Category Archives: Bible Study

Comparing Psalm 135 and 136

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Even though I do not think these were written by the same person or even in the same time period it is interesting that Psalm 135 and 136 have similar elements. Please image David in 1 Chronicles 15:11 instructing his Praise Team to sing Psalm 135 as they carry the Ark to Jerusalem. Then image Ezra in Chapter 3:11 separating the congregation into halves and having one group singing the first part of each verse while the other group responds with “His love endures forever.”

These Psalms are included in the section of the “songs of ascents” which were traditionally sung as people went up to the Temple in Jerusalem. Psalm 115 and 118 share the idea of verse 19 and 20 of Psalm 135; the house of Israel, Aaron, Levi and those who fear Him. Psalm 135:4 talks about Jacob and Israel giving each a different emphasis. They also have a historical component remembering God’s great deliverance from Egypt and the defeat of Og and Sihon which marked the beginning of the conquest of the Promised Land. The blue sections highlight His control over nature and thus being in charge of their daily lives.

See the studies on Psalm 14 and 53  and Psalm 60 and 108.

Thanks to BibleGateway.com they are a great resource.

Tribes of Israel – Marching Order

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This is Israel’s camping arrangement and marching order as found in Numbers 2-4.

  • Click on the diagram to make it bigger.
  • The underlined family was the first to lead and also camped closest to the Tabernacle area.
  • Check the birth order of the lead families as to who were the “first-born” or family leaders.
  • The marching order was also the order they presented the offerings to dedicate the Tabernacle in Numbers 7.

Tribes of Israel – Birth Order

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Birth order is important and is mentioned many times in the Bible. The firstborn got a double portion of the inheritance but that double blessing was transferable. God seems to have fond affections for the “second born” son and several times they are put ahead of the firstborn. Ex.  Seth, Ephraim, Jacob/Israel, and of course Jesus*(see the answer to James) (see Timeline).

Leah

  • 1 Reuben*                                                                 
  • 2 Simeon
  • 3 Levi
  • 4 Judah

Bilhah

  • 5 Dan*
  • 6 Naphtali

Zilpah

  • 7 Gad*
  • 8 Asher

Leah

  • 9 Issachar
  • 10 Zebulun
  • 11 Dinah – the only daughter, see Genesis 34

Rachel

  • 12 Joseph*  – (a)Manassah*, (b)Ephraim but Jacob reversed the blessing and put Ephraim first
  • 13 Benjamin

Simeon and Levi lose their birth order rights in Genesis 34:30 and Reuben loses his in Genesis 35:22. Judah is now heir apparent until Genesis 37:3 where it seems that Jacob may be making Joseph (he was the firstborn of the favored wife) the leader of the family. Some experts believe the “coat of many colors” may have been a visible sign that Joseph was going to be given the “double portion blessing” and be made the family leader.  Not only did the brothers not like his dreams but when their father gave Joseph the “coat” that was just too much. So in Genesis 37 when they sell him to the Ishmaelites Judah is the ringleader (preserve his blessing) and Reuben is trying to rescue him (get back in favor with Jacob and hopefully he learned something).

The picture is Leah with Rachel from: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bibleencyclopedia.com/picturesjpeg/Leah_w_Rachel_67-63.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bibleencyclopedia.com/pictures/Genesis_29_Leah_with_Rachel.htm&h=614&w=400&sz=110&tbnid=Vci4cXEClxoKoM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=64&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2BLeah%2Band%2BRachel%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=pictures+of+Leah+and+Rachel&usg=__KbmFiyhA-FIhWlDZFpBEJ8kzp40=&docid=d0RrbP5CPUreIM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qUJyUNnONJKDqgGvwoG4Bw&sqi=2&ved=0CDIQ9QEwBQ&dur=673 

Hezekiah Part 4

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When you think of Hezekiah the first thing you think of is the tunnel for the water that his engineers dug to bring water into Jerusalem and the sun going backwards ten steps to confirm his healing. There is an urban legend that brings in NASA and extended space travel with the “lost day” of the Bible. I would love for this story to be true but after reading more on the topic I may let this one rest as NASA would have to confirm it and they are denying that the test ever took place.  The tunnel is still active and can be visited so that is an undeniable proof of Hezekiah and the truthfulness of the Bible.

Like other kings of Judah he “did right in the eyes of God” but he has an added statement in 2 Chronicles 29:10 that it was “in his heart” to make a covenant with God so that His fierce anger would turn away from them.  He did not follow in the footsteps of his physical father and in fact he undid and reversed many things his father had done in Jerusalem. I counted the kings who did “good” vs. those who “did not do right in the eyes of the Lord.”

Good Kings

David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash*, Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, Josiah,

Bad Kings

Saul, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash*, Ahaz, Manasseh, Amon, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah

Joash started off good and then ended bad and some of the “bads” did have a change of heart towards the end of their life but they are still listed as bad. If you count Saul it is 13 “bads” to “8” goods.  A very telling verse is 2 Chronicles 27: 1,2 Jotham did what was right but the people continued their corrupt practices. So you cannot blame it just on the kings because the people’s hearts were not with the Lord.  If you read Mary’s genealogy you can see that Jesus did not come from this line of kings; He did come from David but through Nathan another one of his sons.

I guess the two important spiritual things that Hezekiah did was reopened the Temple with worship and praise and he held a Passover.

Tunnel Picture and a good informational websitehttp://www.generationword.com/Israel/jerusalem_sites/hezekiah_tunnel.html

Hezekiah Part 3

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Hezekiah’s world, like ours, seems to have someone in the Middle East attacking people. For him, it was Assyria, Ahaz his father had made a treaty with them, who had captured and exported the Northern Kingdom of Israel. An interesting way they had of subjugating a conquered people was to export part or all of the population to a new location. Assyria did this in 1 Chronicles 5:26 and in 2 Kings 17:6, 18:11 to Israel; the promise was a nice location and prosperity. This promise was in 2 Kings 18:31 and included a vine (grape), fig tree, and their own water supply. Israel was sent to the Harbor River area.

Samaritans of the New Testament were and are the people that foreign kings brought into the area when the Northern Kingdom was conquered.  They had/have some of the customs of Jews but held onto their own gods. Their story starts in 2 Kings 17:24 and there is still a remnant of them in Israel today. Jesus uses the Good Samaritan and had a period of teaching in Samaria after meeting with the women by the well.

Isaiah the prophet, now an old man, had served four kings and Hezekiah would be his fifth. Isaiah 6, his commission, was with Uzziah (Azariah) who ruled 52 years, there was a co-regency with Jotham who ruled 16 years, Ahaz ruled 16 years and Hezekiah ruled 29 years so he had seen a lot by the time he started helping Hezekiah. The Northern Kingdom had been deported and Assyria had changed rulers at least once; Assyria is mentioned in Isaiah 8 and again in chapter 10 and 14. It comes in again in chapter 36 in Hezekiah’s 14th year. (see My Timeline) It is interesting that Hezekiah’s story ends in chapter 39. Someone pointed out that Isaiah has 66 chapters like the Bible has 66 books and chapter 40 compares to the beginning of the New Testament.  Like the hope that comes with the New Testament chapter 40 starts with “comfort, comfort my people” and ends with mounting on wings of eagles. (see Waiting on God post)

Egypt is still a power at this time and is in conflict with Assyria for who is going to control the world. Judah apparently has gone to them for help in the past and the Lord in several places condemns and warns about that practice through Isaiah in chapter 31.  Josiah in chapter 35 tries to block Egypt when they are going to fight Assyria and he pays for it with his life; Neco of Egypt punishes Judah and its kings for its interference. Egypt’s power is finally broken by Babylon and has never really risen to world power again.

Wikipedia says that the Habor and the Chobar in Ezekiel are the same while these two sources say no, the Chobar is a canal further south.