Paul, writing to the Corinthians, documents the experiences of Israel in the wilderness: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did […]
“And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him [Moses], and sought to kill him.” (Exodus 4:24) This verse occurs in the midst of the account of Moses traveling from Midian back to Egypt from which he had fled 40 years earlier. God was sending Moses on a […]
To understand how hearts are hardened it might be helpful to understand what the opposite of hardening the heart is: “Because thine (King Josiah’s) heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation […]
Traditional Legal Model – To be hardened is understood to be an individual’s action of resisting or refusing truth. Biblical Healing Model – The meaning is the same but the word is included in the glossary to clearly distinguish who is responsible for the hardening. From a Modern Dictionary: Hardened (adjective) made or become hard […]
Smote in the New Testament The Greek word translated as smote is “patasso” (Strong’s G3960): probably prolongation from 3817; TDNT-5:939,804; {See TDNT 607 } v AV-smite 9, strike 1; 10 1) to strike gently: as a part or a member of the body 2) to stroke, smite: with the sword, to afflict, to visit with evils, […]
Traditional Legal Model – Smote or to smite is used both as a physical blow or as the conscience being smitten. Biblical Healing Model – The word is used similarly except that this model recognizes that often when God is said to smite it is by withdrawing His protection. It is also understood in the […]
Question: First, this site is useful! Second, I have a few (philosophical/Biblical) questions: 1) Why did God create us with a sense of justice (not happy when others steal [our] own items)? Doesn’t that mean God’s laws are arbitrary? 2) Since only God existed for eternity, does that mean that God’s laws are arbitrary (as […]
The content below is an excerpt from the book Behold Your God by Fred Wright. It is referred to in the study of 1 Samuel 15:3 and included to show that man has the option to depend upon God for his defense in difficult situations as Jacob (Israel) did. “Their [the Israelite people’s] decision to […]
“Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” (1 Samuel 15:3) As Israel was journeying from the Red Sea to Mt Sinai, they were suddenly, and without provocation, attacked by the Amalekites: […]
“And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.” (Exodus 17:9) This is the first record of Israel taking up the sword to fight their enemies after leaving Egypt. But […]
