Category Archives: Abraham

Jordan vs. Euphrates

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The_Euphrates_Valley_-_Syria,_Kurdistan,_et_cetera_by_Edward_Stanford_Ltd._-_WDL

  • The Jordan River starts near Mount Hermon and flows to the Dead Sea this distance is 124 miles (200 km) but because it meanders it is about 223 miles (360 km) in length.
  • The Euphrates River starts in Turkey near the Ararat Mountains and flows to the Persian Gulf, approximately 1,740 miles (2,800 km).
  • According to Google if you walk from one to the other it could take you 280 hours, about 12 days because it is 862.9 miles (1388.6 km).

The people who have inhabited these two river valleys have been at odds with each other for a very long time. In the Bible, the first mention of this fighting is in Genesis 14 where the kings of Elam and Shinar (Babylon) are attacking the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. The only reason this makes it into the Bible is that Abram’s nephew Lot is taken captive and is being carried away as a slave. Abram (Abraham) along with his allies quickly put a stop to this and chase away the Euphrates River kings. This thrashing went on for more than 40 miles and ended with a recovery of people and property.

http://www.britannica.com

“The Euphrates Valley – Syria, Kurdistan, et cetera by Edward Stanford Ltd. – WDL” by Edward Stanford Ltd. – http://www.wdl.org/en/item/11694/. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Euphrates_Valley_-_Syria,_Kurdistan,_et_cetera_by_Edward_Stanford_Ltd._-_WDL.png#mediaviewer/File:The_Euphrates_Valley_-_Syria,_Kurdistan,_et_cetera_by_Edward_Stanford_Ltd._-_WDL.png

The Bible and Science – Kinetic Energy

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Genesis 22:2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. (NIV)

Kinetic energy is known as the energy of movement; its formula is K.E. = ½mv2. The potential_kineticimportant thing is the velocity (speed); even something small can have a lot of energy if it is moving. If you look at the formula the speed you move with doesn’t just double it increases exponentially so 7 does not become 14 it becomes 49.

I am sure that Abraham had a lot of thoughts that night but what did he do; he started moving!

∞Jesus, thank You that You increase our energy as we move to the sound of Your voice.

http://www.tutorvista.com/physics/potential-energy-changing-to-kinetic-energy

The Bible and Science -When Nothing Is Something!

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When Nothing Is Something!

hst_hourglass_nebula_smallI recently watched an episode of Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman the title was Nothing. What they were exploring was the emptiness of space and even the concept of the space between electrons. The total thought of the show was that because of “dark matter” that maybe the emptiness of space may not be empty instead it has energy in it. Now I know many people are reaching for the mouse to find something else to read while saying this is a Bible Study blog. Please hang in there and finish reading. The reason I am commenting on this is that after Mr. Freeman opened with a slight miss quote of Genesis 1:1 he basically said that science had their own “god” and their own “beginning.” I wanted to know how “NOTHING” was replacing God. I also found it aggregating that the next scene was Freeman as a boy in an old country church holding a Bible trying to figure out what true nothingness felt like. His point was he could not.

The main point that the panel of experts made was that there is a lot of nothing in the universe; which is correct. Another point is that our idea of nothing/empty for space is not completely correct; since we see light from distant stars and galaxies there is light energy passing through it. So what the science community is doing is redefining space/time and our concept of “nothing.”

Some of the things they discussed were: 1. There was something before the big bang, 2. The states of things before the big bang were at a “higher level” than afterward, 3. “Empty” space is filled with energy that should have the potential to destroy the universe and 4. That this energy/waves are causing the universe to expand. It may sound strange but these do not disprove God and some actually agree with Scripture: 1. The thought that something was there before the big bang agrees with Genesis 1:1; the Spirit of God was hovering over water in an empty world. 2. The different “levels” sound like the Second Law of Thermodynamics that basically states that systems start in order and proceed to a state of disorder. A perfect creation becoming what we see now on earth agrees with that Law. 3. The idea that the universe is filled with energy and some of those energies are canceling each other out is a constant symbolism in the Bible an example of this is found in Colossians 1:12 + 13 where the inheritance of the saints is referred to as the “Kingdom of Light” and that we have been rescued from the “dominion of darkness.” The idea that these energies could destroy the universe is echoed in Isaiah 34: 4 where stars of heaven will be dissolved and fall and the sky will roll up like a scroll. 4. This idea is not really Biblical but preachers have been using it for a long time; the light should just keep going so the phrase is “when God spoke to light into being it started and is still going.”

To see the show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbRvHbtB9AQ, This site is not endorsed by NASA and to see more images please go to http://www.freeimages.co.uk/galleries/space/nebula/index.htm

El-Shaddai

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“I Am Who I Am” was God’s answer to Moses when he asked about what to call Him. In the footnotes in my NIV it says that, “Lord (Yahweh) sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for I Am (Exodus 3:14). Then in verse 15 He says that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (why not Israel) and then says that is how He wants to be remembered. “God” here is Elohim.  Now I do want to say that it depends on your concordance as to exactly how some of these names are listed; my Strong’s is slightly different than my NIV Concordance.

A generic name for god is “el.” So if you are reading and a name has “el” in it like Israel or Bethel you know it has something to do with a god or God. According to the Vine’s Dictionary in the ancient world it was thought that if you knew a deity’s name that would give you a special “in” with that deity. Nice to know that humanity has not changed much some people still think that they can manipulate God.

The verse that actually started this study was Exodus 6: 2+3. Moses is “pointing out” all of the trouble that the Children are having but God sees it as the opportunity He needs for their deliverance. In the verse He says that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Me as God Almighty (El-Shaddai) but they did not know Me as Lord (Yahweh). Vine’s talks about how scholars relate this phrase (El-Shaddai) to the power of mountains. In Psalm 80 they also had a “God Almighty” but there it is Elohim Saba. So you may need to look for exactly which phrase it is that is being used and I can tell you that the translation you read may handle these phrases just a little different.

In researching I found this website which maybe helpful to you: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Names_of_G-d/El/el.html

So what name do you know God as or what name has He made Himself known to you? 

The Number Thirteen in the Bible

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The number thirteen in the Bible heralds that a change is coming. We like to attach all sorts of meanings to numbers, but the truth is that God created numbers for His use (See Genesis 1). Thirteen as used in the Bible is another number that God uses to show His plan for His people.

Numerology is part of studying the Bible; there are certain numbers that have been assigned certain meanings.  Three, seven, six, twelve, eight, and forty are just a few numbers that most Christians will be able to give you as having an important significance in the Bible. Three is a “God” number for the three persons of the Trinity.  Seven represents completeness from the seven days of the week. Six is the number of man this comes from the fact that we were made on the sixth day and the number 666 from the Book of Revelation.  Twelve represents the government as shown by the twelve disciples and the number of the tribes of Israel (the sons of Jacob). Forty is the number of testing or trail as shown in the years spent by Israel in the wilderness and the length of days Jesus was tested after He received the Holy Spirit. Eight is the number of new beginnings given that the eighth day of Creation started a new week.  The number fourteen is also an interesting study if you would like to see mine you may click this address https://ificouldteachthebible.wordpress.com/2013/07/21/the-number-fourteen-in-the-bible/  A study of the number fifteen is available at Cleaning Up to Celebrate.

Unfortunately, people and Christians in particular start to focus on the number instead of the God of the numbers. So we get people with triskaidekaphobia which is the fear of the number thirteen. Beliefs about this number are varied and separating fact from fiction is impossible. Some early ideas on this number and its “significance” to bring bad luck are hinged on the assumption that there were only 13 people at the Last Supper and that Jesus died on a Friday the 13th. (World Book Encyclopedia)

WHY I would like to offer a different look at the number 13 from a Biblical perspective. I already know that this does not fit into most numerological frameworks but I will ask you to follow through with my reasons and then you make up your mind.  I will show that a possible meaning for the number thirteen is the signal for the “start of or the beginning of something new.”  I am not trying to mix this with the number eight in any way.

Examples of Thirteen in the Bible These are a few of the instances that there are thirteen of something and each of these represents the “start of a new thing.”

1. In Genesis 17:25 Ishmael is circumcised at the age of thirteen which is when God made the promise to Abraham; this contrasts with Isaac being circumcised at eight days old.

2. 1 Kings 7:1 Solomon took 13 years to complete his palace.

3. Genesis 14: 4 Sodom rebelled after 13 years of servitude to Chedorlaomer king of Elam (Babylon) and Abraham rescued Lot.  This brought on Melchizedek’s blessing and Abraham’s covenant with God.

4. Esther 3: 12 Haman had orders written on the 13th day of the first month about the 13th day of last month to kill all Jews.  They have to defend themselves and so put an end to the threats of Haman the Agagite, who is an Amalekite, and a new time of freedom for the Jews.

5. Jeremiah starts his ministry in the 13th year of Josiah (Jeremiah 1:2).  Josiah had started purifying the land in his 12th year of being a king.  Jeremiah may have been 13 years old when his ministry started.  The term for his age shows a child up to the age of becoming a young man.

6. Joseph was 17 years old when he was taken as a slave. He was 30 when Pharaoh put him in charge of Egypt (13 years). Genesis 37:2 to 41:46.

7. The Children of Israel went around Jericho 13 times before they yelled and the walls fell down.

There are many more “13’s” in the Bible but I hope you get my point about it showing a “new start.”

My personal feeling about thirteen/Friday the 13 and other lucky things is summed up in this: It is bad luck to be superstitious!  ← (This is another post in my blog.)

So I look at it this way.

 Number 13

graphic by Ryan Johanningmeier

Ryan Johanningmeier – Oklahoma, USA, RyanJo Productions, Oral Roberts University | about.me