of “hosts” is that it designates a length of time of hard service (Job 7:1; Isa 40:2; Dan 10:1). The term is used in the book of Numbers to refer to the service of the Levites in the sanctuary.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (HOST OF HEAVEN PT1 OF 2)
Worship of the sun and other heavenly bodies was common among the pagan nations of the ancient world. For example, the city of Ur in Mesopotamia from which Abraham migrated was a center of moon worship. The Egyptians worshiped the sun god known as Ra (Gen 12:15). The Lord, speaking through Moses, specifically prohibited this form of idolatry.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS & CURIOSITIES (WORSHIP OF THE SUN, MOON, AND STARS)
This imagery of a white stone has been explained in various ways by interpreters: as a badge of acquittal in a legal case, as an expression of welcome by a host to his guest, or as a voting token used by a voter to indicate his choice of a candidate. Continue reading A STONE FOR THE WINNER