Yahweh

The Bible begins with the book of Genesis, also known as the book of beginnings. Genesis is the first of five books collectively referred to as the Pentateuch. The name is derived from the first word of the LXX, which is translated to mean beginning. Most scholars agree that the book consist of two parts, chapters 1-11 and 12-50. The first section is referred to as the primeval history, beginning with creation, and concluding with the genealogy of Shem. There are some who offer other suggested…

In the Old Testament, God uses prophets as His mediators. They serve as a middle man between God and man. As God’s story unfolds in the Old Testament, we see great prophets emerge during times of great injustice. Among these great prophets is Elijah, an Israelite and worshiper of God under during the reign of Ahab and his murderous, idolatrous wife Jezebel. Ahab himself let his uncertainty and fear drive his passivity, which, even more so, gave way to Jezebel’s evil desires. As Ahab & Jezebel…

From the prologue, we learned that God was one of Job’s greatest fans, echoing the accolades “blameless, upright, God-fearing, and one who avoids evil” from the narrator’s introduction (1:1). That might be considered advocacy at its best except that, of course, God intentionally spoke those words to the satan, setting Job on a collision course with that adversary. God’s sovereign permission giving Job into the satan’s hand – twice - placed God squarely on the adversarial side of the ring as well…

Wisdom is of great value to the Christian. Wisdom is not a level that can be attained; it is something that should be sought and strived for throughout a person’s life. God is very clear in His Word that He desires every Christian to gain wisdom. It’s through wisdom that a person can come to know God and grow closer to Him. Wisdom allows one to know more about God, His commands, and His will. Therefore, God speaks expressly in the Bible about the need for wisdom! Proverbs 4:7 states: “Wisdom is…

The story of Enuma Elish is inscribed on seven cuneiform tablets, recovered by a collector named AH Layard in Iraq (Matthews and Benjamin). This story has some parallel tales told in the Old Testament, such as Genesis, Exodus and the Psalms. This story presents the father and mother, Apsu and Tiamat, who represent saltwater and freshwater who were present before the creation of the universe. This story provides a description of a series of gods that were created: “When on high ... No heaven HAD…

Early in the nineteenth century, there were many different thoughts about the “truth” of the Holy Word of God. It was believed that the Bible said men were to be head of house and women have no say in what happens. Many elders of the church made sure this was enforced. Also, that how you acted and where you sat in church depended on the amount of money you had. It didn’t matter how happy you were or the relationship you had with God, all that mattered was your social status. Elijah Pierson and…

Chiastic structure is a literary technique where the first set of ideas are reiterated by the second set of ideas but in reverse order, divided by the central idea. The median point may be used to identify a leading or main idea and generally contains the most important part of the structure because it is the emphasis of the passage. Because of the symmetrical structure, any break within the pattern, in this case the middle point, is distinguishable along the writing and holds implications of a…

If she were alive, she would be over 3000 years old. She lived during a different time than I do. She spoke a different language and had a different ethnicity than I have. She came from a distant land with beliefs that are unlike mine. Despite our differences, I have learned much from Ruth. At the introduction to her story, she had been recently widowed. Her mother-in-law, Naomi, was also a widow. When Naomi decides to return to live in her hometown of Bethlehem, Ruth goes with her out of her…

Everyone desires to have God’s mercy, to be able to be forgiven by God and our brothers and sisters is all we ask for. The Abraham-Jacob saga depicts how God reveals his merciful love for Jacob in a multitude of ways. His faith for God grew immensely and abundantly in his life. Which then leads Jacob to change how he lived his life and treated others. The transformation that Jacob experienced throughout his life with his faith gave him the opportunity to be with close with his brother. His…

vocative name of Elohim. Second, he makes his complaint known about how the other nations have taken precedence over the Israelites or “the heathen are come into thine inheritance” (KJV). Third, he makes pleas to Yahweh to change their disasters in v. 5-6. Fourth, the author pleas for Yahweh to act on their behalf in v. 9-10. Finally, he ends by giving praise and trust in God to take care of His people in v.13. v.1— “God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance”—the author specifically uses…