Monthly Archives: November 2011

WHAT TYPE OF METAL ARE YOU? Part 1

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Metals have always been important to man and all of them are of use and value.  We have even given humans metal characteristics: good as gold, dirty copper, you sunk like lead.  In the Old Testament of the Bible God told Jeremiah, that he was to be a tester of metals and that the Israelites were the ore that Jeremiah was to observe and test. With God having given Jeremiah this command, I wondered what lessons there were to be learned. (Jeremiah 6:27)

In the Bible Israel is described as being a “land flowing with milk and honey” but it only had copper and iron as naturally occurring metals.  Lead, tin, silver, and gold all had to be imported by dealing with foreign nations. So let us look at the six metals (In the Bible six represents the number of man.) that were used in Israel during Bible times and see if we can observe something about people and how we behave.

Lead, then as now, was used to make fishing weights, and solder, and it was something to be inscribed into.  Lead may have been imported in pure form into Israel; if it was an impurity in another metal, such as lead in silver, the refining process required great heat and air so that it could be burned out or separated from the other metal.

In people, lead symbolizes the things from outside of us that keep us held down in the spirit and in the natural.  Worrying, fighting, and just dealing with these “imported” things can “solder” us together and give shape to our lives.  Only the heat and wind of the Holy Spirit will refine the lead out of our lives.  An example of “lead” was the grumbling aliens that followed Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land.  The aliens kept complaining and caused Israel to stumble.  Another example of “lead” would be if you have ever been told by someone that you are useless and no good and you have believed what was said about you instead of believing what God says about you.

Joy

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I owe this blog to my youngest son, Matthew.  After a discussion of a reoccurring habit of mine while I drive a car, which is the verbal stating that things would be better if everyone else in the world realized that roadways belong to me and that they should get off of them when I am driving, he asked a serious question. “What is the Biblical definition of the word JOY?”  BJ, Matthew and I fumbled around quoting verses and expounding ideas that we have heard but in the end I had to say I did not know one and would have to study it. Now, I know, I studied it before and parts of that came back into my mind but this one had to be a fresh study, plus I have no idea where that notebook is with that study in it.

So over a cup of coffee and after too early of an awake-up, here goes.

First, Matthew joy does have to do with happiness. I did get the feeling that our English, 21st century and TV/advertising defined word of happy or really fun does not go quite deep enough.   After reading all the definitions about the words for joy, and there are several, I drew these rather general conclusions.

Many of them talk about inward and outward expressions and feelings and the things that cause the joy.  Some of the words are connected with the word rejoice and shouting and yelling.  Jumping around and playing trumpets and other musical instruments were also components of the definitions.  And the one that I really liked was the one about the mood and feelings when you are making, getting ready for and having a party or feast.  My mind, even with coffee, could not focus on definitions or words but went to memories and unrelated Bible verses.

Here Matthew is the meaning of joy.

1. When little children are banging on tambourines and drums yelling at the top of their lungs and jumping around having a great time because they can.

2. The feelings, smells, business, and fun when you are getting ready for a big party or meal. Not just Thanksgiving or Christmas but birthdays and homecomings, times when you want everything perfect just because it is for someone important to you and then having a great time with the person you prepared it for.

Since this is a Bible Study blog let me get to the Word.

Jesus is and has been getting the “Feast” ready for us when we go home to be with Him. Imagine the party (the joy) that He has been planning; it is so big that He has built us houses, there will be banquet tables, angelic choirs and bands even a heavenly taxicab service to pick us up.  So if I can rephrase a popular verse- “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” (see Lord) It always sounds like we have the joy and that we will be strong because of it. How about reading it this way- because the Lord has joy we have strength – it is His joy in us that is our strength.

References: The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

Ishmael and Esau: Family and Foe – Part 2

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Esau (Edom) is also a shadowing of personal/family troubles but he is more complicated even than Ishmael.  When Jacob was sent off to find a wife Esau did something interesting, he went to Ishmael for a third wife.  At one time I thought that was to make Isaac and Rebekah mad but I now think it was just the opposite; in an attempt to please mom and dad he went back to “family” just like Jacob was doing (Genesis 28:6-9).  Esau married Mahalath, Ishmael’s daughter. So all of the types and shadows that may apply to Ishmael live on in Esau’s family. ( see Part 1 and Three Books)

Now the bad blood, remember it started in Rebekah’s womb (see Timeline), that had existed between Esau and Jacob (Genesis27: 41-45) seems to have been forgiven in the 20 years that they were separated (Genesis 33) but you have to wonder if Jacob’s mistrust was well-founded or did he create another offense when he did not travel back right away to the family area.

I am sure it was different then but he certainly had two interesting names, Esau means “hairy” and Edom means “red.”

Edom and Israel were always fighting in the Old Testament and all of the Major and Minor Prophets have sections that talk about the destruction and downfall of Edom. Since this area corresponds to modern-day Jordan you just know that this story is not over yet.

https://ificouldteachthebible.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/three-books-three-views/

Please see the above link for more about Edom.

References: NIV footnotes,

Josephus is a Jewish historian, his writings may seem a little frightening but I only read the section that corresponds to what I am reading in the Bible.  My copy is a Nelson’s Super Value Series book and it does a good job of describing what each section covers and the parts in the “books” are very well labeled.  It adds an interesting perspective to the Bible passages that I am studying.

Ishmael and Esau: Family and Foe – Part 1

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These are the first-born children of both Abraham and Isaac. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael but he was not considered the “promised child” and Esau (see Three Books and The Day) sold his birthright to Jacob. So neither of these men received the rights of the first-born; this is in agreement with the shadowing of Adam and Jesus. ( FYI Muslims say they are the spiritual children of Abraham through Ishmael.) You can read that both of these men maintained a relationship with their fathers because both of them showed up to help bury their fathers; Genesis 25:9 for Abraham and Genesis 35:29 for Isaac. Josephus, a Jewish historian, actually uses the death of Isaac as a dividing point for his history book The Antiquities of the Jews.

Ishmael is an interesting “type and shadow” he was born from an Egyptian and got an Egyptian wife; Egypt for Christians is associated with our bondages and addictions before we are saved.  So even though Egypt still holds that shadow Ishmael takes on an added shadowing because he is something personal/family in our lives.  One of the last mentions of him is in Genesis 25:18 which refers to the fact that his descendants lived in hostility (or to the east of) all of their brothers. According to Josephus Ishmael became the father of the Arabians. (see Part 2)

Now the Arabians do show up later in Scripture in some interesting places. In  2 Chronicles 17 Jehoshaphat has tribute brought to him by Arabs, Jehoram is attacked by them in chapter 21, and in chapter 26 Uzziah is beating them again with God’s help.  Nehemiah has trouble with them because of Geshem and they are mentioned in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel where they are condemned to the sword or are under God’s wrath.  But a scripture that ties all of this together is in Galatians 4:21 – 31. Hagar represents Mount Sinai (the Law) that is in Arabia and Paul links that to physical Jerusalem while the heavenly Jerusalem is linked to Sarah.

References:1.12.2 The Antiquities of the Jews, Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance

https://ificouldteachthebible.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/patriarch-timeline/