Category Archives: Bible Study

Purpose or Prothesis

Posted on by
2

My Purpose or agenda is to encourage people to study their Bible readings and the sermons they listen to during the week. I will get to the term “purpose” in the New Testament because that is where my study, this morning, landed. My study did not start out there and to be honest, it went all over the place, but it was good, and I had great takeaways.

Because I have used the word purpose in this post, I feel it is important for you to believe Exodus 34:5-7. Knowing and believing He is a good God has to be your foundation. Having questions and problems is part of our journey in the Way. God said all of these things to Moses after he messed up big time. In a moment of anger, he literally broke all of the commandments at one time. (That is a little Mark humor.) it is about two years since the burning bush and Moses is still learning God and His ways. God invited Moses back up the mountain, anger and all, to teach him about Himself and reissue the Law to the Community.

My study, this morning, started with the word pagan. A person said it came from the phrase “the people of the country” or those who lived outside the cities. I found that pagan, heathen, and Gentile in the New Testament are the same word and that translators change the word ethnikos and ethnos to fit their writing. God bless translators who are trying to do right. Not every Christian likes to think they were a pagan or a heathen at one time in their life. (Take away #1.)

That led to the thought there may be agendas attached to writing, translations, and sermons. So, I looked up the word agenda in Bible Gateway. I did not find it except in the Amplified version, and they seemed to be in the commentaries they like to add. But that brought me to purpose.

Purpose (one of several words for that idea) in the First Testament is H 6098, in Strong’s, and is translated as counsel, plan, or purpose. Take some time to study that word, you won’t be sorry.

In the Gospels and the Epistles, the Greek word prothesis and its various forms are translated as purpose and shewbread. That is the twelve loaves that are associated with the Tabernacle. The number is G 4286 and use this as a reference: πρόθεσις | billmounce.com. That word looks like prosthesis or artificial joints and limbs, I am not sure of the etymology and if they are related.

Shewbread and God’s purpose for my life being related is my second and big takeaway. Those loaves in the Tabernacle, that were eaten by the priest, were there to keep the Tribes before God. My Strong’s/Vine’s concordance draws a conclusion about it representing God’s plan for our daily bread. I appreciate that thought, but mine goes in a different direction. My purpose, like those loaves, is always before the Father. He has a plan for me and will see it to completion, Amen and Amen.

The Gospels and Hebrews are the books with the shewbread, and Paul’s Epistles and Acts use the word purpose.

My morning study did not end there. Bread is H 3899 and is lechem. From another study I read Deuteronomy 29:6 which says the Children had eaten no bread in their wanderings around the desert. That word has many working meanings; I will go with the grain the bread is made from. Friendly dealings with neighbors were not happening, so how could they get grain? Manna could be the answer, it was boiled or baked. It is possible they may have grown it but that is iffy. I know the Law was for then and the future, so consider Exodus 25:30 and Leviticus 24:5. The bread of the Presence was to always be before God and the twelve loaves had to come from the finest flour.

My purpose for the prothesis is to ask your opinion. During the time of wandering did they use manna for those thirty-eight years, or trade, or grow grain to make those large, round loaves of bread?  

Finger of God

Posted on by
Reply

What is the most powerful part of God? His fingers do miracles and cast out demons, His breath gave us life, His right hand and extended arm do battle for us, and His face will kill you. Okay, I am not going there just because. So, back to the title of this post – The Finger of God. (Yes, I left out a few like His heart and voice.)

This study is from my Deuteronomy 911 background research. With His finger, God wrote the commands, laws, and instructions on a pair of stone tablets for His people to live in a community as free people. There are two references to this story: Deuteronomy 9:10 and Exodus 31:18. The phrase “finger of God” is used in two other places; this is consistent through all of the translations I looked at. Altogether, I think, they tell an interesting story.

Exodus 8:19 – Pharaoh’s magicians told him that the plague of gnats was from the finger of God. I looked at several commentaries and stopped! The main thought was that the magicians of Egypt would not have said that or believed in Moses’ God. Why not? They had to go get new walking sticks because the rod of God had swallowed theirs. They maybe did turn water to blood, but a bowl full is not the Nile and they could not undo Moses’ act. (Personally, I am thinking red coloring, but we will stay with blood.) The Egyptians had a frog goddess, so, who knows what experiments they had done to get frogs out of the water? Once again, they could offer no relief to the people. As one commentary noted, the gnats required them to create life. Jannes and Jambes (2 Timothy 3:8) were not up to that task and they knew they had been beaten. (See Frogs, Yeast, Plagues, The Wonders that Plagued Egypt, and Reflections)

A very common thought about fingers in our reference materials and commentaries is they point or scratch, and they do. Another use for the finger, in ancient times, was a unit of measurement or etsba. This is the width of the finger and not the length. Etsba or Strong’s H676 is the Hebrew for finger, you will have to look to find the measurement part. My Strong’s reference table lists a finger as a unit of length but gives no Hebrew name, and the given length has to be a finger width.

So, what if they were acknowledging the power of God and also saying this may just be a small measurement of that power? I doubt they converted, but other Egyptians did believe and got their people and animals out of the fields before the hailstorm (9:20). The magicians lasted until Exodus 9:11 and are not heard from again.

After they made that statement, God started treating Israel and Egypt differently. This leads to my BIG TAKEAWAY from this post. The three times the finger of God is used He is working to start His kingdom of priests and the holy nation. This one is measuring the Egyptians as guilty of enslaving His people and He will free them.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Exodus 31:18 and Deuteronomy 9:10

God used His extended finger to write on two stone tablets the rules His holy nation needed to live as free men and women. STOP! Think about that for a minute or two. The Father wrote for His people (twice) the commandments He had spoken to them. How do we know that God is everything He said He was in Exodus 34: 6+7? Moses broke all of the commandments at the same and God still loved and used him. If you want a good study, find the traditions and legends that surround those tablets.

Moses wrote a book; God wrote stone tablets. Why stone and not rock? Rock is unaltered and in its natural state. Stone has been shaped for man to use.

Luke 11:20

This verse says it all, the extended finger of God casting out demons by the power of God measures the Kingdom is nearby. Daktylos is the word for finger, Strong’s G1147, and it has Hebrew roots. Luke does not name the crowd in the passage, but they sound like the Pharisees. Because of that, I am sure that this is one of Jesus’ multilevel revelations for them. “Frogs” getting pushed out by the finger of God. The same powerful finger that wrote the Law is bringing in the kingdom of God. He is also claiming to have the power of the finger of God, even as He ignores their demand for a sign from Heaven. Yes, the Pharisees were not happy with that righteous reminder of the finger of God.

Priest 2

Posted on by
1

Priest 2 has made me realize just how important the priesthood was and is in the Kingdom. Without realizing it I have written many posts that included the priest, Levities, and other learned men who were the scribes, lawyers, and teachers of the Law (names and titles vary).

Ruling/judging the people of Israel changed several times in Israel, but changing the priesthood required a change in the Law. The sin of Jeroboam was changing the priesthood, which did not work out too well. Moses started it all in Exodus 18 when he took the advice of Jethro. God started the priesthood of Aaron in Exodus 28. Wow, all the thoughts that just popped up.

So far, I have done a “skim-read” of the topic of priests, and Priest 2 is another small step into this topic. Since this is a “study” I am sure knowledge has been added; I hope I have stayed on course and topic. Here are some of my posts that have dealt with priests.

This small step into the topic of priest will focus on the New Testament and the Greek word hiereus Strong’s G2409. It is the word for priest; chief or high priest and priesthood are related to it. I will encourage you to be very Berean about my study. ἱερεύς | billmounce.com

Hierateia # G2405 – This word is used in Luke 1:9 and Hebrews 7:5. The priest are doing some aspect of their duties in these verses. Zechariah was going behind the curtain and the others were collecting the tithe. ἱερατεία | billmounce.com

Hierosyne # G2420 – It is used in Hebrews 7:11, 12, and 24. The connection, for me, is these three deal with the Law. In verse 24, Jesus’ permanent priesthood is because He fulfilled the requirements of the Law. ἱερωσύνη | billmounce.com

Hierateuma #2406 – Peter uses this form of priesthood in 1 Peter 2: 2, 9. He is referring to us and what we are and will be. ἱεράτευμα | billmounce.com This one is important because it fulfills Exodus 19:6 where God tells Moses He wants a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Revelations 1:6, 5:10, and 20:6 also states that we will be the priest of God. In Romans 15:16 Paul’s serving as a minister of the Gospel has a term that is related to doing priestly duties – G2418.

Melchizedek was a priest in Genesis, and we will be priests in Revelations because we are in Jesus. Sounds like the Father has had a plan all along.

Other terms to look up: high or chief priest ἀρχιερεύς | billmounce.com, scribes G1122, and elders G4245.

Following the Trail of NIŠ·BĀ·RĀH

Posted on by
Reply

While studying sacrifice, I found niš·bā·rāh in Psalm 51:17. That form of the word is only used three times according to biblehub.com. (It has a lot of cousins.) In the Strong’s it is H7665.

Hebrew Concordance: niš·bā·rāh — 3 Occurrences (biblehub.com)  

The three places it is used are – Psalm 34:20, Psalm 51:17, and Jeremiah 48:25. As I focused on the verses, I realized that broken bones and spirit told a story for those who would seek God.

Psalm 34:20

David wrote this psalm as a praise and thank you to God for delivering him from a bad situation. That story is in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.

The way I like to read Psalm 34 is the Father is speaking to His children starting at verse 11 and ending at 20. Verse 20 is a prophecy about Jesus that is fulfilled in John 19:36. Not one of Jesus’ bones was broken during His crucifixion.

Psalm 51:17  

David is calling out to God again in this psalm. This time he is in grief because of his sin and a wrong that he committed against God. This story is in 1 Samuel 11 + 12. He realizes that what the Father wants is a broken spirit and a heart that is broken and can only be fixed by fellowship with God again.

Jeremiah 48:25

The entire chapter is a message against Moab. Moab is the nation descendant from Lot and his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:30-38). That makes them famies (family enemies). Through the centuries it has been a curious relationship. In Deuteronomy 2 God is “protecting” Moab but by the end of the wandering they are with Balaam in corrupting Israel. Ruth the grandmother of David and Jesus is from Moab, so Lot’s bloodline is not to be dismissed.

In this verse, Moab’s horn or strength is cut, and his power or his arm is broken. They did help the Babylonians when Jerusalem fell.    

The Trail of NIŠ·BĀ·RĀH

As I pondered these verses, this path in the Way took shape.

Because righteous Jesus was not broken on the cross, we can bring our broken hearts and spirits to Him. He will create a clean heart and renew our spirit so we can fellowship with Him. Now that we walk with Him, He will break the power of our sinful flesh (Moab).

Priest

Posted on by
6

Priest is a spinoff of Seraiah. Seraiah was a serendipitous find that may put several posts into motion. The kohen or priest of God are found in most books of the Bible, especially if you remember that Jesus is our High Priest and Lord.  

The first priest of Got Most High is not a son of Aaron or a child of Abraham. It is a Gentile believer living in a very important place. He is Melchizedek. He is introduced in Genesis 14, associated with David in Psalm 110, and compared with Jesus in Hebrews. Why did God want Terah and Abram to go to Canaan? Was it to meet this righteous man? Yes, I know the legends associated with Melchizedek. God made a covenant with Abraham, then extended the blessing to Jacob’s children, but He had a heart and plan for the Gentiles.

A kingdom of priest – After the plagues and the Passover, through the Red Sea and several bouts of crumbling, God announced His plan for the Children of Israel in Exodus 19: 5 and 6. (Please note, this is before the Law was given and a golden calf was made.) God wanted His “called out people” to be priest. The key to this offer was that they had to be right with Him.

His chosen as priest – The above thought is seen again in 1 Peter 2: 5+9 where believers are called a holy and a royal priesthood. In Romans 15:16 Paul is in agreement with Peter as we are to minister the Good News of the Kingdom. (Modern translations, from 1599 to present, are split on adding “priestly duties” in that passage.) Revelations 1:6, 5:10, and 20:6 all say that we will be priest of God.

The Father has always wanted priest. He wants people who will spread the Good News of the Kingdom, because they have chosen to follow Jesus. These called and sent followers will love people, His world, and righteousness.

Hiereus vs Archiereus – O that is priest vs high/chief/ruling priest. If you are like I was you see no difference in these two groups. Between this study and a conversation with my wife that centered on an article she read, there is a difference. Josephus, the historian, was the source quoted in the article. In the Book of Matthew Jesus uses both terms, but it does not take many verses to realize that it was the Archiereus that He had trouble with. In Matthew 8 He sent the leper to the Hiereus to follow the Law of Moses. (Yes, another spinoff is starting to turn.) They were the ones who served the people in daily duties in the Temple.

The Archiereus actually bought the right to be in charge. In other words, Rome and Herod allowed them to hold office for a price. The coin exchange booths and the pre-approved sacrificial animals made it all about the Benjamins.