The vine was of great importance in the religion of Israel. It was used as a symbol of the religious life of Israel itself, and a carving of a bunch of grapes often adorned the front exterior of the synagogue. The symbolism was based upon passages such as Psalm 80 and Isaiah 5:1-5 where Israel is God’s vine.
Continue reading MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE BIBLE (VINE SYMBOLISM)
Demons are identified in Scripture as fallen angels who joined Satan in his rebellion. They follow Satan, doing evil and wreaking havoc. They have limited power and like Satan are already defeated (Col 2:15).
Continue reading DEFFINITION OF THE DAY (DEMONIC POSSESSION PT1)
“The pit” is called “Sheol” in some translations, and this psalm presupposes that actual places exist in the realm of the spirit. Not quite.
Continue reading WHERE IS “THE PIT”?
Make haste, o God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.
2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
Continue reading PSALM 70: 1-5 (A SHORT PRAYER FOR HELP)
Times of misfortune are also likened to the unexpected and inescapable nature of a trap: “Makeover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them” (Eccles 9:12). These harsh times could be the product of their own making, as in the case of the exile of God’s people from the Promised Land that entrapped them (Isa 42:22; Lam 4:20; Ezek 19:8).
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (TRAP/SNARE PT 3 OF 3)
1.Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? who can shew forth all his praise?
3 Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (PSALM 106:1-21 “JOY IN FORGIVENESS OF ISRAEL’S SINS”)
In the Bible God is pictured in this pose when he is ready to strike those who rebel against him or to fight in defense of the helpless (Psa 10:12; 118:13-16; Isa 5:25; 10:4; 19:16).
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (HAND “TO RAISE OR STRETCH OUT” PT 3 OF 3)
Some Christians actually preach this idea, and many people become disillusioned when their experience turns painful. The only people who can claim to live trouble-free are those who redefine “trouble” into a word that describes absolutely nothing.
Continue reading WILL GOD ELIMNATE ALL TROUBLE FROM OUR LIVES?
Ancient hunters used four different trapping devices to catch game animals and birds: the pit trap, the snare, the entangling net, and the fowler’s net. In the case of the pit trap, the hunters dug a hole on a game trail that was big enough to hold the animals and deep enough to prevent its escape once it had fallen in. A net was stretched over the top of the pit and disguised so that it looked like solid ground. When an animal stepped on the net, the apparently solid ground collapsed, tripping the animal (Psa 35:7; Jer 18:22). The snare was also set along a game trail. It consisted of a cord with a loop on one end that could tighten around an animal’s foot. The
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (TRAP/SNARE PT 1 OF 3)
GUARDIAN ANGELS – Though the term “guardian angel” does not occur in the Bible, many people believe angels are assigned to believers for this purpose on a permanent basis. Others hold that angels intervene in human history but in unique situations to assist believers (Psa 34:7; 91:11-12; Acts 12:6-11, 15). Hebrews 1:14 confirms that angels do service to believers but by God’s will and under His direction.
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (ANGELS PT 2 OF 3)