Beuzel translated the familiar passage in I Cor. 15:29 thus: "Over the dead'' or "immediately upon the dead," meaning those who will be gathered to the dead immediately after baptism. Many in the ancient church put off baptism till near death. The passage probably referred to some symbolical rite of baptism or dedication of themselves to follow the dead even to death. Another view held by some expositors is that it was a custom to baptize certain persons with the names of the dead, in the hope that they might inherit their spirit and carry on their work.
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
What is to be understood by being "Baptized for the Dead"?
What is meant be the "Prince of the Power of the Air?"
It refers to Satan (Eph. 2:2), the "prince of evil'' who assails men on earth with trials and temptations.
The word "power" is used here for the embodiment of that evil spirit which is the ruling principle of all
unbelief, especially among the heathen. (See I Tim. 4:1; II Cor. 4:4; John 12:31.)
What are we to understand by the Battle of Armageddon, referred to in Revelation?
Armageddon is the name given to the last great battle to be fought in the world's history, in which the whole human race is arrayed on one side or the other. It is to be the final struggle of Antichrist. When it will be fought no one can tell; but that there will be a great struggle we are assured. Before that day comes "many false prophets shall arise and lead many astray . . . iniquity shall be multiplied and the love of many shall wax cold." There are to be false Christs, false teachers doing signs and wonders, and leading astray "even the elect if such were possible." It is to be preceded by a period of apostasy, in which the authority of the wicked one will be fully demonstrated, with the assumption of divinity and the demand for universal worship as God. In the present stage of the conflict between good and evil, when mighty forces are arrayed on both sides, we can see the foreshadowing of the fierce struggle that is to come; but we may rest assured that righteousness will triumph in the end. (See the parallel passage in Joel 3:2-12.) Armageddon is "the mountain of Megiddo," west of the Jordan, a scene of early historic battles and the place that would naturally suggest itself to the mind of a Galilean writer to whom the place and its associations were familiar.
What Significance Has the Word "Abba" as When It Precedes the Word "Father"?
"Abba" is the Hebrew word for "father," in the emphatic or definite state, as "thy father." Its use in referring to God was common among the Jews; but in order that it might not seem too familiar or irreverent, the New Testament writers gave it the two-fold form, which has become a recognized phrase in Christian worship. It is as though they said: "Father, our Father."
What is the Meaning of "Selah?"
The word "Selah," which occurs a number of times in the Psalms, was a musical or liturgical sign, whose meaning is unknown. Some regard it as a pause in the music, to mark a transition in the theme or composition. It seems to have no grammatical connection with the sentence after which it appears, and has
therefore nothing to do with the meaning of the passage. It was a note to the singers of the psalm, or to those who were accompanying the singing with instruments.
Where Did the Jews Get the Name "Hebrews"?
Who and What Was Melchisedec?
It is in the fourteenth chapter of Genesis that Melchisedec is historically presented to us. The incident and its record, although so brief, and standing in such singular isolation from the thread of the history which it interrupts, is not only in itself most striking and interesting, but also in its typical teaching profoundly instructive. How suddenly and altogether unexpectedly does Melchisedec here appear before us - a most kingly and majestic form, yet clad in priestly robes, and with the mystic emblems of eucharistic offering - bread and wine - in his hands. We see those priestly hands raised in blessing; we observe the great patriarch, Abraham - the father of the faithful and the Friend of God - bowing before the mysterious priest king, and presenting to him the tithes of all his spoil; and then, as abruptly as it appeared, the vision passes away, and for nearly a thousand years the voice of inspiration utters not again the name of Mechisedec. Then, however, in an ecstatic Psalm of a most distinctly Messianic character, and descriptive of our Lord's exaltation in the day of his power, we meet with it once more in the solemn declaration: "The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec'' Ps. 110:4. Again, something like a thousand years pass away, and then, once more, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews take up the subject of this mysterious personage, who, "Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, or end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually" Heb. 7:3; and on the two brief references to him, above given, which are all that the Scriptures contain, founds an argument to show the superiority of Christ's priesthood, as being "after the order of Melchisedec'' to that of Aaron, or Levi, which it had superseded.
Who was Melchisedec? Much labor has been wasted in attempts to answer the question. Later Jewish tradition identified him with Shem; and it is certain that that patriarch was not only alive in the days of Abraham, but even continued to live till Jacob was fifty years old. (Compare Gen. 2:2 with verses 12:26, 21:5, 25:7-26.) According to others he belonged to the family of Ham, or of Japheth; and it has been said that this is necessarily implied by the language of the Apostle when drawing a parallel between Melchisedec and Christ, he says that our Lord belonged to "a tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar." Some, again, have suggested that he was an incarnate angel, or other superhuman creature, who lived for a time among men. Others have held that he was an early manifestation of the Son of God; and a sect, called the Melchisedecians, asserted that he was "an incarnation of the Holy Ghost." But, in all these conjectures, the fact has been strangely overlooked that the reticence of Scripture on the point is typical and significant, for, could it be determined who Melchisedec really was, it could no longer be said that he was "without father, without mother, without genealogy"; which statement is to be understood, not as implying that he was not a natural descendant of Adam, but that he designedly appears and disappears in the sacred narrative without mention either of his parentage or death.
There can, however, be no question that, whoever Melchisedec may have been, he was an eminent type of Christ. This is placed beyond doubt, not only by the language of the 110th Psalm - the Messianic character of which has ever been recognized by Jews and Christians alike - but especially by the argument of the Apostle, in the seventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in the course of which there occurs the explicit declaration that he was - in the various respects mentioned - "made like unto the Son of God."
Did God give Job into the hands of Satan to be tempted?
"Tempted" is scarcely the word to use in that case. Job was tried or tested. The question was what his motive was in serving God. Satan with his natural doubt about any one having pure motives, asserted that Job served God only for what he gained by it, and that if his property was taken away from him, he would curse God. So Job was put to the proof, to see what he would do under trial, and whether he was really as disinterested as God believed him to be. The object of the author appears to have been to correct a false view of adversity, which view was prevalent in his time. People had the idea that severe calamities were punishments dealt out by God because of sin. When a man of good moral character, therefore, was in trouble, people suspected that he had sinned secretly, and that God was punishing him for it. It was often a cruel and unjust suspicion. In writing this description, the author evidently was trying to eradicate it. After reading such a book, a man who saw another in trouble, instead of despising him as a sinner, might say, "Perhaps he is being tried as Job was," and so might sympathize instead of blaming him. Our concern should be to learn the lesson the book was designed to teach, rather than to discuss the question whether it is history or parable, for that question cannot now be authoritatively answered.
Is the book if Job a real history or a dramatic allegory?
Job is believed to have been a real personage - a type of the earliest patriarchs, a man of high intelligence and great faith. The story is cast in dramatic form. Professor S. S. Curry, of Yale and Harvard Divinity Schools, thus outlines it : the place, a hill outside the city ; a rising storm, flashing lightning, rolling thunder and a rainbow; the speakers, God, the patriarch Job, his friends, and Satan; the theme, the mystery of human suffering, and human existence. To which may be added, a sublime faith in the divine wisdom, righteousness and justice. The book of Job is regarded by the highest Bible scholarship as a spiritual allegory. The name Job is derived from an Arabic word signifying "repentance," although Job himself is held to be a real personage.
“Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD. Ezekiel 14:13-14
"Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains." James 5:2-7
Who was Job?
According to leading commentators, Job was a personage of distinction, wealth and influence who lived in the north of Arabia Deserta, near the Euphrates, some 1800 B. C. His life was patriarchal, his language the Hebrew of that early day, when it was interspersed with Syriac and Arabic. He lived before Moses. His book is probably the oldest book in the world. It is now interpreted as a public debate in poetic form, dealing with the Divine government. It abounds in figurative language. The "day" mentioned in Job 2:1 was one appointed for the angels to give an account of their ministry to God. Evil is personified in Satan, who also comes to make report. The question to Satan and his response are simply a dramatic or poetic form of opening the great controversy which follows.
Who was Joanna in the Gospel of Luke?
Joanna (Luke 8:3; 24:10), wife of Chuza, the house-steward of Herod the Tetrarch. In Luke 8:1-3 appears as one of the certain women who had been healed, either of a sickness or of an evil spirit.
It is thought by some scholars that the centurion mentioned in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 might have been Joanna's husband Chuza. If so, she may have been led to attach herself to Jesus through the restoration of her servant's health, or even his life. Consequently she gave of herself and her substance to Jesus and His disciples.
In the last mention of Joanna, in Luke 24:10, she is one of the women who went to the sepulcher to embalm the body of Jesus. She, with Mary Magdalene, the mother of James, and other women, later told the apostles that Christ had arisen.
Though the mention of her is brief, one is convinced of the genuineness of her conversion, the depth of her love for Jesus, and the faithfulness of her stewardship.
The knowledge she gained as she accompanied Jesus and His disciples and other women on preaching tours, gives her a firm place in this missionary group.
Her husband, as head of Herod the Tetrarch's household, also had charge of his personal estate. Some scholars venture that he was the nobleman of John 4:46-53.
Finding Moses in The Rushes
Description of Illustration: a
vintage illustration depicting scripture of Exodus 2:7 "Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?", Miriam, Egyptian maids of the court, Egyptian princess, Reed Sea, giant feathered fan, Moses in a basket floating among the marshes or the Reed Sea, vintage German Bible illustration
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The End
The End
by Annie R. Johnson
Dear, suffering soul, bear up!
The pain can not be long!
Across the chasm of our griefs
I cry to thee, "Be strong!"
Yes, though within the dark
Woe's brink we both have trod;
As pilgrim's lost, we call to each
These words, "Hope thou in God!"
The end lies just before;
Mayhap, with glad surprise,
Thou soon shall see the way made clear,
Before thy wondering eyes!
Lo! even now his light
Strikes through dim forest ways!
Beyond! Beyond! Fly, bleeding feet,
To gain the "Gates of Praise!"
No more! no more to weep!
(Oh, clasp the full, rich joy,)
Thy hunted soul shall rest! yes, rest,
Where naught can e'er annoy.
Then, cheer thee, dear, sad heart,
The end lies just before!
Though dark the forest maze doth seem,
He leads! Canst ask for more?
Up to Heaven In A Wirlwind!
| "As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a wirlwind." 2 Kings 2:11 |
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration depicting a blazing chariot ride!, clouds in the sky, lightening in a storm, horses, children's Bible illustration from Germany
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Monday, December 27, 2021
What became of King Saul's eldest daughter?
Merab (I Sam. 14:49; 18:17, 19), King Saul's eldest daughter, who had been promised to David for his prowess in slaying the Philistine Goliath. But Merab was not given to David as had been promised (I Sam. 17:25). In the meantime David was entertained in court and received such adulation from the crowd that King Saul became jealous of him.
For the hand of his daughter Merab he incited David to more dangerous deeds of valor against the Philistines. By this time King Saul's other daughter, Michal, had shown a fondness for David, and matters were complicated.
Merab finally was given to Adriel, the Meholathite. The passage in II Sam. 21:8 which seems to designate Michal rather than Merab as the mother of the five sons of Adriel, is thought by scholars to be
a scribal error. These five sons, along with the sons of Saul's concubine Rizpah, were put to death and their bodies were left on the gallows for several months until the rains fell.
Scholars assume that Merab died comparatively young, leaving her five sons, who were cared for by her sister Michal. In later years they became identified as Michal's own children, when in reality they were Merab's children.
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Who was Peninnah from the first book of Samuel?
"He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice
to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons
of Eli, were priests of the LORD. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions
of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters." 1 Samuel 1: 2-4
Peninnah (I Sam. 1:2, 4), one of the two wives of Elkanah. She taunted his other wife Hannah, mother of Samuel. No mention is made of Peninnah save that she bore children and lived in the town of Ramah and vexed Hannah when the family made annual trips together to Shiloh for the feast.
It is Peninnah, not Hannah, who appears to have had an unpleasant disposition and gloried in the fact that she could have children while Hannah had none. But to Hannah later were born Samuel and other children.
Who was Puah in the book of Exodus?
Puah (Exod. 1:15), midwife in the time of Moses, probably a director of a group of midwives. Naturally, a nation with almost two million people would need many midwives, but only Puah's and Shiprah's names are listed. They were probably the principal women and had under them many midwives, to whom it was decreed by the Pharaoh of Egypt that they must destroy all Hebrew male children when they were born.
The Hebrews were increasing so rapidly that the new Pharaoh was alarmed at their growing power.
Puah was told that when she saw a Hebrew mother giving birth to a baby, "if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.'' Exodus 1:16. But Puah had the courage to disobey the mandate of a cruel tyrant and to save "the men children alive."
For her courage, we are told God rewarded Puah by enabling the Hebrews to have even more children and stronger ones than before.
It is also recorded, "because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.'' Exodus 1:21 Dr. Lee Anna Starr, in her scholarly work The Bible Status of Woman, interprets this to mean "he elevated them to the headship of their father's houses.''
Who was Rhoda in the book of Acts?
Rhoda (Acts 12:13), a maidservant in the Jerusalem house of Mary, mother of Mark, who was the first to hear Peter knock at the gate after his miraculous escape from prison. Many had gathered to pray for him. Rhoda, knowing that they were now on their knees in Mary's upper room praying for Peter, gladly ran to tell them, before admitting him.
When she announced to them that Peter now stood at the gate, they said to Rhoda, "Thou art mad." Acts 12:15. she affirmed that Peter was there. His continued knocking brought others to the door, and when they saw Peter they knew that their prayers had been answered. An angel of the Lord appeared in the prison and Peter's chains had fallen miraculously from off his hands.
Rhoda demonstrated that she was a spiritual ally to the woman she served. Also, she was willing to serve late, for it was now long after midnight when Peter knocked and the Christians were still gathered at Mary's house.
Rhoda showed that she was intensely interested in Peter's need and anxiety and that she rejoiced in his freedom. Thus she served not only her mistress but the larger fellowship of the Church as well.
Who was the daughter of Dibri?
Shelomith the first (Lev. 24:11), prominent figure in the story of the stoning of her son for blasphemy. She was the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan. Hers had evidently been a mixed marriage with an Egyptian during the period the Israelites were in Egypt. Real problems arose when the latter made their exit from Egypt.
In Leviticus 24:10 we are told that an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel, and that he and a man of Israel quarreled together in camp.
In the next passage, where it is related that the son blasphemed the name of the Lord, Shelomith is called by name, an indication that she was a well-known woman.
Half-Egyptian and half-Israelite, her son evidently had quarreled with the Israelite in camp and had vented his rage in some shocking manner. Often the Egyptians cursed their idols when failing to obtain the object of their petitions.
After Shelomith's son had blasphemed the God of his opponent, he was put in custody and then Moses ordered that he be stoned to death by the congregation.
The youth's actions stirred Moses to enact a new law, stating "He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death." Lev. 24: 16.
In the last sentence of Leviticus 24:23 there is the confirmation that Shelomith's son was stoned to death. A hard trial this was for a mother, but it illustrates the problems that arose in these mixed marriages, when God was not worshiped by both parents and the love of Him was not instilled in the offspring.
The rabbis have a tradition that Shelomith was a handsome and virtuous woman, with whom an Egyptian overseer of the Hebrews became enamored, and that during her husband's absence he stole by night into her house. When she found she was with child by the Egyptian, her husband put her out and struck at the Egyptian.
Moses, passing by, so continues the tradition, took the part of the Israelite and killed the Egyptian. The brothers of Shelomith called her husband to account for abandoning her. Moses again interfered, but the husband asked him whether he would kill him, as yesterday he had killed the Egyptian. And so it was Moses fled from the land of Midian.
The rabbis' story of Moses and Shelomith's husband, based purely on tradition, is recorded in Sarah Josepha Hale's Biography of Distinguished Women.
Friday, December 24, 2021
The Prophet Ezekiel Stained Glass Clip Art
Description of Clip Art: stained glass design, skulls, window from a church, the prophet Ezekiel or Ezechiel, vessel for prophesy from God, scriptures from the Book of Ezekiel
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Who was Rebekah's Nurse
Deborah I (Gen. 35:8), Rebekah's nurse, who had come with her from Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan and had afterwards been taken into the family of Jacob and Rachel. Her death is recorded at Beth-el while the family was on its way from Mesopotamia into the land of Canaan.
Deborah, who evidently was held in great reverence by the family which she had served for two generations, was buried at Beth-el under an oak, the name of which was Allon-bachuth, meaning "terebinth of weeping.''
Some scholars (see Zondervan's Commentary on the Whole Bible, p. 37, col. 2), suppose Deborah might have attained "the great age of 180.'' In these early patriarchal families old nurses such as she
were honored as foster-mothers.
Commentators have theorized that, had Deborah lived, Rachel also might have also have lived (see Interpreter's Bible on Genesis, p. 739, col. 2). In the very next verses after Deborah's death we learn that Rachel gave birth to Benjamin and died in childbirth "So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)."Genesis 35:19 Humble though Deborah's role was, her place in the life of Jacob's family is not to be underestimated, for not only is her name recorded but she was buried in a place of holy associations.
Who was Bithiah?
Bithiah, daughter of one of the Pharaohs, who married Mered, descendant of Judah. Scholars have been unable to determine whether this Pharaoh was an Egyptian king or a Hebrew who bore the name of Pharaoh. (The name of Bithiah, it is conceded, seems to mean one who has become converted to the worship of God.) This would favor the supposition that as the daughter of an Egyptian king she had been converted to faith in God. The text is somewhat confused, but in all probability Bithiah was a woman of some distinction.
( His wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) And these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took. 1 Chronicles 4:18
We praise thee O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord!
Description of Illumination: Illuminated hymn text "We praise thee O God, we acknowledge thee to be the Lord!" "Is a complete border of the 14th Century style, showing a terminal rod bursting into a corner ornament of spray work."
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It Is Finished
It is Finished
by Bonar
Christ has done the mighty work;
Nothing left for us to do,
But to enter on his toil,
Enter on his triumph too.
He sowed the precious seed,
Nothing left for us unsown;
Ours it is to reap the fields,
Make the harvest joy our own.
His the pardon, ours the sin,-
Great the sin, the pardon great;
His the good and ours the ill,
His the love and ours the hate.
Ours the darkness and the gloom,
His the shade-dispelling light;
Ours the cloud and his the sun,
His the dayspring,ours the night.
His the labor, ours the rest,
His the death and ours the life;
Ours the fruits of victory,
His the agony and strife.
Daniel prays for his life to be delivered...
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration depicting Daniel in a lion's den, children's Bible illus., from Germany, text "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" Daniel 6:20, clam lions, dark pit, frantic king and witnesses, praying hands of Daniel...
- Safe in the Lions Den - Daniel 6: 15-28
- Daniel Facing The Lion's Den by Spurgeon
- Pastor H.B. Charles Jr. preaches on Daniel in the lion's den
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A Winter Call
A Winter Call
by J. B. Cressinger
Cold, cold the winter wind doth blow,
And thicker falls the feathered snow,
Covering the bleak and frozen ground
Whitening the prospect all around.
Chill, chill is hoary winter's breath
Touching all nature as with death,
Stripping the verdure from the trees,
Causing the waters hard to freeze.
No more, no more the notes are heard
Of babbling brook, or singing bird,
The lakes in icy fetters bound
No more give forth a requiem sound.
Hard, hard! the needy think their lot
Who by the prosperous are forgot;
The widows and the orphans poor
Who begging go from door to door.
Warm, warm now is the rich man's cot,
Though others freeze, he heeds it not;
Of clothes and food an ample store,
Yet nothing giveth to the poor.
Hark, hark! ye who do sumptuous fare
And to the poor give not a share,
The time may come when you will plead,
Then I'll not hear, the Lord hath said.
Come, come, now open with your door,
Give to the shivering, starving poor;
And for it you will richer be
In time and in eternity.
Those who pray and those who fall asleep...
| "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners." Mark 14:41 |
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration depicting Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter waits with a sword, sleeping apostles, angelic visit, halo, acceptance of God's will, Lenten clip art, child Bible pictures from Germany, Easter
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How Blessed Art The Poor In Spirit!
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration depicting Christ from children's Bible, German, text "Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3, Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes, crowd listening to Jesus' sermon
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Jesus doesn't answer to men...
| "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" John 19:10 |
Description of Illustration: a
vintage illustration depicting Christ before Pilate, Lenten illustration, crowd of people judge Christ who is innocent, Roman soldiers, children's Bible illus. from Germany
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Robbed and . . . left for dead.
Description of Illustration: a vintage illustration of a victim, violence committed against a neighbor, robbers in the shadows with knives, scripture "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him and beat him up, leaving him half dead. It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side." Luke 10: 30-31, greyscale illustration
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