In order to understand the idea of sacrifices and offerings, we must go back to the very beginning of the Bible. By Genesis 4, the first sons, Cain and Abel, were practicing an early form of sacrifice: “Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to the LORD. Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The LORD approved of Abel and his offering, but he didn’t approved of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed” (Gen 4:3-5). From the beginning, offerings and sacrifices generally expressed two attitudes: gratitude and repentance. In the case of Cain and Abel, later history of sacrifice might lead us to think that God’s rejection of Cain’s offering was because it wasn’t a blood sacrifice, but the text doesn’t indicate such a conclusion. Cain’s offering was casual and perhaps careless; Abel’s was costly. Cain brought “some crops”; Abel presented “some choice parts.” Cain’s response to God’s correction revealed his heart. Continue reading SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF THE BIBLE (SACRIFICE/OFFERING)
The teacher in Ecclesiastes has everything, yet he still manages to feel depressed and despondent. The reasons he gives for his depression are the apparent meaninglessness of life and the fact that man cannot find satisfaction or contentment. Each new day is just a repetition of all the other days that have gone before. In fact, there is nothing that is actually new, nothing that is fresh. In a restless and weary turn of phrase, the Teacher coins the well-used quote: “History merely repeats itself.” According to the Teacher’s reasoning, there is no worth to be found in doing things that have already been done and seen and experienced by other people.
Continue reading WHY SHOULD A MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING FEEL SO DEPRESSED AND DESPONDENT? (ECCLESIASTES 1:1-11)
REPENTANCE- Change of mind; also can refer to regret or remorse accompanying a realization that wrong has been done or to any shift or reversal of thought. In its biblical sense repentance refers to a deeply seated and through turning from self to God. It occurs when a radical turning of God takes places, an experience in which God is recognized as the most importance fact of one’s existence. Continue reading DEFINITON OF THE DAY “REPENTANCE”
LUKE 17:32- “Remember Lot’s wife!”
Lot’s wife is one of the many unnamed characters of Scripture. We don’t know her background or how or where she and Lot met. We only know she was a mother of two daughters (see Gen 19:15) and that se lived with Lot in the notoriously wicked city of Sodom. Continue reading WOMEN OF THE BIBLE “LOT’S WIFE”A CAUTIONARY TALE ABOUT WORLDLINESS
HEBREWS 11:31- “By faith the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.”
There’s no nice way to say it. Rahab was a harlot-in modern parlance, a hooker. At her home atop the wall that surrounded the bustling, ancient city of Jericho, Rahab took in strange men and gave out sexual favors.
Continue reading WOMEN OF THE BIBLE “RAHAB- THE SHADY LADY”
There were several different ways of bowing in Bible times. These ranged from lowing the head to bending the knees to kneeling down before another person. Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES “TOTAL BODY BOWING”
The horns of certain animals appear frequently in Scriptures as symbols. These are often used in prophetic visions to represent the power of individuals or kingdoms (1 Kings 22:11). While horns were also fashioned into musical instruments (see TRUMPET/SHOFAR), their symbolic use is usually indicated when they are mentioned. Hornlike projections were included at the four corners of the altar of incense in the original tabernacle and in the Jerusalem temple. These horns were carved from wood Continue reading BIBLE SIGNS AND SYMBOLS (HORN)
It’s hard find nice things to say about the woman whose name has become synonymous for being shameless, brazen, and morally bankrupt.
Jezebel came from royalty-her father was Ethbaal, a Phoenician king. She also married into royalty-her husband, Ahab, was the king of the ten tribes that made up the northern kingdom of Israel (see 1 Kings 16:29-33).
Continue reading WOMEN OF THE BIBLE (JEZEBEL: HOW NOT TO LIVE YOUR LIFE)
Israel’s greatest problem throughout its history was syncrestism-the mixing of pagan religion with worship of the true God. God judged Israel severely for failing to keep worship clean and pure. And one of the easiest inroads to Israel’s heart was through intermarriage with pagan peoples. Ezra knew this well, thus his vehement and emotional opposition to takign foreign spuses. Continue reading WHY WAS EZRA SO UPSET ABOUT MIXED MARRIAGE? EZRA 9
Judges 7:14- “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him.”
Gideon was threshing grain in a wine a press, to hide it from the marauding, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Jud 6:12). Continue reading MEN OF THE BIBLE “GIDEON”