Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Deuteronomy

The word Deuteronomy derived from Greek and Latin. It is "Devarim" in Hebrew and it means "words."

I see in this book that people's hearts are so stubborn. Mine is like that, too.

God "Go and conquer the land I am giving you."
People "Let us send spies and study the land first."

After the spies came back they didn't want to go.


God "Turn around and go back."
People  "We repent. Let us go forward to the land."

God "Stop."
People went any way.

They cried after they were defeated but it was too late, but God is still gracious and compassionate. He loves them anyway.

Many situations like this happen in our lives, I think. Then we cry and think to ourselves (or to the Christians) "where is God when we need him?"

Please forgive me for being selfish and self-centered...

Sunday, July 11, 2010

misunderstood words in the Old Testament

The word satan.
I am reviewing one of Kay Arthur's "Lord..." series and got curious about the original word for Satan.
The word "satan" is a Hebrew word and that means "adversary."  The one who opposes is "an adversary" and the word for that is "satan." It is not his name. Then I googled. See 

http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7854&t=NLT

and

http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/164.htm

The word Lucifer
A couple months ago I learned that the infamous name "Lucifer" is not in the original text when I was curious to see this part in the original language. Did anyone know that? We just assume that one of the fallen angels or the demon's name is Lucifer, but it is not true.See this.

http://www.echoofeden.com/bias/lucifer/

Thursday, July 8, 2010

She conceives (Tazria)

(This is not according to the reading schedule.)

Leviticus 12:1-13:59

The instruction regarding a woman who conceives and gives birth to a child. The Scriptures say that the woman is unclean for certain days. I didn't know what to think of this. She becomes a mom and is 'unclean'. But the "Walk! Leviticus" commentary says something interesting. It gave me a different point of view.


"Women do not sin by giving birth to children (Gen. 1:28). Nor do their subsequent rites of purification require laying on of hands, confession, an asham, or a different offering for the birth of a boy or a girl. But the loss of blood diminishes a mother's wholeness, rendering her incomplete and thus tam'ah (cf. Lev. 12:4, 5, 7). Only the passage of time restores her wholeness."
(Walk! Leviticus)

(The word "tam'ah" means defiled.)

I feel God's thoughtfulness towards our wholeness.