658. Mount Sinai, a solid block of reddish granite that rises steeply out of the desert, is only about three thousand feet high, not much in comparison to other mountains. It looms so dramatically out of the surrounding land, however, that the Israelites must have found it a fitting place for God to dwell.
659. Mari, dating back to the eighteenth century B.C., was unveiled as one of the great cities of the ancient world. A ziggurat was unearthed, and so were twenty thousand clay tablets of writing. Among other things, these clay tablets preserve ancient police records that refer constantly to threats of Semitic nomads who lived on the frontiers of the Kingdom and raided the towns of Mari.
660. Haran, a little mud-bricked settlement, is one of the most important cities in the Near East. It was a key city connected by ancient trade routes to Ur. Nearly four thousand years ago, Abraham, his wife, Sarah, and his household set off with their herds and flocks on a historic journey to a Promised Land. Abraham's travels correspond to known migratory and commercial routes before Ur was conquered and abandoned in 1740 B.C.
661. The city of Corinth was one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire during Paul's lifetime. A commercial bridge between East and West, it attracted merchants, traders, and visitors from all around the Mediterranean area, making it something like the "Times Square" of its day.
662. Solomon's ships sailed with metal and other items of trade from Eziongeber on the Gulf of Aqaba to a place known as "Ophir." Its location has been heavily disputed and it was even believed to be a legendary land until a discovery was made near the ancient port of Joppa (Jaffa) in Israel of a Phoenician storage jar inscribed with the words "gold of Ophir."
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Bible Times and Trivia: The Bible Lands lll
653. The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest place on the land surface of the earth. This sea is also the saltiest body of water in the world, and nine times saltier than the oceans! It is so salty that it is impossible for a human swimmer to sink in it. During the Roman siege of Jerusalem A.D. 70, a Roman commander sentenced prisoners to death by having them thrown into the Dead Sea. The condemned men were thrown in from the hill, but they did not drown. Several times they were pulled out and tossed in again, yet each time they bobbed to the surface. The commander was impressed by this seeming miracle, since he did not understand its cause, and he pardoned the prisoners.
654. Ancient Hebrews had an unlimited supply of salt. They formed brine pits called "salt pans" along the Dead Sea's flat coastal area. The sun evaporated the water in the pits, leaving behind an abundant supply of mineral salts.
655. Salt was the chief economic product of the ancient world, and the Hebrews used it in a variety of ways: for flavoring foods, preserving fish, curing meat, and pickling olives and vegetables. Infants were rubbed in salt to insure good health before swaddling. Salt was also believed to have been an antidote for tooth decay. Salt was an ingredient in the sacred anointing oil and ritual sacrifices symbolizing God's perpetual covenant with Israel (Num. 18:19).
656. Cool streams, luxuriant pastures, and mountains shaggy with trees are often described in the Bible. Yet visitors today usually see a bleak and barren landscape with waterless flatlands and bare hills. Almost everywhere the rocky bones of the earth show through the soil. An ancient Hebrew legend states that God had two bags of rocks when He made the world. He scattered the contents of one bag over the entire earth-but all the other rocks in the other bag He dropped on the small area of the Holy Land.
657. The face of the land looked very different than it does today. The first step toward agriculture was the cutting down of the forests. That is what Joshua told the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh to do when they complained about the lack of farmland in the areas assigned to them: "But the forested hill country [shall be yours] as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours" (Josh. 17:18).
654. Ancient Hebrews had an unlimited supply of salt. They formed brine pits called "salt pans" along the Dead Sea's flat coastal area. The sun evaporated the water in the pits, leaving behind an abundant supply of mineral salts.
655. Salt was the chief economic product of the ancient world, and the Hebrews used it in a variety of ways: for flavoring foods, preserving fish, curing meat, and pickling olives and vegetables. Infants were rubbed in salt to insure good health before swaddling. Salt was also believed to have been an antidote for tooth decay. Salt was an ingredient in the sacred anointing oil and ritual sacrifices symbolizing God's perpetual covenant with Israel (Num. 18:19).
656. Cool streams, luxuriant pastures, and mountains shaggy with trees are often described in the Bible. Yet visitors today usually see a bleak and barren landscape with waterless flatlands and bare hills. Almost everywhere the rocky bones of the earth show through the soil. An ancient Hebrew legend states that God had two bags of rocks when He made the world. He scattered the contents of one bag over the entire earth-but all the other rocks in the other bag He dropped on the small area of the Holy Land.
657. The face of the land looked very different than it does today. The first step toward agriculture was the cutting down of the forests. That is what Joshua told the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh to do when they complained about the lack of farmland in the areas assigned to them: "But the forested hill country [shall be yours] as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours" (Josh. 17:18).
Monday, September 21, 2015
Bible Times and Trivia: The Bible Lands ll
648. The great variety of deserts, mountains, forests, grasslands, lakes, and seashores provides nearly every possible habitat in which plants and animals can find the exact living conditions they need. About 2,250 species of trees and shrubs and annual and perennial plants grow in the Holy Land; Egypt, although much larger, has only fifteen hundred. About seven hundred species of mammals, birds, and reptiles are found in the Holy Land.
649. The contrasts in the landscape are remarkable. Mount Hermon rises to 9,400 feet, and its summit is arctic in climate. A little over a hundred miles away, at the Dead Sea, the climate is tropical. In the same glance you can see snow-capped mountains and sun-baked deserts. Alongside cultivated fields are stark deserts that afford scarcely enough pasture for flocks.
650. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho drops three thousand feet in only fifteen miles, and while fruit is growing on the farms around Jericho, it may be snowing in Jerusalem. The varied animals and plants, the many different landscapes, the abrupt changes in climate-all these realities were observed by the Bible's writers. And they put them to use to illustrate spiritual teachings.
651. The Jordan Valley is part of the Great Rift that extends from Turkey deep into Africa for four thousand miles. The Great Rift is the deepest chasm on the face of the globe. Unlike the Grand Canyon, which was formed by the process of erosion, great swells and cracking of the earth's crust caused huge blocks of land to collapse, leaving deep valleys that were flooded. In the Holy Land this formed the Jordan River, Lake Huleh, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea.
652. The Jordan River is among the most rapid of any rivers in the world. In approximately two hundred winding miles, it drops from almost two thousand feet above sea level to the surface of the Dead Sea, which is nearly thirteen hundred feet below sea level.
649. The contrasts in the landscape are remarkable. Mount Hermon rises to 9,400 feet, and its summit is arctic in climate. A little over a hundred miles away, at the Dead Sea, the climate is tropical. In the same glance you can see snow-capped mountains and sun-baked deserts. Alongside cultivated fields are stark deserts that afford scarcely enough pasture for flocks.
650. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho drops three thousand feet in only fifteen miles, and while fruit is growing on the farms around Jericho, it may be snowing in Jerusalem. The varied animals and plants, the many different landscapes, the abrupt changes in climate-all these realities were observed by the Bible's writers. And they put them to use to illustrate spiritual teachings.
651. The Jordan Valley is part of the Great Rift that extends from Turkey deep into Africa for four thousand miles. The Great Rift is the deepest chasm on the face of the globe. Unlike the Grand Canyon, which was formed by the process of erosion, great swells and cracking of the earth's crust caused huge blocks of land to collapse, leaving deep valleys that were flooded. In the Holy Land this formed the Jordan River, Lake Huleh, the Sea of Galilee, and the Dead Sea.
652. The Jordan River is among the most rapid of any rivers in the world. In approximately two hundred winding miles, it drops from almost two thousand feet above sea level to the surface of the Dead Sea, which is nearly thirteen hundred feet below sea level.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Bible Times and Trivia: The Bible Lands l
643. The lands ceased to be the focal point for the ancient world in the five centuries between the rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem and the birth of Jesus. New empires rose, this time in Europe. First the Greeks and then the Romans overran the Bible lands. The Near Eastern peoples watched their land become ravaged of trees and precious metals to supply their conquerors. What forests had survived were cut down. The wilderness gave way to fields, and wild beasts were largely replaced by domesticated animals.
644. Most rivers in the Bible lands dry up during the rainless summer, but not the Nile. Heavy rains and melting snow feed the tributaries that form the Nile River. The torrent of water reaches Egypt during the late summer and it overflows the banks, leaving a fresh layer of fertile moist soil along its banks.
645. The Holy Land is so small that a soaring eagle can see almost all of it at once on a clear day. From Dan to Beersheba is little more than 150 miles, roughly the same distance as from New York City to Albany. From east to west, the Holy Land is even narrower. At its widest point, a hundred miles lie between the Mediterranean coast and the Arabian Desert on the east. The land in which such great events took place is only a little larger than the state of New Jersey and smaller than Belgium.
646. This land that gave birth to our civilization is inconspicuous on a map of the world. But no other part of the world, square foot for square foot, has played such a historical role in human history.
647. The Holy Land's position at the crossroads of three continents makes it a meeting ground for species of plants and animals of different origins. Almost every kind of bird, for example, that inhabits northern Africa, southern Europe, and western Asia has been seen at one time or another in the Bible lands. The fauna comes from as far away as central Asia (the horse), equatorial Africa (the crocodile), and western Europe (the stork).
644. Most rivers in the Bible lands dry up during the rainless summer, but not the Nile. Heavy rains and melting snow feed the tributaries that form the Nile River. The torrent of water reaches Egypt during the late summer and it overflows the banks, leaving a fresh layer of fertile moist soil along its banks.
645. The Holy Land is so small that a soaring eagle can see almost all of it at once on a clear day. From Dan to Beersheba is little more than 150 miles, roughly the same distance as from New York City to Albany. From east to west, the Holy Land is even narrower. At its widest point, a hundred miles lie between the Mediterranean coast and the Arabian Desert on the east. The land in which such great events took place is only a little larger than the state of New Jersey and smaller than Belgium.
646. This land that gave birth to our civilization is inconspicuous on a map of the world. But no other part of the world, square foot for square foot, has played such a historical role in human history.
647. The Holy Land's position at the crossroads of three continents makes it a meeting ground for species of plants and animals of different origins. Almost every kind of bird, for example, that inhabits northern Africa, southern Europe, and western Asia has been seen at one time or another in the Bible lands. The fauna comes from as far away as central Asia (the horse), equatorial Africa (the crocodile), and western Europe (the stork).
Saturday, September 19, 2015
A Chirch Begins V
637. Eutychus had been named well. His name means "lucky." While he was listening to Paul preach, he fell out of a third-story window (he fell asleep) and was lying still and believed to be dead when they reached him. Paul embraced him and he was healed. He had been blessed, not lucky, but his name seems appropriate!
638. Philemon had an interesting conversion experience. He was a wealthy Christian from Colosse, and he was converted by his slave, Onesimus. Onesimus had run away and eventually met the apostle Paul and became a believer. Paul sent him back to his master, Philemon, and urged Philemon to receive him as a "beloved brother." Philemon did so and was also saved!
639. Lydia is one of the few women mentioned in the early church. She was a seller of purple cloth and a Gentile, but sought God by going to a Jewish prayer center. She then met Paul and his fellow missionaries. She became converted, and eventually she and her family and even their workers were Baptized. Paul and his friends stayed in her home.
640. Stephanas and his entire household were the first Christians to convert during Paul's ministry in Achaia. As the church grew in that area, Stephanas took a more active role in caring for other new Christians. Paul was fond of him and his family and he especially enjoyed Stephanas's visit with him in Ephesus.
641. Aquila and Priscilla were a tent-making couple from Corinth. They became Christians after listening to Paul preach. They were dear friends of Paul and supported him to the very end, even risking their lives for him. They were loved and known in many churches in Greece and Asia Minor.
642. Acts closes with Paul incarcerated and under a mild form of house arrest in the imperial capital. He continued preaching the Gospel and writing letters to the churches he had established. Acts says nothing more about Paul's appeal or ultimate fate, or that of Peter. Both eventually disappear from the Biblical account without any specific word about what happened to them. According to well-established tradition, both apostles were martyred during Emperor Nero's persecution of Christians after the great fire in Rome in A.D. 64.
638. Philemon had an interesting conversion experience. He was a wealthy Christian from Colosse, and he was converted by his slave, Onesimus. Onesimus had run away and eventually met the apostle Paul and became a believer. Paul sent him back to his master, Philemon, and urged Philemon to receive him as a "beloved brother." Philemon did so and was also saved!
639. Lydia is one of the few women mentioned in the early church. She was a seller of purple cloth and a Gentile, but sought God by going to a Jewish prayer center. She then met Paul and his fellow missionaries. She became converted, and eventually she and her family and even their workers were Baptized. Paul and his friends stayed in her home.
640. Stephanas and his entire household were the first Christians to convert during Paul's ministry in Achaia. As the church grew in that area, Stephanas took a more active role in caring for other new Christians. Paul was fond of him and his family and he especially enjoyed Stephanas's visit with him in Ephesus.
641. Aquila and Priscilla were a tent-making couple from Corinth. They became Christians after listening to Paul preach. They were dear friends of Paul and supported him to the very end, even risking their lives for him. They were loved and known in many churches in Greece and Asia Minor.
642. Acts closes with Paul incarcerated and under a mild form of house arrest in the imperial capital. He continued preaching the Gospel and writing letters to the churches he had established. Acts says nothing more about Paul's appeal or ultimate fate, or that of Peter. Both eventually disappear from the Biblical account without any specific word about what happened to them. According to well-established tradition, both apostles were martyred during Emperor Nero's persecution of Christians after the great fire in Rome in A.D. 64.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
A Church Begins lV
630. The early church grew as a "communal" society in which everyone shared, according to the reports in Acts. There was a utopian state of harmony depicted in these first days of the Christian community, although they were not yet called "Christians." A young man named Mathias was elected to replace Judas as one of the Twelve. The group prospered, made collective decisions, and enjoyed common ownership of goods, making the early Christians in Jerusalem a practical model for the kibbutz.
631. In Acts 6, we see that seven young men were appointed to see to the needs of the church people, in order to free up the time of the disciples and eventual apostles. Stephen, a gifted speaker, was one of these men. He was a skilled debater and angered many who could not argue well with him or win him over. Eventually these men became so angry that Stephen was arrested and tried before the Sanhedrin.
632. The first martyr of the church was Stephen. A young Pharisee named Saul was present. Eventually Saul would be converted and receive the name Paul. His conversion is a sign of the wondrous grace God has in store for those who believe in Him. When Stephen was stoned, he died with a vision of Jesus in sight. He was at peace and thus incensed his captors even more. Before he died Stephen said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
633. The early church was not a perfect organization. Early Christians were as sinful then as they can be now. One of the earliest instances of this appears in Acts 5. Ananias and his wife, Saphira, lied about the amount of compensation they received after selling a field. Had they not pretended to sell it for less, it wouldn't have mattered, but since they did lie in order to keep back money for themselves, God took them both. As Peter told them, "You have lied to the Holy Spirit."
635. Dorcas, who was also called Tabitha, also received a miracle during the early days of the church. She lived in Joppa. She fell ill and then died. Her distressed friends sent for Peter, the "rock" of the church. He prayed for her even as she was dead! She was given her life back and sat up. Many of her friends became believers as a result of this miracle.
636. Cornelius was actually a Roman soldier and was stationed at Caesarea. He was a Gentile who had joined a synagogue in order to seek God. He was a "God fearer." An angel appearing to him one day and told Cornelius to send for Peter. When Peter came, Cornelius and his entire family learned about Jesus They were Baptized immediately and praised God.
631. In Acts 6, we see that seven young men were appointed to see to the needs of the church people, in order to free up the time of the disciples and eventual apostles. Stephen, a gifted speaker, was one of these men. He was a skilled debater and angered many who could not argue well with him or win him over. Eventually these men became so angry that Stephen was arrested and tried before the Sanhedrin.
632. The first martyr of the church was Stephen. A young Pharisee named Saul was present. Eventually Saul would be converted and receive the name Paul. His conversion is a sign of the wondrous grace God has in store for those who believe in Him. When Stephen was stoned, he died with a vision of Jesus in sight. He was at peace and thus incensed his captors even more. Before he died Stephen said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."
633. The early church was not a perfect organization. Early Christians were as sinful then as they can be now. One of the earliest instances of this appears in Acts 5. Ananias and his wife, Saphira, lied about the amount of compensation they received after selling a field. Had they not pretended to sell it for less, it wouldn't have mattered, but since they did lie in order to keep back money for themselves, God took them both. As Peter told them, "You have lied to the Holy Spirit."
635. Dorcas, who was also called Tabitha, also received a miracle during the early days of the church. She lived in Joppa. She fell ill and then died. Her distressed friends sent for Peter, the "rock" of the church. He prayed for her even as she was dead! She was given her life back and sat up. Many of her friends became believers as a result of this miracle.
636. Cornelius was actually a Roman soldier and was stationed at Caesarea. He was a Gentile who had joined a synagogue in order to seek God. He was a "God fearer." An angel appearing to him one day and told Cornelius to send for Peter. When Peter came, Cornelius and his entire family learned about Jesus They were Baptized immediately and praised God.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
A Church Begins lll
623. Roman subjects incorporated emperor worship into the local religion throughout the empire. In the provinces, leading citizens became priests in the imperial cult to cement their ties with Rome. (Augustus, however, exempted the Jews from the imperial cult.) Emperor worship continued as the official pagan religion of the empire until Christianity was recognized under Emperor Constantine (A.D. 305-337).
624. Paul stayed longer in some cities than others. Some larger cities, such as Ephesus, became teaching centers through which he could reach outlying areas of the surrounding regions. Paul's goal was to teach his followers well enough so they could teach others. Those who were able to accept this role were called elders, overseers, and pastors. The focus, however, was not on building an organization, but on preaching the Word.
625. The excellent highway system constructed throughout the Mediterranean world by the Romans was traveled frequently by Paul. Built so Roman armies could move swiftly and their traders could deliver goods efficiently, the Roman roads also contributed to the spread of the Christian message.
626. Since many Jews traveled to Jerusalem for annual feasts, and since many apostles were on the road with Christ's message, Paul sometimes found the Gospel message had reached a town before he did. This was the case with Rome, the center of the world in it's day. There were many disciples in this metropolis long before Paul reached it.
627. The Gospel of Christ spread by word of mouth. Sometimes the apostles would move on to another city only to receive a request for more teaching from the city they had recently left. So they would write letters to be read aloud to groups of individuals who met for teaching and encouragement. They also wrote letters while confined in prison.
628. The agrapha is a phrase meaning "things not written." It was used in the early church to refer to sayings of Jesus that His followers remembered, but which were not written down in any of the Gospels. For example, in Acts 20:35, Paul quotes the Lord Jesus as saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Those words can't be found in any of the Gospels, so apparently that is one of the things the Lord's followers remembered Him saying, and would cite Him as the source, even though it was never written down as such.
629. How do you tell the world the "Good News" if you don't speak their language? The disciples were gathered in an upper room when all of a sudden "tongues of fire" touched the followers. They began to speak in other languages. Some people who saw them thought they were drunk. This was the arrival of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised. The disciples could now go and spread the Word of God everywhere.
624. Paul stayed longer in some cities than others. Some larger cities, such as Ephesus, became teaching centers through which he could reach outlying areas of the surrounding regions. Paul's goal was to teach his followers well enough so they could teach others. Those who were able to accept this role were called elders, overseers, and pastors. The focus, however, was not on building an organization, but on preaching the Word.
625. The excellent highway system constructed throughout the Mediterranean world by the Romans was traveled frequently by Paul. Built so Roman armies could move swiftly and their traders could deliver goods efficiently, the Roman roads also contributed to the spread of the Christian message.
626. Since many Jews traveled to Jerusalem for annual feasts, and since many apostles were on the road with Christ's message, Paul sometimes found the Gospel message had reached a town before he did. This was the case with Rome, the center of the world in it's day. There were many disciples in this metropolis long before Paul reached it.
627. The Gospel of Christ spread by word of mouth. Sometimes the apostles would move on to another city only to receive a request for more teaching from the city they had recently left. So they would write letters to be read aloud to groups of individuals who met for teaching and encouragement. They also wrote letters while confined in prison.
628. The agrapha is a phrase meaning "things not written." It was used in the early church to refer to sayings of Jesus that His followers remembered, but which were not written down in any of the Gospels. For example, in Acts 20:35, Paul quotes the Lord Jesus as saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Those words can't be found in any of the Gospels, so apparently that is one of the things the Lord's followers remembered Him saying, and would cite Him as the source, even though it was never written down as such.
629. How do you tell the world the "Good News" if you don't speak their language? The disciples were gathered in an upper room when all of a sudden "tongues of fire" touched the followers. They began to speak in other languages. Some people who saw them thought they were drunk. This was the arrival of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised. The disciples could now go and spread the Word of God everywhere.
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