#Study Exodus 6

[walkswithmyfather]

“You must remember to keep the Sabbath a special day. You may work six days a week to do your job. But the seventh day is a day of rest in honor of the Lord your God. So on that day no one should work—not you, your sons and daughters, or your men and women slaves. Even your animals and the foreigners living in your cities must not work! That is because the Lord worked six days and made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. And on the seventh day, he rested. In this way the Lord blessed the Sabbath—the day of rest. He made that a very special day.” —Exodus 20:8‭-‬11 (ERV)

“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” —Psalm 62:1‭-‬2 (NIV)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” —Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 (NIV)

“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” —Mark 6:31 (NIV)

“All Is Calm: Receiving Jesus' Rest This Christmas” Devotional By Moody Publishers - Day One: “Why We Need Rest at Christmas:”

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly,” the well-known carol begins. And so we do.

Some of us prepare for Christmas at the first hint of cold weather, while others postpone the inevitable as long as possible.

But at some point we all get caught in a vortex of activity—most of it fun and festive but exhausting nonetheless, leaving our souls feeling both stuffed and empty. Often, it’s in the midst of this hubbub of holiday cheer that we quietly wonder, “Is this all there is?” The good news is that beyond the cookie platters, shopping lists, and decorating is the Son of God made man for us.

God knows we’re prone to frenetic activity. This is one of the reasons He built in a day of rest for the Israelites every six days—that they might pause their doing and recognize the goodness of their God, their own desperate need for Him, and His gift of stillness.

In practicing rest, we acknowledge God’s trustworthiness: even when we cease working, God continues to hold our world together.

This year I invite you, as our Lord and Savior invited His disciples, to come away with Him and get some rest, to slow down and rediscover the wonder and joy of the Christmas season in the midst of your favorite holiday traditions.

But what does that look like? Over the next four days, we’ll practice restful worship using the acronym REST: remember His goodness, express your neediness, seek His stillness, and trust His faithfulness. Will you accept His invitation this Christmas season? Come away for a while, and rest.

Prayer: Oh Lord, You know me so well. You know that I long for a wonderful time with family and friends, but I overcommit, overreach, and overreact, and in the end, there’s just too much stress and hurt going around. I don’t want that this year. So I’m coming to You with open arms and an open heart. Here I am. Teach me to celebrate the birth of our Savior from a place of rest. Tune my heart to wonder at Your beauty and sing Your praise. Amen.”

[drshermaines-wisdomnuggets]

"THE REASON WE WORSHIP"

If it’s one man I love and respect, it’s our former President Barack Obama. And I’ve come to discover, that when the President of the United States comes to speak, it’s a rare opportunity. So if you desire to be physically present when he shows up to speak, you better get there hours early because of the mass of people that will be there as well! Think about it, it’s hard to find a place to park,…

[andrewpcannon]

Daily Devotional: Exodus 6:14-30

Here, we read the genealogies of the Levites in the land of Egypt up to the sons of Aaron. The text repeats itself, the Moses and Aaron listed in the genealogy are the same Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh. They are meant to be emphasized as Levites as if it is important. When Jacob, Israel, issued blessings to his children (the twelve tribes), he said of Levi: Their swords are implements…

[coreofthebible]

Keeping God's Word before us at all times

Keeping God’s Word before us at all times

Today we will be looking at one of the seven core Bible principles: integrity. Reviewing the information today I hope to show how believers should be so imbued with God’s Word that it causes us to act with the integrity of his commandments as a reflex. Deuteronomy 6:18, 25 – Do what is right and good in Yahweh’s sight, so all will go well with you. … For we will be counted as righteous when we…

[katakaluptastrophy]

We've heard the story about the young woman living under imperial oppression conceiving an unusual baby with god, but what happens after that?

The local potentate gets twitchy about succession and engages in a spot of mass child murder, of course!

It's the fourth day of Christmas, aka the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and it's time for more weird Bible study for goth lesbians!

A quick refresher on the Christmas story: following some hotel over-booking shenanigans, baby Jesus is born in a stable and after singing angels turn up to chivvy them along, is welcomed by some shepherds. A little while later, three enigmatic wise men from the East turn up with some rather odd baby gifts, having been led to Jesus by a star.

While cash, liturgical incense, and embalming ointment feel like they'd be considered practical new baby gifts on the Ninth, Gideon doesn't get such fanfare with her arrival. Just a few geriatric nuns who only manage to necromantically scrounge up a name between them.

However, by toddlerhood Jesus and Gideon are on a rather more equal level: people are trying to kill them.

In Jesus' case, it's the local king, Herod the Great ("the Great" is perhaps best read in the same way as "Democratic Republic" or "gentlemen's club"). Herod was a client king, ruling on behalf of the Roman empire. The wise men stop to ask him for directions and Herod is non-plussed to say the least, because prophecies of the birth of great kings who will deliver their people from oppression are not great news if your job depends on said oppression. Handily, the wise men are warned in a dream not to tell Herod where they found Jesus and they go home a different way to avoid having to see him again.

But since Herod knows the general time and location of Jesus' birth, he decides it's better to be safe than sorry and has every boy under two murdered. (It should be noted that historical accounts other than the Bible, while generally agreed that he was a bit of a shit, do not mention this). Mary and Joseph had also conveniently been warned in a dream and left town before the unfortunate incident.

If this story sounds familiar, it's because it's not the only political baby murder incident in the Bible: you may also recognise elements of it from the story of Moses in Exodus.

Meanwhile, Harrow's parents are also rulers of a small but significant province of an empire, whose power is threatened. Though in their case, the issue is not a birth but the total lack thereof. With necromantic fertility issues and approaching menopause threatening to end the line of Anastasia, they murder 200 under-19s to generate enough death juice to ensure a necromantic fetus in what must have been one of the worst date nights on record. This incident is also not widely reported, in their case likely due to their ability to necromantically bind people's tongues.

Gideon, of course, is probably not actually spared in Pluto's own Massacre of the Innocents. But she handily does not stay dead, thus escaping the fate of her fellows. As with Jesus, being god's child has its perks.

Churches that celebrate the Holy Innocents understand them to be among the first martyrs, often considering them saints who have the power to intercede with God, particularly in situations involving babies and children. That is, a collective group of infants (6-144,000 of them, depending on who you ask) have the ability to impact outcomes across time and space.

What metaphysical impact those 200 Ninth infants imprinted on Harrow's soul might have on the outcome of Alecto the Ninth remains to be seen...

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

how do you keep your faith even while such horrific things are going on in palestine? i've been a christian all my life and i understand that the question of why god allows suffering is one that people have always been asking, that we can never really know the answer to, but it's just so hard for me to see things like this, all of these innocent people being terrorized and murdered in such evil ways, and understand why god can't stop it from happening. in church we pray for both israel and palestine and it feels so pointless, and just makes me frustrated that i can't actually do anything to stop this. especially knowing that even bethlehem, the place of jesus's birth and home to many palestinian christians, is being attacked and churches are being bombed. it seems pretty clear that the people committing these atrocities are never going to open their hearts and stop, and the world leaders who would have the power to make them stop either don't care or directly support them. i do not want to believe that god doesn't exist, or that god would just sit by and watch all of this happen if it were possible to stop it, but it's such a struggle at times like this. i feel like it shouldn't be and like i should've had this figured out by now. it's okay if you don't answer this, i just love your blog and have learned a lot from it over the years, and am incredibly saddened by the state of the world right now.

Hey there, anon. I feel with you and stand with you in your struggle. I also gently suggest you work on letting go of the sense that you "should" have this figured out by now. Firstly because learning to release myself from "shoulds" is something my therapist taught me and it's been super helpful for showing myself love; secondly because I believe it is deeply, deeply faithful to ask these questions, to demand to know where God is in the face of evil — not just once, but continuously across our lives.

If at any point we think we have it "all figured out," if we think we've reached a fully satisfying solution to the problem of how a good God could "let" evil things happen, we're more likely to be numbed by fatalism or become complacent in the face of injustice. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (may his memory be a blessing) put it when asked why God lets bad things happen to good people,

“God does not want us to understand, because if we ever understood, we would be forced to accept that bad things happen to good people, and God does not want us to accept those bad things. He wants us not to understand, so that we will fight against the bad and the injustices of this world, and that is why there is no answer to that question.”

Ask the questions. Bring all that you feel — your grief, your confusion, your frustration, your doubt, your fear — to God. Study and pray and converse with others.

And while you're doing all that, and accepting that it'll be a lifelong exploration, act.

Let your love, your words, your actions be the divine response to injustice — because for whatever mysterious reason, God chooses to act through us, through all who follow Their call to "do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly" (Micah 6:8).

___

So yeah, I can't tell you why God doesn't just jump in and stop the evil, why God seems to limit Their own power to intervene (or even to lack that power to begin with), why God respects our free will even when we misuse it to such great harm (though you can see the bottom of this post for places to explore all those questions).

But I can tell you where I believe God is in the midst of all the questions, all the loss, all the suffering — and that's not on some lofty throne indifferently observing our pain; God is right there in the midst of that pain.

Where is God in the face of hate, violence, death? God is co-suffering with us, shouldering the burden with us.

In Exodus 3:7, God says They don't only see the enslaved Hebrews' misery, don't only hear their cries, but that They know the people's suffering — an intimate knowing, as of one who experiences it themself.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us that when humanity fails to welcome the stranger, visit the prisoner, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the oppressed, we fail to do those things for him — for he identifies so intimately with all whom the world calls "least" that he is one with each and every one of them.

So I don't know why God doesn't just fix everything, dammit! — it's the first question I'll be asking Xir when I die, because wtf!!

But I do believe, and I do draw some comfort knowing, that God does not leave us to suffer alone. God is one with the oppressed; God shows ultimate solidarity to the oppressed; and God acts with each of us who act for and with and as the oppressed.

And the good news in the midst in this horror is that there are things that all of us can be doing to act in solidarity with the oppressed!

Our efforts truly are making a difference. Politicians and whole governments across the globe have been startled by the resistance to pro-Israeli propaganda and solidarity with Palestine. The change is slow, but our protests are making an impact. Palestinians have been asking that we keep protesting, boycotting, educating, spreading the word. Because it is helping, slowly but surely.

As long as Palestinians refuse to give in to despair, we too must continue to fight. Palestine will be free. We will not stand silent as genocide occurs.

Boycott as many of the companies named by BDS as you can. Notice that they're focusing on a narrower, more targeted group of companies than some of the enormous lists people keep sharing — that's to help us avoid becoming overwhelmed! So boycott what you can from their list; these are the companies directly contributing to Israel's violence. And spread their list to anyone you can.

If you live in a country with a government that has yet to join the call for a ceasefire — and especially if you, like me here in the US, live in a country that is actively funding/otherwise supporting Israel's violence — call or email your representatives to demand a ceasefire.

Resistbot can help make that easy, in the US at least.

Educate yourself about the history of Palestine and Israel. It's important so that you can recognize lies and propaganda, and also so you can speak knowledgeably about the issue with others. It's also important because understanding and simply bearing witness are two big things Palestinians ask of us. You don't need to know everything, but know enough to bear witness, to remember the loss, and to debunk bullshit when you see it.

Here are some places you can get educated — link to free ebooks; article on current events; article with current perspectives from Gaza; and I've been reblogging news & resources as I see them over on @a-queer-seminarian

Post about what Gaza is going through on social media!! Don't let the fight die down! Talk about it with friends or others you think might be swayed to join the fight if they had the information that most media stations are failing to report on.

Stand up against Islamophobia in all forms.

Stand up against antisemitism in all forms. As Christians, this includes recognizing and uprooting supersessionism in our biblical interpretation, our liturgy, our hymns, etc. It also means learning about Christian Zionism.

One of Israel's primary arguments for the "necessity" of its oppression of Palestine is that Israel is necessary because nowhere else on earth is safe for Jews. They're right that nowhere else is safe for Jews; but they're wrong that Israel is safe for Jews — an settler-colonialist state, a war zone, a state that requires every civilian to serve some time in the military, is not safe for Jews either. But as long as they can point to the antisemitism rampant across the globe, they can use that as an argument. So to counter Israel, and much more importantly to stand in solidarity with Jewish people across the world, don't let antisemitism go unchecked.

Join in protests in your area. Follow Jewish Voices for Peace or Jews Against White Supremacy for info on such events.

Link to places to offer fin.ancial support

Want more ways to act? Check out https://www.palestineaction.org/

___

There is no easy answer to the question of suffering — but even so, it can be helpful to explore it deeper, to examine what conclusions others have drawn over the eras. If you want some resources for your wrestling, here are some:

This post goes into the basics of theodicy, the "the intellectual effort to jerry-rig three mutually exclusive terms into harmony: divine power, goodness, and the experiences of evil"

Then there's my #theodicy tag where I put all posts / links about this issue

I also have a long-ass YouTube video diving deep into "the problem of suffering"!

___

I hope this response brings you comfort and courage, friend. Don't be afraid of questions, of grief, of concern — let them galvanize you for the struggle. Solidarity forever <3

[softlyblues]

dw fic masterlist!

softlyblue (ao3 account)

previous masterlist (non-who fic)

MASTER/DOCTOR

blindfold - five/ainley, dubcon with the world's most fucked up husbands

TWO/JAMIE

five things jamie has - fluffy character study of the scotsman

with soft hands and face - jamie is a brat!!

LISTENING TO BIG FINISH AUDIO

1. storm warning - eight gets leched on by a guy on the r101

2. sword of orion - charley thinks fondly about loser eight

3. stones of venice - eight gets leched on by a cultist

4. minuet in hell - eight gets leched on by a republican

HARRY SULLIVAN & SARAH JANE & FOUR

1. the first of the inevitable - harry, four, and sarah have an awkward threesome in the tardis library. who couldve seen it coming

2. boys' night - four and harry drink whisky in the library and harry sits on his lap <3

3. console room - harry sucks four off under the console. good boy

4. girls' night - four and sarah fuck in a hot tub <3

5. instincts - three chapters of sex pollen/fuck or die. woo

6. exodus of the daleks - a return to skaro and some actual plot for once as fourharrysarah face off nyder and davros

7. congratulations - respite from the porn, unit crew finds out

[thewordinblackandred]

Hey y'all! I'm Micah, the host of the leftist Bible study podcast The Word in Black and Red. We are just finishing up recording our first season of the show, covering the book of Genesis. As we head into the second season, this time covering the book of Exodus, I'm looking for even more co-hosts to come on and share their leftist Bible takes. If you have thoughts on any of the following stories, please reblog them, and I'll be in contact!

- S 2.5 Exodus 4:1-17: The Snake Staff and the Withered Hand

- S 2.6 Exodus 4:18-31: Emergency Circumcision

- S 2.8 Exodus 6:1-27: God Reassures Moses of his Calling

- S 2.10 Exodus 7:14-25: Plague I: The Blood

- S 2.11 Exodus 8:1-15: Plague II: The Frogs

- S 2.12 Exodus 8:16-32: Plagues III & IV: The Lice & the Swarms

- S 2.13 Exodus 9:1-12: Plagues V & VI: The Death of Cattle & the Boils

- S 2.14 Exodus 9:13-35: Plague VII: The Thunder & Hail

- S 2.15 Exodus 10:1-20: Plague VII: The Locusts

- S 2.16 Exodus 10:21-29: Plague IX: The Darkness

- S 2.17 Exodus 11: God Announces the Final Plague

- S 2.18 Exodus 12:1-28: The First Passover

- S 2.19 Exodus 12:29-13:16: Plague X: The Firstborn

- S 2.20 Exodus 13:17-15:21: Pharaoh's Army Lost at Sea

- S 2.22 Exodus 17:8-16: Israel Defeats Amalek

- S 2.23 Exodus 18: The Vanguard Organizes the Masses

- S 2.24 Exodus 19: Arrival at Mt. Sanai

- S 2.25 Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments

- S 2.26 Exodus 21-22:15: Slavery, Violence, & Property

- S 2.27 Exodus 22:16-23:9: "Seduction" Marriage, Immigrants, and Usury

- S 2.28 Exodus 23:10-19: Sabbath Rest

- S 2.29 Exodus 23:20-33: Joshua Foretold

- S 2.30 Exodus 24: The Mosaic Covenant

- S 2.31 Exodus 25-28: Instructions for God's Dwelling and Vestments

- S 2.32 Exodus 29-31: Proper Worship & the Sabbath

- S 2.34 Exodus 33: Moses Seeks for and Sees God

- S 2.35 Exodus 34-35:3: God's Character, the Renewed Covenant, & Moses' Shining Face

- S 2.37 Exodus 40: God Enters God's Dwelling

FAQ:

"But how can you be a Christian and leftist?" Because Jesus is!

"The Bible isn't about politics. Why are you bringing your own personal agenda to the text?" We all always bring our own biases to the text. The question is simply whether we acknowledge them or not. Most interpretations of the Bible you'll hear twist the Bible to support the status quo. We read the Bible, usually pretty straightforwardly, and realize that that interpretation isn't congruent with the book written by an oppressed people about their liberatory God.

"I don't really know the Bible all that well. What can I contribute?" Your perspective! We read the Bible from a leftist and liberationist perspective, and a big part of the liberationist perspective is that everyone has something to add to our understanding of the Bible. We offer many, often contradictory, readings of a story in each episode. Your job as a co-host isn't to know the Bible in and out, but to do as much reading and/or research as you need to feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with a broader audience.

If you're interested, it doesn't hurt to just post a take! Worst case scenario, you can tell me you're not interested later on. More likely, you'll have a great time recording with us and I'll be DMing you again to get you into new episodes!

[study-with-aura]

Monday, October 2, 2023

Today was a fun day. I volunteered again at the library, and I am now at eight volunteer hours for the semester. My goal is 20 hours, and I think I am on track.

Speaking of which, we had the Gold Award training yesterday, so I can officially start working on ideas for my Gold Award. I can't truly start it until I complete at least one Senior Journey since I earned the Silver Award, but coming up with some ideas never hurt. I have four years to finish it, but I would like to finish it by my first year of Ambassadors. I think I have a timeline for everything!

Also, side reminder to those who may come across my blog, yes I am very intellectually mature for my age, but I am only fourteen. Please do not send me random messages about things that are not appropriate such as solicitations. I will report you, and my father is an attorney and has many legal friends across the country and internationally. To everyone else who sends me nice messages and likes to talk about study things, hobbies, interests, and books, you all are great! I love the studyblr community!

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Learned about the SSS and SAS Congruence Theorems + practice + honors work

Lit and Comp II - Reviewed units 4-6 vocabulary + created an outline for my short stories compare/contrast essay

Spanish 2 - Reviewed vocabulary + listened to a story in Spanish

Bible I - Read Exodus 9-10

World History - Researched and answered questions about Islam

Biology with Lab - Completed the homeostasis and cell transport test + watched a video on the inner life of a cell

Foundations - Read more on dependability + took a quiz on Read Theory + went through steps 9-12 of the steps of research

Practice - Practiced assigned pieces for 30 minutes and worked on memorization

Khan Academy - Completed Unit 2: Lesson 8 of World History + completed Unit 3: Lesson 4 of High School Biology + completed Unit 3: Lesson 5 of High School Geometry

Duolingo - Completed at least one lesson each in Spanish, French, and Chinese

Activities of the Day:

Volunteered for 2 hours at the library

Ballet

Contemporary

Journal/Mindfulness

-

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful that I earned a perfect grade on my biology test because I almost mixed up hypotonic and hypertonic!

Quote of the Day:

Because I have known despair, I value hope. Because I have tasted frustration, I value fulfillment. Because I have been lonely, I value love.

-Leonard Nimoy

🎧2 Klavierstücke, WoO 19: I. Andante cantabile, MWV U 93 - II. Presto agitato, MWV U 94 - Felix Mendelssohn

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Jeremiah Confronted by a False Prophet

1 The following events occurred in that same year, early in the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah. To be more precise, it was the fifth month of the fourth year of his reign. The prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, spoke to Jeremiah in the Lord’s temple in the presence of the priests and all the people. 2 “The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, ‘I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon. 3 Before two years are over, I will bring back to this place everything that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took from it and carried away to Babylon. 4 I will also bring back to this place Jehoiakim’s son King Jeconiah of Judah and all the exiles who were taken to Babylon.’ Indeed, the Lord affirms, ‘I will break the yoke of servitude to the king of Babylon.’”

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah responded to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the Lord’s temple. 6 The prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do all this! May the Lord make your prophecy come true! May he bring back to this place from Babylon all the valuable articles taken from the Lord’s temple and the people who were carried into exile. 7 But listen to what I say to you and to all these people. 8 From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably prophesied war, disaster, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.”

10 The prophet Hananiah then took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. 11 Then he spoke up in the presence of all the people. “The Lord says, ‘In the same way I will break the yoke of servitude of all the nations to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon before two years are over.’” After he heard this, the prophet Jeremiah departed and went on his way.

12 But shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, the Lord spoke to Jeremiah. 13 “Go and tell Hananiah that the Lord says, ‘You have indeed broken the wooden yoke. But you have only succeeded in replacing it with an iron one! 14 For the Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I have put an irresistible yoke of servitude on all these nations so they will serve King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And they will indeed serve him. I have even given him control over the wild animals.” 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie! 16 So the Lord says, ‘I will most assuredly remove you from the face of the earth. You will die this very year because you have counseled rebellion against the Lord.’”

17 In the seventh month of that very same year the prophet Hananiah died. — Jeremiah 28 | New English Translation (NET Bible) NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 7:4; Exodus 32:12; Leviticus 26:14; Deuteronomy 18:22; Deuteronomy 28:48; Joshua 9:3; Joshua 10:12; 1 Kings 1:36; 1 Kings 14:15; 1 Kings 22:28; 2 Kings 24:13; 2 Kings 25:27; 1 Chronicles 3:19; 2 Chronicles 36:10; Psalm 107:16; Jeremiah 1:2; Jeremiah 7:8; Jeremiah 14:14; Jeremiah 15:12; Jeremiah 20:6; Jeremiah 22:10; Jeremiah 25:11; Jeremiah 27:2; Jeremiah 27:10; Jeremiah 27:12; Jeremiah 29:1; Jeremiah 37:19; Ezekiel 33:33; 1 Corinthians 14:16

[mstexalicious1961]

SOTK

devotion by Bernard Trippett, Jr

Rest well.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28, ESV.

Learn to rest well. It requires us to submit to His will and His righteousness and to live with whatever results they bring into our lives. As long as you have done what God has asked you to do, you can rest well because you know what your end will be. Your end will be good because He is good. Based on His character alone, you can know it will turn out well.

You’ve done what you know to do about it. You’ve obeyed God and done your part. God says now step back and let Him do His. Now, rest well.

Prayer: Father, I give you praise today. I thank you that I don’t have to fight or struggle with this. Help me to do what you said, and learn to rest knowing you will handle it, even when it comes to the hearts of others. Help me to submit to your will and righteousness. I will do my part. I give you great praise for doing yours. I trust you, and I choose to abundantly rest. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Study: Matthew 6:33 & 11:28-30, Exodus 33:14, Psalm 37:7 & 127:1-2

[moldedheartsministry]

Justification for the Crusades

Justification for the Crusades

“Exo 6:2  And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am Jehovah: 

Exo 6:3  and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah I was not known to them. 

Exo 6:4  And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojourning’s, wherein they sojourned.”

I believe I needed to start here. God, Yahweh reveals himself to Moses in a different manner than Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He reminds Moses of the covenant he made with them, and he reveals for the first time His Lordship and the Authority of His name. Christians now know the power in the name of Jesus. God is setting the stage to deliver His people out of slavery, and into this “Promised Land.”

Soon after God delivered them out of slavery Amalek attacked them in the wilderness. Exodus 17:8-16 gives us the account of this pivotal event because that ends with the LORD swearing to have War with Amalek from generation to generation.

If we back up to Exodus 15 we read about “The Song of Moses” where Israel sings the words “The Lord (Yahweh) is a man of War: the Lord (Yahweh) is his name” The Old Testament, from this point forward is full of great battles, from Jericho to Gideon's campaign, to The siege of Jebus, which essentially was David leading the Israelites to take Jerusalem. We know, without a doubt that Israel is called to war by God, the question then is, are Christians under the new covenant called to War?

When people say that Christians are just as violent as Islam, and then use the Crusades as the main example, they make a great point. I am sure the Crusaders were ruthless and savage, nothing even resembling our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but anyone who has been in war will tell you “War is Hell”

So where does the Christian Justification come in? The Kingdom of Heaven is not exclusive to Jerusalem. “We know we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but principalities and dark forces” (Eph 6:12) We know that defending our families and loved ones with our lives is justified, but should Christians be “Militarized” if so, for what? This is the real question. Islam organized a military after centuries of battling the Roman Empire, eventually becoming the Eastern Holy Roman Empire.

Rome never conquered the peninsula of Arabia. They seized enough land in modern Kuwait to establish trade routes, but the regions hosting Mecca and modern-day Riyadh were never conquered.

When Muhammed began his teachings in 613 A.D. it was not in a region conquered by the Roman Empire. It was 300 years after Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Though Rome had footholds, it had never truly conquered the lands and its people.

The Arabian Peninsula was also home to the descendants of the tribes and nations fighting against Israel for well over millennia. Jericho was conquered in 1400 B.C. which would indicate two full MILLENIA'S before Muhammed. The roots of animosity and justification had to run so deep.

I have not studied the Quran so I do not know Muhammed's justification for Islam to lay siege to Jerusalem (636-637), nor do I know what the catalyst for their conquest of North Africa and eventually into Europe was. One thing was made clear...Islam had declared war on not just the descendants of Moses, and not just the Byzantine Empire, but on all of Christianity.

Once Christianity brought the Crusades the pride in the hearts of man had justified their means. Nobody was innocent anymore, nobody was right.

Even though I acknowledge any Christian excuse for War as hypocritical, I do believe that war is inevitable in the preparation of the Bride. Christians have been tasked with spreading the good news, the Apostles died as Martyrs for this Good news, the early church was persecuted for this good news and Christianity thrived.

Is this what it means? For us to all be Martyrs? To not be lovers of violence? That if we live by the sword, we will die by the sword? Are followers of Christ destined to be slaughtered as the Lamb himself? Is this the depths of laying down one's life? Did Christ die that we might die, or that we may have Life? Is Life worth fighting for?

Christ does not want His Men to be weak, nor allow crimes perpetrated upon their families! To allow our mothers and daughters to be conquered and raped? Enslaved? Jesus would never stand by and allow this.

Since I do believe that violence is to be met with violence, to defend against violence perpetrated upon my family, I believe one must Establish boundaries and borders. Borders that infer "This is where I draw the line" “This is mine, and I will defend this to my last breath to protect it.”

If you do not, dark forces will try to stamp you out. Hitler tried very very hard to exterminate all that was Jewish. The world will always create an enemy of God's people. Socialism, Communism, Nazism, Islam, Satanism, Witchcraft. The enemy has even turned Christianity against Christianity. From the great schism to the protestant reformation. Protestant Americans in southern U.S. states killed Jewish students from the northern states because they hated them. Northern and Southern Ireland had a Civil War with Protestants backing the Queen's rule in the North and Catholics fighting for independence in the South.

As I establish My boundaries in life, perhaps I seek out others to collectively protect our beliefs and families. To keep them safe from wolves, and roaring lions that look around seeking to devour. Perhaps this fellowship of creating borders, and boundaries causes us to form a community, or perhaps a tribe. Perhaps we reach out to other tribes to collectively further our boundaries because of strength in numbers, perhaps we create a nation or Kingdom. If the American media has taught us anything in the last four years, it's that not having borders will allow chaos and enemies inside your homes.

Now, applying this reasoning to our Christian morality, we will eventually come full circle to "Where" exactly we believe we should establish our boundaries. Is Christianity exclusive to Europe and The U.S.A.? Is Catholicism exclusive only to Italy? Is the Orthodox church exclusive only to Russia? Are all the different denominations simply trying to establish their foothold in regions? If so, then so is Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Do I believe in Israel or Christianity maintaining the boundary and authority over Jerusalem?

Yes...

I unapologetically confirm that I stand with Israel, especially since I was raised by a long line of American veterans to never forget the past. I was shown the footage of Auschwitz, and Dachau. I remember the black-and-white footage of Jews standing in lines being marched into showers, and ovens. I will never stand before my God and say I did nothing to prevent that from happening...again.

“God hates a Coward.” "Rak Chazak Amats"

Israel's God is my Lord and savior's Father, but I believe in the Trinity, so their God is my God even if they look down on us for believing that Jesus is the Christ. Even if they are not saved due to their denial of Jesus, I will support them.

I believe the Crusades are justified... because I believe Israel should always have a home.

 Mat 10:34  “Think not that I have come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword”. 

Ecclesiastes 3:8  “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

Until Christ comes again, I believe we are stuck in this age of Warfare. The only way to world peace is in Christ.  

[thescienceofapologetics]

hi, hope you’re well. i’m pretty new to studying the bible (raised christian in name only, learning true faith as an adult) and it’s obvious that the bible does not condone mercy killing humans (euthanasia or abortion or whatnot) but what about animals? if a pet dog is suffering and it is put down, for example, is that okay?

How wonderful it is that you’re taking the time and initiative to dive into the Bible!

I have a unique perspective on this myself since I come from the veterinary field. Euthanasia is something I deal with frequently. So let’s take a look at what the Bible says…

Genesis 1:26 — “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

This verse makes two important distinctions. Firstly, humans are made in the image of God and animals are not. That means that humans have attributes such as a conscious that animals do not. Secondly, humans rule over the animals. This is important because in regards to animal rights, people often want to compare them to humans. It is important to identify that biblically speaking humans and animals are not equal.

Proverbs 12:10 — “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”

Matthew 6:26 — “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

These verses tell us that God cares about animals. We have been given rule over the animals, and with that authority comes the expectation that we will care for them and treat them with kindness.

Exodus 20:13 — “You shall not murder.”

Genesis 9:3, 6— “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything… Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.”

Again, there is a distinction between humans and animals. God clearly states that we are not to kill another person. Throughout scripture it is consistently stated that no man is to take the life of another innocent person for ANY reason. The only killing that is ever condoned for people is the death penalty in regard to heinous and unrepentant sins. On the other hand, the killing of animals is clearly acceptable in certain cases such as consumption, and while we are called to care for animals, we are permitted to kill them in certain instances such as nutrition. Not to mention the Old Testament is full of instructions for the animal sacrifices that were required prior to Christ’s death and resurrection. Exodus 21 also outlines that an animal is to be killed if it is a danger to others.

Because of the distinctions between humans and animals, we can reasonably conclude that if an animal needs to be put down due to suffering or extreme aggression, this is permissible.

[coreofthebible]

The Kingdom law of restitution and generosity

The Kingdom law of restitution and generosity

Today we will be looking at the topic of the Kingdom of God. Within God’s Kingdom, the law of God provides the guide for all behaviors that God expects of his people. One of the primary boundaries of God’s law concerns security of individual belongings where stealing is prohibited. Interestingly, God’s solution for discouraging theft is its exact opposite: a type of forced generosity. Those who…

[pastortomsteers]

The Bible Study –

Our readings for Saturday, April 6 are Exodus 19:1-25 & Hebrews 13:1-21.

God gives instructions to Moses that the people are not to approach His Holy mountain.

The payment for the sins of the world had not yet been made by our Saviour.

Through the cross of Jesus, we have been reconciled to our Holy God.

Today, God gives His Word and Sacraments through His true Church.

He provides us men of God to preach and teach this Word in its fullness and purity, both Law & Gospel.

The writer of Hebrews counsels believers to remember their leaders, those who give them the Word of God.

We're warned, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace . . . .”

False churches teach salvation through ‘good works,’ instead of the Biblical truth that we are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.

False denominations deny Christ’s presence in the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper, or approve of un-Biblical marriage and the murder of unborn children – abortion.

The Confessional Lutheran Church is true to God’s Word as given in the Bible.

His Word is inerrant and eternal.

As Christians living in a secular society, we may suffer persecution, exclusion or rejection.

Our Lord suffered crucifixion for our sins.

When we face mistreatment for the Christian faith, we can remember the Apostles considered it joy to suffer in the service of Christ.

Jesus will never leave nor forsake us.

As we read in Hebrews, we can also confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

what can man do to me?” (13:6).

Pastor Tom Steers

Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto

[biblegumchewontheword]

Books of the Bible

Here is a detailed list of the 66 books of the Bible, divided by the Old and New Testaments, along with their divisions and categories:

**Old Testament:**

**Pentateuch (5 books):**

1. Genesis

2. Exodus

3. Leviticus

4. Numbers

5. Deuteronomy

**Historical Books (12 books):**

6. Joshua

7. Judges

8. Ruth

9. 1 Samuel

10. 2 Samuel

11. 1 Kings

12. 2 Kings

13. 1 Chronicles

14. 2 Chronicles

15. Ezra

16. Nehemiah

17. Esther

**Poetry/Wisdom Books (5 books):**

18. Job

19. Psalms

20. Proverbs

21. Ecclesiastes

22. Song of Solomon

**Major Prophets (5 books):**

23. Isaiah

24. Jeremiah

25. Lamentations

26. Ezekiel

27. Daniel

**Minor Prophets (12 books):**

28. Hosea

29. Joel

30. Amos

31. Obadiah

32. Jonah

33. Micah

34. Nahum

35. Habakkuk

36. Zephaniah

37. Haggai

38. Zechariah

39. Malachi

**New Testament:**

**Gospels (4 books):**

40. Matthew

41. Mark

42. Luke

43. John

**History (1 book):**

44. Acts

**Pauline Epistles (13 books):**

45. Romans

46. 1 Corinthians

47. 2 Corinthians

48. Galatians

49. Ephesians

50. Philippians

51. Colossians

52. 1 Thessalonians

53. 2 Thessalonians

54. 1 Timothy

55. 2 Timothy

56. Titus

57. Philemon

**General Epistles (8 books):**

58. Hebrews

59. James

60. 1 Peter

61. 2 Peter

62. 1 John

63. 2 John

64. 3 John

65. Jude

**Apocalyptic (1 book):**

66. Revelation

This list represents the traditional order and grouping of the books of the Bible in most Christian denominations.

These are the 66 books that make up the Bible.

Title: The Significance of Each Book of the Bible

Introduction:

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that together form the inspired Word of God. Each book has its own unique message, themes, and significance that contribute to the overall story of God's redemption and love for humanity. Let's explore the importance of each book of the Bible.

Lesson Points:

1. The Old Testament:

- Genesis: The book of beginnings, detailing creation, the fall, and the establishment of God's covenant with His people.

- Exodus: The story of the Israelites' liberation from Egypt and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

- Psalms: A collection of songs and prayers that express a range of human emotions and provide a guide for worship.

- Proverbs: Wisdom literature that offers practical advice for living a righteous and wise life.

- Isaiah: Prophecies about the coming Messiah and God's plan of salvation.

2. The New Testament:

- Matthew: Emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the establishment of the kingdom of God.

- Acts: Chronicles the early spread of the Gospel and the growth of the early church.

- Romans: Explains the doctrine of justification by faith and the implications of salvation through Christ.

- Corinthians: Addresses issues within the church and provides practical guidance for Christian living.

- Revelation: Offers apocalyptic visions of the end times, the victory of Christ, and the establishment of the new heaven and earth.

3. Themes and Messages:

- Each book of the Bible contributes to the overarching themes of God's love, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation for all humanity.

- Together, these books provide a complete narrative of God's work in the world and His plan for His people.

Application:

- Take time to explore and study each book of the Bible, seeking to understand its unique message and significance.

- Reflect on how the themes and stories in the Bible can impact your own life and faith journey.

- Consider how the teachings and examples in the Bible can shape your beliefs and actions as a follower of Christ.

Conclusion:

The books of the Bible are not just separate entities but are interconnected parts of the larger story of God's redemption and love for humanity. Each book has its own importance and contributes to the overall message of God's plan for salvation. May we approach the study of the Bible with reverence and openness to the wisdom and guidance it offers for our lives.