#Deuteronomy 11:13-14

[tom4jc]

December 13, 2023 Promise Of God

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT"

Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the SECRET OF BEING CONTENT in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” {NIV} Believe it or not, but sometimes Contentment has 3 Simple Secrets: 1…LEARNING TO BE HAPPY WITH LESS: A hard-charging executive decided to spend a few days in a…

[magnetothemagnificent]

Why aren't ostriches kosher? A case-study for Kashrut laws

Unlike mammals and fish, the Torah does not provide a list of signs that identify a bird as kosher or non-kosher. Instead, it provides a list of non-kosher birds in Leviticus 11:13-19, and they are:

נֶּ֙שֶׁר֙- Eagle

פֶּ֔רֶס- Vulture (or Kite)

עׇזְנִיָּֽה- Black vulture (or Osprey)

דָּאָ֔ה- Kite (or Kestrel)

אַיָּ֖ה לְמִינָֽהּ- Falcon (or Vulture) of every variety

כׇּל־עֹרֵ֖ב לְמִינֽוֹ- All varieties of Raven

בַּ֣ת הַֽיַּעֲנָ֔ה- Ostrich

תַּחְמָ֖ס- Nighthawk (or Jay, or Goatsucker, or some species of Owl)

שָּׁ֑חַף- Gull (or Sparrow hawk)

נֵּ֖ץ לְמִינֵֽהוּ- Hawks of every variety

כּ֥וֹס- Little owl (or just Owl)

שָּׁלָ֖ךְ- Cormorant (or Gull)

יַּנְשֽׁוּף- Great owl

תִּנְשֶׁ֥מֶת- White owl

קָּאָ֖ת- Pelican (or Starling)

רָחָֽם- Bustard (or Magpie)

חֲסִידָ֔ה- Stork

אֲנָפָ֖ה לְמִינָ֑הּ- Herons of every variety

דּוּכִיפַ֖ת- Hoopoe

עֲטַלֵּֽף- Bat

The Torah repeats this list in Deuteronomy 14:11-18. As you can see, most of the species on this list are uncertain in translation (which is why I offered alternate translations), although you can see the general idea. But, we know 100% that ostrich is explicitly forbidden in the Torah, we don't even need to derive anything. The birds that are kosher are generally regarded as kosher based on unbroken tradition that they are (they are cases of birds no longer being considered kosher by most Jews despite them once being considered kosher, because the tradition was broken, but we'll get to that later).

Of course, there are many more birds species besides those listed, and very early on the Sages figured signs of kosher and non-kosher birds based on the list. First, as you can see, many of the birds on the list are birds of prey, so any birds of prey are automatically non-kosher. That was easy for them to figure out.

But what about anatomical signs?

Well, they figured that out, too. (Chullin 59a)

A bird that claws its prey and eats is non-kosher (such as birds of prey).

A kosher bird has a digit seperated slightler higher behind the other three toes, a crop, and/or a gizzard that has a membrane on the inside that can be peeled. Below is a comparison of raven feet and a parrot's foot, versus duck feet and chicken feet. On the left, the raven and parrot's feet have all their toes branching out of the same level. On the right, the duck and chicken feet's back toe is slightly elevated and seperate from the other toes.

A bird that perches on a wire with two toes in the front and two in the back is non-kosher, as demonstrated below by a close-up of a parrot's feet while perching. You can see that there are only two toes in the front, while the other two are in the back.

So, in order for a bird to be considered kosher, it must not be on the list of non-kosher birds provided in the Torah, must fulfil the anatomical descriptions outlined later by the Sages, and must have a tradition of being kosher.

Israel is the largest consumer of turkey meat per capita. This is because Jews eat a lot of turkey, including kosher-keeping Jews. But.....turkey is a New World bird! How can there be a tradition of turkeys being kosher if the ancient Israelites would have never encountered turkeys???

So this is where it gets even more interesting. When turkey was first introduced to Jews, it became widely popular. It's thought that Jews first started eating it because of its similarity to chicken, and assumed it must be kosher. Eventually, the Rabbis realized they had to make a decision about the status of turkeys. If they ruled turkeys as non-kosher, then all the Jews who had already been eating turkeys would be ruled as eating non-kosher, which y'know as a Rabbi you really don't want to declare a whole bunch of Jews as doing the wrong thing. So, most Rabbis relied on a passage in the Talmud stating that a non-kosher animal cannot become pregnant by kosher animals (Bekhorot 7a). Since turkeys and chickens can hybridize, Rabbis relied on this passage to declare turkeys as kosher. There are still some Jews today that don't regard turkey as kosher, but it is accepted as kosher by the majority of world Jewry and is a very popular meat.

What about peacocks? Well, peafowl are mentioned numerous times in the Tanakh and in Jewish history as being eaten, but today, the Orthodox Union does not certify them as kosher. Peafowl are genetically related to other kosher birds and have all the necessary signs.....but they are no longer considered kosher by major Orthodox opinions. This is because the last record of peafowl being considered kosher and eaten by a Jewish community was in the mid 19th century. The tradition was broken, and therefore peafowl aren't eaten or certified, despite the fact that they technically are kosher.

Now here's where is gets fun- somehow, the distinctions between kosher and non-kosher birds fit really neatly within our modern understanding of bird phylogeny. Most kosher birds fall under the Galliformes (chickens and friends) and Anseriformes (ducks and friends) Orders, which are more closely related to eachother than they are to any other Orders, and make up the Superoder Galloanserae. The only kosher birds that don't fall into that Superorder are pigeons and doves, but pigeons and doves are already considered a little different by the Sages- they're the only birds that can be used as offerings in the Temple. This is yet another example of how well the ancient Jewish animal classifications fit with out modern phylogenetic understanding, it's super cool. Because grebes and gallinules look a lot more similar to ducks than chickens do, but nope, they are not kosher while ducks and chickens are, and indeed, ducks and chickens are more closely related to each other than ducks are related to grebes and gallinules.

So, in conclusion- ostriches aren't kosher because

1) They are listed among the non-kosher birds in the Torah

2) They are missing toes- their toes are not in the configuration outlined in the Talmud, and in fact they only have two very large toes, as you can see below:

3) They do not have a crop (all ratites do not have crops)

Hope you enjoyed this long-winded way of answering why ostriches aren't kosher :)

Further Reading:

A Peafowl by any other Name

What Are the Signs of a Kosher Bird?

The Liberated Bird: Let’s Talk Turkey

[statisticalcats2]

Seven Cat Calls fandom event

What is this event about?

This event is for celebrating your favorite Cats performers!

What types of works are allowed?

Anything you'd like! Gif-sets, fanart, meta posts or essays, anything! Anyway you'd like to share your love for your favorite performers!

When does this event start and end?

This event will begin the week of May 11th and end the week of October 26th (treat these dates as the beginning of their respective weeks.)

General rules/info:

This event is for any and all productions of Cats!

Each prompt/character gets a week and you can post at any time during that week.

Don't worry about being late! I mean for this to be a fun, casual event. If you miss a certain week, you can still make a post for it!

Please tag your event posts with #sevencatscalls2024 Since tumblr can be glitchy with tags at times, also feel free to tag me @statisticalcats2 in your posts!

I will not reblog from people who are anti-fiction/anti-ship.

If you have any other questions, my ask box is open!

Event schedule (below the cut):

Week 1 (May 11-17) - Grizabella

Week 2 (May 18-24) - Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus

Week 3 (May 25-31) - Rum Tum Tugger

Week 4 (June 1-7) - Coricopat

Week 5 (June 8-14) - Asparagus/Gus the Theatre Cat

Week 6 (June 15-21) - Jellylorum

Week 7 (June 22-28) - Rumpleteazer

Week 8 (June 29 - July 5) - Bustopher Jones

Week 9 (July 6-12) - Bombalurina

Week 10 (July 13-19) - Carbucketty/Pouncival

Week 11 (July 20-26) - Alonzo

Week 12 (July 27 - August 2) - Old Deuteronomy

Week 13 (August 3-9) - Victoria

Week 14 (August 10-16) - Mistoffelees

Week 15 (August 17-23) - Demeter

Week 16 (August 24-30) - Admetus/Plato

Week 17 (August 31 - September 6) - Jemima/Sillabub

Week 18 (September 7-13) - Cassandra

Week 19 (September 14-20) - Jennyanydots

Week 20 (September 21-27) - Tantomile

Week 21 (September 28 - October 4) - Macavity

Week 22 (October 5-11) - Mungojerrie

Week 23 (October 12-18) - Munkustrap

Week 24 (October 19-25) - Skimbleshanks

Week 25 (October 26 - November 1) - Rare characters/swings/production specific characters

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, But the mouth of fools gush out folly. 3 The LORD's eyes are everywhere, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. 4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, But deceit in it crushes the spirit. 5 A fool despises his father's correction, But he who heeds reproof shows prudence. 6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure, But the income of the wicked brings trouble. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge; Not so with the heart of fools. 8 The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But the prayer of the upright is his delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But he loves him who follows after righteousness. 10 There is stern discipline for one who forsakes the way: Whoever hates reproof shall die. 11 She'ol and Avaddon are before the LORD -- How much more then the hearts of the children of men!

12 A scoffer doesn't love to be reproved; He will not go to the wise. 13 A glad heart makes a cheerful face; But an aching heart breaks the spirit. 14 The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouths of fools feed on folly. 15 All the days of the afflicted are wretched, But one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast. 16 Better is little, with the fear of the LORD, Than great treasure with trouble. 17 Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is, Than a fattened calf with hatred. 18 A wrathful man stirs up contention, But one who is slow to anger appeases strife. 19 The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, But the path of the upright is a highway. 20 A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother. 21 Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom, But a man of understanding keeps his way straight. 22 Where there is no counsel, plans fail; But in a multitude of counselors they are established. 23 Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time! 24 The path of life leads upward for the wise, To keep him from going downward to She'ol.

25 The LORD will uproot the house of the proud, But he will keep the widow's borders intact. 26 The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, But the thoughts of the pure are pleasing. 27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, But he who hates bribes will live. 28 The heart of the righteous weighs answers, But the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil. 29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But he hears the prayer of the righteous. 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones. 31 The ear that listens to the reproof lives, And will be at home among the wise. 32 He who refuses correction despises his own soul, But he who listens to reproof gets understanding. 33 The fear of the LORD teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility. — Proverbs 15 | Hebrew Names Version (HNV) The Hebrew Names Version Bible is in the public domain Cross References: Genesis 13:8; Leviticus 7:18; Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 32:22; Judges 8:1; 1 Kings 1:12; Nehemiah 2:2; Psalm 59:7; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 1:25; Proverbs 8:21; Proverbs 9:7; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 17:1; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 22:5; Proverbs 25:25; Ecclesiastes 4:6; Ecclesiastes 7:5; John 9:31; Acts 1:24; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 Timothy 6:11; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 2:7

[jesuslivingwater]

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 NIV So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.

[childofchrist1983]

God loves and cares for us more than we will ever know. He rejoices with us in moments of happiness; His heart breaks with us in times of sorrow. He is present during good times and bad. Our lives are His treasure. He loves us when we are unlovable and forgives us when unforgivable. God is the same from beginning to end. He is consistent, reliable, and loves us unconditionally. He remains devoted to us all the days of our life. And as true and born -again Christians we thank Him for this and for His eternal presence and everlasting love. God is holy and almighty and deserving of all praise honor and glory. We rejoice in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ, knowing He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8). May our hearts always be filled with thanksgiving and rejoicing. May He help us to praise Him freely and honestly like all believers who came before us. May we live a life that showcases our love and trust in Him and His Holy Word and Spirit as He uses us draw others to Him and His soul-saving Gospel Truth daily. May He continue guide, correct and protect us, so that we continue to grow in Him and not weaken and stray. May we all remain faithful to Him and to this duty and purpose He has called us to. Seek and put your faith and trust in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ and let Him do the rest. May He humble our hearts and help us focus on following and serving Him daily and helping others with joy and happiness. We lift our voices in praise to Him for His love, mercy, peace, faithfulness and grace. - For EVERYTHING!

It is vital that we remain rooted in Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit and that we live and walk as a beacon of His light and love and share and spread the Gospel Truth daily, so that the lost souls in this world can come to know Him and be saved. The more we focus on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ, growing spiritually by building our relationship with Him, leaning on Him and His Holy Word and Spirit, the better off we will be. Thanks to this and our faith in Him, we know that everything will be alright. And we will forever be grateful to Him. As true and born-again Christians, we believe in Him and His Holy Word and we strive daily to walk in His Holy Spirit. We know though our mortal bodies should die, He will raise us up and into new and glorious bodies (The Rapture). We who are truly His and alive at His second coming will never die, and our bodies will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so shall we ever be with Him in His Kingdom of Heaven forevermore (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This is one of many promises given to us by God Himself. Thank God for His strength and guidance when we are faced with sin and temptation. Thank Him for His mercy and grace. Through Bible study and prayer, God reveals His wisdom and guides us to see opportunities to grow closer to Him and grow spiritually. He gives us direction to live our lives daily according to His will.

Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven (John 3:5, 14:6), the ONLY way to salvation (Acts 4:12, Ephesians 2:8-9) and He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26). Jesus Christ the LORD of lords, KING of kings, the GOD of gods (Deuteronomy 10:17, 1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 19:16) - He is the Living, Almighty and Everlasting God (Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8, John 3:16, John 3:36, Jeremiah 10:10). There is no other God besides Him (Isaiah 45:5). We MUST humble ourselves before Him, turning our backs on false teachers, false gods and idols and our sinful ways. We MUST repent and turn back to God and recognize who He is and love Him in return for His great love for us. We MUST make God top priority everyday! May we be motivated to spread God's Holy Word and Gospel Truth to all the Earth, knowing that it is the only hope of all those lost in their sins. Let us not hold out a false hope for men to be saved without the Gospel, but instead, strive to do our part to get the Gospel out to a lost and dying world.

Leaning on Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ through prayer and His Holy Word and Spirit strengthens us and our knowledge and wisdom about God and His Gospel Truth, exposing these imposters. May God help us to seek and lean on Him daily to gain the strength, wisdom and spiritual discernment needed to expose Satan and his imposters who seek to destroy us and God's ultimate Truth. Everyday, we must remember to share Jesus Christ's Gospel Truth with the world and to thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for the grace that He poured out for us on the cross at Calvary. He has freed us from the burdens of sin and from the eternal damnation of Hell. In all we say and do, may all praise, honor and glory always be given to Him and His Kingdom of Heaven.

With renewed minds, hearts and wills, let us serve Him humbly and faithfully out of pure love and grateful rejoicing. May He remind us of His presence and to remain at peace, fully knowing that all will be well because He is always with us. Let us seek Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ today and everyday with all our heart and being, looking for His love, light and will for our lives with each step we take. Let us seek to please Him with our thoughts, words, and deeds and seek to advance His Kingdom of Heaven and His glory with our lives. Let us seek Him from a pure and humble heart, and when we so seek, we believe Him and His promise that we will find. May He help us all to be more sensitive to the teaching ministry of His Holy Word and Spirit, relying on Him and allowing Him to speak to us and guide us every step of our Christian journey.

God gave us the Holy Bible - His living and Holy Word - to let us know of Him and His abiding love and care as well as guide and prepare us for all our lives. May He help us encourage one another as we continue our walk with Him and our duty to Him daily. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for being present for all our new beginnings and all our lives. May He redirect any anxiety we feel as He provides countless opportunities for growth and change. May we humble ourselves before God always, asking Him to forgive our sins and make our hearts and lives anew through His Holy Word and Spirit. May He help us make Him and His Holy Word top priority, so we can grow spiritually and grow in our relationship with Him as we apply it to our daily lives. Thank God that we can focus on Him and everything about Him, for that is what keeps us sane and at peace. May our words and actions always be a reflection of Him and His Holy Word and Spirit and will.

May He help us to always walk in His grace and Holy Spirit, not by our own measure. May He give us the humble humility to know that our freedom and eternal salvation is found only in Him, so that His grace may sustain us, and we may never lose sight of His love and light and mercy. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for calling us to Him and to serve Him. May He equip us to do all that He has called us to do so that as He works through us, He may use us to produce fruit, to reach others, and to encourage all brothers and sisters in Christ. May He work all of these things in us and through us for His Kingdom and His glory. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all His creation, for His miraculous ways and for everything He does and has done for us! Keep the faith and keep moving forward in your walk with Jesus! He loves us and He knows what is best for us. Seek, follow and trust in Him - Always!

Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Word and for sending His Holy Spirit so that we might have His grace, not only to awaken us and transform our hearts in our spiritual rebirth and guarantee our eternity with Him, but to also call upon Him whenever we are in need. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for all the reminders of His love and mercy and faithfulness within His Holy Word. He is bigger than any challenge or circumstance in our lives. Knowing this within our minds and our hearts, nothing can deter our faith in Him and His Truth. May we all accept Him and His eternal gift of salvation and ask that He would transform our hearts and lives according to His will and ways. Thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His Holy Spirit who saves, seals and leads us. May we always thank Father God Almighty and the LORD Jesus Christ for His almighty power and saving grace. For He is our strength, and He alone is able to save us, forgive our sins and gift us eternal salvation and entry into His Kingdom of Heaven.

May we make sure that we give our hearts and lives to God and take time to seek and praise Him and share His Truth with the world daily. May the LORD our God and Father in Heaven help us to stay diligent and obedient and help us to guard our hearts in Him and His Holy Word daily. May He help us to remain faithful and full of excitement to do our duty to Him and for His glorious return and our reunion in Heaven as well as all that awaits us there. May we never forget to thank the LORD our God and our Creator and Father in Heaven for all this and everything He does and has done for us! May we never forget who He is, nor forget who we are in Christ and that God is always with us! What a mighty God we serve! What a Savior this is! What a wonderful LORD, God, Savior and King we have in Jesus Christ! What a loving Father we have found in Almighty God! What a wonderful God we serve! His will be done!

Thanks and glory be to God! Blessed be the name of the LORD! Hallelujah and Amen!

[bibleversegarden]

Holy, loving, faithful, gracious, compassionate, merciful, longsuffering God, is righteous, just and true, and so are all His judgments, in all the earth.

Thus says the Lord God: "I will take also one of the highest branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant it on a high and prominent mountain. On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell."

"And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it." (Ezekiel 17:22-24)

"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested." (Revelation 15:3-4)

- A Walk In The Garden Devotions

Related Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 32:1-4; 1 Samuel 16:6-7; Psalm 19; Psalm 23; Psalm 75; Psalm 89; Psalm 105; Psalm 145; Proverbs 14:34-35; Ezekiel 31; Isaiah 46:12-13; Isaiah 61:8-11; John 7:24; Acts 10:34-48; Revelation 19 and further study Revelation in its entirety.

View Related Devotion

[apocrypals]

Previously, on Apocrypals part 5: The Fifth One

As we begin our sixth (!) calendar year of Apocrypals, here is a list of the texts we have covered so far on the show in case you want to read along or catch up. They’re arranged in a way that appeases my systematic nature.  

Tanakh/Old Testament:

Genesis (episodes 16-20)

Exodus (episodes 33 and 35)

Leviticus (episode 59)

Numbers (episode 62)

Deuteronomy (episode 65)

Joshua (episode 73)

Judges (episode 80)

Ruth (episode 45)

1 Samuel (episode 89)

2 Samuel (episode 90-91)

1 Kings (episode 99)

2 Kings (episode 106)

Esther (episode 37)

Job (episode 101)

Ecclesiastes (episode 52)

Song of Songs (episode 34)

Isaiah (episode 4)

Jeremiah (episode 43-44)

Lamentations (episode 48)

Ezekiel (episode 55-56)

Daniel (episode 2)

Hosea (episode 108)

Jonah (episode 31)

Micah (episode 74)

Nahum (episode 74)

Deuterocanon/capital-A Apocrypha:

Tobit (episode 13)

Judith (episode 22)

Greek Additions to Esther (episode 37)

1 Maccabees (episode 27)

2 Maccabees (episode 28)

3 Maccabees (episode 53)

4 Maccabees (episode 78)

The Prayer of Azariah aka the Song of the Three Holy Children (episode 2)

Susanna (episode 2)

Bel and the Dragon (episode 2)

The Prayer of Manasseh (episode 6)

New Testament:

Matthew (episodes 8-9)

Mark (episode 7)

Luke (episode 10)

John (episode 11-12)

Acts of the Apostles (episode 1)

Romans (episode 5)

1 Corinthians (episode 25)

2 Corinthians (episode 42)

Galatians (episode 72)

Ephesians (episode 81)

Hebrews (episode 104)

1 John (episode 49)

2 John (episode 49)

3 John (episode 49)

Revelation (episode 50)

Pseudepigrapha (Jewish apocrypha):

The Testament of Solomon (episode 24)

The Story of Ahikar (episode 14)

The Ascension of Isaiah (episode 6)

1 Enoch (episode 39-40)

2 Enoch (episode 61)

3 Enoch (episode 86-87)

Jubilees (episodes 82 and 83)

The Letter of Aristeas (episode 70)

The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (episode 71)

Joseph and Aseneth (episode 93)

New Testament apocrypha:

The Protevangelium aka Infancy Gospel of James (episode 29)

The Acts of Pilate/Gospel of Nicodemus (episode 23)

Mors Pilati/Death of Pilate (episode 23)

The Acts of Paul and Thecla (episode 22)

The Acts of Peter (episode 3)

The Acts of Peter and Paul (episode 3)

The Acts of Andrew and Matthias (episode 60)

The Acts of Thomas and His Wonderworking Skin (episode 66)

The Life of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca (episode 57)

Questions of Bartholomew (episode 41)

Resurrection of Jesus Christ by Bartholomew (episode 41)

The Book of Bartholomew (episode 67)

Acts of John (episode 46)

The Acts of Andrew (episode 97)

Syriac Infancy Gospel (episode 47)

Infancy Gospel of Thomas (episode 54)

Infancy Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (episode 79)

The Adoration of the Magi (2020 Christmas bonus episode)

The History of Joseph the Carpenter (episode 103)

The First Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)

The Second Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)

The Third Apocryphal Apocalypse of John (episode 68)

The Apocalypse of Peter (episode 75)

The Apocalypse of Paul (episode 95)

The Gospel of Philip (episode 92)

The Gospel of Mary (episode 92)

The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife (episode 92)

The Gospel of Judas (episode 100)

The Greater Questions of Mary (episode Secret 69)

The Golden Legend of Jacobus de Voragine:

The Life of Saint Nicholas (episode 26)

The Life of Saint Lucy (episode 26)

The Life of Saint Christopher (episode 15)

The Life of Saint Benedict (episode 15)

excerpts from The Passion of the Lord (episode 23)

The Life of Saint Sebastian (episode 58)

The Life of Saint Blaise (episode 58)

The Life of Saint Agatha (episode 58)

The Life of Saint Roch (episode 63)

The Life of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (episode 77)

The Life of Saint Barbara (episode 77)

The Life of Saint Dunstan (episode 85)

The Life of Mary Magdalene (episode 94)

The Life of Saint Martha of Bethany (episode 102)

The Life of Saint Margaret of Antioch (episode 102)

Other:

Historia Trium Regum/The Legend of the Three Kings by John of Hildesheim (episode 30)

Muirchu’s Life of Saint Patrick (episode 36)

The Life of Saint Guinefort (episode 63)

The Life of Saint Mary of Egypt (episode 69)

The Life of Saint Pelagia (episode 69)

The Life of Saint Martin by Sulpicius Severus (episode 76)

The Life of Saint Columba (episode 84)

The Life of Saint Wilgefortis (episode 94)

Lives of cephalophoric saints (bonus episode cephalo4)

Stories of the Baal Shem Tov from The Golden Mountain (episode 96)

More stories of the Baal Shem Tov from The Golden Mountain (episode 107)

Solomon and Ashmedai (bonus episode double chai)

Listener questions (episode 32)

Bible trivia questions (episode 38)

Halloween-themed Chick tracts (episode 51)

Christmas-themed Chick tracts (episode 98)

Bible Adventures and the Wisdom Tree catalogue of video games (episode 64)

The Da Vinci Code, the movie (episode 88)

Guess the Bible character from Persona 5 (bonus episode Persona 5)

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (episode 105)

You can find links to all these episodes with show notes and more on the Apocrypals wiki

[imsorryimlate]

About to bring you very long and speculative meta about Moby Dick even though we are only 26 chapters into this thing and I have never read it before.

Back in chapter 13 when Ishmael said “from that hour I clove to Queequeg like a barnacle” I was like, huh. That’s a funny way to express it. Because clove – here being the more archaic past tense of cleave, that is, cling to – is often used in the Bible in relation to someone clinging to God, or at times clinging to a loved one.

I decided to check out the Hebrew word for it, which is דבק (dbq, dabaq) and it appears 54 times. I’m not gonna list all of them, but you can find the full collection here.

Now, let us look at this word. I will bold the English word that corresponds with dbq. I use the KJV translation because it consistently translates dbq as “cleave”, while newer translations will generally use cling, hold fast, stick, etc.

Here are some instances where it relates to love/marriage:

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

Genesis 34:3 “And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.”

1 Kings 11:2b “Solomon clave unto these [his wives] in love.”

However, the word is not only used this way. It has more “everyday” use as well, for example:

Psalm 22:15a “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws.”

Psalm 102:5b “My bones cleave to my skin.”

1 Sam 31:2a “And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons.” (literally “the Philistines cleaved to Saul and his sons”)

I think here, what these examples demonstrate, is that this word suggests a certain intensity. The Philistines were not simply following Saul and his sons, they were clinging to their heels. The Psalmist isn’t just skinny, his flesh clings to his bones without anything in between, you can see his skeleton through his skin, etc.

It is therefore also used to demonstrate deep loyalty:

Ruth 1:14 “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.”

2 Sam 20:2b “But the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.”

Which brings me to my original point, that it is used specifically about a worshipper’s commitment and loyalty to God:

Psalm 63:8a “My soul followeth hard after thee.” (literally “my soul cleaves to you”)

Deuteronomy 10:20 “Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.”

Deuteronomy 13:4 “Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.”

Joshua 22:5b “To love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Joshua 23:8 “But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day.”

These are just a handful of examples, there are way more, especially in Deuteronomy. And I just feel like, with how Melville strews biblical references all around, it cannot be a coincidence. Or am I reading too much into it?

Then I started thinking about this post, where @animate-mush suggested that Queequeg is whale coded. Which would then not leave my brain.

Because see, the book very much presents whales similarly as the Bible speaks of them and other creatures of chaos, such as the leviathan (which, we do not know exactly what it is, despite the Hebrew word for whale being the same). Which is to say, primordial creatures, present since the creation of the universe, creatures of chaos that only God can control – sometimes with huge effort (depending on which theological strata we’re talking about but that’s not relevant right now). These forces of chaos are not the anti-thesis of God, per se, but they’re something on the outskirts of our world, something to fear, something to be grateful that God subdued, something that could very well be considered divine in itself (for example, the sea god Yam in Canaanite mythology).

Which leads me to my next point, which is that many theological strata in the Bible are not concerned with monotheism, but rather monolatry, that is, the acceptance of several gods existing, but only worshipping and being loyal to one. For a lot of culturally Christian people, myself included, the way God is approached is like, you either believe in God or you don’t. The constant reminders we find in the Bible to be loyal to the Lord might feel a bit like, you know, “yeah duh, if you believe in God obviously”, but it wasn’t that simple. God is the God of the Hebrew people in the Bible because they chose God, and they did it for a reason: the Exodus, that is, God saving the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, demonstrating God’s power and loyalty. So the loyalty is reciprocal – the people is loyal to God, and God is loyal to the people (help them, keep them safe). The need for God was not placed in the future, in the idea of Heaven and eternal life, but rather it was urgent and present right then; you would rely on your God for crops to grow and children to be born, you would rely on your God to keep you safe, to help you out of your enemies’ grasp. But if your God could not provide, there were other gods to turn to, who might help you instead.

The reason I bring that up is that, well. It’s interesting that Ishmael’s statement that he “clove to Queequeg” happened after they had already done their whole marriage thing. They had already decided to be ~husband and wife~ (no matter how tongue-in-cheek that designation is), they had already decided to share their earthly possessions, they had already made their “wherever you go, I go” promises. So him cleaving to Queequeg here is not in the marriage way, since that has already been established; he cleaves to him in a different manner now.

So what I have suggested here is that Queequeg is whale coded → whales are creatures of chaos and near-divinity → people cleaved to God in a reciprocal loyal and beneficial relationship, even in the presence of other deities → Ishmael watches Queequeg save a man from the depths of the chaotic sea → Ishmael decides to cleave to Queequeg.

Now, I would definitely not go as far as suggesting that Queequeg is God or “God-coded” or whatever, or that Ishmael would worship him as such. But there is something here, isn’t it? In this scene, Ishmael cleaves to Queequeg not as a companion, but as a protector and as a force to be reckoned with.

[walkswithmyfather]

GOD IS GOOD!

God is good all the time (Psalm 25:8; 106:1; 119:68; 145:9; Matthew 19:17).

God is wise (Romans 16:27; Daniel 2:20; 1 Timothy 1:17; Jude 25).

God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; Job 6:10).

God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 92:15; 119:37; Zephaniah 3:5).

God is merciful (Ephesians 2:4; Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 100:5).

God redeems (Psalm 78:35; Proverbs 23:11; Isaiah 41:14; 47:4; 59:20; Jeremiah 50:34).

God saves (Isaiah 43:3-11; 45:21; 49:26).

God sanctifies (Exodus 31:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Jude 1).

God is Judge over all (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 50:6; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 12:23).

Nothing or no one is like God (Job 11:7; Isaiah 40:28).

Amen! 🙌

[takeheartdaughter]

He is . . . 

Elohim (God, Judge, Creator) Genesis 1:1

Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah) Genesis 2:4

El Elyon (The Most High God) Genesis 14:18

Adonai (Lord, Master) Genesis 15:2

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty) Genesis 17:1

El Olam (The Everlasting God, The God of Eternity, The God of the Universe, The God of Ancient Days) Genesis 21:33

He is . . . 

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) Genesis 22:14

The Shiloh (The Peace-Maker) Genesis 49:10

)Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals) Exodus 15:26

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner, The Lord My Miracle) Exodus 17:15

He is . . .

Qanna (Jealous) Exodus 20:5

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You, The Lord Who Makes Holy) Exodus 31:13

He is . . .

A Star (Numbers 24:17)

A Sceptre out of Israel (Numbers 24:17)

The Accursed of God (Deuteronomy 21:23)

The Captain of the Host of the Lord (Joshua 5:14)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace) Judges 6:24J

ehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts, The Lord of Powers) 1 Samuel 1:3

The Rock of my Salvation (2 Samuel 22:47)

He is . . . 

The Light of the Morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds (2 Samuel 23:4)

The Daysman (Job 9:33)

The Interpreter (Job 33:23)

The Anointed (Psalm 2:2; Acts 4:27)

My Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)

Crowned with a Crown of Pure Gold (Psalm 21:3)

The Most Blessed for ever (Psalm 21:6)

He is . . .

The Forsaken (Psalm 22:1)

A Worm, and no Man (Psalm 22:6)

Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd) Psalm 23:1

My Restorer (Psalm 23:3)

The King of Glory (Psalm 24:10)

He who sitteth King for ever (Psalm 29:10)

He is . . .

 A Stranger and an Alien (Psalm 69:8)

My Strong Rock (Psalm 31:2)

My Rock and my Fortress (Psalm 31:3)

Fairer than the Children of Men (Psalm 45:2)

The Rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2)

The Rock of my Strength (Psalm 62:7)

A Rock of Habitation (Psalm 71:3)

He is . . . 

As Rain upon the mown grass. As Showers that water the earth (Psalm 72:6)

The Rock of my Heart (Psalm 73:26)

The Shield (Psalm 84:9)

The Rock of my Refuge (Psalm 94:22)

A King and Priest after the Order of Melchizadek (Psalm 110:4)

A Brother born for adversity (Proverbs 17:17)

A Friend that loveth at all times (Proverbs 17:17)

A Stone of Grace (Proverbs 17:8)

A Friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24)

He is . . .

 As Ointment poured forth (Song of Solomon 1:3)

My Well-beloved (Song of Solomon 1:13)

A Bundle of Myrrh (Song of Solomon 1:13)

A Cluster of Henna Blooms (Song of Solomon 1:14)

The Rose of Sharon (Song of Solomon 2:1)

The Lily of the Valley (Song of Solomon 2:1)

The Chiefest among Ten Thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10)

His Countenance is as Lebanon (Song of Solomon 5:15)

Yea. He is altogether lovely. He is my beloved and my Friend (Song of Solomon 5:16)

He is . . . 

Holy, Holy, Holy (Isaiah 6:3)

A Sanctuary (Isaiah 8:14)

A Great Light (Isaiah 9:2)

A Son given (Isaiah 9:6)

The Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6)

The Father of Eternity (Isaiah 9:6)

He is . . . 

A Child Born (Isaiah 9:6)

The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

An Ensign of the People (Isaiah 11:10)

A Nail fastened in a sure place (Isaiah 22:23)

A Strength to the Poor (Isaiah 25:4)

A Strength to the needy in distress (Isaiah 25:4)

A Shadow from the Heat (Isaiah 25:4)

A Refuge from the Storm (Isaiah 25:4)

He is . . . 

The Rock of Ages (Isaiah 26:4)

A Crown of Glory and Beauty (Isaiah 28:5)

A Sure Foundation (Isaiah 28:16

)A Stone (Isaiah 28:16)

A Tried Stone (Isaiah 28:16)

A Covert from the Tempest (Isaiah 32:2)

He is . . . 

As Rivers of Water in a dry place. As the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary land. As a Hiding-place from the wind (Isaiah 32:2)

The King in his beauty (Isaiah 33:17)

My Leader (Isaiah 40:11)

The Everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28)

Mine Elect, in whom my soul delighteth (Isaiah 42:1)

He is . . . 

A Light of the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6)

A Covenant of the people (Isaiah 42:6)

A Polished Shaft (Isaiah 49:2)

Glorious (Isaiah 49:5)

The Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 49:7)

He is . . . 

A Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)

Despised (Isaiah 53:3)

Rejected (Isaiah 53:3)

Stricken (Isaiah 53:4)

Smitten (Isaiah 53:4)

Wounded (Isaiah 53:5)

Bruised (Isaiah 53:5)

Oppressed (Isaiah 53:7)

He is . . .

My Portion, My Maker, My Husband (Isaiah 54:5)

The God of the whole earth (Isaiah 54:5)

A Witness to the People (Isaiah 55:4)

A Leader (Isaiah 55:4)

A Commander (Isaiah 55:4)

The Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20)

Mighty (Isaiah 63:1)

He is . . . 

My Physician (Jeremiah 8:22)

Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness) Jeremiah 23:6

David their King (Jeremiah 30:9)

My Resting-place (Jeremiah 50:6)

My Feeder (Ezekiel 34:23)

A Plant of Renown (Ezekiel 34:29)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There) Ezekiel 48:35

He is . . . 

The Prince of Princes (Daniel 8:25)

The Messiah, the Prince (Daniel 9:25)

The Strength of the children of Israel (Joel 3:12-16)

The Hope of Thy people (Joel 3:12-16)

A Ruler (Micah 5:2)

King over all the Earth (Zechariah 14:4, 5, 9)

He is . . . 

A Refiner’s Fire (Malachi 3:2)

Fuller’s Soap (Malachi 3:2)

My Refiner (Malachi 3:3)

My Purifier (Malachi 3:3)

The Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2)

He is . . . 

Jesus (Matthew 1:21)

Emanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23)

Born as The King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2; 15:2)

A Governor (Matthew 2:6)

The Nazarene (Matthew 2:23)

The Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15)

Meek, Lowly (Matthew 11:29)

He is . . .

The One of whom the Father says, “My Beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased” (Matthew 12:18)

The Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16)

Jesus the Christ (Matthew 16:20)

The Rock (Matthew 16:18)

The Builder (Hebrews 3:3; Matthew 16:18)

The Prophet of Nazareth (Matthew 21:11)

He is . . .

Betrayed (Matthew 27:3)

Mocked (Matthew 27:29)

Crucified (Matthew 27:35)

The Holy One of God (Mark 1:24)

My Brother (Mark 3:35)

The Carpenter (Mark 6:3)

And His Life is A Ransom (Mark 10:49)

He is . . .

The Son of the Blessed (Mark 14:61)

He is . . . The Son of the Highest (Luke 1:32)

God my Savior (Luke 1:47)

A Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)

The Day-spring from on High (Luke 1:78)

A Savior, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11)

The Salvation of God (Luke 2:30)

He is . . .

The Glory of thy people Israel (Luke 2:32)

Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5)

My Healer (Luke 9:11)

The Christ of God (Luke 9:20)

My Servant (Luke 12:37)

The Chosen of God (Luke 23:35)

Risen (Luke 24:6)

A Prophet mighty in deed and word (Luke 24:19)

He is . . . 

The Word (John 1:1)

The Word that was with God (John 1:1)

The Word that was God (John 1:1)

The Light of men (John 1:4)

The True Light (John 1:9)

The Word that was made flesh (John 1:14)

He is . . .

The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18)

The Lamb of God (John 1:29)

My Teacher (John 3:2)

The Gift of God (John 3:16, 4:10)

The Messiah (John 4:25)

The Bread of God (John 6:33)

The Bread of Life (John 6:35)

He is . . .

My Meat(John 6:55)

My Drink (John 6:55)

The Light of the world (John 8:12)

The Door of the Sheep (John 10:7)

The Good Shepherd – that laid down his life (John 10:11)

The Sent of the Father (John 10:36)

He is . . . 

The Resurrection (John 11:25)

King of the daughter of Zion (John 12:15)

The Corn of Wheat (John 12:24)

The Light (John 12:35)

My Lord, Master (John 13:13)

My Example (John 13:15)

He is . . . 

The Way (John 14:6)

The Truth (John 14:6)

The Life (John 14:6)

The Vine (John 15:5)

My Keeper (John 17:12)

Scourged (John 19:1)

Crowned with a Crown of Thorns (John 19:2)

Crucified as The King of the Jews (John 19:19)

He is . . . 

Exalted (Acts 2:33)

Glorified (Acts 3:13)

The Holy One and the Just (Acts 3:14)

The Prince of Life (Acts 3:15)

Anointed (Psalm 2:2; Acts 4:27)

A Prince and a Savior (Acts 5:31)

He is . . .

Lord Jesus (Acts 7:59)

Lord of all (Acts 10:36)

The Judge (Acts 17:31)

Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 22:8)

The Mercy-seat (Romans 3:25)

Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:21)

He is . . .

The First-Born among many Brethren (Romans 8:29)

Over all, God blessed for ever (Romans 9:5)

Lord over all (Romans 10:12)

The Deliverer (Romans 11:26)

Lord both of the dead and living (Romans 14:9)

The Minister of the Circumcision (Romans 15:8)

He is . . . 

My Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30)

My Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30)

My Sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30)

My Redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30)

He is . . . 

The Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11)

My Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7)

That Spiritual Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4)

The Head of every Man (1 Corinthians 11:3)

The First-Fruits of them that slept (1 Corinthians 15:20) 

He is . . . 

The Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45)

A Quickening Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45)

The Image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)

His Unspeakable Gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)

My Peace (Ephesians 2:14)

He is . . .

The Offering (Ephesians 5:2)

The Sacrifice (Ephesians 5:2)

The Head over all things to the Church (Ephesians 1:22)

He that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:23)

A Servant (Philippians 2:7) who humbled Himself unto death (Philippians 2:8) even death upon a cross

He is . . .

The Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:2)

The Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15)

The first-born of every creature (Colossians 1:15)

The Creator of all things (Colossians 1:16)

The First-Born from the dead (Colossians 1:18)

The Head of the Body, the Church (Colossians 1:18)

The Head of all Principality and Power (Colossians 2:10)

He is . . . 

My All in All (Colossians 3:11)

Our Lord Jesus Christ himself (2 Thessalonians 2:16)

Lord of Peace (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

My Hope (1 Timothy 1:1)

God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16)

He is . . . 

The Justified (1 Timothy 3:16)

The Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)

The Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8)

The great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13)

Obedient (Philemon 2:8)

And His throne is for ever and ever (Hebrews 1:8)

He is . . . 

The Upholder of all things (Hebrews 1:3)

The Express Image of his Person (Hebrews 1:3)

The Brightness of his Glory (Hebrew 1:3)

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day and for ever (Hebrews 13:8)

The Shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13:20)

The Great Shepherd – that was brought again from the dead (Hebrews 13:20)

He is . . .

The Minister of the Sanctuary and of the True Tabernacle (Hebrews 8:2) and His flesh is The Veil (Hebrews 10:20) which was rent in two

The Altar (Hebrews 13:10)

The Offerer (Hebrews 7:27)

The Forerunner – for us entered, even Jesus (Hebrews 6:20)

He is . . . 

the Priest (Hebrews 5:6)

The High Priest (Hebrews 3:1)

The Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14)

The Intercessor (Hebrews 7:25)

The Surety (Hebrews 7:22)

The Covenanter (Hebrews 9:16, 17)

He is . . . 

The Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10)

The Author and Finisher of Faith (Hebrews 12:2)

The King of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:2)

The King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2)

Crowned with Glory and Honor (Hebrews 2:9)

He is . . . 

The Tempted (Hebrews 4:15)

The Merciful (Hebrews 2:17)

The Faithful (Hebrews 2:17)

Holy, Harmless (Hebrews 7:26)

Undefiled (Hebrews 7:26)

The Separate (Hebrews 7:26)

The Perfect (Hebrews 5:9)

He is . . . 

My Helper (Hebrews 13:6)

A Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19)

A Living Stone (1 Peter 2:4)A Chief Corner-stone (1 Peter 2:6)

A Precious Stone (1 Peter 2:6)

He is . . . 

Guileless (1 Peter 2:22)

Reviled (1 Peter 2:23)

The Chief Shepherd  – that shall again appear (1 Peter 5:4)

The Day Star (2 Peter 1:19)

My Savior (2 Peter 3:18)

The Word of Life (1 John 1:1)

The Life (1 John 1:2)

That Eternal Life which was with the Father (1 John 1:2)

He is . . . 

Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1)

The Savior of the World (1 John 4:14)

The True God (1 John 5:20)

The Advocate (1 John 2:1)

He is . . . 

Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5)

The First-Begotten of the dead (Revelation 1:5)

The Prince of the Kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5)

The Almighty, which is, and which was, and which is to come (Revelation 1:8)

The Beginning and the Ending (Revelation 1:8)

The Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8)

He is . . . 

The First and the Last (Revelation 1:17)

He that liveth (Revelation 1:18)

The Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)

The Hidden Manna (Revelation 2:17)

The Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 3:14)

The Amen (Revelation 3:14)

He is . . . 

The Beginning of the Creation of God (Revelation 3:14)

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5)

The Lamb that was slain (Revelation 5:12)

The Lamb in the midst of the throne (Revelation 7:17)

The The Lamb Slain (Revelation 13:8)

He is . . . 

The King of Saints, King of Nations (Revelation 15:3)

Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14)

Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)

Crowned with many Crowns (Revelation 19:12)

The Word of God (Revelation 19:13)

He is . . . 

The King of Kings (Revelation 19:16)

The Temple (Revelation 21:22)

The Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16)

[godlovesyousoiloveyou]

Hello! im the anon that wanted to ask about orthodoxy. i know this will likely be very difficult to answer, but are you able to tell me a bit about how saints play a role? if not, perhaps you could speak on your personal relationships with/thoughts on the saints? and please dont apologize, your offer of information was more than kind and im very grateful!

St. Nikolai Velimirovich said, "If a person wants to get an idea about the pyramids of Egypt, he must either trust those who have been in immediate proximity to the pyramids, or he must get next to them himself. There is no third option. In the same way a person can get an impression of God: he must either trust those who have stood and stand in immediate proximity to God, or he must take pains to come into such proximity himself."

I am a prodigal, an unworthy sinner, an ungrateful and wicked servant. I deserve not to look upon the face of God being such a terrible person that I am. If I dared to come near Him at the wedding feast, my clothing will accuse me for it is not a wedding garment. The saints are important because they are people who now stand beside the throne of God and they intercede for us.

1 Kingdoms 13:28 "Far be it from me to sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will serve the Lord and show you the good and right way."

Genesis 20:3-7 God tells Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him, otherwise he is a dead man for taking Sarah from him)

Exodus 8:4-6, 8:24-25, 9:28-29, 10:16-18, 32:31-32, Pharaoh asking Moses to pray for him and Moses praying for Pharaoh

Numbers 12:10-13, 14:11-19 Aaron begging Moses to pray for Miriam to be healed of her leprosy and Moses interceding for the Israelites before God

Deuteronomy 9:20, 9:25-26 Moses praying for Aaron and the Israelites

1 Kingdoms 7:8, 13:19 Samuel interceding for the Israelite to be victorious over the Philistines, Israelites asking Samuel to pray for them so the Lord is not angry that they asked a king for themselves

3 Kingdoms 13:6 King Jeroboam asks the man of God to pray for him to God to restore his hand that withered away and he prays and it's restored immediately

3 Kingdoms 17:20-23 Elijah prays over the widow's dead son's body and he is brought back to life

God is not the God of the dead but of the living, Christ said in the book of Matthew. The saints are not dead, they stand before the throne of God interceding for us.

Throughout the history of the church, there have been so many saints who lived venerable lives, sacrificing their lives in the name of Christ as brave martyrs (like St. Eleftherios who is celebrated today), saints who helped so many people in their afflictions (St. John the Merciful who gave away all he had to the poor), saints who performed many miracles (some recent ones are St. Nektarios who healed the sick, St. Porphyrios who was blind but prophesied so many things about the future, St. Paisios the Athonite, St. Joseph the Hesychast, etc.).

Here, in our current life, in this present day and hour, we in the Church who strive to love God are, in Orthodox theology, considered the Church Militant. We who love God are all soldiers of Christ and being alive on this earth and striving to do God's will, we are always battling against the forces of the enemy, the evil one. The saints who have struggled to love Christ and won the struggle, living until the end of their earthly lives as faithful Christians, they are considered to be the Church Triumphant. We are striving to be triumphant like them, triumphant against the passions, temptations, and addictions; against pride, selfishness, gluttony, immorality, and all sins.

One particular saint who has helped me a lot is St. Xenia of St. Petersburg. She was homeless, she was considered a fool-for-Christ. She sought not earthly glory and she hid her virtues so well. She was so poor, not because she did not have money, but because whatever money she had, she gave to others. She sacrificed her comforts so that God would comfort her. St. Paisios the Athonite said, "When we cease seeking consolation from man, then we will receive consolation from God." Such people who have achieved it are people like St. Xenia.

I had been struggling with finding a job for years and praying to have a home to call my own. I am not an educated person, I did not even graduate high school. I did not even have a house to go, I feared I would be homeless. St. Xenia helped me get a house. I prayed a few akathists to her and in the same month, I received a house as an unexpected gift from my in-laws. I have received a lot of help from other saints as well, St. Xenia is just one of the recent ones.

Anyway, this was a really long answer, hopefully it's not too boring and if it is, I'm sorry. lol.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Prayer for Help and Thanksgiving for It

A Psalm of David.

1 A Psalm of David. To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock: Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. 3 Do not take me away with the wicked And with the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts. 4 Give them according to their deeds, And according to the wickedness of their endeavors; Give them according to the work of their hands; Render to them what they deserve. 5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up. 6 Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! 7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. 8 The Lord is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed. 9 Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever. — Psalm 28 | New King James Version (NKJV) The Holy Bible; New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. Cross References: Numbers 6:24; Deuteronomy 1:31; 1 Kings 6:5; Psalm 2:9; Psalm 3:3; Psalm 6:8; Psalm 10:5; Psalm 12:2; Psalm 13:5; Psalm 15:3; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 22:29; Psalm 29:11; Psalm 89:17; Psalm 140:7; 1 Timothy 2:8; 2 Timothy 4:14; Revelation 18:6

[albertfinch]

PUTTING ON LOVE - PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES

I love You, God, because You first loved me. (1 John 4:19)

You sent Your only begotten Son, Jesus, to this earth out of Your love for me and for others.  I have believed on Him and now, I will not perish  -  I have everlasting life.  You did not send Jesus to condemn me, but to save me, and I thank You for that!  (John 3:16,17)

God, if You loved me that much, I should give love to others. (1 John 4:11)

So, I will love others.  It's a sign that I've been born of You, because You are love.  But if I fail to love others, I fail to love You.  Help me to always love!  (1 John 4:7,8)

I put on love each day, as if it's a coat, because I know that You consider it the highest of all virtues  -  Your love binds every other good virtue together  and makes them one.  (Colossians 3:14)

Love is the most important sacrifice to another person that I can make.  I will love God with all my heart, soul, mind and all my strength, Lord, and I will love my neghbor as myself. (Mark 12:33)

Help me to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me.  I do this in obedience to You, my Father in Heaven.  (Matthew 5:44)

I love others because You have loved me, and people will know that I'm a disciple of Yours because of the love that I show.  (John 13:34-35)

Circumcise my heart, God.  Consecrate me and help me to love You with all my heart and soul so that I may truly live well!  (Deuteronomy 30:6) 

Father, help me to remain in Your love just like Jesus.  He always obeyed Your commands and always remained in Your love.  (John 15:10)

Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit!  Through Him, You have poured Your great love into my heart!  (Romans 5:5)

God, I know the Your love matters the most  -  though I speak many words, including the tongues of angels,  if I don't love others, my words are nothing but a lot of noise!  I can prophesy, understand everything there is to know, and have faith enough to move mountains.  I can give everything I have to feed the poor, even if I give my own body as a sacrifice to You, but without love, none of these things do any good at all:  Love matters most!  (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Help me to see Your love for what it is  -  patient and kind, never envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, or easily angered.  You love stops me from keeping a record of wrongs or delighting in what is evil.  Your love helps me to rejoice in truth and always protect, trust, hope, and persevere!  (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Whatever I do, Lord, help me to do it in love!  (1 Corinthians 16:14)

The covenant I have with You, God, is not because of something physical, like circumcision.  My covenant was made through Jesus Christ  -  and my faith works by love!  (Galatians 5:6)

The fruit of your Spirit is love.  (Galatians 5:22)

I was called by God to be free!  But, I don't use my freedom as an excuse to live in sin and do only what I want.  Instead, I serve others in the way of love.  (Galatians 5:13)

God, You are rich in mercy and because of Your great love for me,  You have made me alive with Christ!  Even when I was dead in sin, you made a way of grace so that I could be saved!  (Ephesians 2:4-5)

I am being rooted and established in love.  I'm gaining the power to grasp the amazing measurements of Your love.  I realize that it surpasses all knowledge, but in "seeking" to find its measurements, I am being filled with the fullness of God.  (Ephesians 3:17-19)

I'm a volunteer prisoner of You and I will live a life worthy of Your calling.  In humility, gentleness, and patience, I will bear what others do in love.  I will strive to always keep the unity of Your Spirit and keep the peace.  (Ephesians 4:1-3)

I speak the truth in love and it causes me to grow up in all things  -  I'm a part of the body of Christ and we serve under the Head of the Church,  Jesus Christ!  We work together in love and this unites the whole body of Christ!  (Ephesians 4:15,16)

Like a child imitates those he admires, I imitate You Jesus, and live a life of love!  Because You loved me and gave Yourself for me as a good-smelling offering to God,  I will give myself to others, as an offering to You.  (Ephesians 5:1)

I will speak peace, love, and faith over all my brothers and sisters today!  (Ephesians 6:23)

Thank You for correcting my heart when I do wrong.  I know that You discipline those You love.  (Hebrews 12:6)

I will live in harmony with others and be sympathetic, compassionate, and humble.  (1 Peter 3:8)

Above it all, I will love others deeply because love covers a multitude of sins.  (1 Peter 4:8)

I have known and believed in the love that You have for me.  You are Love and I make my life in You.  Your great love is being perfected in me day-to-day.  I will be able to have boldness in the day of judgment because I have a life of love!  1 John 4:16,17)

I won't fear!  Your love in me casts fear out!  I'm being made perfect in Your love day by day!  (1 John 4:18)

ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

[jesuslivingwater]

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 NIV So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.